Continuous flow measurements using fixed ultrasonic meters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oltmann, Rick

1993-01-01

USGS has or soon will be installing four continuous flow-monitoring stations in the delta that will use ultrasonic velocity meters (DVM). Funding for the stations has been provided by USGS, DWR, USBR, and Contra Costa Water District.

Flood-inundation maps for the Meramec River at Valley Park and at Fenton, Missouri, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Sappington, Jacob N.

2017-09-29

Two sets of digital flood-inundation map libraries that spanned a combined 16.7-mile reach of the Meramec River that extends upstream from Valley Park, Missouri, to downstream from Fenton, Mo., were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri American Water, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 7. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the cooperative USGS streamgages on the Meramec River at Valley Park, Mo., (USGS station number 07019130) and the Meramec River at Fenton, Mo. (USGS station number 07019210). Near-real-time stage data at these streamgages may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at these sites (listed as NWS sites vllm7 and fnnm7, respectively).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reaches by means of a calibrated one-dimensional step-backwater hydraulic model. The model was calibrated using a stage-discharge relation at the Meramec River near Eureka streamgage (USGS station number 07019000) and documented high-water marks from the flood of December 2015 through January 2016.The calibrated hydraulic model was used to compute two sets of water-surface profiles: one set for the streamgage at Valley Park, Mo. (USGS station number 07019130), and one set for the USGS streamgage on the Meramec River at Fenton, Mo. (USGS station number 07019210). The water-surface profiles were produced for stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the datum from each streamgage and ranging from the NWS action stage, or near bankfull discharge, to the stage corresponding to the estimated 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability (500-year recurrence interval) flood, as determined at the Eureka streamgage (USGS station number 07019000). The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a 0.28-ft vertical accuracy and 3.28-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each flood stage (water level).The availability of these maps, along with internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgages and forecasted high-flow stages from the NWS, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures and for postflood recovery efforts.

Development of an event search and download system for analyzing waveform data observed at seafloor seismic network, DONET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takaesu, M.; Horikawa, H.; Sueki, K.; Kamiya, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, M.; Takahashi, N.; Sonoda, A.; Tsuboi, S.

2014-12-01

Mega-thrust earthquakes are anticipated to occur in the Nankai Trough in southwest Japan. In the source areas, we installed seafloor seismic network, DONET (Dense Ocean-floor Network System for Earthquake and Tsunamis), in 2010 in order to monitor seismicity, crustal deformations, and tsunamis. DONET system consists of totally 20 stations, which is composed of six kinds of sensors; strong-motion and broadband seismometers, quartz and differential pressure gauges, hydrophone, and thermometer. The stations are densely distributed with an average spatial interval of 15-20 km and cover near coastal areas to the trench axis. Observed data are transferred to a land station through a fiber-optical cable and then to JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) data management center through a private network in real time. The data are based on WIN32 format in the private network and finally archived in SEED format in the management center to combine waveform data with related metadata. We are developing a web-based application system to easily download seismic waveform data of DONET. In this system, users can select 20 Hz broadband (BH type) and 200 Hz strong-motion (EH type) data and download them in SEED. Users can also search events from the options of time periods, magnitude, source area and depth in a GUI platform. Event data are produced referring to event catalogues from USGS and JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency). The thresholds of magnitudes for the production are M6 for far-field and M4 for local events using the USGS and JMA lists, respectively. Available data lengths depend on magnitudes and epicentral distances. In this presentation, we briefly introduce DONET stations and then show our developed application system. We open DONET data through the system and want them to be widely recognized so that many users analyze. We also discuss next plans for further developments of the system.

Streamflow properties from time series of surface velocity and stage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plant, W.J.; Keller, W.C.; Hayes, K.; Spicer, K.

2005-01-01

Time series of surface velocity and stage have been collected simultaneously. Surface velocity was measured using an array of newly developed continuous-wave microwave sensors. Stage was obtained from the standard U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measurements. The depth of the river was measured several times during our experiments using sounding weights. The data clearly showed that the point of zero flow was not the bottom at the measurement site, indicating that a downstream control exists. Fathometer measurements confirmed this finding. A model of the surface velocity expected at a site having a downstream control was developed. The model showed that the standard form for the friction velocity does not apply to sites where a downstream control exists. This model fit our measured surface velocity versus stage plots very well with reasonable values of the parameters. Discharges computed using the surface velocities and measured depths matched the USGS rating curve for the site. Values of depth-weighted mean velocities derived from our data did not agree with those expected from Manning's equation due to the downstream control. These results suggest that if real-time surface velocities were available at a gauging station, unstable stream beds could be monitored. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering ?? ASCE.

Use of radars to monitor stream discharge by noncontact methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Costa, J.E.; Cheng, R.T.; Haeni, F.P.; Melcher, N.; Spicer, K.R.; Hayes, E.; Plant, W.; Hayes, K.; Teague, C.; Barrick, D.

2006-01-01

Conventional measurements of river flows are costly, time‐consuming, and frequently dangerous. This report evaluates the use of a continuous wave microwave radar, a monostatic UHF Doppler radar, a pulsed Doppler microwave radar, and a ground‐penetrating radar to measure river flows continuously over long periods and without touching the water with any instruments. The experiments duplicate the flow records from conventional stream gauging stations on the San Joaquin River in California and the Cowlitz River in Washington. The purpose of the experiments was to directly measure the parameters necessary to compute flow: surface velocity (converted to mean velocity) and cross‐sectional area, thereby avoiding the uncertainty, complexity, and cost of maintaining rating curves. River channel cross sections were measured by ground‐penetrating radar suspended above the river. River surface water velocity was obtained by Bragg scattering of microwave and UHF Doppler radars, and the surface velocity data were converted to mean velocity on the basis of detailed velocity profiles measured by current meters and hydroacoustic instruments. Experiments using these radars to acquire a continuous record of flow were conducted for 4 weeks on the San Joaquin River and for 16 weeks on the Cowlitz River. At the San Joaquin River the radar noncontact measurements produced discharges more than 20% higher than the other independent measurements in the early part of the experiment. After the first 3 days, the noncontact radar discharge measurements were within 5% of the rating values. On the Cowlitz River at Castle Rock, correlation coefficients between the USGS stream gauging station rating curve discharge and discharge computed from three different Doppler radar systems and GPR data over the 16 week experiment were 0.883, 0.969, and 0.992. Noncontact radar results were within a few percent of discharge values obtained by gauging station, current meter, and hydroacoustic methods. Time series of surface velocity obtained by different radars in the Cowlitz River experiment also show small‐amplitude pulsations not found in stage records that reflect tidal energy at the gauging station. Noncontact discharge measurements made during a flood on 30 January 2004 agreed with the rated discharge to within 5%. Measurement at both field sites confirm that lognormal velocity profiles exist for a wide range of flows in these rivers, and mean velocity is approximately 0.85 times measured surface velocity. Noncontact methods of flow measurement appear to (1) be as accurate as conventional methods, (2) obtain data when standard contact methods are dangerous or cannot be obtained, and (3) provide insight into flow dynamics not available from detailed stage records alone.

Landsat's international partners

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrnes, Raymond A.

2012-01-01

Since the launch of the first Landsat satellite 40 years ago, International Cooperators (ICs) have formed a key strategic alliance with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to not only engage in Landsat data downlink services but also to enable a foundation for scientific and technical collaboration. The map below shows the locations of all ground stations operated by the United States and IC ground station network for the direct downlink and distribution of Landsat 5 (L5) and Landsat 7 (L7) image data. The circles show the approximate area over which each station has the capability for direct reception of Landsat data. The red circles show the components of the L5 ground station network, the green circles show components of the L7 station network, and the dashed circles show stations with dual (L5 and L7) status. The yellow circles show L5 short-term ("campaign") stations that contribute to the USGS Landsat archive. Ground stations in South Dakota and Australia currently serve as the primary data capture facilities for the USGS Landsat Ground Network (LGN). The Landsat Ground Station (LGS) is located at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Alice Springs (ASN) ground station is located at the Geoscience Australia facility in Alice Springs, Australia. These sites receive the image data, via X-band Radio Frequency (RF) link, and the spacecraft housekeeping data, via S-band RF link. LGS also provides tracking services and a command link to the spacecrafts.

Feasibility of Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters for the Production of Discharge Records from U.S. Geological Survey Streamflow-Gaging Stations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morlock, Scott E.; Nguyen, Hieu T.; Ross, Jerry H.

2002-01-01

It is feasible to use acoustic Doppler velocity meters (ADVM's) installed at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations to compute records of river discharge. ADVM's are small acoustic current meters that use the Doppler principle to measure water velocities in a two-dimensional plane. Records of river discharge can be computed from stage and ADVM velocity data using the 'index velocity' method. The ADVM-measured velocities are used as an estimator or 'index' of the mean velocity in the channel. In evaluations of ADVM's for the computation of records of river discharge, the USGS installed ADVM's at three streamflow-gaging stations in Indiana: Kankakee River at Davis, Fall Creek at Millersville, and Iroquois River near Foresman. The ADVM evaluation study period was from June 1999 to February 2001. Discharge records were computed, using ADVM data from each station. Discharge records also were computed using conventional stage-discharge methods of the USGS. The records produced from ADVM and conventional methods were compared with discharge record hydrographs and statistics. Overall, the records compared closely from the Kankakee River and Fall Creek stations. For the Iroquois River station, variable backwater was present and affected the comparison; because the ADVM record compensates for backwater, the ADVM record may be superior to the conventional record. For the three stations, the ADVM records were judged to be of a quality acceptable to USGS standards for publications and near realtime ADVM-computed discharges are served on USGS real-time data World Wide Web pages.

CURRENT FLOW DATA FOR SELECTED USGS STREAM MONITORING STATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

This data set contains recent and historical stream flow data for USGS stations. Flow data (cubic feet per second) are available for the most recent 5-6 day period and are compared with long-term average values. Flow data were collected approximately hourly. Flood stage and the m...

CURRENT FLOW DATA FOR SELECTED USGS STREAM MONITORING STATIONS IN WASHINGTON STATE

EPA Science Inventory

This data set contains recent stream flow data for USGS stations in Washington State. Flow data (cubic feet per second) are available for the most recent 5-6 day period and are compared with long-term average values. Flow data were collected approximately hourly. Flood stage and ...

Rating curve uncertainty: A comparison of estimation methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, Jr., Robert R.; Kiang, Julie E.; Cohn, Timothy A.; Constantinescu, George; Garcia, Marcelo H.; Hanes, Dan

2016-01-01

The USGS is engaged in both internal development and collaborative efforts to evaluate existing methods for characterizing the uncertainty of streamflow measurements (gaugings), stage-discharge relations (ratings), and, ultimately, the streamflow records derived from them. This paper provides a brief overview of two candidate methods that may be used to characterize the uncertainty of ratings, and illustrates the results of their application to the ratings of the two USGS streamgages.

Montana StreamStats—A method for retrieving basin and streamflow characteristics in Montana: Chapter A in Montana StreamStats

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, Peter M.; Dutton, DeAnn M.; Sando, Steven K.; Sando, Roy

2016-04-05

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides streamflow characteristics and other related information needed by water-resource managers to protect people and property from floods, plan and manage water-resource activities, and protect water quality. Streamflow characteristics provided by the USGS, such as peak-flow and low-flow frequencies for streamflow-gaging stations, are frequently used by engineers, flood forecasters, land managers, biologists, and others to guide their everyday decisions. In addition to providing streamflow characteristics at streamflow-gaging stations, the USGS also develops regional regression equations and drainage area-adjustment methods for estimating streamflow characteristics at locations on ungaged streams. Regional regression equations can be complex and often require users to determine several basin characteristics, which are physical and climatic characteristics of the stream and its drainage basin. Obtaining these basin characteristics for streamflow-gaging stations and ungaged sites traditionally has been time consuming and subjective, and led to inconsistent results.StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application that was created by the USGS to provide users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resource planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain streamflow and basin characteristics for USGS streamflow-gaging stations and user-selected locations on ungaged streams. The USGS, in cooperation with Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, completed a study to develop a StreamStats application for Montana, compute streamflow characteristics at streamflow-gaging stations, and develop regional regression equations to estimate streamflow characteristics at ungaged sites. Chapter A of this Scientific Investigations Report describes the Montana StreamStats application and the datasets, streamflow-gaging stations, streamflow characteristics, and regression equations (as described fully in Chapters B through G of this report) that are used for development of the StreamStats application for Montana.

49 CFR 192.741 - Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Telemetering or recording gauges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pressure limiting and regulating stations... STANDARDS Maintenance § 192.741 Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Telemetering or recording gauges. (a) Each distribution system supplied by more than one district pressure regulating station must be...

Effect of rain gauge density over the accuracy of rainfall: a case study over Bangalore, India.

PubMed

Mishra, Anoop Kumar

2013-12-01

Rainfall is an extremely variable parameter in both space and time. Rain gauge density is very crucial in order to quantify the rainfall amount over a region. The level of rainfall accuracy is highly dependent on density and distribution of rain gauge stations over a region. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have installed a number of Automatic Weather Station (AWS) rain gauges over Indian region to study rainfall. In this paper, the effect of rain gauge density over daily accumulated rainfall is analyzed using ISRO AWS gauge observations. A region of 50 km × 50 km box over southern part of Indian region (Bangalore) with good density of rain gauges is identified for this purpose. Rain gauge numbers are varied from 1-8 in 50 km box to study the variation in the daily accumulated rainfall. Rainfall rates from the neighbouring stations are also compared in this study. Change in the rainfall as a function of gauge spacing is studied. Use of gauge calibrated satellite observations to fill the gauge station value is also studied. It is found that correlation coefficients (CC) decrease from 82% to 21% as gauge spacing increases from 5 km to 40 km while root mean square error (RMSE) increases from 8.29 mm to 51.27 mm with increase in gauge spacing from 5 km to 40 km. Considering 8 rain gauges as a standard representative of rainfall over the region, absolute error increases from 15% to 64% as gauge numbers are decreased from 7 to 1. Small errors are reported while considering 4 to 7 rain gauges to represent 50 km area. However, reduction to 3 or less rain gauges resulted in significant error. It is also observed that use of gauge calibrated satellite observations significantly improved the rainfall estimation over the region with very few rain gauge observations.

A historical perspective on precipitation, drought severity, and streamflow in Texas during 1951-56 and 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winters, Karl E.

2013-01-01

Annual mean streamflow and streamflow-duration curves for the 1951–56 and 2011 water years were assessed for 19 unregulated U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations. At eight of these streamflow-gaging stations, the annual mean streamflow was lower in 2011 than for any year during 1951–56; many of these stations are located in eastern Texas. Annual mean streamflows for streamflow-gaging stations in the Guadalupe, Blanco, and upper Frio River Basins were lower in 1956 than in 2011. The streamflow-duration curves for many streamflow-gaging stations indicate a lack of (or diminished) storm runoff during 2011. Low streamflows (those exceeded 90 to 95 percent of days) were lower for 1956 than for 2011 at seven streamflow-gaging stations. For most of these stations, the lowest of the low streamflows during 1951–56 occurred in 1956. During March to September 2011, record daily lows were measured at USGS streamflow-gaging station 08041500 Village Creek near Kountze, Tex., which has more than 70 years of record. Many other USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas started the 2011 water year with normal streamflow but by the end of the water year were flowing at near-record lows.

Georgia's Stream-Water-Quality Monitoring Network, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nobles, Patricia L.; ,

2006-01-01

The USGS stream-water-quality monitoring network for Georgia is an aggregation of smaller networks and individual monitoring stations that have been established in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies. These networks collectively provide data from 130 sites, 62 of which are monitored continuously in real time using specialized equipment that transmits these data via satellite to a centralized location for processing and storage. These data are made available on the Web in near real time at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/ Ninety-eight stations are sampled periodically for a more extensive suite of chemical and biological constituents that require laboratory analysis. Both the continuous and the periodic water-quality data are archived and maintained in the USGS National Water Information System and are available to cooperators, water-resource managers, and the public. The map at right shows the USGS stream-water-quality monitoring network for Georgia and major watersheds. The network represents an aggregation of smaller networks and individual monitoring stations that collectively provide data from 130 sites.

An approach to the rationalization of streamflow data collection networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burn, Donald H.; Goulter, Ian C.

1991-01-01

A new procedure for rationalizing a streamflow data collection network is developed. The procedure is a two-phase approach in which in the first phase, a hierarchical clustering technique is used to identify groups of similar gauging stations. In the second phase, a single station from each identified group of gauging stations is selected to be retained in the rationalized network. The station selection phase is an inherently heuristic process that incorporates information about the characteristics of the individual stations in the network. The methodology allows the direct inclusion of user judgement into the station selection process in that it is possible to select more than one station from a group, if conditions warrant. The technique is demonstrated using streamflow gauging stations in and near the Pembina River basin, southern Manitoba, Canada.

Non-linear motions in reprocessed GPS station position time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudenko, Sergei; Gendt, Gerd

2010-05-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) data of about 400 globally distributed stations obtained at time span from 1998 till 2007 were reprocessed using GFZ Potsdam EPOS (Earth Parameter and Orbit System) software within International GNSS Service (IGS) Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring (TIGA) Pilot Project and IGS Data Reprocessing Campaign with the purpose to determine weekly precise coordinates of GPS stations located at or near tide gauges. Vertical motions of these stations are used to correct the vertical motions of tide gauges for local motions and to tie tide gauge measurements to the geocentric reference frame. Other estimated parameters include daily values of the Earth rotation parameters and their rates, as well as satellite antenna offsets. The solution GT1 derived is based on using absolute phase center variation model, ITRF2005 as a priori reference frame, and other new models. The solution contributed also to ITRF2008. The time series of station positions are analyzed to identify non-linear motions caused by different effects. The paper presents the time series of GPS station coordinates and investigates apparent non-linear motions and their influence on GPS station height rates.

A new evaluation of the USGS streamgaging network

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1998-01-01

Since 1889, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has operated a streamgaging network to collect information about the Nation's water resources. It is a multipurpose network funded by the USGS and many other Federal, State and local agencies. Individual streamgaging stations are supported for specific purposes such as water allocation, reservoir operations, or regulating permit requirements, but the data are used by others for many purposes. Collectively, the USGS streamgaging network produces valuable data that are used for current forecasting and operational decisions as well as long-term resource planning, infrastructure design, and flood hazard mitigation. The guiding principles of the network are: Streamgaging stations are funded by the USGS and many agencies to achieve the Federal mission goals of the USGS and the individual goals of the funding agencies. Data are freely available to the public and all partners. USGS operates the network on behalf of all partners, which achieves economies because it eliminates the need for multiple infrastructures for testing equipment, providing training to staff, developing and maintaining the communications and database systems, and conducting quality assurance. USGS brings the capability of its national staff to bear on challenging problems such as responding to catastrophic floods or finding solutions to unique streamgaging conditions. This report has been prepared in response to a request from the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations in its report to accompany H.R. 4193.

Archiving and Near Real Time Visualization of USGS Instantaneous Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaslavsky, I.; Ryan, D.; Whitenack, T.; Valentine, D. W.; Rodriguez, M.

2009-12-01

The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System project has been developing databases, services and online and desktop software applications supporting standards-based publication and access to large volumes of hydrologic data from US federal agencies and academic partners. In particular, the CUAHSI WaterML 1.x schema specification for exchanging hydrologic time series, earlier published as an OGC Discussion Paper (2007), has been adopted by the United States Geological Survey to provide web service access to USGS daily values and instantaneous data. The latter service, making available raw measurements of discharge, gage height and several other parameters for over 10,000 USGS real time measurement points, was announced by USGS, as an experimental WaterML-compliant service, at the end of July 2009. We demonstrate an online application that leverages the new service for nearly continuous harvesting of USGS real time data, and simultaneous visualization and analysis of the data streams. To make this possible, we integrate service components of the CUAHSI software stack with Open Source Data Turbine (OSDT) system, an NSF-supported software environment for robust and scalable assimilation of multimedia data streams (e.g. from sensors), and interfacing with a variety of viewers, databases, archival systems and client applications. Our application continuously queries USGS Instantaneous water data service (which provides access to 15-min measurements updated at USGS every 4 hours), and maps the results for each station-variable combination to a separate "channel", which is used by OSDT to quickly access and manipulate the time series. About 15,000 channels are used, which makes it by far the largest deployment of OSDT. Using RealTime Data Viewer, users can now select one or more stations of interest (e.g. from upstream or downstream from each other), and observe and annotate simultaneous dynamics in the respective discharge and gage height values, using fast forward or backward modes, real-time mode, etc. Memory management, scheduling service-based retrieval from USGS web services, and organizing access to 7,330 selected stations, turned out to be the major challenges in this project. To allow station navigation, they are grouped by state and county in the user interface. Memory footprint has been monitored under different Java VM settings, to find the correct regime. These and other solutions are discussed in the paper, and accompanied with a series of examples of simultaneous visualization of discharge from multiple stations as a component of hydrologic analysis.

BAM: Bayesian AMHG-Manning Inference of Discharge Using Remotely Sensed Stream Width, Slope, and Height

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagemann, M. W.; Gleason, C. J.; Durand, M. T.

2017-11-01

The forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) NASA satellite mission will measure water surface width, height, and slope of major rivers worldwide. The resulting data could provide an unprecedented account of river discharge at continental scales, but reliable methods need to be identified prior to launch. Here we present a novel algorithm for discharge estimation from only remotely sensed stream width, slope, and height at multiple locations along a mass-conserved river segment. The algorithm, termed the Bayesian AMHG-Manning (BAM) algorithm, implements a Bayesian formulation of streamflow uncertainty using a combination of Manning's equation and at-many-stations hydraulic geometry (AMHG). Bayesian methods provide a statistically defensible approach to generating discharge estimates in a physically underconstrained system but rely on prior distributions that quantify the a priori uncertainty of unknown quantities including discharge and hydraulic equation parameters. These were obtained from literature-reported values and from a USGS data set of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements at USGS stream gauges. A data set of simulated widths, slopes, and heights from 19 rivers was used to evaluate the algorithms using a set of performance metrics. Results across the 19 rivers indicate an improvement in performance of BAM over previously tested methods and highlight a path forward in solving discharge estimation using solely satellite remote sensing.

Accuracy of tretyakov precipitation gauge: Result of wmo intercomparison

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, Daqing; Goodison, Barry E.; Metcalfe, John R.; Golubev, Valentin S.; Elomaa, Esko; Gunther, Thilo; Bates, Roy; Pangburn, Timothy; Hanson, Clayton L.; Emerson, Douglas G.; Copaciu, Voilete; Milkovic, Janja

1995-01-01

The Tretyakov non-recording precipitation gauge has been used historically as the official precipitation measurement instrument in the Russian (formerly the USSR) climatic and hydrological station network and in a number of other European countries. From 1986 to 1993, the accuracy and performance of this gauge were evaluated during the WMO Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison at 11 stations in Canada, the USA, Russia, Germany, Finland, Romania and Croatia. The double fence intercomparison reference (DFIR) was the reference standard used at all the Intercomparison stations in the Intercomparison. The Intercomparison data collected at the different sites are compatible with respect to the catch ratio (measured/DFIR) for the same gauge, when compared using mean wind speed at the height of the gauge orifice during the observation period.The Intercomparison data for the Tretyakov gauge were compiled from measurements made at these WMO intercomparison sites. These data represent a variety of climates, terrains and exposures. The effects of environmental factors, such as wind speed, wind direction, type of precipitation and temperature, on gauge catch ratios were investigated. Wind speed was found to be the most important factor determining the gauge catch and air temperature had a secondary effect when precipitation was classified into snow, mixed and rain. The results of the analysis of gauge catch ratio versus wind speed and temperature on a daily time step are presented for various types of precipitation. Independent checks of the correction equations against the DFIR have been conducted at those Intercomparison stations and a good agreement (difference less than 10%) has been obtained. The use of such adjustment procedures should significantly improve the accuracy and homogeneity of gauge-measured precipitation data over large regions of the former USSR and central Europe.

Overview of hydro-acoustic current-measurement applications by the U.S. geological survey in Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morlock, Scott E.; Stewart, James A.

1999-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a network of 170 streamflow-gaging stations in Indiana to collect data from which continuous records of river discharges are produced. Traditionally, the discharge record from a station is produced by recording river stage and making periodic discharge measurements through a range of stage, then developing a relation between stage and discharge. Techniques that promise to increase data collection accuracy and efficiency include the use of hydro-acoustic instrumentation to measure river velocities. The velocity measurements are used to compute river discharge. In-situ applications of hydro-acoustic instruments by the USGS in Indiana include acoustic velocity meters (AVM's) at six streamflow-gaging stations and newly developed Doppler velocity meters (DVM's) at two stations. AVM's use reciprocal travel times of acoustic signals to measure average water velocities along acoustic paths, whereas DVM's use the Doppler shift of backscattered acoustic signals to compute water velocities. In addition to the in-situ applications, three acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP's) are used to make river-discharge measurements from moving boats at streamflow-gaging stations in Indiana. The USGS has designed and is testing an innovative unmanned platform from which to make ADCP discharge measurements.

Science center capabilities to monitor and investigate Michigan’s water resources, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giesen, Julia A.; Givens, Carrie E.

2016-09-06

Michigan faces many challenges related to water resources, including flooding, drought, water-quality degradation and impairment, varying water availability, watershed-management issues, stormwater management, aquatic-ecosystem impairment, and invasive species. Michigan’s water resources include approximately 36,000 miles of streams, over 11,000 inland lakes, 3,000 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes (MDEQ, 2016), and groundwater aquifers throughout the State.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, as well as tribes and universities, to provide scientific information used to manage the water resources of Michigan. To effectively assess water resources, the USGS uses standardized methods to operate streamgages, water-quality stations, and groundwater stations. The USGS also monitors water quality in lakes and reservoirs, makes periodic measurements along rivers and streams, and maintains all monitoring data in a national, quality-assured, hydrologic database.The USGS in Michigan investigates the occurrence, distribution, quantity, movement, and chemical and biological quality of surface water and groundwater statewide. Water-resource monitoring and scientific investigations are conducted statewide by USGS hydrologists, hydrologic technicians, biologists, and microbiologists who have expertise in data collection as well as various scientific specialties. A support staff consisting of computer-operations and administrative personnel provides the USGS the functionality to move science forward. Funding for USGS activities in Michigan comes from local and State agencies, other Federal agencies, direct Federal appropriations, and through the USGS Cooperative Matching Funds, which allows the USGS to partially match funding provided by local and State partners.This fact sheet provides an overview of the USGS current (2016) capabilities to monitor and study Michigan’s vast water resources. More information regarding projects by the Michigan Water Science Center (MI WSC) is available at http://mi.water.usgs.gov/.

CGPS Implementation and Lidar/Laser Altimeter Experiences at l'Estartit, Ibiza and Barcelona Harbours for Sea Level Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, J.; Schutz, B.; Urban, T.; Ortiz Castellon, M.; Martinez-Garcia, M.; Ruiz, A.; Perez, B.; Rodriguez-Velasco, G.

2008-12-01

In the framework of a Spanish Space Project, the instrumentation of sea level measurements has been improved by providing the Barcelona site with a radar tide gauge and with a continuous GPS station nearby. The radar tide gauge is a Datamar 3000C device and a Thales Navigation Internet-Enabled GPS Continuous Geodetic Reference Station (iCGRS) with a choke ring antenna. It is intended that the overall system will constitute a CGPS Station of the ESEAS (European Sea Level) and TIGA (GPS Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring) networks. Puertos del Estado (Spanish Harbours) installed the tide gauge station at Ibiza harbour in January 2003. The station belongs to the REDMAR network, composed at this moment by 21 stations distributed along the whole Spanish waters, including also the Canary islands. The tide gauge also belongs to the ESEAS (European Sea Level) network. At the Barcelona harbour they have installed a radar tide gauge near a GPS station belonging to Puerto de Barcelona. L'Estartit floating tide gauge was set up in 1990. Data are taken in graphics registers from each two hours the mean value is recorded in an electronic support. L'Estartit tide gauge series provides good quality information about the changes in the sea heights at centimeter level, that is the magnitude of the common tides in the Mediterranean. Two airborne calibration campaigns carrying an Optech Lidar ALTM-3025 (ICC) were made on June 16, 2007 with a Partenavia P-68 and October 12, 2007, with a Cessna Caravan 208B flying along two ICESat target tracks including crossover near l'Estartit. The validation of this new technology LIDAR may be useful to fill coastal areas where satellite radar altimeters are not measuring due to the large footprint and the resulting gaps of about 15-30 km within the coastline. Measurements with a GPS Buoy at l'Estartit harbour were made during the June experience and a GPS reference station was installed in Aiguablava. On October 12, 2007, another LIDAR campaign was made at night at the same time of the ICESat overflying. A description of the actual geodetic CGPS infrastructures at Ibiza, l'Estartit and Barcelona is presented as their applications to sea level monitoring and altimeter calibration.

Shear-wave velocity characterization of the USGS Hawaiian strong-motion network on the Island of Hawaii and development of an NEHRP site-class map

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wong, Ivan G.; Stokoe, Kenneth; Cox, Brady R.; Yuan, Jiabei; Knudsen, Keith L.; Terra, Fabia; Okubo, Paul G.; Lin, Yin-Cheng

2011-01-01

To assess the level and nature of ground shaking in Hawaii for the purposes of earthquake hazard mitigation and seismic design, empirical ground-motion prediction models are desired. To develop such empirical relationships, knowledge of the subsurface site conditions beneath strong-motion stations is critical. Thus, as a first step to develop ground-motion prediction models for Hawaii, spectral-analysis-of-surface-waves (SASW) profiling was performed at the 22 free-field U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strong-motion sites on the Big Island to obtain shear-wave velocity (VS) data. Nineteen of these stations recorded the 2006 Kiholo Bay moment magnitude (M) 6.7 earthquake, and 17 stations recorded the triggered M 6.0 Mahukona earthquake. VS profiling was performed to reach depths of more than 100 ft. Most of the USGS stations are situated on sites underlain by basalt, based on surficial geologic maps. However, the sites have varying degrees of weathering and soil development. The remaining strong-motion stations are located on alluvium or volcanic ash. VS30 (average VS in the top 30 m) values for the stations on basalt ranged from 906 to 1908 ft/s [National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) site classes C and D], because most sites were covered with soil of variable thickness. Based on these data, an NEHRP site-class map was developed for the Big Island. These new VS data will be a significant input into an update of the USGS statewide hazard maps and to the operation of ShakeMap on the island of Hawaii.

Improving the quantification of flash flood hydrographs and reducing their uncertainty using noncontact streamgauging methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branger, Flora; Dramais, Guillaume; Horner, Ivan; Le Boursicaud, Raphaël; Le Coz, Jérôme; Renard, Benjamin

2015-04-01

Continuous river discharge data are crucial for the study and management of floods. In most river discharge monitoring networks, these data are obtained at gauging stations, where the stage-discharge relation is modelled with a rating curve to derive discharge from the measurement of water level in the river. Rating curves are usually established using individual ratings (or gaugings). However, using traditional gauging methods during flash floods is challenging for many reasons including hazardous flow conditions (for both equipment and people), short duration of the flood events, transient flows during the time needed to perform the gauging, etc. The lack of gaugings implies that the rating curve is often extrapolated well beyond the gauged range for the highest floods, inducing large uncertainties in the computed discharges. We deployed two remote techniques for gauging floods and improving stage-discharge relations for high flow conditions at several hydrometric stations throughout the Ardèche river catchment in France : (1) permanent video-recording stations enabling the implementation of the image analysis LS-PIV technique (Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry) ; (2) and mobile gaugings using handheld Surface Velocity Radars (SVR). These gaugings were used to estimate the rating curve and its uncertainty using the Bayesian method BaRatin (Le Coz et al., 2014). Importantly, this method explicitly accounts for the uncertainty of individual gaugings, which is especially relevant for remote gaugings since their uncertainty is generally much higher than that of standard intrusive gauging methods. Then, the uncertainty of streamflow records was derived by combining the uncertainty of the rating curve and the uncertainty of stage records. We assessed the impact of these methodological developments for peak flow estimation and for flood descriptors at various time steps. The combination of field measurement innovation and statistical developments allows efficiently quantifying and reducing the uncertainties of flood peak estimates and flood descriptors at gauging stations. The noncontact streamgauging techniques used in our field campaign strategy have complementary interests. Permanent LSPIV stations, once installed and calibrated, can monitor floods automatically and perform many gaugings during a single event, thus documenting the rise, peak and recession of floods. SVR gaugings are more "one shot" gaugings but can be deployed quickly and at minimal cost over a large territory. Both of these noncontact techniques contribute to a significant reduction of uncertainty on peak hydrographs and flood descriptors at different time steps for a given catchment. Le Coz, J.; Renard, B.; Bonnifait, L.; Branger, F. & Le Boursicaud, R. (2014), 'Combining hydraulic knowledge and uncertain gaugings in the estimation of hydrometric rating curves: A Bayesian approach', Journal of Hydrology 509, 573-587.

Recovery of aggraded stream channels at gauging stations in northern California and southern Oregon

Treesearch

T. E. Lisle

1981-01-01

Abstract - Discharge measurements at nine gauging stations in northern California and southern Oregon document episodes of channel bed aggradation lasting 5 to 15 years after the flood of December 1964 to January 1965. Bed elevations rose 1 to 4 m, then gradually declined to a stable level at or above the pre-flood level. Seven gauging sections widened by 7 to 105 per...

Calibration of streamflow gauging stations at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Scott W. Woods

2007-01-01

We used tracer based methods to calibrate eleven streamflow gauging stations at the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in western Montana. At six of the stations the measured flows were consistent with the existing rating curves. At Lower and Upper Stringer Creek, Upper Sun Creek and Upper Tenderfoot Creek the published flows, based on the existing rating curves,...

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin Lakes, water year 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, W.J.; Garn, H.S.; Goddard, G.L.; Olson, D.L.; Robertson, Dale M.

2004-01-01

Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available throught the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin District's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin District's Lakes Program is found at wi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html and wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/ index.html.

Flood-inundation maps for the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, Allenstown, and Chichester, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Robert H.; Johnston, Craig M.; Hays, Laura

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 16.5-mile reach of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, Allenstown, and Chichester, N.H., from the confluence with the Merrimack River to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Suncook River streamgage 01089500 at Depot Road in North Chichester, N.H., were created by the USGS in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The inundation maps presented in this report depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Suncook River at North Chichester, N.H. (station 01089500). The current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nh/nwis/uv/?site_no=01089500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060). The National Weather Service forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often collocated with USGS streamgages. Forecasted peak-stage information is available on the Internet at the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood-warning system site (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/) and may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. These maps along with real-time stream stage data from the USGS Suncook River streamgage (station 01089500) and forecasted stream stage from the NWS will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood-response activities, such as evacuations, road closures, disaster declarations, and post-flood recovery. The maps, along with current stream-stage data from the USGS Suncook River streamgage and forecasted stream-stage data from the NWS, can be accessed at the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/.

Quantifying discharge uncertainty from remotely sensed precipitation data products in Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weerasinghe, H.; Raoufi, R.; Yoon, Y.; Beighley, E., II; Alshawabkeh, A.

2014-12-01

Preterm birth is a serious health issue in the United States that contributes to over one-third of all infant deaths. Puerto Rico being one of the hot spots, preliminary research found that the high preterm birth rate can be associated with exposure to some contaminants in water used on daily basis. Puerto Rico has more than 200 contaminated sites including 16 active Superfund sites. Risk of exposure to contaminants is aggravated by unlined landfills lying over the karst regions, highly mobile and dynamic nature of the karst aquifers, and direct contact with surface water through sinkholes and springs. Much of the population in the island is getting water from natural springs or artesian wells that are connected with many of these potentially contaminated karst aquifers. Mobility of contaminants through surface water flows and reservoirs are largely known and are highly correlated with the variations in hydrologic events and conditions. In this study, we quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of Puerto Rico's surface water stores and fluxes to better understand potential impacts on the distribution of groundwater contamination. To quantify and characterize Puerto Rico's surface waters, hydrologic modeling, remote sensing and field measurements are combined. Streamflow measurements are available from 27 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging stations with drainage areas ranging from 2 to 510 km2. Hillslope River Routing (HRR) model is used to simulate hourly streamflow from watersheds larger than 1 km2 that discharge to ocean. HRR model simulates vertical water balance, lateral surface and subsurface runoff and river discharge. The model consists of 4418 sub-catchments with a mean model unit area (i.e., sub-catchment) of 1.8 km2. Using gauged streamflow measurements for validation, we first assess model results for simulated discharge using three precipitation products: TRMM-3B42 (3 hour temporal resolution, 0.25 degree spatial resolution); NWS stage-III radar rainfall (~ 5 min temporal resolution and 4 km spatial resolution); and gauge measurements from 37 rainfall stations for the period 2000-2012. We then explore methods for combining each product to improve overall model performance. Effects of varied spatial and temporal rainfall resolutions on simulated discharge are also investigated.

Implementation of CGPS at Estartit, Ibiza and Barcelona harbours for sea level monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, J. J.; Ortiz Castellon, M.; Martinez-Garcia, M.; Perez, B.; Bosch, E.; Termens, A.; Martinez de Oses, X.

2009-12-01

The determination of global and regional mean sea level variations with accura-cies better than 1 mm/yr is a critical problem, the resolution of which is central to the current debate on climate change and its impact on the environment. Highly accurate time series from both satellite altimetry and tide gauges are needed. Measuring the sea surface height with in-situ tide gauges and GPS receivers pro-vides an efficient way to control the long term stability of the radar altimeters and other applications as the vertical land motion and studies of sea level change. L’Estartit tide gauge is a classical floating tide gauge set up in l’Estartit harbour (NE Spain) in 1990. Data are taken in graphics registers from which each two hours the mean value is recorded in an electronic support and delivered to the Permanent Service for Mean Sea level (PSMSL). Periodic surveying campaigns along the year are carried out for monitoring possible vertical movement of the geodetic benchmark adjacent to the tide gauge. Puertos del Estado (Spanish Harbours) installed the tide gauge station at Ibiza har-bour in January 2003 and a near GPS reference station. The station belongs to the REDMAR network, composed at this moment by 21 stations distributed along the whole Spanish waters, including also the Canary islands (http://www.puertos.es). The tide gauge also belongs to the ESEAS (European Sea Level) network. A description of the actual infrastructure at Ibiza, Barcelona and l’Estartit har-bours is presented.The main objective is the implementation of these harbours as a precise geodetic areas for sea level monitoring and altimeter calibration. Actually is a CGPS with a radar tide gauge from Puertos del Estado and a GPS belonging to Puerto de Barcelona. A precise levelling has been made by the Cartographic Insti-tute of Catalonia, ICC. The instrumentation of sea level measurements has been improved by providing the Barcelona site with a radar tide gauge Datamar 3000C device and a Thales Navigation Internet-Enabled GPS Continuous Geodetic Ref-erence Station (iCGRS) with a choke ring antenna, located at the EPSEB of the Technical University of Catalonia, UPC. It is intended that the overall system will constitute a CGPS Station of the ESEAS and TIGA networks.

Specific conductance and water temperature data for San Francisco Bay, California, for Water Year 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchanan, P.A.

2005-01-01

This article presents time-series graphs of specificconductance and water-temperature data collected in San Francisco Bay during water year 2004 (October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004). Specific-conductance and water-temperature data were recorded at 15-minute intervals at seven U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) locations (Figure 1, Table 1). Specific-conductance and water-temperature data from Point San Pablo (PSP) and San Mateo Bridge (SMB) were recorded by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) before 1988, by the USGS National Research Program from 1988 to 1989, and by the USGSDWR cooperative program since 1990. Benicia Bridge (BEN), Carquinez Bridge (CARQ), and Napa River (NAP) were established in 1998 by the USGS. San Pablo Bay (SPB) was initially established in 1998 at Channel Marker 9 but was moved to Channel Marker 1 in 2003. The monitoring station at Alcatraz (ALC) was established in 2003 by the USGS to replace the discontinued monitoring station San Francisco Bay at Presidio Military Reservation.

Sea level rise within the west of Arabian Gulf using tide gauge and continuous GPS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayhan, M. E.; Alothman, A.

2009-04-01

Arabian Gulf is connected to Indian Ocean and located in the south-west of the Zagros Trust Belt. To investigate sea level variations within the west of Arabian Gulf, monthly means of sea level at 13 tide gauges along the coast of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, available in the database of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), are studied. We analyzed individually the monthly means at each station, and estimated secular sea level rate by a robust linear trend fitting. We computed the average relative sea level rise rate of 1.96 ± 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf based on 4 stations spanning longer than 19 years. Vertical land motions are included into the relative sea level measurements at the tide gauges. Therefore sea level rates at the stations are corrected for vertical land motions using the ICE-5G v1.2 VM4 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) model then we found the average sea level rise rate of 2.27 mm/yr. Bahrain International GPS Service (IGS) GPS station, which is close to the Mina Sulman tide gauge station in Bahrain, is the only continuous GPS station accessible in the region. The weekly GPS time series of vertical component at Bahrain IGS-GPS station referring to the ITRF97 from 1999.2 to 2008.6 are downloaded from http://www-gps.mit.edu/~tah/. We fitted a linear trend with an annual signal and one break to the GPS vertical time series and found a vertical land motion rate of 0.48 ± 0.11 mm/yr. Assuming the vertical rate at Bahrain IGS-GPS station represents the vertical rate at each of the other tide gauge stations studied here in the region, we computed average sea level rise rate of 2.44 ± 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf.

Continuous real-time water information: an important Kansas resource

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loving, Brian L.; Putnam, James E.; Turk, Donita M.

2014-01-01

Continuous real-time information on streams, lakes, and groundwater is an important Kansas resource that can safeguard lives and property, and ensure adequate water resources for a healthy State economy. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates approximately 230 water-monitoring stations at Kansas streams, lakes, and groundwater sites. Most of these stations are funded cooperatively in partnerships with local, tribal, State, or other Federal agencies. The USGS real-time water-monitoring network provides long-term, accurate, and objective information that meets the needs of many customers. Whether the customer is a water-management or water-quality agency, an emergency planner, a power or navigational official, a farmer, a canoeist, or a fisherman, all can benefit from the continuous real-time water information gathered by the USGS.

Chena River Lakes Project, Fairbanks, Alaska. Overview of Tanana River Monitoring Research Studies Near Fairbanks, Alaska.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

concentration-depth profiles for suspended sand sizes at Fairbanks gauge . 5.1 Apparent downstream migration of main channel loops upstream of Goose Island, 1938...at the Fairbanks gauging station is plotted in Figure 3.1. Table 3.1 shows year-by-year and period-of-record statistics for mean, minimum and maximum...Associated Relationships Figure 3.3 shows a plot of stage vs. discharge data for the Fairbanks gauging station.* There has been considerable scatter

Flood-inundation maps for the Peckman River in the Townships of Verona, Cedar Grove, and Little Falls, and the Borough of Woodland Park, New Jersey, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niemoczynski, Michal J.; Watson, Kara M.

2016-10-19

Digital flood-inundation maps for an approximate 7.5-mile reach of the Peckman River in New Jersey, which extends from Verona Lake Dam in the Township of Verona downstream through the Township of Cedar Grove and the Township of Little Falls to the confluence with the Passaic River in the Borough of Woodland Park, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the probable areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey (station number 01389534). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/.Flood profiles were simulated for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relations at USGS streamgages on the Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey (station number 01389534) and the Peckman River at Little Falls, New Jersey (station number 01389550). The hydraulic model was then used to compute eight water-surface profiles for flood stages at 0.5-foot (ft) intervals ranging from 3.0 ft or near bankfull to 6.5 ft, which is approximately the highest recorded water level during the period of record (1979–2014) at USGS streamgage 01389534, Peckman River at Ozone Avenue at Verona, New Jersey. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage provides emergency management personnel and residents with information, such as estimates of inundation extents, based on water stage, that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Summary of annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale statistics of daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging Stations in Texas Through 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

2007-01-01

Analysts and managers of surface-water resources might have interest in selected statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The selected statistics are the annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale of daily meanstreamflow. Annual L-scale of streamflow is a robust measure of the variability of the daily mean streamflow for a given year. The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, initiated in 2006a data and reporting process to generate annual statistics for 712 USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. A graphical depiction of the history of the annual statistics for most active and inactive, continuous-record gaging stations in Texas provides valuable information by conveying the historical perspective of streamflow for the watershed. Each figure consists off our time-series plots of the annual statistics of daily mean streamflow for each streamflow-gaging station. Each of the four plots is augmented with horizontal lines that depict the mean and median annual values of the corresponding statistic for the period of record. Monotonic trends for each of the four annual statistics also are identified using Kendall's T. The history of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

Dynamic rating curve assessment for hydrometric stations and computation of the associated uncertainties: Quality and station management indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morlot, Thomas; Perret, Christian; Favre, Anne-Catherine; Jalbert, Jonathan

2014-09-01

A rating curve is used to indirectly estimate the discharge in rivers based on water level measurements. The discharge values obtained from a rating curve include uncertainties related to the direct stage-discharge measurements (gaugings) used to build the curves, the quality of fit of the curve to these measurements and the constant changes in the river bed morphology. Moreover, the uncertainty of discharges estimated from a rating curve increases with the “age” of the rating curve. The level of uncertainty at a given point in time is therefore particularly difficult to assess. A “dynamic” method has been developed to compute rating curves while calculating associated uncertainties, thus making it possible to regenerate streamflow data with uncertainty estimates. The method is based on historical gaugings at hydrometric stations. A rating curve is computed for each gauging and a model of the uncertainty is fitted for each of them. The model of uncertainty takes into account the uncertainties in the measurement of the water level, the quality of fit of the curve, the uncertainty of gaugings and the increase of the uncertainty of discharge estimates with the age of the rating curve computed with a variographic analysis (Jalbert et al., 2011). The presented dynamic method can answer important questions in the field of hydrometry such as “How many gaugings a year are required to produce streamflow data with an average uncertainty of X%?” and “When and in what range of water flow rates should these gaugings be carried out?”. The Rocherousse hydrometric station (France, Haute-Durance watershed, 946 [km2]) is used as an example throughout the paper. Others stations are used to illustrate certain points.

Derivation and Application of Idealized Flow Conditions in River Network Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshari Tork, S.; Fekete, B. M.

2015-12-01

Stream flow information is essential for many applications across broad range of scales, e.g. global water balances, engineering design, flood forecasting, environmental management, etc. Quantitative assessment of flow dynamics of natural streams, requires detailed knowledge of all the geometrical and geophysical variables (e.g. bed-slope, bed roughness, etc.) along river reaches. Simplifying the river bed geometries could reduce both the computational burden implementing flow simulations and challenges in assembling the required data, especially for large domains. Average flow conditions expressed as empirical "at-a-station" hydraulic geometry relationships between key channel components, (i.e. water depth, top-width, flow velocity, flow area against discharge) have been studied since 60's. Recent works demonstrated that power-function as idealized riverbed geometry whose parameters are correlated to those of exponential relationship between mean water depth and top-width, are consistent with empirical "at-a-station" relations.US Geological Surveys' National Water Information System web-interface provides huge amount of river discharge and corresponding stage height data from several thousands of streamflow monitoring stations over United States accompanied by river survey summaries providing additional flow informations (width, mean velocity, cross-sectional area). We conducted a series of analyses to indentify consistent data daily monitoring and corresponding survey records that are suitable to refine our current understanding of how the "at-a-station" properties of river channels relate to channel forming characteristics (e.g. riverbed slope, flow regime, geology, etc.). The resulting ~1,200 actively operating USGS stations with over ~225,000 corresponding survery records (almost 200 survey per gauge on average) is the largest river survey database ever studied in the past.Our presentation will show our process assembling our river monitoring and survey data base and we will present our first results translating "at-a-station" relations into he hydraulic geometry of river channels based on idealized power-law riverbed geometries. We also will also present a series of application (e.g. improved flow rounting, simplyfied river surveying).

Water-quality and lake stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2001-01-01

Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available throught the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin District's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin District's Lakes Program is found atwi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html.

Terminal Forecast Reference Notebook, Camp Casey, Korea.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

AGL) immediately west of the runway. b. The instrument shelter, with psychrometer , is just outside of building T-2651. It is much too close to the...EQUALS 100 FEET A-6 b. The instrument shelter with psychrometer is 60 feet northwest of the weather station. c. The rain gauge, ML-17, is adjacent to... psychrometer , is 180 feet south of the weather station just east of the runway. A-7 X I x x A IA. WEATHER x STATION RAIN GAUGE SHLTOWER SE IN STRUMENT

Comparison Of Quantitative Precipitation Estimates Derived From Rain Gauge And Radar Derived Algorithms For Operational Flash Flood Support.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streubel, D. P.; Kodama, K.

2014-12-01

To provide continuous flash flood situational awareness and to better differentiate severity of ongoing individual precipitation events, the National Weather Service Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (RDHM) is being implemented over Hawaii and Alaska. In the implementation process of RDHM, three gridded precipitation analyses are used as forcing. The first analysis is a radar only precipitation estimate derived from WSR-88D digital hybrid reflectivity, a Z-R relationship and aggregated into an hourly ¼ HRAP grid. The second analysis is derived from a rain gauge network and interpolated into an hourly ¼ HRAP grid using PRISM climatology. The third analysis is derived from a rain gauge network where rain gauges are assigned static pre-determined weights to derive a uniform mean areal precipitation that is applied over a catchment on a ¼ HRAP grid. To assess the effect of different QPE analyses on the accuracy of RDHM simulations and to potentially identify a preferred analysis for operational use, each QPE was used to force RDHM to simulate stream flow for 20 USGS peak flow events. An evaluation of the RDHM simulations was focused on peak flow magnitude, peak flow timing, and event volume accuracy to be most relevant for operational use. Results showed RDHM simulations based on the observed rain gauge amounts were more accurate in simulating peak flow magnitude and event volume relative to the radar derived analysis. However this result was not consistent for all 20 events nor was it consistent for a few of the rainfall events where an annual peak flow was recorded at more than one USGS gage. Implications of this indicate that a more robust QPE forcing with the inclusion of uncertainty derived from the three analyses may provide a better input for simulating extreme peak flow events.

Status report on the USGS component of the Global Seismographic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gee, L. S.; Bolton, H. F.; Derr, J.; Ford, D.; Gyure, G.; Hutt, C. R.; Ringler, A.; Storm, T.; Wilson, D.

2010-12-01

As recently as four years ago, the average age of a datalogger in the portion of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was 16 years - an eternity in the lifetime of computers. The selection of the Q330HR in 2006 as the “next generation” datalogger by an Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) selection committee opened the door for upgrading the GSN. As part of the “next generation” upgrades, the USGS is replacing a single Q680 system with two Q330HRs and a field processor to provide the same capability. The functionality includes digitizing, timing, event detection, conversion into miniSEED records, archival of miniSEED data on the ASP and telemetry of the miniSEED data using International Deployment of Accelerometers (IDA) Authenticated Disk Protocol (IACP). At many sites, Quanterra Balers are also being deployed. The Q330HRs feature very low power consumption (which will increase reliability) and higher resolution than the Q680 systems. Furthermore, this network-wide upgrade provides the opportunity to correct known station problems, standardize the installation of secondary sensors and accelerometers, replace the feedback electronics of STS-1 sensors, and perform checks of absolute system sensitivity and sensor orientation. The USGS upgrades began with ANMO in May, 2008. Although we deployed Q330s at KNTN and WAKE in the fall of 2007 (and in the installation of the Caribbean network), these deployments did not include the final software configuration for the GSN upgrades. Following this start, the USGS installed six additional sites in FY08. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the USGS GSN program, 14 stations were upgraded in FY09. Twenty-one stations are expected to be upgraded in FY10. These systematic network-wide upgrades will improve the reliability and data quality of the GSN, with the end goal of providing the Earth science community high quality seismic data with global coverage. The Global Seismographic Network is operated as a partnership among the National Science Foundation, IRIS, IDA, and the USGS.

Hydrologic and suspended-sediment data for Reelfoot Lake, Obion and Lake Counties, northwestern Tennessee, May 1985-September 1986

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrett, J.W.

1988-01-01

Hydrologic data for Reelfoot Lake in Obion and Lake Counties, Tennessee, were collected at 4 surface water inflow stations, 1 outflow station, 2 rainfall stations, 2 lake elevation stations, and 29 wells for the period May 1, 1985 through September 30, 1986. Additionally, suspended-sediment data were collected at three stations on two of the major tributaries to the lake. (USGS)

Evaluation of Methods Used for Estimating Selected Streamflow Statistics, and Flood Frequency and Magnitude, for Small Basins in North Coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mann, Michael P.; Rizzardo, Jule; Satkowski, Richard

2004-01-01

Accurate streamflow statistics are essential to water resource agencies involved in both science and decision-making. When long-term streamflow data are lacking at a site, estimation techniques are often employed to generate streamflow statistics. However, procedures for accurately estimating streamflow statistics often are lacking. When estimation procedures are developed, they often are not evaluated properly before being applied. Use of unevaluated or underevaluated flow-statistic estimation techniques can result in improper water-resources decision-making. The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) uses two key techniques, a modified rational equation and drainage basin area-ratio transfer, to estimate streamflow statistics at ungaged locations. These techniques have been implemented to varying degrees, but have not been formally evaluated. For estimating peak flows at the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence intervals, the SWRCB uses the U.S. Geological Surveys (USGS) regional peak-flow equations. In this study, done cooperatively by the USGS and SWRCB, the SWRCB estimated several flow statistics at 40 USGS streamflow gaging stations in the north coast region of California. The SWRCB estimates were made without reference to USGS flow data. The USGS used the streamflow data provided by the 40 stations to generate flow statistics that could be compared with SWRCB estimates for accuracy. While some SWRCB estimates compared favorably with USGS statistics, results were subject to varying degrees of error over the region. Flow-based estimation techniques generally performed better than rain-based methods, especially for estimation of December 15 to March 31 mean daily flows. The USGS peak-flow equations also performed well, but tended to underestimate peak flows. The USGS equations performed within reported error bounds, but will require updating in the future as peak-flow data sets grow larger. Little correlation was discovered between estimation errors and geographic locations or various basin characteristics. However, for 25-percentile year mean-daily-flow estimates for December 15 to March 31, the greatest estimation errors were at east San Francisco Bay area stations with mean annual precipitation less than or equal to 30 inches, and estimated 2-year/24-hour rainfall intensity less than 3 inches.

Summary of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas through 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

2007-01-01

Analysts and managers of surface-water resources might have interest in the zero-flow potential for U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, initiated a data and reporting process to generate summaries of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for 712 USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. A summary of the percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for most active and inactive, continuous-record gaging stations in Texas provides valuable information by conveying the historical perspective for zero-flow potential for the watershed. The summaries of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for each station are graphically depicted using two thematic perspectives: annual and monthly. The annual perspective consists of graphs of annual percentages of zero streamflow by year with the addition of lines depicting the mean and median annual percentage of zero streamflow. Monotonic trends in the percentages of zero streamflow also are identified using Kendall's T. The monthly perspective consists of graphs of the percentage of zero streamflow by month with lines added to indicate the mean and median monthly percentage of zero streamflow. One or more summaries could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of zero-flow or other low-flow conditions in Texas.

Surface-water data and statistics from U.S. Geological Survey data-collection networks in New Jersey on the World Wide Web

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reiser, Robert G.; Watson, Kara M.; Chang, Ming; Nieswand, Steven P.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies, operates and maintains a variety of surface-water data-collection networks throughout the State of New Jersey. The networks include streamflow-gaging stations, low-flow sites, crest-stage gages, tide gages, tidal creststage gages, and water-quality sampling sites. Both real-time and historical surface-water data for many of the sites in these networks are available at the USGS, New Jersey District, web site (http://nj.usgs.gov/), and water-quality data are available at the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) web site (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/). These data are an important source of information for water managers, engineers, environmentalists, and private citizens.

Flood-inundation maps for the Saluda River from Old Easley Bridge Road to Saluda Lake Dam near Greenville, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benedict, Stephen T.; Caldwell, Andral W.; Clark, Jimmy M.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.95-mile reach of the Saluda River from approximately 815 feet downstream from Old Easley Bridge Road to approximately 150 feet downstream from Saluda Lake Dam near Greenville, South Carolina, were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Saluda River near Greenville, South Carolina (station 02162500). Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained through the National Water Information System Web site at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/sc/nwis/uv/?site_no=02162500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often collocated with USGS streamgages. Forecasted peak-stage information is available on the Internet at the NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood-warning system Web site (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/) and may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation.In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-streamflow relations at USGS streamgage station 02162500, Saluda River near Greenville, South Carolina. The hydraulic model was then used to determine water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1.0-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from approximately bankfull to 2 feet higher than the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then exported to a geographic information system, ArcGIS, and combined with a digital elevation model (derived from Light Detection and Ranging [LiDAR] data with a 0.6-foot vertical Root Mean Square Error [RMSE] and a 3.0-foot horizontal RMSE), using HEC-GeoRAS tools in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with real-time stage data from the USGS streamgage station 02162500 and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, can provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical during flood-response and flood-recovery activities, such as evacuations, road closures, and disaster declarations.

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olson, D.L.; Elder, J.F.; Garn, H.S.; Goddard, G.L.; Mergener, E.A.; Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, W.J.

2000-01-01

Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available throught the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin District's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin District's Lakes Program is found at wi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html.

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

lead by Rose, W. J.; Elder, J.F.; Garn, H.S.; Goddard, G.L.; Mergener, E.A.; Olson, D.L.; Robertson, Dale M.

2001-01-01

Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available throught the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin District's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin District's Lakes Program is found at wi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html.

Coastal Vertical Land motion in the German Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Matthias; Fenoglio, Luciana; Reckeweg, Florian

2017-04-01

In the framework of the ESA Sea Level Climate Change Initiative (CCI) we analyse a set of GNSS equipped tide gauges at the German Bight. Main goals are the determination of tropospheric zenith delay corrections for altimetric observations, precise coordinates in ITRF2008 and vertical land motion (VLM) rates of the tide gauge stations. These are to be used for georeferencing the tide gauges and the correction of tide gauge observations for VLM. The set of stations includes 38 GNSS stations. 19 stations are in the German Bight, where 15 of them belong to the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, 3 to EUREF and 1 to GREF. These stations are collocated with tide gauges (TGs). The other 19 GNSS stations in the network belong to EUREF, IGS and GREF. We analyse data in the time span from 2008 till the end of 2016 with the Bernese PPP processing approach. Data are partly rather noisy and disturbed by offsets and data gaps at the coastal TG sites. Special effort is therefore put into a proper estimation of the VLM. We use FODITS (Ostini2012), HECTOR (Bos et al, 2013), CATS (Williams, 2003) and the MIDAS approach of Blewitt (2016) to robustly derive rates and realistic error estimates. The results are compared to those published by the European Permanent Network (EPN), ITRF and the Système d'Observation du Niveau des Eaux Littorales (SONEL) for common stations. Vertical motion is small in general, at the -1 to -2 mm/yr level for most coastal stations. A comparison of the standard deviations of the velocity differences to EPN with the mean values of the estimated velocity standard deviations for our solution shows a very good agreement of the estimated velocities and their standard deviations with the reference solution from EPN. In the comparison with results by SONEL the standard deviation of the differences is slightly higher. The discrepancies may arise from differences in the time span analyzed and gaps, offsets and data preprocessing. The combined estimation of functional and stochastic parameters is rather sensitive to the characteristics of the time series and thus the estimated velocity also depends on the applied stochastic model and on the selected parameters. The GPS vertical land motion rates are finally compared to the difference between sea level rates measured by co-located altimetry and by tide gauge station data, which gives another estimation of VLM.

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

Li, Hong -Yi; Leung, L. Ruby; Tesfa, Teklu

A new large-scale stream temperature model has been developed within the Community Earth System Model (CESM) framework. The model is coupled with the Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART) that represents river routing and a water management model (WM) that represents the effects of reservoir operations and water withdrawals on flow regulation. The coupled models allow the impacts of reservoir operations and withdrawals on stream temperature to be explicitly represented in a physically based and consistent way. The models have been applied to the Contiguous United States driven by observed meteorological forcing. It is shown that the model ismore » capable of reproducing stream temperature spatiotemporal variation satisfactorily by comparison against the observed streamflow from over 320 USGS stations. Including water management in the models improves the agreement between the simulated and observed streamflow at a large number of stream gauge stations. Both climate and water management are found to have important influence on the spatiotemporal patterns of stream temperature. More interestingly, it is quantitatively estimated that reservoir operation could cool down stream temperature in the summer low-flow season (August – October) by as much as 1~2oC over many places, as water management generally mitigates low flow, which has important implications to aquatic ecosystems. In conclusion, sensitivity of the simulated stream temperature to input data and reservoir operation rules used in the WM model motivates future directions to address some limitations in the current modeling framework.« less

Test and calibration of the Digital World-Wide Standardized Seismograph

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Jon; Hutt, Charles R.

1982-01-01

During the past decade there has been steady progress in the modernization of the global seismograph network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) has been augmented by new stations with advanced instrumentation, including the Seismic Research Observatories (SRO) and the modified High-Gain Long-Period (ASRO) stations. One goal in the modernization effort has been to improve signal resolution in the long-period band. A second goal has been to generate a global digital data base to support contemporary computer-based analysis and research. In 1976, a Panel on Seismograph Networks was established by the Committee on Seismology of the National Academy of Sciences to review progress in network seismology and recommend actions that would lead to an improved global data base for seismology. One recommendation in the Panel report (Engdahl, 1977) called for upgrading selected WWSSN stations by the installation of digital recorders. This was viewed as an economical way of expanding the digital network, which had proven itself to be a very promising new tool for earthquake and explosion research. Funds for the development and assembly of 15 digital recorders were provided to the USGS by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and an ad Inoc panel of scientists was convened by the Committee on Seismology to advise the USGS on the selection of stations to be upgraded and on data recording requirements, A total of 19 digital World-Wide Standardized Seismograph (DWWSS) systems will be operational when all are installed. The additional systems were made available through purchase by the USGS and other organizations; for example, the University of Bergen purchased and installed a DWWSS-type recorder and agreed to furnish the USGS with the data. A list of operational and planned DWWSS network stations is given in Table 1.1.As one might expect, the digital recorder turned out to be somewhat more sophisticated than the original concept. It was decided to record three components of long-period data continuously, three components of intermediateperiod data in an event mode, and the vertical-component short-period data in and event mode (with the capability of adding short-period horizontal channels in the future). Special amplifiers were developed for use with the WWSS seismometers, and a 16-bit fixed-point analog-to-digital converter was chosen to provide increased resolution (as opposed to a 16-bit gain-ranged encoder). The microprocessor-based digital recording systems were developed and assembled at the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) and ASL-based technicians began installation at WWSSN stations in 1980.The current and proposed locations of the DWWSSN stations, together with other stations in the Global Digital Seismograph Network (GDSN), are shown on the map in Figure 1.1. A system was operated at Albuquerque for about 18 months, serving as a test bed for evaluation studies. Although the network hardware has been available for some time, the installation of the DWWSSN has proceeded slowly. The National Science Foundation supported installation of six stations and the USGS is funding installation of most of the others; however, the network completion date is conjectural because of funding uncertainties.The DWWSSN stations are supported with supplies and technical assistance from ASL (subject to availability of funds). Data recorded on magnetic tapes are mailed to ASL where they are reviewed for quality, then merged with other GDSN station data on the network-day tapes. Hoffman (1980) provides a description of the network-day tape format. Zirbes and Buland (1981) have developed and published user software for reading and interpreting the day tapes. This report will serve several purposes. One is to provide nominal system transfer functions and calibration information that are needed in the analysis of DWWSSN data. A second purpose is to report on an evaluation of operating characteristics (calibration stability, noise levels, and linearity) that may limit the usefulness of the data and to determine if modifications may be needed to improve the data. It is not an exhaustive study in this respect. We continue to depend mostly on data user feedback to point out deficiencies and we solicit comments whenever anomalies are observed in the data.

Tennessee StreamStats: A Web-Enabled Geographic Information System Application for Automating the Retrieval and Calculation of Streamflow Statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ladd, David E.; Law, George S.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides streamflow and other stream-related information needed to protect people and property from floods, to plan and manage water resources, and to protect water quality in the streams. Streamflow statistics provided by the USGS, such as the 100-year flood and the 7-day 10-year low flow, frequently are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. In addition to streamflow statistics, resource managers often need to know the physical and climatic characteristics (basin characteristics) of the drainage basins for locations of interest to help them understand the mechanisms that control water availability and water quality at these locations. StreamStats is a Web-enabled geographic information system (GIS) application that makes it easy for users to obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and other information for USGS data-collection stations and for ungaged sites of interest. If a user selects the location of a data-collection station, StreamStats will provide previously published information for the station from a database. If a user selects a location where no data are available (an ungaged site), StreamStats will run a GIS program to delineate a drainage basin boundary, measure basin characteristics, and estimate streamflow statistics based on USGS streamflow prediction methods. A user can download a GIS feature class of the drainage basin boundary with attributes including the measured basin characteristics and streamflow estimates.

Quantifying and Qualifying USGS ShakeMap Uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wald, David J.; Lin, Kuo-Wan; Quitoriano, Vincent

2008-01-01

We describe algorithms for quantifying and qualifying uncertainties associated with USGS ShakeMap ground motions. The uncertainty values computed consist of latitude/longitude grid-based multiplicative factors that scale the standard deviation associated with the ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) used within the ShakeMap algorithm for estimating ground motions. The resulting grid-based 'uncertainty map' is essential for evaluation of losses derived using ShakeMaps as the hazard input. For ShakeMap, ground motion uncertainty at any point is dominated by two main factors: (i) the influence of any proximal ground motion observations, and (ii) the uncertainty of estimating ground motions from the GMPE, most notably, elevated uncertainty due to initial, unconstrained source rupture geometry. The uncertainty is highest for larger magnitude earthquakes when source finiteness is not yet constrained and, hence, the distance to rupture is also uncertain. In addition to a spatially-dependant, quantitative assessment, many users may prefer a simple, qualitative grading for the entire ShakeMap. We developed a grading scale that allows one to quickly gauge the appropriate level of confidence when using rapidly produced ShakeMaps as part of the post-earthquake decision-making process or for qualitative assessments of archived or historical earthquake ShakeMaps. We describe an uncertainty letter grading ('A' through 'F', for high to poor quality, respectively) based on the uncertainty map. A middle-range ('C') grade corresponds to a ShakeMap for a moderate-magnitude earthquake suitably represented with a point-source location. Lower grades 'D' and 'F' are assigned for larger events (M>6) where finite-source dimensions are not yet constrained. The addition of ground motion observations (or observed macroseismic intensities) reduces uncertainties over data-constrained portions of the map. Higher grades ('A' and 'B') correspond to ShakeMaps with constrained fault dimensions and numerous stations, depending on the density of station/data coverage. Due to these dependencies, the letter grade can change with subsequent ShakeMap revisions if more data are added or when finite-faulting dimensions are added. We emphasize that the greatest uncertainties are associated with unconstrained source dimensions for large earthquakes where the distance term in the GMPE is most uncertain; this uncertainty thus scales with magnitude (and consequently rupture dimension). Since this distance uncertainty produces potentially large uncertainties in ShakeMap ground-motion estimates, this factor dominates over compensating constraints for all but the most dense station distributions.

Similarity indices of meteo-climatic gauging stations: definition and comparison.

PubMed

Barca, Emanuele; Bruno, Delia Evelina; Passarella, Giuseppe

2016-07-01

Space-time dependencies among monitoring network stations have been investigated to detect and quantify similarity relationships among gauging stations. In this work, besides the well-known rank correlation index, two new similarity indices have been defined and applied to compute the similarity matrix related to the Apulian meteo-climatic monitoring network. The similarity matrices can be applied to address reliably the issue of missing data in space-time series. In order to establish the effectiveness of the similarity indices, a simulation test was then designed and performed with the aim of estimating missing monthly rainfall rates in a suitably selected gauging station. The results of the simulation allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed similarity indices. Finally, the multiple imputation by chained equations method was used as a benchmark to have an absolute yardstick for comparing the outcomes of the test. In conclusion, the new proposed multiplicative similarity index resulted at least as reliable as the selected benchmark.

On evaluating the robustness of spatial-proximity-based regionalization methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebecherel, Laure; Andréassian, Vazken; Perrin, Charles

2016-08-01

In absence of streamflow data to calibrate a hydrological model, its parameters are to be inferred by a regionalization method. In this technical note, we discuss a specific class of regionalization methods, those based on spatial proximity, which transfers hydrological information (typically calibrated parameter sets) from neighbor gauged stations to the target ungauged station. The efficiency of any spatial-proximity-based regionalization method will depend on the density of the available streamgauging network, and the purpose of this note is to discuss how to assess the robustness of the regionalization method (i.e., its resilience to an increasingly sparse hydrometric network). We compare two options: (i) the random hydrometrical reduction (HRand) method, which consists in sub-sampling the existing gauging network around the target ungauged station, and (ii) the hydrometrical desert method (HDes), which consists in ignoring the closest gauged stations. Our tests suggest that the HDes method should be preferred, because it provides a more realistic view on regionalization performance.

Dynamic and Regression Modeling of Ocean Variability in the Tide-Gauge Record at Seasonal and Longer Periods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Emma M.; Ponte, Rui M.; Davis, James L.

2007-01-01

Comparison of monthly mean tide-gauge time series to corresponding model time series based on a static inverted barometer (IB) for pressure-driven fluctuations and a ocean general circulation model (OM) reveals that the combined model successfully reproduces seasonal and interannual changes in relative sea level at many stations. Removal of the OM and IB from the tide-gauge record produces residual time series with a mean global variance reduction of 53%. The OM is mis-scaled for certain regions, and 68% of the residual time series contain a significant seasonal variability after removal of the OM and IB from the tide-gauge data. Including OM admittance parameters and seasonal coefficients in a regression model for each station, with IB also removed, produces residual time series with mean global variance reduction of 71%. Examination of the regional improvement in variance caused by scaling the OM, including seasonal terms, or both, indicates weakness in the model at predicting sea-level variation for constricted ocean regions. The model is particularly effective at reproducing sea-level variation for stations in North America, Europe, and Japan. The RMS residual for many stations in these areas is 25-35 mm. The production of "cleaner" tide-gauge time series, with oceanographic variability removed, is important for future analysis of nonsecular and regionally differing sea-level variations. Understanding the ocean model's strengths and weaknesses will allow for future improvements of the model.

31. DETAIL OF PRESSURE GAUGE AND ASSOCIATED VALVES AND TUBING ...

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

31. DETAIL OF PRESSURE GAUGE AND ASSOCIATED VALVES AND TUBING FOR STRETCH SLING CYLINDER. GAUGE LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SLC-3W MST STATION 78. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 West, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Verifying the prevalence, properties, and congruent hydraulics of at-many-stations hydraulic geometry (AMHG) for rivers in the continental United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, Caitline A.; Gleason, Colin J.

2018-01-01

Hydraulic geometry (HG) has long enabled daily discharge estimates, flood risk monitoring, and water resource and habitat assessments, among other applications. At-many-stations HG (AMHG) is a newly discovered form of HG with an evolving understanding. AMHG holds that there are temporally and spatially invariant ('congruent') depth, width, velocity, and discharge values that are shared by all stations of a river. Furthermore, these river-wide congruent hydraulics have been shown to link at-a-station HG (AHG) in space, contrary to previous expectation of AHG as spatially unpredictable. To date, AMHG has only been thoroughly examined on six rivers, and its congruent hydraulics are not well understood. To address the limited understanding of AMHG, we calculated AMHG for 191 rivers in the United States using USGS field-measured data from over 1900 gauging stations. These rivers represent nearly all geologic and climatic settings found in the continental U.S. and allow for a robust assessment of AMHG across scales. Over 60% of rivers were found to have AMHG with strong explanatory power to predict AHG across space (defined as r2 > 0.6, 118/191 rivers). We also found that derived congruent hydraulics bear little relation to their observed time-varying counterparts, and the strength of AMHG did not correlate with any available observed or congruent hydraulic parameters. We also found that AMHG is expressed at all fluvial scales in this study. Some statistically significant spatial clusters of rivers with strong and weak AMHG were identified, but further research is needed to identify why these clusters exist. Thus, this first widespread empirical investigation of AMHG leads us to conclude that AMHG is indeed a widely prevalent natural fluvial phenomenon, and we have identified linkages between known fluvial parameters and AMHG. Our work should give confidence to future researchers seeking to perform the necessary detailed hydraulic analysis of AMHG.

Procedural Guide for International Gauging Stations on Boundary Waters Between Canada and the United States of America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huberman, S.; Slater, James; Condes, A.

1985-01-01

INTRODUCTION Since 1909, the United States of America (U.S.A.) and Canada have employed a system of monitoring stream-flow and water levels for shared waters based upon professionalism, trust and goodwill. This document has been prepared in considerable detail for use by managers and field officers at all levels of government in Canada and the United States. Its purpose is to serve as a guide in attaining uniform procedures in the designation and operation of International Gauging Stations. For special situations where these procedures do not apply, specific mention is made in appropriate sections of the guide. This guide supersedes that of November 4, 1969, and the guide entitled 'The Procedural Guide for Operation of International Gauging Stations, St. Mary- Milk Rivers,' dated March 12, 1979.

Reconciling Streamflow Uncertainty Estimation and River Bed Morphology Dynamics. Insights from a Probabilistic Assessment of Streamflow Uncertainties Using a Reliability Diagram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morlot, T.; Mathevet, T.; Perret, C.; Favre Pugin, A. C.

2014-12-01

Streamflow uncertainty estimation has recently received a large attention in the literature. A dynamic rating curve assessment method has been introduced (Morlot et al., 2014). This dynamic method allows to compute a rating curve for each gauging and a continuous streamflow time-series, while calculating streamflow uncertainties. Streamflow uncertainty takes into account many sources of uncertainty (water level, rating curve interpolation and extrapolation, gauging aging, etc.) and produces an estimated distribution of streamflow for each days. In order to caracterise streamflow uncertainty, a probabilistic framework has been applied on a large sample of hydrometric stations of the Division Technique Générale (DTG) of Électricité de France (EDF) hydrometric network (>250 stations) in France. A reliability diagram (Wilks, 1995) has been constructed for some stations, based on the streamflow distribution estimated for a given day and compared to a real streamflow observation estimated via a gauging. To build a reliability diagram, we computed the probability of an observed streamflow (gauging), given the streamflow distribution. Then, the reliability diagram allows to check that the distribution of probabilities of non-exceedance of the gaugings follows a uniform law (i.e., quantiles should be equipropables). Given the shape of the reliability diagram, the probabilistic calibration is caracterised (underdispersion, overdispersion, bias) (Thyer et al., 2009). In this paper, we present case studies where reliability diagrams have different statistical properties for different periods. Compared to our knowledge of river bed morphology dynamic of these hydrometric stations, we show how reliability diagram gives us invaluable information on river bed movements, like a continuous digging or backfilling of the hydraulic control due to erosion or sedimentation processes. Hence, the careful analysis of reliability diagrams allows to reconcile statistics and long-term river bed morphology processes. This knowledge improves our real-time management of hydrometric stations, given a better caracterisation of erosion/sedimentation processes and the stability of hydrometric station hydraulic control.

Recent improvements in earthquake and tsunami monitoring in the Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gee, L.; Green, D.; McNamara, D.; Whitmore, P.; Weaver, J.; Huang, P.; Benz, H.

2007-12-01

Following the catastrophic loss of life from the December 26, 2004, Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake and tsunami, the U.S. Government appropriated funds to improve monitoring along a major portion of vulnerable coastal regions in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Partners in this project include the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN), the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies, and other collaborating institutions in the Caribbean region. As part of this effort, the USGS is coordinating with Caribbean host nations to design and deploy nine new broadband and strong-motion seismic stations. The instrumentation consists of an STS-2 seismometer, an Episensor accelerometer, and a Q330 high resolution digitizer. Six stations are currently transmitting data to the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, where the data are redistributed to the NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers, regional monitoring partners, and the IRIS Data Management Center. Operating stations include: Isla Barro Colorado, Panama; Gun Hill Barbados; Grenville, Grenada; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Sabaneta Dam, Dominican Republic; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Three additional stations in Barbuda, Grand Turks, and Jamaica will be completed during the fall of 2007. These nine stations are affiliates of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) and complement existing GSN stations as well as regional stations. The new seismic stations improve azimuthal coverage, increase network density, and provide on-scale recording throughout the region. Complementary to this network, NOAA has placed Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) stations at sites in regions with a history of generating destructive tsunamis. Recently, NOAA completed deployment of 7 DART stations off the coasts of Montauk Pt, NY; Charleston, SC; Miami, FL; San Juan, Puerto Rico; New Orleans, LA; and Bermuda as part of the U.S. tsunami warning system expansion. DART systems consist of an anchored seafloor pressure recorder (BPR) and a companion moored surface buoy for real-time communications. The new stations are a second-generation design (DART II) equipped with two- way satellite communications that allow NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers to set stations in event mode in anticipation of possible tsunamis or retrieve the high-resolution (15-s intervals) data in one-hour blocks for detailed analysis. Combined with development of sophisticated wave propagation and site-specific inundation models, the DART data are being used to forecast wave heights for at-risk coastal communities. NOAA expects to deploy a total of 39 DART II buoy stations by 2008 (32 in the Pacific and 7 in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf regions). The seismic and DART networks are two components in a comprehensive and fully-operational global observing system to detect and warn the public of earthquake and tsunami threats. NOAA and USGS are working together to make important strides in enhancing communication networks so residents and visitors can receive earthquake and tsunami watches and warnings around the clock.

Automated delineation and characterization of watersheds for more than 3,000 surface-water-quality monitoring stations active in 2010 in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Archuleta, Christy-Ann M.; Gonzales, Sophia L.; Maltby, David R.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, developed computer scripts and applications to automate the delineation of watershed boundaries and compute watershed characteristics for more than 3,000 surface-water-quality monitoring stations in Texas that were active during 2010. Microsoft Visual Basic applications were developed using ArcGIS ArcObjects to format the source input data required to delineate watershed boundaries. Several automated scripts and tools were developed or used to calculate watershed characteristics using Python, Microsoft Visual Basic, and the RivEX tool. Automated methods were augmented by the use of manual methods, including those done using ArcMap software. Watershed boundaries delineated for the monitoring stations are limited to the extent of the Subbasin boundaries in the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset, which may not include the total watershed boundary from the monitoring station to the headwaters.

Reconstruction of far-field tsunami amplitude distributions from earthquake sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.; Parsons, Thomas E.

2016-01-01

The probability distribution of far-field tsunami amplitudes is explained in relation to the distribution of seismic moment at subduction zones. Tsunami amplitude distributions at tide gauge stations follow a similar functional form, well described by a tapered Pareto distribution that is parameterized by a power-law exponent and a corner amplitude. Distribution parameters are first established for eight tide gauge stations in the Pacific, using maximum likelihood estimation. A procedure is then developed to reconstruct the tsunami amplitude distribution that consists of four steps: (1) define the distribution of seismic moment at subduction zones; (2) establish a source-station scaling relation from regression analysis; (3) transform the seismic moment distribution to a tsunami amplitude distribution for each subduction zone; and (4) mix the transformed distribution for all subduction zones to an aggregate tsunami amplitude distribution specific to the tide gauge station. The tsunami amplitude distribution is adequately reconstructed for four tide gauge stations using globally constant seismic moment distribution parameters established in previous studies. In comparisons to empirical tsunami amplitude distributions from maximum likelihood estimation, the reconstructed distributions consistently exhibit higher corner amplitude values, implying that in most cases, the empirical catalogs are too short to include the largest amplitudes. Because the reconstructed distribution is based on a catalog of earthquakes that is much larger than the tsunami catalog, it is less susceptible to the effects of record-breaking events and more indicative of the actual distribution of tsunami amplitudes.

3. VAL CONTROL STATION, VIEW OF CONTROL PANELS SHOWING MAIN ...

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

3. VAL CONTROL STATION, VIEW OF CONTROL PANELS SHOWING MAIN PRESSURE GAUGES, LOOKING NORTH. - Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Control Station, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservior, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

Annual peak discharges from small drainage areas in Montana for stations discontinued before 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Hull, J.A.; Parrett, Charles

1979-01-01

Annual peak stage and discharge data have been tabulated for crest-stage gage sites in Montana. The crest-stage program was begun in July 1955 to investigate the magnitude and frequency of floods from samll drainage areas. The program has expanded from 45 crest-stage gaging stations initially to 172 stations maintained in 1978. From 1955 to 1978, 156 stations have been discontinued. This report is a tabulation of the stage and discharge data for the discontinued stations. (Woodard-USGS)

WaterQualityWatch and water-quality information bookmark

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilde, Franceska D.

2014-01-01

WaterQualityWatch is an online resource of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that provides access to continuous real-time measurements of water temperature, specific electrical conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nitrate at selected data-collection stations throughout the Nation. Additional online resources of the USGS that pertain to various types of water-quality information are shown on the reverse side of this bookmark.

Final Environmental Impact Statement for Oil Refinery, Georgetown, South Carolina. Volume 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

at gauging and pumping stations. _adio and telephone communication exists between gaugers and pumping stations or vessels. 2. Describe secondary...thickness gauging . 4. Internal heatingO coil leakage is controlled by one or more of the following control factors: (a) M onitoring the steam return...behavior of sediment and oil emulsions. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 47(2):671-677. Beam, H.W., South Carolina Coastal Council. [Letter to J.E. Jenkins

Solid discharge and landslide activity at basin scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardizzone, F.; Guzzetti, F.; Iadanza, C.; Rossi, M.; Spizzichino, D.; Trigila, A.

2012-04-01

This work presents a preliminary analysis aimed at understanding the relationship between landslide sediment supply and sediment yield at basin scale in central and southern Italy. A database of solid discharge measurements regarding 116 gauging stations, located along the Apennines chain in Italy, has been compiled by investigating the catalogues, named Annali Idrologici, published by Servizio Idrografico e Mareografico Italiano in the period from 1917 to 1997. The database records several information about the 116 gauging stations, and especially reports the sediment yield monthly measurements (103 ton) and the catchments area (km2). These data have been used to calculate the average solid yield and the normalized solid yield for each station in the observation period. The Italian Landslide Inventory (Progetto IFFI) has been used to obtained the size of the landslides, in order to estimate the landslide mobilization rates. The IFFI Project funded by the Italian Government is realized by ISPRA (Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research - Geological Survey of Italy) in partnership with the 21 Regions and Self Governing Provinces. 21 of the 116 gauging stations and the related catchments have been selected on the basis of the length of the solid discharge observation period and excluding the catchments with dams located upstream the stations. The landslides inside the selected catchments have been extracted from the IFFI inventory, calculating the planimetric area of each landslide. Considering both the shallow and deep landslides, the landslide volume has been estimated using an empirical power law relation (landslide area vs. volume). The total landslide volume in the study areas and the average sediment yield measured at the gauging stations have been compared, analysing the behaviour of the basins which drainage towards the Tyrrhenian sea and the basins which drainage towards the Adriatic sea.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2000-01-01

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

Use and availability of continuous streamflow records in Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowery, J.F.

1988-01-01

This report documents the results of the data uses and funding part of a study of the cost-effectiveness of the streamflow information program in Tennessee. Presently, 88 continuous surface water gaging stations are operated in Tennessee on a budget of $490,800. Data uses and funding sources are identified for each of the 88 stations. Data from most stations have multiple uses. (USGS)

Detail view of gauges that record pressure of gas coming ...

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

Detail view of gauges that record pressure of gas coming into the engine house. - Burnsville Natural Gas Pumping Station, Saratoga Avenue between Little Kanawha River & C&O Railroad line, Burnsville, Braxton County, WV

Detail view of gauges that record pressure of gas leaving ...

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

Detail view of gauges that record pressure of gas leaving the engine house. - Burnsville Natural Gas Pumping Station, Saratoga Avenue between Little Kanawha River & C&O Railroad line, Burnsville, Braxton County, WV

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Daniel E.; Eash, David A.

2008-01-01

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

Contribution of TIGA reprocessing to the ITRF densification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudenko, S.; Dähnn, M.; Gendt, G.; Brandt, A.; Nischan, T.

2009-04-01

Analysis of tide gauge measurements with the purpose of sea level change investigations requires a well defined reference frame. Such reference frame can be realized through precise positions of GPS stations located at or near tide gauges (TIGA stations) and analyzed within the IGS GPS Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring Pilot Project (TIGA). To tie this reference frame to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), one should process simultaneously GPS data from TIGA and IGS stations included in the ITRF. A time series of GPS station positions has been recently derived by reprocessing GPS data from about 400 GPS stations globally distributed covering totally time span from 1998 till 2008 using EPOS-Potsdam software developed at GFZ and improved in the recent years. The analysis is based on the use of IERS Conventions 2003, ITRF2005 as a priori reference frame, FES2004 ocean tide loading model, absolute phase centre variations for GPS satellite transmit and ground receive antennae and other models. About 220 stations of the solution are IGS ones and about 180 are TIGA GPS stations that are not IGS ones. The solution includes weekly coordinates of GPS stations, daily values of the Earth rotation parameters and their rates, as well as satellite antenna offsets. On the other hand, our new solution can contribute to the ITRF densification by providing positions of about 200 stations being not present in ITRF2005. The solution can be also used for the integration of regional frames. The paper presents the results of the analysis and the comparison of our solution with ITRF2005 and the solutions of other TIGA and IGS Analysis Centres.

A method to establish seismic noise baselines for automated station assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNamara, D.E.; Hutt, C.R.; Gee, L.S.; Benz, H.M.; Buland, R.P.

2009-01-01

We present a method for quantifying station noise baselines and characterizing the spectral shape of out-of-nominal noise sources. Our intent is to automate this method in order to ensure that only the highest-quality data are used in rapid earthquake products at NEIC. In addition, the station noise baselines provide a valuable tool to support the quality control of GSN and ANSS backbone data and metadata. The procedures addressed here are currently in development at the NEIC, and work is underway to understand how quickly changes from nominal can be observed and used within the NEIC processing framework. The spectral methods and software used to compute station baselines and described herein (PQLX) can be useful to both permanent and portable seismic stations operators. Applications include: general seismic station and data quality control (QC), evaluation of instrument responses, assessment of near real-time communication system performance, characterization of site cultural noise conditions, and evaluation of sensor vault design, as well as assessment of gross network capabilities (McNamara et al. 2005). Future PQLX development plans include incorporating station baselines for automated QC methods and automating station status report generation and notification based on user-defined QC parameters. The PQLX software is available through the USGS (http://earthquake. usgs.gov/research/software/pqlx.php) and IRIS (http://www.iris.edu/software/ pqlx/).

74. LIQUID NITROGEN TANK, REGULATOR VALVES, AND PRESSURE GAUGES FOR ...

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

74. LIQUID NITROGEN TANK, REGULATOR VALVES, AND PRESSURE GAUGES FOR LIQUID NITROGEN PUMPING STATION - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Modeling stream temperature in the Anthropocene: An earth system modeling approach

DOE PAGES

Li, Hong -Yi; Leung, L. Ruby; Tesfa, Teklu; ...

2015-10-29

A new large-scale stream temperature model has been developed within the Community Earth System Model (CESM) framework. The model is coupled with the Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART) that represents river routing and a water management model (WM) that represents the effects of reservoir operations and water withdrawals on flow regulation. The coupled models allow the impacts of reservoir operations and withdrawals on stream temperature to be explicitly represented in a physically based and consistent way. The models have been applied to the Contiguous United States driven by observed meteorological forcing. It is shown that the model ismore » capable of reproducing stream temperature spatiotemporal variation satisfactorily by comparison against the observed streamflow from over 320 USGS stations. Including water management in the models improves the agreement between the simulated and observed streamflow at a large number of stream gauge stations. Both climate and water management are found to have important influence on the spatiotemporal patterns of stream temperature. More interestingly, it is quantitatively estimated that reservoir operation could cool down stream temperature in the summer low-flow season (August – October) by as much as 1~2oC over many places, as water management generally mitigates low flow, which has important implications to aquatic ecosystems. In conclusion, sensitivity of the simulated stream temperature to input data and reservoir operation rules used in the WM model motivates future directions to address some limitations in the current modeling framework.« less

Assessing Cumulative Impacts of Coal Bed Methane Development on Surface Water Quality and its Suitability for Irrigation in the Powder River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, H. E.

2003-12-01

This paper presents a mass balance approach to assessing the cumulative impacts of discharge from Coal Bed Methane (CBM) wells on surface water quality and its suitability for irrigation in the Powder River Basin. Key water quality parameters for predicting potential effects of CBM development on irrigated agriculture are sodicity, expressed as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and salinity, expressed as electrical conductivity (EC). The assessment was performed with the aid of a spreadsheet model, which was designed to estimate steady-state SAR and EC at gauged stream locations after mixing with CBM produced water. Model input included ambient stream water quality and flow, CBM produced water quality and discharge rates, conveyance loss (quantity of water loss that may occur between the discharge point and the receiving streams), beneficial uses, regulatory thresholds, and discharge allocation at state-line boundaries. Historical USGS data were used to establish ambient stream water quality and flow conditions. The resultant water quality predicted for each stream station included the cumulative discharge of CBM produced water in all reaches upstream of the station. Model output was presented in both tabular and graphical formats, and indicated the suitability of pre- and post-mixing water quality for irrigation. Advantages and disadvantages of the spreadsheet model are discussed. This approach was used by federal agencies to support the development of the January 2003 Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for the Wyoming and Montana portions of the Powder River Basin.

Vertical Crustal Motion Derived from Satellite Altimetry and Tide Gauges, and Comparisons with DORIS Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, R. D.; Beckley, B. D.; Lemoine, F. G.

2010-01-01

A somewhat unorthodox method for determining vertical crustal motion at a tide-gauge location is to difference the sea level time series with an equivalent time series determined from satellite altimetry, To the extent that both instruments measure an identical ocean signal, the difference will be dominated by vertical land motion at the gauge. We revisit this technique by analyzing sea level signals at 28 tide gauges that are colocated with DORIS geodetic stations. Comparisons of altimeter-gauge vertical rates with DORIS rates yield a median difference of 1.8 mm/yr and a weighted root-mean-square difference of2.7 mm/yr. The latter suggests that our uncertainty estimates, which are primarily based on an assumed AR(l) noise process in all time series, underestimates the true errors. Several sources of additional error are discussed, including possible scale errors in the terrestrial reference frame to which altimeter-gauge rates are mostly insensitive, One of our stations, Male, Maldives, which has been the subject of some uninformed arguments about sea-level rise, is found to have almost no vertical motion, and thus is vulnerable to rising sea levels. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of COSPAR.

Flood-inundation map library for the Licking River and South Fork Licking River near Falmouth, Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lant, Jeremiah G.

2016-09-19

Digital flood inundation maps for a 17-mile reach of Licking River and 4-mile reach of South Fork Licking River near Falmouth, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Pendleton County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Louisville District. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Licking River at Catawba, Ky., (station 03253500) and the USGS streamgage on the South Fork Licking River at Hayes, Ky., (station 03253000). Current conditions (2015) for the USGS streamgages may be obtained online at the USGS National Water Information System site (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis). In addition, the streamgage information has been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/). The flood hydrograph forecasts provided by the NWS are usually collocated with USGS streamgages. The forecasted peak-stage information, also available on the NWS Web site, may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation.In this study, flood profiles were computed for the Licking River reach and South Fork Licking River reach by using a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current (2015) stage-discharge relations for the Licking River at Catawba, Ky., and the South Fork Licking River at Hayes, Ky., USGS streamgages. The calibrated model was then used to calculate 60 water-surface profiles for a sequence of flood stages, at 2-foot intervals, referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from an elevation near bankfull to the elevation associated with a major flood that occurred in the region in 1997. To delineate the flooded area at each interval flood stage, the simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a digital elevation model of the study area by using geographic information system software.The availability of these flood inundation maps for Falmouth, Ky., along with online information regarding current stages from the USGS streamgages and forecasted stages from the NWS, provides emergency management personnel and local residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations, road closures, and post-flood recovery efforts.

Rainfall-runoff data from small watersheds in Colorado, October 1974 through September 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cochran, Betty J.; Hodges, H.E.; Livingston, R.K.; Jarret, R.D.

1979-01-01

Rainfall-runoff data from small watersheds in Colorado are being collected and analyzed for the purpose of defining the flood characteristics of these and other similar areas. Data collected from October 1974 through September 1977 at a total of 18 urban stations, 10 Denver Federal Center stations, and 48 rural (or highway) stations are tabulated at 5-minute time intervals. Additional information presented includes station descriptions and methods of data collection and analysis. (Kosco-USGS)

Floods of Selected Streams in Arkansas, Spring 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Funkhouser, Jaysson E.; Eng, Ken

2009-01-01

Floods can cause loss of life and extensive destruction to property. Monitoring floods and understanding the reasons for their occurrence are the responsibility of many Federal agencies. The National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Geological Survey are among the most visible of these agencies. Together, these three agencies collect and analyze floodflow information to better understand the variety of mechanisms that cause floods, and how the characteristics and frequencies of floods vary with time and location. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has monitored and assessed the quantity of streamflow in our Nation's streams since the agency's inception in 1879. Because of ongoing collection and assessment of streamflow data, the USGS can provide information about a range of surface-water issues including the suitability of water for public supply and irrigation and the effects of agriculture and urbanization on streamflow. As part of its streamflow-data collection activities, the USGS measured streamflow in multiple streams during extreme flood events in Arkansas in the spring of 2008. The analysis of streamflow information collected during flood events such as these provides a scientific basis for decision making related to resource management and restoration. Additionally, this information can be used by water-resource managers to better define flood-hazard areas and to design bridges, culverts, dams, levees, and other structures. Water levels (stage) and streamflow (discharge) currently are being monitored in near real-time at approximately 150 locations in Arkansas. The streamflow-gaging stations measure and record hydrologic data at 15-minute or hourly intervals; the data then are transmitted through satellites to the USGS database and displayed on the internet every 1 to 4 hours. Streamflow-gaging stations in Arkansas are part of a network of over 7,500 active streamflow-gaging stations operated by the USGS throughout the United States in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local government agencies. In Arkansas, the major supporters of the streamflow-gaging network are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and Arkansas Geological Survey. Many other Federal, State, and local government entities provide additional support for streamflow-gaging stations. It is the combined support of the USGS and all funding partners that make it possible to maintain an adequate streamflow-gaging network in Arkansas. Data collected over the years at streamflow-gaging stations can be used to characterize the relative magnitude of flood events and their statistical frequency of occurrence. These analyses provide water-resource managers with accurate and reliable hydrologic information based on present and historical flow conditions. Continued collection of streamflow data, with consideration of changes in land use, agricultural practices, and climate change, will help scientists to more accurately characterize the magnitude of extreme floods in the future.

Flood-inundation maps for the Scioto River at La Rue, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitehead, Matthew

2015-08-26

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3-mile (mi) reach of the Scioto River that extends about 1/2 mi upstream and 1/2 mi downstream of the corporate boundary for La Rue, Ohio, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Village of La Rue, Marion County Commissioners, Montgomery Township, and Marion County Scioto River Conservancy. The flood-inundation maps show estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding correspond ing to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Scioto River at La Rue (station number 03217500). The maps can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_ inundation/ . Near-real-time stages at this streamgage can be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/oh/nwis/uv/?site_no=03217500 or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydro - logic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/ hydrograph.php?wfo=cle&gage=LARO1 , which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site.

Monitoring Climate Variability and Change in Northern Alaska: Updates to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Climate and Permafrost Monitoring Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, F. E.; Clow, G. D.; Meares, D. C.

2004-12-01

Observations of long-term climate and surficial geological processes are sparse in most of the Arctic, despite the fact that this region is highly sensitive to climate change. Instrumental networks that monitor the interplay of climatic variability and geological/cryospheric processes are a necessity for documenting and understanding climate change. Improvements to the spatial coverage and temporal scale of Arctic climate data are in progress. The USGS, in collaboration with The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) currently maintains two types of monitoring networks in northern Alaska: (1) A 15 site network of continuously operating active-layer and climate monitoring stations, and (2) a 21 element array of deep bore-holes in which the thermal state of deep permafrost is monitored. Here, we focus on the USGS Alaska Active Layer and Climate Monitoring Network (AK-CLIM). These 15 stations are deployed in longitudinal transects that span Alaska north of the Brooks Range, (11 in The National Petroleum Reserve Alaska, (NPRA), and 4 in The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)). An informative overview and update of the USGS AK-CLIM network is presented, including insight to current data, processing and analysis software, and plans for data telemetry. Data collection began in 1998 and parameters currently measured include air temperature, soil temperatures (5-120 cm), snow depth, incoming and reflected short-wave radiation, soil moisture (15 cm), wind speed and direction. Custom processing and analysis software has been written that calculates additional parameters such as active layer thaw depth, thawing-degree-days, albedo, cloudiness, and duration of seasonal snow cover. Data from selected AK-CLIM stations are now temporally sufficient to begin identifying trends, anomalies, and inter-annual variability in the climate of northern Alaska.

USGS contributions to earthquake and tsunami monitoring in the Caribbean Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, D.; Caribbean Project Team, U.; Partners, C.

2007-05-01

USGS Caribbean Project Team: Lind Gee, Gary Gyure, John Derr, Jack Odum, John McMillan, David Carver, Jim Allen, Susan Rhea, Don Anderson, Harley Benz Caribbean Partners: Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade-PRSN, Juan Payero ISU-UASD,DR, Eduardo Camacho - UPAN, Panama, Lloyd Lynch - SRU,Gonzalo Cruz - UNAH,Honduras, Margaret Wiggins-Grandison - Jamaica, Judy Thomas - CERO Barbados, Sylvan McIntyre - NADMA Grenada, E. Bermingham - STRI. The magnitude-9 Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake of December 26, 2004, increased global awareness of the destructive hazard posed by earthquakes and tsunamis. In response to this tragedy, the US government undertook a collaborative project to improve earthquake and tsunami monitoring along a major portion of vulnerable coastal regions, in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Seismically active areas of the Caribbean Sea region pose a tsunami risk for Caribbean islands, coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic seaboard of North America. Nearly 100 tsunamis have been reported for the Caribbean region in the past 500 years, including 14 tsunamis reported in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Partners in this project include the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Smithsonian Institute, the National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration (NOAA), and several partner institutions in the Caribbean region. This presentation focuses on the deployment of nine broadband seismic stations to monitor earthquake activity in the Caribbean region that are affiliated with the Global Seismograph Network (GSN). By the end of 2006, five stations were transmitting data to the USGS National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS), and regional partners through Puerto Rico seismograph network (PRSN) Earthworm systems. The following stations are currently operating: SDDR - Sabaneta Dam Dominican Republic, BBGH - Gun Hill Barbados, GRGR - Grenville, Grenada, BCIP - Barro Colorado, Panama, TGUH - Tegucigalpa, Honduras. These stations complement the existing GSN stations SJG - San Juan, Puerto Rico, SDV - Santo Domingo, Venezuela, TEIG - Tepich, Yucatan, Mexico, and JTS - Costa, Rica. 2007 will see the construction of two additional stations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Barbuda. Planned stations in Jamaica and Grand Turks are awaiting local approval. In this presentation we examine noise conditions at the five operating sites and assess the capabilities of the current seismic network using three different measures of capability. The three measures of network capability are: 1) minimum Mw detection threshold; 2) response time of the automatic processing system and; 3) theoretical earthquake location errors. The new seismic stations are part of a larger effort to monitor and mitigate tsunami hazard in the region. Destructive earthquakes and tsunamis are known to be a threat in various parts of the Caribbean. We demonstrate that considerable improvement in network magnitude threshold, response time and earthquake location error have been achieved.

U.S. Geological Survey water-resources programs in New Mexico, FY 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mau, David P.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected hydrologic information in New Mexico since 1889, beginning with the first USGS streamflow-gaging station in the Nation, located on the Rio Grande near Embudo, New Mexico. Water-resources information provided by the USGS is used by many government agencies for issuing flood warnings to protect lives and reduce property damage,managing water rights and interstate water use, protecting water quality and regulating pollution discharges, designing highways and bridges, planning, designing, and operating reservoirs and watersupply facilities, monitoring the availability of groundwater resources and forecasting aquifer response to human and environmental stressors, and prioritizing areas where emergency erosion mitigation or other protective measures may be necessary after a wildfire. For more than 100 years, the Cooperative Water Program has been a highly successful cost-sharing partnership between the USGS and water-resources agencies at the State, local, and tribal levels. It would be difficult to effectively accomplish the mission of the USGS without the contributions of the Cooperative Water Program.

The Sensetivity of Flood Frequency Analysis on Record Length in Continuous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, L.; Nikolopoulos, E. I.; Anagnostou, E. N.

2017-12-01

In flood frequency analysis (FFA), sufficiently long data series are important to get more reliable results. Compared to return periods of interest, at-site FFA usually needs large data sets. Generally, the precision of at site estimators and time-sampling errors are associated with the length of a gauged record. In this work, we quantify the difference with various record lengths. we use generalized extreme value (GEV) and Log Pearson type III (LP3), two traditional methods on annual maximum stream flows to undertake FFA, and propose quantitative ways, relative difference in median and interquartile range (IQR) to compare the flood frequency performances on different record length from selected 350 USGS gauges, which have more than 70 years record length in Continuous United States. Also, we group those gauges into different regions separately based on hydrological unit map and discuss the geometry impacts. The results indicate that long record length can avoid imposing an upper limit on the degree of sophistication. Working with relatively longer record length may lead accurate results than working with shorter record length. Furthermore, the influence of hydrologic unites for the watershed boundary dataset on those gauges also be presented. The California region is the most sensitive to record length, while gauges in the east perform steady.

Bayesian analysis of stage-fall-discharge rating curves and their uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansanarez, V.; Le Coz, J.; Renard, B.; Lang, M.; Pierrefeu, G.; Vauchel, P.

2016-09-01

Stage-fall-discharge (SFD) rating curves are traditionally used to compute streamflow records at sites where the energy slope of the flow is variable due to variable backwater effects. We introduce a model with hydraulically interpretable parameters for estimating SFD rating curves and their uncertainties. Conventional power functions for channel and section controls are used. The transition to a backwater-affected channel control is computed based on a continuity condition, solved either analytically or numerically. The practical use of the method is demonstrated with two real twin-gauge stations, the Rhône River at Valence, France, and the Guthusbekken stream at station 0003ṡ0033, Norway. Those stations are typical of a channel control and a section control, respectively, when backwater-unaffected conditions apply. The performance of the method is investigated through sensitivity analysis to prior information on controls and to observations (i.e., available gaugings) for the station of Valence. These analyses suggest that precisely identifying SFD rating curves requires adapted gauging strategy and/or informative priors. The Madeira River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon, provides a challenging case typical of large, flat, tropical river networks where bed roughness can also be variable in addition to slope. In this case, the difference in staff gauge reference levels must be estimated as another uncertain parameter of the SFD model. The proposed Bayesian method is a valuable alternative solution to the graphical and empirical techniques still proposed in hydrometry guidance and standards.

Navy's "Full Ship Shock Trials" as Opportunities for USGS/CTBTO Seismic System Evaluation and Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jih, R. S.

2016-12-01

The U.S. Navy conducts "full ship shock trials" (FSST) on new construction ships to validate the ability the ship to carry out assigned missions in the combat shock environment. The shock trial attempts to simulate the effects of a near-miss underwater explosion by detonating 10,000 pound high explosive charges near the ship. On June 10, June 23, and July 16, 2016, respectively, the Navy carried out three FSSTs on the Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson (LCS-6) off Florida coast. The three events were well recorded in eastern United States, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the events as "experimental explosions", with magnitudes in 3.7-3.8; and 78, 82, and 114 associated/picked phases, respectively. The CTBTO's seismic bulletin has the first and third FSSTs reported, but not the second. CTBTO's International Monitoring Systems (IMS) stations in the United States (Tuckaleechee of TN, Lajitas of TX, Mina of NV, Eilson of AK), Canada (Lac du Bonnet), Turkey (Belbashi), Finland (Lahti), and Australia (Warramunga, Alice Springs) saw some of these events. In addition, five hydrophone channels at Ascension Island hydroacoustic array detected two events. IDC did not "screen out" the detected FSSTs as earthquakes. Both USGS and IDC locations are fairly reasonable. In the case of USGS, the events are off shore, while most of the reporting seismic stations are on land, on one side. The test area selected by the Navy for FSSTs is a narrow hexagon, bounded by two arcs: the 600-ft depth bathymetry on the west, and an arc of radius 120 nautical miles centered at Mayport Naval Station (Florida). The seismic solutions determined by USGS and IDC lie inside the hexagon, using the standard single-event location algorithm. In the seismic monitoring mission area, it has been well known that the best calibration data points are those well-recorded, controlled active-source experiments for which the Ground Truth (of the event size, origin time, and coordinates) are known - such as the 100-ton "Omega" explosions carried out by the United States and Kazakhstan in 1997-2001 for the purpose of destroying the unused Soviets shafts and adits at Semipalatinsk. Navy's FSSTs have similar potential for evaluation and calibration of the seismic (and/or hydroacoustic) systems operated by the USGS and CTBTO.

Estimating Precipitation Input to a Watershed by Combining Gauge and Radar Derived Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ercan, M. B.; Goodall, J. L.

2011-12-01

One challenge in creating an accurate watershed model is obtaining estimates of precipitation intensity over the watershed area. While precipitation measurements are generally available from gauging stations and radar instruments, both of these approaches for measuring precipitation have strengths and weakness. A typical way of addressing this challenge is to use gauged precipitation estimates to calibrate radar based estimates, however this study proposes a slightly different approach in which the optimal daily precipitation value is selected from either the gauged or the radar estimates based on the observed streamflow for that day. Our proposed approach is perhaps most relevant for cases of modeling watersheds that do not have a nearby precipitation gauge, or for regions that experience convective storms that are often highly spatially variable. Using the Eno River watershed located in Orange County, NC, three different precipitation datasets were created to predict streamflow at the watershed outlet for the time period 2005-2010 using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT): (1) estimates based on only precipitation gauging stations, (2) estimates based only on gauged-corrected radar observations, and (3) the combination of precipitation estimates from the gauge and radar data determined using our proposed approach. The results show that the combined precipitation approach significantly improves streamflow predictions (Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient, E = 0.66) when compared to the gauged estimates alone (E = 0.47) and the radar based estimates alone (E = 0.45). Our study was limited to one watershed, therefore additional studies are needed to control for factors such as climate, ecology, and hydrogeology that will likely influence the results of the analysis.

Flood-prone area maps of three sites along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamke, Robert D.; Jones, Stanley H.

1980-01-01

Flood-prone areas in Alaska are delineated on aerial photographs for the Sagavanirktok River near Pump Station 3, Middle Fork Koyukuk River at Coldfoot, and Jim River near Pump Station 5. An analysis of available flood data and a description of recent flood evidence and maximum evident flood marks are included. (Kosco-USGS)

Documentation for a web site to serve ULF-EM (Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic) data to the public

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neumann, Danny A.; McPherson, Selwyn; Klemperer, Simon L.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.; McPhee, Darcy K.; Kappler, Karl

2011-01-01

The Stanford Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic (ULF-EM) Monitoring Project is recording naturally varying electromagnetic signals adjacent to active earthquake faults, in an attempt to establish whether there is any variation in these signals associated with earthquakes. Our project is collaborative between Stanford University, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and UC Berkeley. Lead scientists are Simon Klemperer (Stanford University), Jonathan Glen (USGS) and Darcy Karakelian McPhee (USGS). Our initial sites are in the San Francisco Bay Area, monitoring different strands of the San Andreas fault system, at Stanford University's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (JRSC), Marin Headlands of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (MHDL), and the UC Berkeley's Russell Reservation Field Station adjacent to Briones Regional Park (BRIB). In addition, we maintain in conjunction with the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory (BSL) two remote reference stations at the Bear Valley Ranch in Parkfield, Calif., (PKD) and the San Andreas Geophysical Observatory at Hollister, Calif., (SAO). Metadata about our site can be found at http://ulfem-data.stanford.edu/info.html. Site descriptions can be found at the BSL at http://seismo.berkeley.edu/, and seismic data can be obtained from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center at http://www.ncedc.org/. The site http://ulfem-data.stanford.edu/ allows access to data from the Stanford-USGS sites JRSC, MHDL and BRIB, as well as UC Berkeley sites PKD and SAO.

Characterization of peak streamflows and flood inundation of selected areas in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi from flood of March 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breaker, Brian K.; Watson, Kara M.; Ensminger, Paul A.; Storm, John B.; Rose, Claire E.

2016-11-29

Heavy rainfall occurred across Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi in March 2016 as a result of a slow-moving southward dip in the jetstream, funneling tropical moisture into parts of the Gulf Coast States and the Mississippi River Valley. The storm caused major flooding in the northwestern and southeastern parts of Louisiana and in eastern Texas. Flooding also occurred in the Mississippi River Valley in Arkansas and Mississippi. Over 26 inches of rain were reported near Monroe, Louisiana, over the duration of the storm. In March 2016, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrographers made more than 500 streamflow measurements in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Many of those streamflow measurements were made to verify the accuracy of stage-streamflow relations at gaging stations operated by the USGS. Peak streamflows were the highest on record at 14 locations, and streamflows at 29 locations ranked in the top five for the period of record at USGS streamflow-gaging stations analyzed for this report. Following the storm, USGS hydrographers documented 451 high-water marks in Louisiana and on the western side of the Sabine River in Texas. Many of these high-water marks were used to create 19 flood-inundation maps for selected areas of Louisiana and Texas that experienced flooding in March 2016.

The Global Seismographic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, J.; Anderson, K. R.; Butler, R.; Davis, P. B.; Derr, J.; Gee, L. S.; Song, X.

2009-12-01

Twenty-five years ago the IRIS Consortium was formed to advance the seismological interests of the US academic community. One of its core programs was the Global Seismographic Network (GSN).The GSN built upon the successes of its predecessors, the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network and the Global Digital Seismograph Network operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and Project IDA operated by the University of California San Diego (UCSD), but with a far-reaching vision of more than 100 global stations with broadband seismometers, real-time data telemetry, and free and open data access. Based upon a partnership with USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory and the UCSD IDA group, and with funding from the National Science Foundation, IRIS established its first stations in 1986. Today the GSN comprises 153 stations operated in cooperation with over 100 host organizations in 69 countries. With the goal of recording the entire seismic spectrum, the GSN stations include very-broadband seismometers installed in vaults and in 100m boreholes, strong-motion sensors to insure on-scale recordings of nearby or very large earthquakes, and high-frequency sensors to extend the frequency band for nuclear treaty monitoring interests. Using the GSN logistics, communications, and infrastructure for broader science interests, many GSN stations have been expanded as geophysical observatories to include microbarographs, GPS receivers, along with numerous co-located gravimeters, geomagnetic sensors, and meteorological sensors. In the early days of the GSN data were recorded at the stations on magnetic tape and then sent to the IRIS Data Center via mail. Gradually near real-time data collection progressed to telephone dial-up access, via private VSAT satellite access, and finally through the public Internet. Now over 95% of the GSN stations have real-time data flow openly accessible from IRIS, and from USGS and IDA data collection centers. In the years prior to the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty the GSN received significant additional funding to support expansion of the GSN in the former Soviet Union, and to collaborate in the upgrade of the Chinese Digital Seismic Network to GSN standards. Over 50 GSN sites are designated as part of the CTBT International Monitoring System. The Mw 9.2 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 2004 and subsequent tsunami was the first operational test of the GSN design goals for a truly great earthquake. The GSN captured this event with full fidelity with over 88% of the network operational and with 88 of these stations provided data in real-time for tsunami warning. IRIS,IDA, and the USGS remain committed to maintaining a state-of-the-art facility, which will continue to serve as a foremost resource for seismological research and for training and educating the next generation of earth scientists while providing data for earthquake response, tsunami warning, and international nuclear treaty monitoring. To meet this commitment, the GSN is progressing rapidly in upgrading all of its stations with a new generation of data acquisition systems and the latest generation of standardized sensors.

Summary of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for 620 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas through water year 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.; Heitmuller, Franklin T.

2008-01-01

Analysts and managers of surface-water resources have interest in annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The mean streamflow represents streamflow volume, whereas the harmonic mean streamflow represents an appropriate statistic for assessing constituent concentrations that might adversely affect human health. In 2008, the USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, conducted a large-scale documentation of mean and harmonic mean streamflow for 620 active and inactive, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations using period of record data through water year 2007. About 99 stations within the Texas USGS streamflow-gaging network are part of the larger national Hydroclimatic Data Network and are identified. The graphical depictions of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics in this report provide a historical perspective of streamflow at each station. Each figure consists of three time-series plots, two flow-duration curves, and a statistical summary of the mean annual and annual harmonic mean streamflow statistics for available data for each station.The first time-series plot depicts daily mean streamflow for the period 1900-2007. Flow-duration curves follow and are a graphical depiction of streamflow variability. Next, the remaining two time-series plots depict annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow and are augmented with horizontal lines that depict mean and harmonic mean for the period of record. Monotonic trends for the annual mean streamflow and annual harmonic mean streamflow also are identified using Kendall's tau, and the slope of the trend is depicted using the nonparametric (linear) Theil-Sen line, which is only drawn for p-values less than .10 of tau. The history of annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

Quantification of precipitation measurement discontinuity induced by wind shields on national gauges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, Daqing; Goodison, Barry E.; Metcalfe, John R.; Louie, Paul; Leavesley, George H.; Emerson, Douglas G.; Hanson, Clayton L.; Golubev, Valentin S.; Elomaa, Esko; Gunther, Thilo; Pangburn, Timothy; Kang, Ersi; Milkovic, Janja

1999-01-01

Various combinations of wind shields and national precipitation gauges commonly used in countries of the northern hemisphere have been studied in this paper, using the combined intercomparison data collected at 14 sites during the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison Project. The results show that wind shields improve gauge catch of precipitation, particularly for snow. Shielded gauges, on average, measure 20–70% more snow than unshielded gauges. Without a doubt, the use of wind shields on precipitation gauges has introduced a significant discontinuity into precipitation records, particularly in cold and windy regions. This discontinuity is not constant and it varies with wind speed, temperature, and precipitation type. Adjustment for this discontinuity is necessary to obtain homogenous precipitation data for climate change and hydrological studies. The relation of the relative catch ratio (RCR, ratio of measurements of shielded gauge to unshielded gauge) versus wind speed and temperature has been developed for Alter and Tretyakov wind shields. Strong linear relations between measurements of shielded gauge and unshielded gauge have also been found for different precipitation types. The linear relation does not fully take into account the varying effect of wind and temperature on gauge catch. Overadjustment by the linear relation may occur at those sites with lower wind speeds, and underadjustment may occur at those stations with higher wind speeds. The RCR technique is anticipated to be more applicable in a wide range of climate conditions. The RCR technique and the linear relation have been tested at selected WMO intercomparison stations, and reasonable agreement between the adjusted amounts and the shielded gauge measurements was obtained at most of the sites. Test application of the developed methodologies to a regional or national network is therefore recommended to further evaluate their applicability in different climate conditions. Significant increase of precipitation is expected due to the adjustment particularly in high latitudes and other cold regions. This will have a meaningful impact on climate variation and change analyses.

Is Snowmelt Initiation Independent of Elevation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundquist, J. D.; Dettinger, M. D.; Cayan, D. R.

2002-12-01

Recent studies (Peterson et al, Dettinger and Cayan) have shown that the Western rivers routinely monitored by the USGS all rise together each spring, suggesting an organized signal of snowmelt initiation across the region. These are all large basins (over 100 km2), spanning similar ranges of aspect and elevation. However, within a given basin, should we expect the spring pulse of snowmelt to occur at the same time in a 470 km2 basin gauged at 1200 m as in a 2 km2 glacial cirque gauged at 3200 m? Should streamflow from a north-facing cirque rise and peak at the same time as that from a south-facing cirque? Data from sub-basins of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers within Yosemite National Park, from small lake basins throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and from CDWR snow pillow stations throughout the central Sierra Nevada suggest that the answer to both of these questions is yes. Elevation and aspect exert strong influences on air temperature and solar radiation, which are important factors in controlling snowmelt. Why, then, does melt appear uniform across the Sierra Nevada each spring? Do air temperature and solar radiation differ less than previously supposed? Do snowpack properties create some kind of buffer or limit on melt rates that make small-scale meteorological differences less important? If initial melt rates are uniform throughout the basin, why do high-altitude, north-facing cirques retain their snow-cover the longest? Do they start out with more snow, or do the dominant factors influencing melt rates and supply change as the season progresses? This study uses the available data to examine these hypotheses.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

1997-01-01

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

Recent Improvements to the U.S. Geological Survey Streamgaging Program...from the National Streamflow Information Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen F.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established its first streamgage in 1889 on the Rio Grande River at Embudo, N.M. As the need for streamflow information increased, the USGS streamgaging network expanded to its current (2007) size of approximately 7,400 streamgages nationwide. The USGS streamgaging network, for most of its history, required mechanical measuring and recording devices to collect station data. Time-consuming and labor-intensive site visits were required to gather the recorded data for processing in the office. Eventually the data were published in paper reports. The USGS has progressively improved the streamgaging program by incorporating new technologies and techniques that streamline data collection, data delivery, and records processing while increasing the number and quality of product types that can be derived from the data. Improvements in recent decades that have expanded and broadened the streamgaging program are included the fact sheet.

30. STARBOARD REFUELING STATION STARBOARD LOOKING TO PORT SHOWING ...

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

30. STARBOARD REFUELING STATION - STARBOARD LOOKING TO PORT SHOWING RIGGING, FUEL RISER, SHUT-OFF VALVE, TEST COCK AND PRESSURE GAUGE. - U.S.S. HORNET, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Sinclair Inlet, Bremerton, Kitsap County, WA

USGS 1-min Dst index

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gannon, J.L.; Love, J.J.

2011-01-01

We produce a 1-min time resolution storm-time disturbance index, the USGS Dst, called Dst8507-4SM. This index is based on minute resolution horizontal magnetic field intensity from low-latitude observatories in Honolulu, Kakioka, San Juan and Hermanus, for the years 1985-2007. The method used to produce the index uses a combination of time- and frequency-domain techniques, which more clearly identifies and excises solar-quiet variation from the horizontal intensity time series of an individual station than the strictly time-domain method used in the Kyoto Dst index. The USGS 1-min Dst is compared against the Kyoto Dst, Kyoto Sym-H, and the USGS 1-h Dst (Dst5807-4SH). In a time series comparison, Sym-H is found to produce more extreme values during both sudden impulses and main phase maximum deviation, possibly due to the latitude of its contributing observatories. Both Kyoto indices are shown to have a peak in their distributions below zero, while the USGS indices have a peak near zero. The USGS 1-min Dst is shown to have the higher time resolution benefits of Sym-H, while using the more typical low-latitude observatories of Kyoto Dst. ?? 2010.

A Case Study: Optimal Stage Gauge NetworkUsing Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, H. J.; Han, D.; Jung, J.; Kim, H. S.

2017-12-01

Recently, the possibility of occurrence of localized strong heavy rainfall due to climate change is increasing and flood damage is also increasing trend in Korea. Therefore we need more precise hydrologic analysis for preparing alternatives or measures for flood reduction by considering climate conditions which we have difficulty in the prediction. To do this, obtaining reliable hydrologic data, for an example, stage data, is very important. However, the existing stage gauge stations are scattered around the country, making it difficult to maintain them in a stable manner, and subsequently hard to acquire the hydrologic data that could be used for reflecting the localized hydrologic characteristics. In order to overcome such restrictions, this paper not only aims to establish a plan to acquire the water stage data in a constant and proper manner by using limited manpower and costs, but also establishes the fundamental technology for acquiring the water level observation data or the stage data. For that, this paper identifies the current status of the stage gauge stations installed in the Chung-Ju dam in Han river, Korea and extract the factors related to the division and characteristics of basins. Then, the obtained factors are used to develop the representative unit hydrograph that shows the characteristics of flow. After that, the data are converted into the probability density function and the stations at individual basins are selected by using the entropy theory. In last step, we establish the optimized stage gauge network by the location of the stage station and grade using the Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm(MOGA) technique that takes into account for the combinations of the number of the stations. It is expected that this paper can help establish an optimal observational network of stage guages as it can be applied usefully not only for protecting against floods in a stable manner, but also for acquiring the hydrologic data in an efficient manner. Keywords : Unit Hydrograph, Entropy, Grade of Stage Gauge Station, Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm(MOGA), Optimal Stage Guage Network Acknowledgements This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(2017R1A2B3005695)

PQLX: A seismic data quality control system description, applications, and users manual

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNamara, Daniel E.; Boaz, Richard I.

2011-01-01

We present a detailed description and users manual for a new tool to evaluate seismic station performance and characteristics by providing quick and easy transitions between visualizations of the frequency and time domains. The software is based on the probability density functions (PDF) of power spectral densities (PSD) (McNamara and Buland, 2004) and builds on the original development of the PDF stand-alone software system (McNamara and Boaz, 2005) and the seismological data viewer application PQL (IRIS-PASSCAL Quick Look) and PQLII (available through the IRIS PASSCAL program: http://www.passcal.nmt.edu/content/pql-ii-program-viewing-data). With PQLX (PQL eXtended), computed PSDs are stored in a MySQL database, allowing a user to access specific time periods of PSDs (PDF subsets) and time series segments through a GUI-driven interface. The power of the method and software lies in the fact that there is no need to screen the data for system transients, earthquakes, or general data artifacts, because they map into a background probability level. In fact, examination of artifacts related to station operation and episodic cultural noise allow us to estimate both the overall station quality and a baseline level of Earth noise at each site. The output of this analysis tool is useful for both operational and scientific applications. Operationally, it is useful for characterizing the current and past performance of existing broadband stations, for conducting tests on potential new seismic station locations, for evaluating station baseline noise levels (McNamara and others, 2009), for detecting problems with the recording system or sensors, and for evaluating the overall quality of data and metadata. Scientifically, the tool allows for mining of PSDs for investigations on the evolution of seismic noise (for example, Aster and others, 2008; and Aster and others, 2010) and other phenomena. Currently, PQLX is operational at several organizations including the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL), and the Incorporated Research Institutions in Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC) for station monitoring and instrument response quality control. The PQLX system is available to the community at large through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (http://ehpm-earthquake.wr.usgs.gov/research/software/pqlx.php) and IRIS (http://www.iris.edu/software/pqlx). Also provided is a fully searchable website for bug reporting and enhancement requests (http://wush.net/bugzilla/PQLX). The first part of this document aims to describe and illustrate some of the features and capabilities of the software. The second part of this document is a detailed users manual that covers installation procedures, system requirements, operations, bug reporting, and software components (Appendix).

First Vertical Land Movement Estimates on South Georgia Island: An Impact Study on Sea Level Change from Tide Gauge and Satellite Altimetry Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abraha, K. E.; Teferle, F. N.; Hunegnaw, A.; Woodworth, P. L.; Williams, S. D. P.; Hibbert, A.; Smalley, R., Jr.; Dalziel, I.; Lawver, L.

2017-12-01

South Georgia Island in the Southern Atlantic Ocean has been a key location for the seismic, geomagnetic and oceanic global monitoring networks. However, no permanent geodetic monitoring station had been established there despite the lack of observations from this region within, for example, the International GNSS Service (IGS) network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations. Then, in 2013 the King Edward Point (KEP) Geodetic Observatory was established with a focus on sea level studies and in support of general geoscience applications. Currently, this observatory located roughly half-way along the main island along its northern coastline, consists of two GNSS stations (KEPA and KRSA) with local benchmark networks, allowing the height determinations from the GNSS antennas to be transferred to the KEP tide gauge (GLOSS ID 187) and forming a height reference within the International Terrestrial Reference Frame. In late 2014, three additional GNSS stations (SG01, SG02 and SG03) were established, all located on small islands at the perimeter of the main island. Together the stations provide the best possible geographic distribution to study various geophysical processes in the region. With the GNSS-derived position time series now partly reaching over 4.5 years in length, it has become possible to provide first estimates of vertical land movements for the island and, in particular, KEP with its surrounding area. Together with four precise levelling campaigns of the benchmark network in 2013, 2014 and two in 2017, it has also been possible to investigate the very local character of the vertical motions, ie. the stability of the jetty upon which the tide gauge is mounted. Our measurements show that while South Georgia Island and the area around KEP are rising, the jetty and tide gauge are subsiding. In this study, we will present the preliminary results from the GNSS and levelling measurements and will discuss their impact on the sea level record from the KEP tide gauge which is ideally situated in a mid-ocean location for satellite altimetry calibration over the Southern Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

Regional influences on reconstructed global mean sea level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natarov, Svetlana I.; Merrifield, Mark A.; Becker, Janet M.; Thompson, Phillip R.

2017-04-01

Reconstructions of global mean sea level (GMSL) based on tide gauge measurements tend to exhibit common multidecadal rate fluctuations over the twentieth century. GMSL rate changes may result from physical drivers, such as changes in radiative forcing or land water storage. Alternatively, these fluctuations may represent artifacts due to sampling limitations inherent in the historical tide gauge network. In particular, a high percentage of tide gauges used in reconstructions, especially prior to the 1950s, are from Europe and North America in the North Atlantic region. Here a GMSL reconstruction based on the reduced space optimal interpolation algorithm is deconstructed, with the contributions of individual tide gauge stations quantified and assessed regionally. It is demonstrated that the North Atlantic region has a disproportionate influence on reconstructed GMSL rate fluctuations prior to the 1950s, notably accounting for a rate minimum in the 1920s and contributing to a rate maximum in the 1950s. North Atlantic coastal sea level fluctuations related to wind-driven ocean volume redistribution likely contribute to these estimated GMSL rate inflections. The findings support previous claims that multidecadal rate changes in GMSL reconstructions are likely related to the geographic distribution of tide gauge stations within a sparse global network.

Estimating Discharge in Low-Order Rivers With High-Resolution Aerial Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Tyler V.; Neilson, Bethany T.; Rasmussen, Mitchell T.

2018-02-01

Remote sensing of river discharge promises to augment in situ gauging stations, but the majority of research in this field focuses on large rivers (>50 m wide). We present a method for estimating volumetric river discharge in low-order (<50 m wide) rivers from remotely sensed data by coupling high-resolution imagery with one-dimensional hydraulic modeling at so-called virtual gauging stations. These locations were identified as locations where the river contracted under low flows, exposing a substantial portion of the river bed. Topography of the exposed river bed was photogrammetrically extracted from high-resolution aerial imagery while the geometry of the remaining inundated portion of the channel was approximated based on adjacent bank topography and maximum depth assumptions. Full channel bathymetry was used to create hydraulic models that encompassed virtual gauging stations. Discharge for each aerial survey was estimated with the hydraulic model by matching modeled and remotely sensed wetted widths. Based on these results, synthetic width-discharge rating curves were produced for each virtual gauging station. In situ observations were used to determine the accuracy of wetted widths extracted from imagery (mean error 0.36 m), extracted bathymetry (mean vertical RMSE 0.23 m), and discharge (mean percent error 7% with a standard deviation of 6%). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the influence of inundated channel bathymetry and roughness parameters on estimated discharge. Comparison of synthetic rating curves produced through sensitivity analyses show that reasonable ranges of parameter values result in mean percent errors in predicted discharges of 12%-27%.

Water Resources Data Ohio: Water year 1994. Volume 1, Ohio River Basin excluding Project Data

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

NONE

1994-12-31

The Water Resources Division of the US Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with State agencies, obtains a large amount of data each water year (a water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30 and is identified by the calendar year in which it ends) pertaining to the water resources of Ohio. These data, accumulated during many years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the USGS, they are published annually in this report series entitled ``Watermore » Resources Data--Ohio.`` This report (in two volumes) includes records on surface water and ground water in the State. Specifically, it contains: (1) Discharge records for streamflow-gaging stations, miscellaneous sites, and crest-stage stations; (2) stage and content records for streams, lakes, and reservoirs; (3) water-quality data for streamflow-gaging stations, wells, synoptic sites, and partial-record sit -aid (4) water-level data for observation wells. Locations of lake-and streamflow-gaging stations, water-quality stations, and observation wells for which data are presented in this volume are shown in figures 8a through 8b. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the USGS and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Ohio. This series of annual reports for Ohio began with the 1961 water year with a report that contained only data relating to the quantities of surface water. For the 1964 water year, a similar report was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginning with the 1975 water year, the report was changed to present (in two or three volumes) data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface and ground water, and ground-water levels.« less

Monitoring Sea Level by Tide Gauges and GPS at Barcelona and Estartit Harbours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Benjamin, J. J.; Gili, J.; Lopez, R.; Tapia, A.; Bosch, E.; Perez, B.; Pros, F.

2012-04-01

Sea level is an environmental variable which is widely recognised as being important in many scientific disciplines as a control parameter for coastal dynamical processes or climate processes in the coupled atmosphere-ocean systems, as well as engineering applications. A major source of sea-level data are the national networks of coastal tide gauges, in Spain belonging to different institutions as the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), Puertos del Estado (PE), Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina (IHM), etc. The tide gauge of l'Estartit is a traditional floating gauge placed 21 years ago and has an accuracy of ± 2 mm. Since 1996, l'Estartit tide gauge has been co-located with geodetic techniques (GPS measurements of XU, Utilitary Network, and XdA, Levelling Network,) and it is tied to the SPGIC (Integrated Geodetic Positioning System of Catalonia) project of the Cartographic Institute of Catalunya (ICC). In 2006, due to the work for the expansion of the harbour, the tide gauge had to be moved. Before the work started, appropiate GPS measurements were carried out in order to ensure the connection of the tide gauge data. During October 2006 and May 2008, the tide gauge was inactive and it has been moved on to a new location inside the harbour. In June 2008, new GPS and levelling measures have been done in order to tie the new location into SPGIC project and to co-locate old data respect the new one. Although l'Estartit does not have a GPS permanent station, it is possible to build a virtual one from the service "CATNET web" of the ICC. "CATNET web" is a data distribution system of a virtual GPS permanent station via web. From the coordinates where you want to place the virtual station, the time interval and the measurement rate, the system generates a RINEX file under the requested conditions. At Barcelona harbour there is one MIROS radar tide gauge belonging to Puertos del Estado (Spanish Harbours). It is placed at the dock 140 of the ENAGAS Building.The radar sensor is over the water surface, on a L-shaped structure which elevates it a few meters above the quay shelf. 1-min data are transmitted to the ENAGAS Control Center by cable and then sent each 1 min to Puertos del Estado by e-mail.This sensor also measures agitation and sends wave parameters each 20 min. A provisional tide gauge bench mark has been defined while the levelling has being done. There is a GPS station Leica Geosystems GRX1200 GG Pro and antenna 1202. Bathymetric campaigns inside the harbour have been made. The presentation is directed to the description of the actual situation of the geodetic infrastructure of Barcelona and l'Estartit sites for sea level determination and contribution to regional sea level rise.

Sea Level Variability in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zerbini, S.; Bruni, S.; del Conte, S.; Errico, M.; Petracca, F.; Prati, C.; Raicich, F.; Santi, E.

2015-12-01

Tide gauges measure local sea-level relative to a benchmark on land, therefore the interpretation of these measurements can be limited by the lack of appropriate knowledge of vertical crustal motions. The oldest sea-level records date back to the 18th century; these observations are the only centuries-old data source enabling the estimate of historical sea-level trends/variations. In general, tide gauge benchmarks were not frequently levelled, except in those stations where natural and/or anthropogenic subsidence was a major concern. However, in most cases, it is difficult to retrieve the historical geodetic levelling data. Space geodetic techniques, such as GNSS, Doris and InSAR are now providing measurements on a time and space-continuous basis, giving rise to a large amount of different data sets. The vertical motions resulting from the various analyses need to be compared and best exploited for achieving reliable estimates of sea level variations. In the Mediterranean area, there are a few centennial tide gauge records; our study focuses, in particular, on the Italian time series of Genoa, Marina di Ravenna, Venice and Trieste. Two of these stations, Marina di Ravenna and Venice, are affected by both natural and anthropogenic subsidence, the latter was particularly intense during a few decades of the 20th century because of ground fluids withdrawal. We have retrieved levelling data of benchmarks at and/or close to the tide gauges from the end of 1800 and, for the last couple of decades, also GPS and InSAR height time series in close proximity of the stations. By using an ensemble of these data, modelling of the long-period non-linear behavior of subsidence was successfully accomplished. After removal of the land vertical motions, the linear long period sea-level rates of all stations are in excellent agreement. Over the last two decades, the tide gauge rates were also compared with those obtained by satellite radar altimetry data.

The role of the U.S. Geological Survey in Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting in Illinois, 1984-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Kevin K.; Duncker, James J.; Jackson, P. Ryan

2012-01-01

The State of Illinois' annual withdrawl from Lake Michigan is limited by a U.S. Supreme Court decree. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago area waterway system (CAWS) as part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting (LMDA) overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Every five years, the USGS streamgage practices in the CAWS are reviewed by a committee of practicing engineers and academics to ensure that the best engineering practices are implemented in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court decree and as part of LMDA. This report provides a perspective on the role of the USGS in LMDA from 1984 to 2010 including the responses to the review committees. Six technical review committees have been convened by the U.S. Corps of Engineers to evaluate the key components of LMDA especially the USGS streamgages within the CAWS. Any changes in streamgaging practices at CAWS gaging stations require detailed analysis to ensure the change will not adversely affect the ability of the USGS to accurately monitor flows.

The Caloosahatchee River Estuary: a monitoring partnership between Federal, State, and local governments, 2007-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patino, Eduardo

2014-01-01

From 2007 to 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), operated a flow and salinity monitoring network at tributaries flowing into and at key locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River. This network was designed to supplement existing long-term monitoring stations, such as W.P. Franklin Lock, also known as S–79, which are operated by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lee County, and the City of Cape Coral. Additionally, a monitoring station was operated on Sanibel Island from 2010 to 2013 as part of the USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Science initiative and in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge). Moving boat water-quality surveys throughout the tidal Caloosahatchee River and downstream estuaries began in 2011 and are ongoing. Information generated by these monitoring networks has proved valuable to the FDEP for developing total maximum daily load criteria, and to the SFWMD for calibrating and verifying a hydrodynamic model. The information also supports the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan.

Dynamic rating curve assessment in hydrometric stations and calculation of the associated uncertainties : Quality and monitoring indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morlot, Thomas; Perret, Christian; Favre, Anne-Catherine

2013-04-01

Whether we talk about safety reasons, energy production or regulation, water resources management is one of EDF's (French hydropower company) main concerns. To meet these needs, since the fifties EDF-DTG operates a hydrometric network that includes more than 350 hydrometric stations. The data collected allow real time monitoring of rivers (hydro meteorological forecasts at points of interests), as well as hydrological studies and the sizing of structures. Ensuring the quality of stream flow data is a priority. A rating curve is an indirect method of estimating the discharge in rivers based on water level measurements. The value of discharge obtained thanks to the rating curve is not entirely accurate due to the constant changes of the river bed morphology, to the precision of the gaugings (direct and punctual discharge measurements) and to the quality of the tracing. As time goes on, the uncertainty of the estimated discharge from a rating curve « gets older » and increases: therefore the final level of uncertainty remains particularly difficult to assess. Moreover, the current EDF capacity to produce a rating curve is not suited to the frequency of change of the stage-discharge relationship. The actual method does not take into consideration the variation of the flow conditions and the modifications of the river bed which occur due to natural processes such as erosion, sedimentation and seasonal vegetation growth. In order to get the most accurate stream flow data and to improve their reliability, this study undertakes an original « dynamic» method to compute rating curves based on historical gaugings from a hydrometric station. A curve is computed for each new gauging and a model of uncertainty is adjusted for each of them. The model of uncertainty takes into account the inaccuracies in the measurement of the water height, the quality of the tracing, the uncertainty of the gaugings and the aging of the confidence intervals calculated with a variographic analysis. These rating curves enable to provide values of stream flow taking into account the variability of flow conditions, while providing a model of uncertainties resulting from the aging of the rating curves. By taking into account the variability of the flow conditions and the life of the hydrometric station, this original dynamic method can answer important questions in the field of hydrometry such as « How many gaugings a year have to be made so as to produce stream flow data with an average uncertainty of X% ? » and « When and in which range of water flow do we have to realize those gaugings ? ». KEY WORDS : Uncertainty, Rating curve, Hydrometric station, Gauging, Variogram, Stream Flow

Evaluation of streamflow forecast for the National Water Model of U.S. National Weather Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafieeinasab, A.; McCreight, J. L.; Dugger, A. L.; Gochis, D.; Karsten, L. R.; Zhang, Y.; Cosgrove, B.; Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

The National Water Model (NWM), an implementation of the community WRF-Hydro modeling system, is an operational hydrologic forecasting model for the contiguous United States. The model forecasts distributed hydrologic states and fluxes, including soil moisture, snowpack, ET, and ponded water. In particular, the NWM provides streamflow forecasts at more than 2.7 million river reaches for three forecast ranges: short (15 hr), medium (10 days), and long (30 days). In this study, we verify short and medium range streamflow forecasts in the context of the verification of their respective quantitative precipitation forecasts/forcing (QPF), the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) and the Global Forecast System (GFS). The streamflow evaluation is performed for summer of 2016 at more than 6,000 USGS gauges. Both individual forecasts and forecast lead times are examined. Selected case studies of extreme events aim to provide insight into the quality of the NWM streamflow forecasts. A goal of this comparison is to address how much streamflow bias originates from precipitation forcing bias. To this end, precipitation verification is performed over the contributing areas above (and between assimilated) USGS gauge locations. Precipitation verification is based on the aggregated, blended StageIV/StageII data as the "reference truth". We summarize the skill of the streamflow forecasts, their skill relative to the QPF, and make recommendations for improving NWM forecast skill.

37. GENERAL VIEW OF SLC3W MST STATION 85.5 FROM NORTHEAST ...

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

37. GENERAL VIEW OF SLC-3W MST STATION 85.5 FROM NORTHEAST CORNER SHOWING PLATFORM CONTROLS IN SOUTHWEST CORNER, COMMUNICATION STATION AND ELEVATOR ON WEST SIDE. STRETCH SLING CYLINDER PRESSURE GAUGE IN SOUTHWEST CORNER OF STATION 78 VISIBLE THROUGH CENTRAL OPENING. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 West, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Vertical land motion along the coast of Louisiana: Integrating satellite altimetry, tide gauge and GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, T. H.; A Karegar, M.; Uebbing, B.; Kusche, J.; Fenoglio-Marc, L.

2017-12-01

Coastal Louisiana is experiencing the highest rate of relative sea-level rise in North America due to the combination of sea-level rise and subsidence of the deltaic plain. The land subsidence in this region is studied using various techniques, with continuous GPS site providing high temporal resolution. Here, we use high resolution tide-gauge data and advanced processing of satellite altimetry to derive vertical displacements time series at NOAA tide-gauge stations along the coast (Figure 1). We apply state-of-the-art retracking techniques to process raw altimetry data, allowing high accuracy on range measurements close to the coast. Data from Jason-1, -2 and -3, Envisat, Saral and Cryosat-2 are used, corrected for solid Earth tide, pole tide and tidal ocean loading, using background models consistent with the GPS processing technique. We reprocess the available GPS data using precise point positioning and estimate the rate uncertainty accounting for correlated noise. The displacement time series are derived by directly subtracting tide-gauge data from the altimetry sea-level anomaly data. The quality of the derived displacement rates is evaluated in Grand Isle, Amerada Pass and Shell Beach where GPS data are available adjacent to the tide gauges. We use this technique to infer vertical displacement at tide gauges in New Orleans (New Canal Station) and Port Fourchon and Southwest Pass along the coastline.

Characterization of peak streamflows and flood inundation of selected areas in Louisiana from the August 2016 flood

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, Kara M.; Storm, John B.; Breaker, Brian K.; Rose, Claire E.

2017-02-06

Heavy rainfall occurred across Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi in August 2016 as a result of a slow-moving area of low pressure and a high amount of atmospheric moisture. The storm caused major flooding in the southern portions of Louisiana including areas surrounding Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Flooding occurred along the rivers such as the Amite, Comite, Tangipahoa, Tickfaw, Vermilion, and Mermentau Rivers. Over 31 inches of rain was reported in the city of Watson, 20 miles northeast of Baton Rouge, La., over the duration of the event. Streamflow-gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded peak streamflows of record at 10 locations, and 7 other locations experienced peak streamflows ranking in the top five for the duration of the period of record. In August 2016, USGS hydrographers made 50 discharge measurements at 21 locations on streams in Louisiana. Many of those discharge measurements were made for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of stage-streamflow relations at gaging stations operated by the USGS. Following the storm event, USGS hydrographers recovered and documented 590 high-water marks, noting location and height of the water above land surface. Many of these high-water marks were used to create 12 flood-inundation maps for selected communities of Louisiana that experienced flooding in August 2016. Digital datasets of the inundation area, modeling boundary, water depth rasters, and final map products are available online.

Use and availability of continuous streamflow records in Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schuetz, J.R.

1986-01-01

This report documents a survey that identifies local, State, and Federal uses of data from 139 continuous-record, surface-water stations, presently (1984) operated by the Wyoming District of the U. S. Geological Survey; identifies sources of funding pertaining to collections of streamflow data; and presents frequency of data availability. Uses of data from the 139 stations are categorized into seven classes: Regional Hydrology, Hydrology Systems, Legal Obligations, Planning and Design, Project Operation, Hydrologic Forecasts, and Water Quality Monitoring. Sufficient use of surface water data collected from the stations justifies the continued operation of all stations. (USGS)

Low-flow characteristics of Indiana streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, J.A.

1983-01-01

Knowledge of low-flow data for Indiana streams is essential to the planners and developers of water resources for municipal, industrial, and recreational uses in the State. Low-flow data for 219 continuous-record gaging stations through the 1978 water year and for some stations since then are presented in tables and curves. Flow-duration and low-flow-frequency data were estimated or determined for continuous-record stations having more than 10 years of record. In addition, low-flow-frequency data were estimated for 248 partial-record stations. Methods for estimating these data are included in the report. (USGS)

Nordic Sea Level - Analysis of PSMSL RLR Tide Gauge data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudsen, Per; Andersen, Ole

2015-04-01

Tide gauge data from the Nordic region covering a period of time from 1920 to 2000 are evaluated. 63 stations having RLR data for at least 40 years have been used. Each tide gauge data record was averaged to annual averages after the monthly average seasonal anomalies were removed. Some stations lack data, especially before around 1950. Hence, to compute representative sea level trends for the 1920-2000 period a procedure for filling in estimated sea level values in the voids, is needed. To fill in voids in the tide gauge data records a reconstruction method was applied that utilizes EOF.s in an iterative manner. Subsequently the trends were computed. The estimated trends range from about -8 mm/year to 2 mm/year reflecting both post-glacial uplift and sea level rise. An evaluation of the first EOFs show that the first EOF clearly describes the trends in the time series. EOF #2 and #3 describe differences in the inter-annual sea level variability with-in the Baltic Sea and differences between the Baltic and the North Atlantic / Norwegian seas, respectively.

USGS California Water Science Center water programs in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shulters, Michael V.

2005-01-01

California is threatened by many natural hazards—fire, floods, landslides, earthquakes. The State is also threatened by longer-term problems, such as hydrologic effects of climate change, and human-induced problems, such as overuse of ground water and degradation of water quality. The threats and problems are intensified by increases in population, which has risen to nearly 36.8 million. For the USGS California Water Science Center, providing scientific information to help address hazards, threats, and hydrologic issues is a top priority. To meet the demands of a growing California, USGS scientific investigations are helping State and local governments improve emergency management, optimize resources, collect contaminant-source and -mobility information, and improve surface- and ground-water quality. USGS hydrologic studies and data collection throughout the State give water managers quantifiable and detailed scientific information that can be used to plan for development and to protect and more efficiently manage resources. The USGS, in cooperation with state, local, and tribal agencies, operates more than 500 instrument stations, which monitor streamflow, ground-water levels, and surface- and ground-water constituents to help protect water supplies and predict the threats of natural hazards. The following are some of the programs implemented by the USGS, in cooperation with other agencies, to obtain and analyze information needed to preserve California's environment and resources.

Dtection of Sea Level Rise within the Arabian Gulf Using Space Based GNSS Measurements and Insitu Tide Gauge data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alothman, Abdulaziz; Ayhan, Mehmet

In the 21st century, sea level rise is expected to be about 30 cm or even more (up to 60 cm). Saudi Arabia has very long coasts of about 3400 km and hundreds of islands. Therefore, sea level monitoring may be important in particular along coastal low lands on Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts. Arabian Gulf is connected to Indian Ocean and lying along a parallel course in the south-west of the Zagros Trust Belt. We expect vertical land motion within the area due to both tectonic structures of the Arabian Peninsula and oil production activities. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Continues observations were used to estimate the vertical crustal motion. Bahrain International GPS Service (IGS-GPS) station is the only continuous GPS station accessible in the region, and it is close to the Mina Sulman tide gauge station in Bahrain. The weekly GPS time series of vertical component at Bahrain IGS-GPS station referring to the ITRF97 from 1999.2 to 2008.6 are used in the computation. We fitted a linear trend with an annual signal and a break to the GPS vertical time series and found a vertical land motion rate of 0.46 0.11 mm/yr. To investigate sea level variation within the west of Arabian Gulf, monthly means of sea level at 13 tide gauges along the coast of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, available in the database of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), are studied. We analyzed separately the monthly mean sea level measurements at each station, and estimated secular sea level rate by a robust linear trend fitting. We computed the average relative sea level rise rate of 1.96 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf based on 4 stations spanning longer than 19 years. Sea level rates at the stations are first corrected for vertical land motion contamination using the ICE-5G v1.2 VM4 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) model, and the average sea level rate is found 2.27 0.21 mm/yr. Assuming the vertical rate at Bahrain IGS-GPS station represents the vertical rate at each of the other tide gauge stations studied here in the region, we computed average sea level rise rate of 2.42 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf.

Flood of June 22-24, 2006, in North-Central Ohio, With Emphasis on the Cuyahoga River Near Independence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherwood, James M.; Ebner, Andrew D.; Koltun, G.F.; Astifan, Brian M.

2007-01-01

Heavy rains caused severe flooding on June 22-24, 2006, and damaged approximately 4,580 homes and 48 businesses in Cuyahoga County. Damage estimates in Cuyahoga County for the two days of flooding exceed $47 million; statewide damage estimates exceed $150 million. Six counties (Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron, Lucas, Sandusky, and Stark) in northeast Ohio were declared Federal disaster areas. One death, in Lorain County, was attributed to the flooding. The peak streamflow of 25,400 cubic feet per second and corresponding peak gage height of 23.29 feet were the highest recorded at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging station Cuyahoga River at Independence (04208000) since the gaging station began operation in 1922, exceeding the previous peak streamflow of 24,800 cubic feet per second that occurred on January 22, 1959. An indirect calculation of the peak streamflow was made by use of a step-backwater model because all roads leading to the gaging station were inundated during the flood and field crews could not reach the station to make a direct measurement. Because of a statistically significant and persistent positive trend in the annual-peak-streamflow time series for the Cuyahoga River at Independence, a method was developed and applied to detrend the annual-peak-streamflow time series prior to the traditional log-Pearson Type III flood-frequency analysis. Based on this analysis, the recurrence interval of the computed peak streamflow was estimated to be slightly less than 100 years. Peak-gage-height data, peak-streamflow data, and recurrence-interval estimates for the June 22-24, 2006, flood are tabulated for the Cuyahoga River at Independence and 10 other USGS gaging stations in north-central Ohio. Because flooding along the Cuyahoga River near Independence and Valley View was particularly severe, a study was done to document the peak water-surface profile during the flood from approximately 2 miles downstream from the USGS streamflow-gaging station at Independence to approximately 2 miles upstream from the gaging station. High-water marks were identified and flagged in the field. Third-order-accuracy surveys were used to determine elevations of the high-water marks, and the data were tabulated and plotted.

Summary of water-surface-elevation data for 116 U.S. Geological Survey lake and reservoir stations in Texas and comparison to data for water year 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, municipal, and local agencies, currently (2007) collects data for more than 120 lakes and reservoirs in Texas through a realtime, data-collection network. The National Water Information System that processes and archives water-resources data for the Nation provides a central source for retrieval of real-time as well as historical data. This report provides a brief description of the real-time, data-collection network and graphically summarizes the period-of-record daily mean water-surface elevations for 116 active and discontinued USGS lake and reservoir stations in Texas. The report also graphically depicts selected statistics (minimum, maximum, and mean) of daily mean water-surface-elevation data. The data for water year 2006 are compared to the selected statistics.

Streamflow Statistics for the Narraguagus River at Cherryfield, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudley, Robert W.; Nielsen, Joseph P.

2000-01-01

Streamflow data have been collected for the Narraguagus River from 1948 to the present (2000) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgaging station at Cherryfield, Maine. This report describes a study done by the USGS to determine streamflow statistics using the streamflow record at the Narraguagus River station for use in total water use management plans implemented by State and Federal agencies. Because the effect of changes in irrigation practices from 1993 to the present on streamflow in the Narraguagus basin is unknown and potentially significant, streamflow data after December 1992 were not used in the determination of the streamflow statistics. For the period 1948- 92, monthly median streamflows range from 93.0 ft3/s (August) to 1,000 ft3/s (April). The median streamflow for the selected period of record for all days (1948-92) is 302 ft3/s.

Arkansas StreamStats: a U.S. Geological Survey web map application for basin characteristics and streamflow statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pugh, Aaron L.

2014-01-01

Users of streamflow information often require streamflow statistics and basin characteristics at various locations along a stream. The USGS periodically calculates and publishes streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for streamflowgaging stations and partial-record stations, but these data commonly are scattered among many reports that may or may not be readily available to the public. The USGS also provides and periodically updates regional analyses of streamflow statistics that include regression equations and other prediction methods for estimating statistics for ungaged and unregulated streams across the State. Use of these regional predictions for a stream can be complex and often requires the user to determine a number of basin characteristics that may require interpretation. Basin characteristics may include drainage area, classifiers for physical properties, climatic characteristics, and other inputs. Obtaining these input values for gaged and ungaged locations traditionally has been time consuming, subjective, and can lead to inconsistent results.

Constructing river stage-discharge rating curves using remotely sensed river cross-sectional inundation areas and river bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Feifei; Wang, Cheng; Xi, Xiaohuan

2016-09-01

Remote sensing from satellites and airborne platforms provides valuable data for monitoring and gauging river discharge. One effective approach first estimates river stage from satellite-measured inundation area based on the inundation area-river stage relationship (IARSR), and then the estimated river stage is used to compute river discharge based on the stage-discharge rating (SDR) curve. However, this approach is difficult to implement because of a lack of data for constructing the SDR curves. This study proposes a new method to construct the SDR curves using remotely sensed river cross-sectional inundation areas and river bathymetry. The proposed method was tested over a river reach between two USGS gauging stations, i.e., Kingston Mines (KM) and Copperas Creek (CC) along the Illinois River. First a polygon over each of two cross sections was defined. A complete IARSR curve was constructed inside each polygon using digital elevation model (DEM) and river bathymetric data. The constructed IARSR curves were then used to estimate 47 river water surface elevations at each cross section based on 47 river inundation areas estimated from Landsat TM images collected during 1994-2002. The estimated water surface elevations were substituted into an objective function formed by the Bernoulli equation of gradually varied open channel flow. A nonlinear global optimization scheme was applied to solve the Manning's coefficient through minimizing the objective function value. Finally the SDR curve was constructed at the KM site using the solved Manning's coefficient, channel cross sectional geometry and the Manning's equation, and employed to estimate river discharges. The root mean square error (RMSE) in the estimated river discharges against the USGS measured river discharges is 112.4 m3/s. To consider the variation of the Manning's coefficient in the vertical direction, this study also suggested a power-law function to describe the vertical decline of the Manning's coefficient with the water level from the channel bed lowest elevation to the bank-full level. The constructed SDR curve with the vertical variation of the Manning's coefficient reduced the RMSE in the estimated river discharges to 83.9 m3/s. These results indicate that the method developed and tested in this study is effective and robust, and has the potential for improving our ability of remote sensing of river discharge and providing data for water resources management, global water cycle study, and flood forecasting and prevention.

Annual peak discharges from small drainage areas in Montana through September 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Parrett, C.; Hull, J.A.

1979-01-01

Annual peak stage and discharge data have been collected and tabulated for crest-stage gaging sites in Montana. The crest-stage program was begun in July 1955 to investigate the magnitude and frequency of floods from small drainage areas. The program has expanded from 45 crest-stage gaging stations initially to 173 stations maintained in 1978. Data are tabulated for the period of record. (Woodard-USGS)

Flow Durations, Low-Flow Frequencies, and Monthly Median Flows for Selected Streams in Connecticut through 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahearn, Elizabeth A.

2008-01-01

Flow durations, low-flow frequencies, and monthly median streamflows were computed for 91 continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations in Connecticut with 10 or more years of record. Flow durations include the 99-, 98-, 97-, 95-, 90-, 85-, 80-, 75-, 70-, 60-, 50-, 40-, 30-, 25-, 20-, 10-, 5-, and 1-percent exceedances. Low-flow frequencies include the 7-day, 10-year (7Q10) low flow; 7-day, 2-year (7Q2) low flow; and 30-day, 2-year (30Q2) low flow. Streamflow estimates were computed for each station using data for the period of record through water year 2005. Estimates of low-flow statistics for 7 short-term (operated between 3 and 10 years) streamflow-gaging stations and 31 partial-record sites were computed. Low-flow estimates were made on the basis of the relation between base flows at a short-term station or partial-record site and concurrent daily mean streamflows at a nearby index station. The relation is defined by the Maintenance of Variance Extension, type 3 (MOVE.3) method. Several short-term stations and partial-record sites had poorly defined relations with nearby index stations; therefore, no low-flow statistics were derived for these sites. The estimated low-flow statistics for the short-term stations and partial-record sites include the 99-, 98-, 97-, 95-, 90-, and 85-percent flow durations; the 7-day, 10-year (7Q10) low flow; 7-day, 2-year (7Q2) low flow; and 30-day, 2-year (30Q2) low-flow frequencies; and the August median flow. Descriptive information on location and record length, measured basin characteristics, index stations correlated to the short-term station and partial-record sites, and estimated flow statistics are provided in this report for each station. Streamflow estimates from this study are stored on USGS's World Wide Web application 'StreamStats' (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/connecticut.html).

Spatio-temporal analysis of sub-hourly rainfall over Mumbai, India: Is statistical forecasting futile?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Jitendra; Sekharan, Sheeba; Karmakar, Subhankar; Ghosh, Subimal; Zope, P. E.; Eldho, T. I.

2017-04-01

Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of India, experiences incessant annual rain episodes, mainly attributable to erratic rainfall pattern during monsoons and urban heat-island effect due to escalating urbanization, leading to increasing vulnerability to frequent flooding. After the infamous episode of 2005 Mumbai torrential rains when only two rain gauging stations existed, the governing civic body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) came forward with an initiative to install 26 automatic weather stations (AWS) in June 2006 (MCGM 2007), which later increased to 60 AWS. A comprehensive statistical analysis to understand the spatio-temporal pattern of rainfall over Mumbai or any other coastal city in India has never been attempted earlier. In the current study, a thorough analysis of available rainfall data for 2006-2014 from these stations was performed; the 2013-2014 sub-hourly data from 26 AWS was found useful for further analyses due to their consistency and continuity. Correlogram cloud indicated no pattern of significant correlation when we considered the closest to the farthest gauging station from the base station; this impression was also supported by the semivariogram plots. Gini index values, a statistical measure of temporal non-uniformity, were found above 0.8 in visible majority showing an increasing trend in most gauging stations; this sufficiently led us to conclude that inconsistency in daily rainfall was gradually increasing with progress in monsoon. Interestingly, night rainfall was lesser compared to daytime rainfall. The pattern-less high spatio-temporal variation observed in Mumbai rainfall data signifies the futility of independently applying advanced statistical techniques, and thus calls for simultaneous inclusion of physics-centred models such as different meso-scale numerical weather prediction systems, particularly the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model.

Design concepts for a Global Telemetered Seismograph Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Jon; Orsini, Nicholas A.

1982-01-01

This study represents a first step in developing an integrated, real-time global seismic data acquisition system a Global Telemetered Seismograph Network (GTSN). The principal objective of the GTSN will be to acquire reliable, high-quality, real-time seismic data for rapid location and analysis of seismic events. A secondary, but important, objective of the GTSN is to augment the existing off-line seismic data base available for research. The deployment of the GTSN will involve a variety of interrelated activities development of the data acquisition and receiving equipment, establishment of satellite and terrestrial communication links, site selection and preparation, training of station personnel, equipment installation, and establishment of support facilities. It is a complex program and the development of a sound management plan will be essential. The purpose of this study is not to fix design goals or dictate avenues of approach but to develop working concepts that may be used as a framework for program planning.The international exchange of seismic data has been an important factor in the progress that has been made during the past two decades in our understanding of earthquakes and global tectonics. The seismic data base available for analysis and research is derived principally from the Global Seismograph Network (GSN), which is funded and managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The GSN comprises some 120 seismograph stations located in more than 60 countries of the world. Established during the 1960 s with the installation of the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) , the GSN has been augmented in recent years by the installation of more advanced data systems, such as the Seismic Research Observatories (SRO), the modified High-Gain LongPeriod (ASRO) seismographs, and the digital WWSSN (DWWSSN). The SRO, ASRO, and DWWSSN stations have the common, distinctive feature of digital data recording, so they are known collectively as the Global Digital Seismograph Network (GDSN).The fundamental objective in operating the GSN is to create and update a seismic data base that is accessible without restrictions to organizations and research scientists throughout the world. The USGS provides cooperating stations with instrumentation, training, and continuing support, including supplies and on-site maintenance. In return, the host organization operates the equipment and sends the recorded data to the USGS. Analog data (seismograms) are microfilmed and about four million copies are requested annually by researchers. Digital data, which are recorded on magnetic tape, are organized by the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) into networkday tapes and copies of the day tapes are furnished to data users through national and regional data centers. After copying, original data are returned to the stations and used for local research. Most of the stations in the GSN also provide the USGS with seismic readings « phase arrival times and amplitudes scaled from the seismograms. These readings are transmitted on a daily or biweekly basis via commercial or diplomatic communication channels. They are used by the USGS National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS) to determine the location and magnitude of earthquakes occurring throughout the world. The results are published monthly in bulletins that are distributed to the participating stations and virtually all scientific organizations that are involved in seismological studies. It is a much-valued service that provides a current, updated catalog of seismic activity on a global scale.The NEIS also has the responsibility for rapid reporting of large and potentially destructive earthquakes. The NEIS issues news bulletins as soon as possible after the occurrence of magnitude 6.5 or greater earthquakes (magnitude 5 or greater in the conterminous United States). The news bulletins are sent to disaster relief, public safety, and other interested organizations. Tsunami warnings issued to countries bordering the Pacific Ocean are based initially on earthquake location and magnitude data. Rapid reporting of earthquakes requires real-time waveform data or readings. Currently, signals are being telemetered from more than thirty stations in the United States to the NEIS, which is located in Golden, Colorado. An extension of the telemetry network to other countries will provide the seismological community with a significantly improved means of monitoring earthquake activity in real time; it will lower the response time for determining the location and magnitude of potentially destructive or tsunamigenic earthquakes and it will provide more timely information that may be needed by governments to respond promptly.

Principal Facts for Gravity Data Collected in Wisconsin: A Web Site and CD-ROM for Distribution of Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, Stephen L.; Geister, Daniel W.; Daniels, David L.; Ervin, C. Patrick

2004-01-01

Principal facts for 40,488 gravity stations covering the entire state of Wisconsin are presented here in digital form. This is a compilation of previously published data collected between 1948 and 1992 from numerous sources, along with over 10,000 new gravity stations collected by the USGS since 1999. Also included are 550 gravity stations from previously unpublished sources. Observed gravity and complete-Bouguer gravity anomaly data for this statewide compilation are included here. Altogether, 14 individual surveys are presented here.

Total dissolved gas and water temperature in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2008: Quality-assurance data and comparison to water-quality standards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanner, Dwight Q.; Bragg, Heather M.; Johnston, Matthew W.

2008-01-01

For the eight monitoring stations in water year 2008, an average of 99.6 percent of the TDG data were received in real time by the USGS satellite downlink and were within 1-percent saturation of the expected value on the basis of calibration data, replicate quality-control measurements in the river, and comparison to ambient river conditions at adjacent stations. Data received from the individual stations ranged from 98.8 to 100.0 percent complete.

Water-quality data for selected stations in the East Everglades, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waller, Bradley G.

1981-01-01

The results of water-quality samples collected from April 1978 through April 1980 from three canal stations, four marsh stations, and two ground-water stations within the East Everglades, Dade County, Florida, are tabulated in 37 tables. The major categories of parameters analyzed are field measurements, physical characteristics, macronutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus), major ions, trace elements, and algae. Chemical data for bulk-precipitation stations within and adjacent to the East Everglades are also given. The parameters analyzed include macronutrients, major ions, and trace elements. The period of record for these stations is October 1977 through April 1980. Bottom material at the canal and marsh stations was collected twice during the investigation. These data include analyses for macronutrients, trace elements, and chlorinated-hydrocarbon insecticides. (USGS)

The potential of urban rainfall monitoring with crowdsourced automatic weather stations in Amsterdam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vos, Lotte; Leijnse, Hidde; Overeem, Aart; Uijlenhoet, Remko

2017-02-01

The high density of built-up areas and resulting imperviousness of the land surface makes urban areas vulnerable to extreme rainfall, which can lead to considerable damage. In order to design and manage cities to be able to deal with the growing number of extreme rainfall events, rainfall data are required at higher temporal and spatial resolutions than those needed for rural catchments. However, the density of operational rainfall monitoring networks managed by local or national authorities is typically low in urban areas. A growing number of automatic personal weather stations (PWSs) link rainfall measurements to online platforms. Here, we examine the potential of such crowdsourced datasets for obtaining the desired resolution and quality of rainfall measurements for the capital of the Netherlands. Data from 63 stations in Amsterdam (˜ 575 km2) that measure rainfall over at least 4 months in a 17-month period are evaluated. In addition, a detailed assessment is made of three Netatmo stations, the largest contributor to this dataset, in an experimental setup. The sensor performance in the experimental setup and the density of the PWS network are promising. However, features in the online platforms, like rounding and thresholds, cause changes from the original time series, resulting in considerable errors in the datasets obtained. These errors are especially large during low-intensity rainfall, although they can be reduced by accumulating rainfall over longer intervals. Accumulation improves the correlation coefficient with gauge-adjusted radar data from 0.48 at 5 min intervals to 0.60 at hourly intervals. Spatial rainfall correlation functions derived from PWS data show much more small-scale variability than those based on gauge-adjusted radar data and those found in similar research using dedicated rain gauge networks. This can largely be attributed to the noise in the PWS data resulting from both the measurement setup and the processes occurring in the data transfer to the online PWS platform. A double mass comparison with gauge-adjusted radar data shows that the median of the stations resembles the rainfall reference better than the real-time (unadjusted) radar product. Averaging nearby raw PWS measurements further improves the match with gauge-adjusted radar data in that area. These results confirm that the growing number of internet-connected PWSs could successfully be used for urban rainfall monitoring.

Urban rainfall monitoring with crowdsourced automatic weather stations in Amsterdam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vos, Lotte; Leijnse, Hidde; Overeem, Aart; Uijlenhoet, Remko

2017-04-01

The high density of built-up areas and resulting imperviousness of the land surface makes urban areas vulnerable to extreme rainfall, which can lead to considerable damage. In order to design and manage cities to be able to deal with the growing number of extreme rainfall events, rainfall data is required at higher temporal and spatial resolutions than those needed for rural catchments. However, the density of operational rainfall monitoring networks managed by local or national authorities is typically low in urban areas. A growing number of automatic personal weather stations (PWSs) link rainfall measurements to online platforms. Here, we examine the potential of such crowdsourced datasets for obtaining the desired resolution and quality of rainfall measurements for the capital of the Netherlands. Data from 63 stations in Amsterdam (˜575 km2}) that measure rainfall over at least 4 months in a 17-month period are evaluated. In addition, a detailed assessment is made of three Netatmo stations, the largest contributor to this dataset, in an experimental set-up. The sensor performance in the experimental set-up and the density of the PWS-network are promising. However, features in the online platforms, like rounding and thresholds, cause changes from the original time series, resulting in considerable errors in the datasets obtained. These errors are especially large during low intensity rainfall, although they can be reduced by accumulating rainfall over longer intervals. Accumulation improves the correlation coefficient with gauge-adjusted radar data from 0.48 at 5 min intervals to 0.60 at hourly intervals. Spatial rainfall correlation functions derived from PWS data show much more small-scale variability than those based on gauge-adjusted radar data and those found in similar research using dedicated rain gauge networks. This can largely be attributed to the noise in the PWS data resulting from both the measurement setup and the processes occurring in the data transfer to the online PWS-platform. A double mass comparison with gauge-adjusted radar data shows that the median of the stations resembles the rainfall reference better than the real-time (unadjusted) radar product. Averaging nearby raw PWS measurements further improves the match with gauge-adjusted radar data in that area. These results confirm that the growing number of internet-connected PWSs could successfully be used for urban rainfall monitoring.

A Novel Uncertainty Framework for Improving Discharge Data Quality Using Hydraulic Modelling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansanarez, V.; Westerberg, I.; Lyon, S. W.; Lam, N.

2017-12-01

Flood risk assessments rely on accurate discharge data records. Establishing a reliable stage-discharge (SD) rating curve for calculating discharge from stage at a gauging station normally takes years of data collection efforts. Estimation of high flows is particularly difficult as high flows occur rarely and are often practically difficult to gauge. Hydraulically-modelled rating curves can be derived based on as few as two concurrent stage-discharge and water-surface slope measurements at different flow conditions. This means that a reliable rating curve can, potentially, be derived much faster than a traditional rating curve based on numerous stage-discharge gaugings. We introduce an uncertainty framework using hydraulic modelling for developing SD rating curves and estimating their uncertainties. The proposed framework incorporates information from both the hydraulic configuration (bed slope, roughness, vegetation) and the information available in the stage-discharge observation data (gaugings). This method provides a direct estimation of the hydraulic configuration (slope, bed roughness and vegetation roughness). Discharge time series are estimated propagating stage records through posterior rating curve results.We applied this novel method to two Swedish hydrometric stations, accounting for uncertainties in the gaugings for the hydraulic model. Results from these applications were compared to discharge measurements and official discharge estimations.Sensitivity analysis was performed. We focused analyses on high-flow uncertainty and the factors that could reduce this uncertainty. In particular, we investigated which data uncertainties were most important, and at what flow conditions the gaugings should preferably be taken.

Station descriptions and availability of discharge and water-quality data through 1985 for eastern Montana stream sites not included in the National Water Data Exchange Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Groskinsky Link, B. L.; Cary, L.E.

1988-01-01

Stations were selected to monitor water discharge and water quality of streams in eastern Montana. This report describes the stations and indicates the availability of hydrologic data through 1985. Included are stations that are operated by organizations that do not belong to the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) program operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Each station description contains a narration of the station 's history including location, drainage area, elevation, operator, period of record, type of equipment and instruments used at the station, and data availability. The data collected at each station have been identified according to type: water discharge, chemical quality, and suspended sediment. Descriptions are provided for 113 stations. These data have potential uses in characterizing small hydrologic basins, as well as other uses. A map of eastern Montana shows the location of the stations selected. (USGS)

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manteufel, S. Bridgett; Robertson, Dale M.

2017-05-25

IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a database for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The locations of water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 2014 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the periodOctober 1, 2013, through September 30, 2014, is called “water year 2014.”The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during nonfrozen periods are included for many lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes the location of the lake, area of the lake’s watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published online at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis.Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available online. The Wisconsin Water Science Center’s home page is at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wisconsin-water-science-center. Information about the Wisconsin Water Science Center’s Lakes Program is found at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/lakes/index.html and http://wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/index.html.

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water years 2012–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manteufel, S. Bridgett; Robertson, Dale M.

2017-05-25

IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The locations of water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 2012 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the period October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012, is called “water year 2012.”The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during non-frozen periods are included for all lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, area of the lake’s watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published online at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis.Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available online. The Wisconsin Water Science Center’s home page is at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wisconsin-water-science-center. Information on the Wisconsin Water Science Center’s Lakes Program is found at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/lakes/index.html and http://wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/index.html.

Preliminary Study of Methods for Upgrading USGS Antarctic Seismological Capability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holcomb, L. Gary

1982-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate potential methods for obtaining higher quality seismic data from Antarctica. Currently, USGS-sponsored WWSSN stations are located at Scott Base, Sanae Base, and at South Pole Station. Scott and Sanae Stations are located near the coast; data obtained from coastal installations are normally degraded by noise generated by ocean wave action on the coast. Operations at South Pole are rather difficult because of the severe environmental characteristics and the extended logistics which are required to provide supplies and operating personnel to its remote location. Short-period data quality from Pole Station has been moderately high with a short-period magnification of 100K at 1Hz. Long-period magnifications have been rather low (<1K @ 15 s period). Recent relocation of the seismic recording facilities at South Pole Station as a result of the construction of a completely new station facility has caused serious degradation of the data quality due to faulty installation techniques. Repairs have been implemented to remedy these deficiencies and to regain the data quality which existed before the move to new facilities. However, the technology being used at South Pole Station is of WWSSN vintage; as a result it is about 20 years old. Much has been learned about achieving higher magnifications since the WWSSN was designed. This study will evaluate the feasibility of applying recent technological advances to Antarctic seismology. Seismological data from the Antarctic Continent is important to the world's seismological community because of the Antarctic's unique geographic position on the globe. Land masses are scarce in that part of the world; the Antarctic sits right in the middle of the void. Therefore, its data are important for completing the data set for the southern hemisphere. Upgrading the USGS seismic capability in the Antarctic should also prove to be a wise investment from another point of view. Although the initial costs of the Antarctic upgrade program would be high, and the cost of routine maintenance and support would be greater than in other parts of the world, the ease of upgrading is aided by the unique nonpolitical aspect of the continent. In addition, the danger of losing our investment due to political unrest or change is almost zero. In the past, political complications have severely impacted operations at several SRO stations. Therefore, an effort to improve data quality from the Antarctic would be a prudent long-term investment.

Parameter identification of the SWAT model on the BANI catchment (West Africa) under limited data condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaibou Begou, Jamilatou; Jomaa, Seifeddine; Benabdallah, Sihem; Rode, Michael

2015-04-01

Due to the climate change, drier conditions have prevailed in West Africa, since the seventies, and the consequences are important on water resources. In order to identify and implement management strategies of adaptation to climate change in the sector of water, it is crucial to improve our physical understanding of water resources evolution in the region. To this end, hydrologic modelling is an appropriate tool for flow predictions under changing climate and land use conditions. In this study, the applicability and performance of the recent version of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT2012) model were tested on the Bani catchment in West Africa under limited data condition. Model parameters identification was also tested using one site and multisite calibration approaches. The Bani is located in the upper part of the Niger River and drains an area of about 101, 000 km2 at the outlet of Douna. The climate is tropical, humid to semi-arid from the South to the North with an average annual rainfall of 1050 mm (period 1981-2000). Global datasets were used for the model setup such as: USGS hydrosheds DEM, USGS LCI GlobCov2009 and the FAO Digital Soil Map of the World. Daily measured rainfall from nine rain gauges and maximum and minimum temperature from five weather stations covering the period 1981-1997 were used for model setup. Sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation are performed within SWATCUP using GLUE procedure at Douna station first (one site calibration), then at three additional internal stations, Bougouni, Pankourou and Kouoro1 (multi-site calibration). Model parameters were calibrated at daily time step for the period 1983-1992, then validated for the period 1993-1997. A period of two years (1981-1982) was used for model warming up. Results of one-site calibration showed that the model performance is evaluated by 0.76 and 0.79 for Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) and correlation coefficient (R2), respectively. While for the validation period the performance improved considerably with NS and R2 equal to 0.84 and 0.87, respectively. The degree of total uncertainties is quantified by a minimum P-factor of 0.61 and a maximum R-factor of 0.59. These statistics suggest that the model performance can be judged as very good, especially considering limited data condition and high climate, land use and soil variability in the studied basin. The most sensitive parameters (CN2, OVN and SLSUBBSN) are related to surface runoff reflecting the dominance of this process on the streamflow generation. In the next step, multisite calibration approach will be performed on the BANI basin to assess how much additional observations improve the model parameter identification.

Annual peak discharges from small drainage areas in Montana through September 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Hull, J.A.

1978-01-01

Annual peak stage and stream-discharge data have been collected and tabulated for crest-stage gaging sites in Montana. The crest-stage program was begun in July 1955 to investigate the magnitude and frequency of floods from small drainage areas. The program has expanded from 45 crest-stage gaging stations initially to 191 stations in 1977. Data are tabulated for 336 sites throughout the period of record. (Woodard-USGS)

Annual peak discharges from small drainage areas in Montana through September 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

1955-01-01

Annual peak stage and discharge data have been collected and tabulated for crest-stage gaging sites in Montana. The crest-stage program was begun in July 1955 to investigate the magnitude and frequency of floods from small drainage areas. The program has expanded from 45 crest-stage gaging stations initially to 172 stations maintained in 1980. Data in the report are tabulated for the period of record. (USGS)

Annual peak discharges from small drainage areas in Montana through September 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Parrett, C.; Hull, J.A.

1955-01-01

Annual peak stage and discharge data have been collected and tabulated for crest-stage gaging sites in Montana. The crest-stage program was begun in July 1955 to investigate the magnitude and frequency of floods from small drainage areas. The program has expanded from 45 crest-stage gaging stations initially to 173 stations maintained in 1979. Data in the report are tabulated for the period of record. (USGS)

Seismographic Networks: Problems and Outlook for the 1980s,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

network had four original stations around the summit of Kilauea Volcano with the information telemetered to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. By July...of California seismographic stations. The first telemetered network in the U.S was that of the USGS in Hawaii . Developed during the mid-1950s, the...the trench- volcano gap measures 500 + 100 km, more than twice the width of a typical trench- volcano gap. Despite these peculiarities, geologic

Quality control of the RMS US flood model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jankowfsky, Sonja; Hilberts, Arno; Mortgat, Chris; Li, Shuangcai; Rafique, Farhat; Rajesh, Edida; Xu, Na; Mei, Yi; Tillmanns, Stephan; Yang, Yang; Tian, Ye; Mathur, Prince; Kulkarni, Anand; Kumaresh, Bharadwaj Anna; Chaudhuri, Chiranjib; Saini, Vishal

2016-04-01

The RMS US flood model predicts the flood risk in the US with a 30 m resolution for different return periods. The model is designed for the insurance industry to estimate the cost of flood risk for a given location. Different statistical, hydrological and hydraulic models are combined to develop the flood maps for different return periods. A rainfall-runoff and routing model, calibrated with observed discharge data, is run with 10 000 years of stochastic simulated precipitation to create time series of discharge and surface runoff. The 100, 250 and 500 year events are extracted from these time series as forcing for a two-dimensional pluvial and fluvial inundation model. The coupling of all the different models which are run on the large area of the US implies a certain amount of uncertainty. Therefore, special attention is paid to the final quality control of the flood maps. First of all, a thorough quality analysis of the Digital Terrain model and the river network was done, as the final quality of the flood maps depends heavily on the DTM quality. Secondly, the simulated 100 year discharge in the major river network (600 000 km) is compared to the 100 year discharge derived using extreme value distribution of all USGS gauges with more than 20 years of peak values (around 11 000 gauges). Thirdly, for each gauge the modelled flood depth is compared to the depth derived from the USGS rating curves. Fourthly, the modelled flood depth is compared to the base flood elevation given in the FEMA flood maps. Fifthly, the flood extent is compared to the FEMA flood extent. Then, for historic events we compare flood extents and flood depths at given locations. Finally, all the data and spatial layers are uploaded on geoserver to facilitate the manual investigation of outliers. The feedback from the quality control is used to improve the model and estimate its uncertainty.

Testing and use of radar water level sensors by the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fulford, Janice M.

2016-01-01

The United States Geological Survey uses water-level (or stage) measurements to compute streamflow at over 8000 stream gaging stations located throughout the United States (waterwatch.usgs.gov, 2016). Streamflow (or discharge) is computed at five minute to hourly intervals from a relationship between water level and discharge that is uniquely determined for each station. The discharges are posted hourly to WaterWatch (waterwatch. usgs.gov) and are used by water managers to issue flood warnings and manage water supply and by other users of water information to make decisions. The accuracy of the water-level measurement is vital to the accuracy of the computed discharge. Because of the importance of water-level measurements, USGS has an accuracy policy of 0.02 ft or 0.2 percent of reading (whichever is larger) (Sauer and Turnipseed, 2010). Older technologies, such as float and shaft-encoder systems, bubbler systems and submersible pressure sensors, provide the needed accuracy but often require extensive construction to install and are prone to malfunctioning and damage from floating debris and sediment. No stilling wells or orifice lines need to be constructed for radar installations. During the last decade testing by the USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility(HIF) found that radar water-level sensors can provide the needed accuracy for water-level measurements and because the sensor can be easily attached to bridges, reduce the construction required for installation. Additionally, the non-contact sensing of water level minimizes or eliminates damage and fouling from floating debris and sediment. This article is a brief summary of the testing efforts by the USGS HIF and field experiences with models of radar water-level sensors in streamflow measurement applications. Any use of trade names in this article is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

HIF evaluation of In-Situ Aqua TROLL 400

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Evan F.

2017-10-18

The In-Situ Aqua TROLL 400 (Aqua TROLL 400) was tested at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) against known standards over the Aqua TROLL 400’s operating temperature to verify the manufacturer’s stated accuracy specifications and the USGS recommendations for pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and specific conductance (SC). The Aqua TROLL 400 manufacturer’s specifications are within the USGS recommendations for all parameters tested, except for DO, which is outside the USGS recommendation at DO concentrations of 8.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and higher. The Aqua TROLL 400 was compliant with Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud (SDI-12) version 1.3. During laboratory testing of pH, the Aqua TROLL 400 sonde met the U.S. Geological Survey “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) recommendations for pH at all values tested, except at 4 degrees Celsius (°C) at pH 9.395 and pH 3.998. The Aqua TROLL 400 met the manufacturer specifications for pH at all values tested, except for pH buffers 3.998, 9.395, and 10.245 at 4 °C; pH 2.990 and 3.998 at 15 °C; and pH 3.040 at 40 °C. The Aqua TROLL 400 met the NFM recommendations at 93.7 percent of the SC values tested and met the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications at 56.3 percent of the SC values tested. During the laboratory testing for DO, the Aqua TROLL 400 met the manufacturer specifications, except at 5.55 mg/L, and met the NFM recommendations at all concentrations tested. An Aqua TROLL 400 was field tested at USGS Station 02492620, National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) Station, Mississippi, on the Pearl River for 6 weeks and showed good agreement with the well-maintained site sonde data for pH, DO, temperature, and SC.

Merging Station Observations with Large-Scale Gridded Data to Improve Hydrological Predictions over Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, L.; Sheffield, J.; Verbist, K. M. J.

2016-12-01

Hydrological predictions at regional-to-global scales are often hampered by the lack of meteorological forcing data. The use of large-scale gridded meteorological data is able to overcome this limitation, but these data are subject to regional biases and unrealistic values at local scale. This is especially challenging in regions such as Chile, where climate exhibits high spatial heterogeneity as a result of long latitude span and dramatic elevation changes. However, regional station-based observational datasets are not fully exploited and have the potential of constraining biases and spatial patterns. This study aims at adjusting precipitation and temperature estimates from the Princeton University global meteorological forcing (PGF) gridded dataset to improve hydrological simulations over Chile, by assimilating 982 gauges from the Dirección General de Aguas (DGA). To merge station data with the gridded dataset, we use a state-space estimation method to produce optimal gridded estimates, considering both the error of the station measurements and the gridded PGF product. The PGF daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature at 0.25° spatial resolution are adjusted for the period of 1979-2010. Precipitation and temperature gauges with long and continuous records (>70% temporal coverage) are selected, while the remaining stations are used for validation. The leave-one-out cross validation verifies the robustness of this data assimilation approach. The merged dataset is then used to force the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model over Chile at daily time step which are compared to the observations of streamflow. Our initial results show that the station-merged PGF precipitation effectively captures drizzle and the spatial pattern of storms. Overall the merged dataset has significant improvements compared to the original PGF with reduced biases and stronger inter-annual variability. The invariant spatial pattern of errors between the station data and the gridded product opens up the possibility of merging real-time satellite and intermittent gauge observations to produce more accurate real-time hydrological predictions.

Empirical flow parameters - a tool for hydraulic model validity assessment.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

Data in Texas from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) physical stream flow and channel property measurements for gaging stations in the state of Texas were used to construct relations between observed stream flow, topographic slope, mean section veloc...

Flow characteristics at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolock, David

2003-01-01

This dataset represents point locations and flow characteristics for current (as of November 20, 2001) and historical U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in the conterminous United States. The flow characteristics were computed from the daily streamflow data recorded at each streamgage for the period of record. The attributes associated with each streamgage include: Station number Station name Station latitude (decimal degrees in North American Datum of 1983, NAD 83) Station longitude (decimal degrees in NAD 83) First date (year, month, day) of streamflow data Last date (year, month, day) of streamflow data Number of days of streamflow data Minimum and maximum daily flow for the period of record (cubic feet per second) Percentiles (1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 75, 80, 90, 95, 99) of daily flow for the period of record (cubic feet per second) Average and standard deviation of daily flow for the period of record (cubic feet per second) Mean annual base-flow index (BFI: see supplemental information) computed for the period of record (fraction, ranging from 0 to 1) Year-to-year standard deviation of the annual base-flow index computed for the period of record (fraction) Number of years of data used to compute the base-flow index (years) Reported drainage area (square miles) Reported contributing drainage area (square miles) National Water Information System (NWIS)-Web page URL for streamgage Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC, 8 digit) Hydrologic landscape region (HLR) River Reach File 1 (RF1) segment identification number (E2RF1##) Station numbers, names, locations, and drainage areas were acquired through the National Water Information System (NWIS)-Web (http://water.usgs.gov/nwis) on November 20, 2001. The streamflow data used to compute flow characteristics were copied from the Water server (water.usgs.gov:/www/htdocs/nwisweb/data1/discharge/) on November 2, 2001. The missing value indicator for all attributes is -99. Some streamflow characteristics are missing for: (1) streamgages measuring flow subject to tidal effects, which cause flow to reverse directions, (2) streamgages with site information but no streamflow data at the time the data were retrieved, and (3) streamgages with record length too short to compute the base-flow index.

Flood-tracking chart for the Chattahoochee River Basin in Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

LaFontaine, Jacob H.; McCallum, Brian E.; Stamey, Timothy C.; Wipperfurth, Caryl J.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)—in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies—operates a flood monitoring system in the Chattahoochee River Basin. This system is a network of 35 automated river stage stations that transmit stage data through satellite telemetry to the USGS Georgia Water Science Center in Atlanta. During floods, the public and emergency response agencies use this information to make decisions about road closures, evacuations, and other public safety issues. The emergency phone number for your area is listed under “Local flood emergency phone numbers.”

20. DETaIL VIEW OF UPPER EAST WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING ...

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

20. DETaIL VIEW OF UPPER EAST WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING EMERGENCY BULKHEAD STIFFLEG DERRICK, MAIN LOCK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, RECESSES FOR MAIN LOCK LIFT GATE, AND TILE GAUGES, LOOKING SOUTHEAST - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

How Investment in #GovTech Tools Helped with USGS Disaster Response During Hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, S.; Pearson, D. K.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Harvey was an unprecedented storm event that not only included a challenge to decision-makers, but also the scientific community to provide clear and rapid dissemination of changing streamflow conditions and potential flooding concerns. Of primary importance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Texas Water Science Center was to focus on the availability of accessible data and scientific communication of rapidly changing water conditions across Texas with regards to heavy rainfall rates, rising rivers, streams, and lake elevations where USGS has monitoring stations. Infrastructure modernization leading to advanced GovTech practices and data visualization was key to the USGS role in providing data during Hurricane Harvey. In the last two years, USGS has released two web applications, "Texas Water Dashboard" and "Water-On-The-Go", which were heavily utilized by partners, local media, and municipal government officials. These tools provided the backbone for data distribution through both desktop and mobile applications as decision support during flood events. The combination of Texas Water Science Center web tools and the USGS National Water Information System handled more than 5-million data requests over the course of the storm. On the ground local information near Buffalo Bayou and Addicks/Barker Dams, as well as statewide support of USGS real-time scientific data, were delivered to the National Weather Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Harris County Flood Control District, the general public, and others. This presentation will provide an overview of GovTech solutions used during Hurricane Harvey, including the history of USGS tool development, discussion on the public response, and future applications for helping provide scientific communications to the public.

The extent of wind-induced undercatch in the UK winter storms of 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Michael; Colli, Matteo; Stagnaro, Mattia; Quinn, Paul; Dutton, Mark; O'Donnell, Greg; Wilkinson, Mark; Black, Andrew; O'Connell, Enda; Lanza, Luca

2016-04-01

The most widely used device for measuring rainfall is the rain gauge, of which the tipping bucket (TBR) is the most prevalent type. Rain gauges are considered by many to be the most accurate method currently available. The data they produce are used in flood-forecasting and flood risk management, water resource management, hydrological modelling and evaluating impacts on climate change; to name but a few. Rain gauges may provide the most accurate measurement of rainfall at a point in space and time, but they are subject to errors - and some gauges are more prone than others. The most significant error is the 'wind-induced undercatch'. This is caused by the gauge itself contributing to an acceleration of the wind speed near the orifice, which disturbs and distorts the airflow. The trajectories of precipitation particles are affected, resulting in an undercatch. Results from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, presented herein, describe in detail the physical processes contributing to this. High resolution field measurements of rainfall and wind are collected at four field research stations in the UK. Each site is equipped with juxtaposed rain gauges with different funnel profiles, in addition to a WMO reference pit rain gauge measurement. These data describe the rainfall measurement uncertainty. The sites were selected to represent the prevalent rainfall regimes observed in the UK. Two research stations are on the west coast; which is prone to frontal weather systems and storms swept in from the Atlantic, often enhanced by orography. Two are located in the east. Rural lowland and upland areas are represented, both in the west and the east. Urban sites will also have significant undercatch problems but are outside the scope of this study. Data from the four research stations are analysed for the 2015 winter storms which caused devastating flooding in the west of the UK, particularly Cumbria and the Scottish Borders, where two of the sites are located. An assessment of the effect of wind on the rainfall catch during these large storm events is presented for each research station. Based on a reference pit rain gauge, the undercatch for these events is calculated. The difference in rainfall catch between several types of rain gauge mounted at variable heights is also investigated. This work aims to demonstrate the importance of improving the accuracy of rainfall measurements, and to emphasise the need to provide an assessment of the measurement uncertainty. A knowledge gap exists in the understanding of precisely how physical phenomena are contributing to wind-induced undercatch. For instance, a priori, the effect of the wind on the rainfall catch will change depending upon the dimensions of the rain droplets. Rainfall 'type' and rainfall intensity may be able to inform corrections, but rigorous multi-variate statistical analysis of high resolution measurements will be key to the success of these procedures. As the spatio-temporal distribution of rainfall can be highly variable, and each measurement location is different; it is a challenging undertaking to understand and pin down the fundamental processes responsible for the wind-induced undercatch.

Modernization of the Caltech/USGS Southern California Seismic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhadha, R.; Devora, A.; Hauksson, E.; Johnson, D.; Thomas, V.; Watkins, M.; Yip, R.; Yu, E.; Given, D.; Cone, G.; Koesterer, C.

2009-12-01

The USGS/ANSS/ARRA program is providing Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), and two year funding for upgrading the Caltech/USGS Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN). The SCSN is the modern digital ground motion seismic network in southern California that monitors seismicity and provides real-time earthquake information products such as rapid notifications, moment tensors, and ShakeMap. The SCSN has evolved through the years and now consists of several well-integrated components such as Short-Period analog, TERRAscope, digital stations, and real-time strong motion stations, or about 300 stations. In addition, the SCSN records data from about 100 stations provided by partner networks. To strengthen the ability of SCSN to meet the ANSS performance standards, we will install GFE and carry out the following upgrades and improvements of the various components of the SCSN: 1) Upgrade of dataloggers at seven TERRAscope stations; 2) Upgrade of dataloggers at 131 digital stations and upgrade broadband sensors at 25 stations; 3) Upgrade of SCSN metadata capabilities; 4) Upgrade of telemetry capabilities for both seismic and GPS data; and 5) Upgrade balers at stations with existing Q330 dataloggers. These upgrades will enable the SCSN to meet the ANSS Performance Standards more consistently than before. The new equipment will improve station uptimes and reduce maintenance costs. The new equipment will also provide improved waveform data quality and consequently superior data products. The data gaps due to various outages will be minimized, and ‘late’ data will be readily available through retrieval from on-site storage. Compared to the outdated equipment, the new equipment will speed up data delivery by about 10 sec, which is fast enough for earthquake early warning applications. The new equipment also has about a factor of ten lower consumption of power. We will also upgrade the SCSN data acquisition and data center facilities, which will improve the SCSN performance and metadata availability. We will improve existing software to facilitate the update of metadata, and to improve the interoperability between SeisNetWatch and our database of metadata. The improved software will also be made available to other regional networks as part of the CISN software distribution. These upgrades, will greatly improve the robustness of the SCSN, and facilitate higher quality and more reliable earthquake monitoring than was available before in southern California. The modernized SCSN will contribute to more coordinated search and rescue as well as economic resilience following a major earthquake by providing accurate earthquake information, and thus facilitate rapid deployment of field crews and rapid business resumption. Further, advances in seismological research will be facilitated by the high quality seismic data that will be collected in one of the most seismically active areas in the contiguous US.

Total dissolved gas and water temperature in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2006: Quality-assurance data and comparison to water-quality standards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanner, Dwight Q.; Bragg, Heather M.; Johnston, Matthew W.

2006-01-01

For the eight monitoring stations in water year 2006, an average of 99.1% of the total-dissolved-gas data were received in real time by the USGS satellite downlink and were within 1% saturation of the expected value on the basis of calibration data, replicate quality-control measurements in the river, and comparison to ambient river conditions at adjacent stations. 

Montana StreamStats

USGS Publications Warehouse

2016-04-05

About this volumeMontana StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/) application that provides users with access to basin and streamflow characteristics for gaged and ungaged streams in Montana. Montana StreamStats was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Montana Departments of Transportation, Environmental Quality, and Natural Resources and Conservation. The USGS Scientific Investigations Report consists of seven independent but complementary chapters dealing with various aspects of this effort.Chapter A describes the Montana StreamStats application, the basin and streamflow datasets, and provides a brief overview of the streamflow characteristics and regression equations used in the study. Chapters B through E document the datasets, methods, and results of analyses to determine streamflow characteristics, such as peak-flow frequencies, low-flow frequencies, and monthly and annual characteristics, for USGS streamflow-gaging stations in and near Montana. The StreamStats analytical toolsets that allow users to delineate drainage basins and solve regression equations to estimate streamflow characteristics at ungaged sites in Montana are described in Chapters F and G.

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Breault, Robert F.

2011-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB), Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgages; 14 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance and water temperature. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2010 (October 1, 2009, to September 30, 2010). Water-quality samples also were collected at 37 sampling stations by the PWSB and at 14 monitoring stations by the USGS during WY 2010 as part of a long sampling program; all stations are in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area. Waterquality data collected by PWSB are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2010. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed a mean streamflow of about 39 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2010. For the same time period, annual mean streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.7 to 27 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,500,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 2,500,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2010; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 11,000 to 66,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 18,000 to 110,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the PWSB, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 20.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as nitrogen (N), median nitrate concentration was 0.01 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.06 mg/L as phosphorus, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 93 and 16 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 170 kg/d (73 kg/d/mi2), 11 g/d (5.3 g/d/mi2), 74 g/d (39 g/d/mi2), 340 g/d (170 g/d/mi2), 5,700 million colony forming units per day (CFUx106/d) (2,300 CFUx106/d/mi2), and 620 CFUx106/d (440 CFUx106/d/mi2), respectively.

Obtaining Streamflow Statistics for Massachusetts Streams on the World Wide Web

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Steeves, Peter A.; Freeman, Aleda; Singh, Raj

2000-01-01

A World Wide Web application has been developed to make it easy to obtain streamflow statistics for user-selected locations on Massachusetts streams. The Web application, named STREAMSTATS (available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/massachusetts.html ), can provide peak-flow frequency, low-flow frequency, and flow-duration statistics for most streams in Massachusetts. These statistics describe the magnitude (how much), frequency (how often), and duration (how long) of flow in a stream. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published streamflow statistics, such as the 100-year peak flow, the 7-day, 10-year low flow, and flow-duration statistics, for its data-collection stations in numerous reports. Federal, State, and local agencies need these statistics to plan and manage use of water resources and to regulate activities in and around streams. Engineering and environmental consulting firms, utilities, industry, and others use the statistics to design and operate water-supply systems, hydropower facilities, industrial facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, and roads, bridges, and other structures. Until now, streamflow statistics for data-collection stations have often been difficult to obtain because they are scattered among many reports, some of which are not readily available to the public. In addition, streamflow statistics are often needed for locations where no data are available. STREAMSTATS helps solve these problems. STREAMSTATS was developed jointly by the USGS and MassGIS, the State Geographic Information Systems (GIS) agency, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Management and Environmental Protection. The application consists of three major components: (1) a user interface that displays maps and allows users to select stream locations for which they want streamflow statistics (fig. 1), (2) a data base of previously published streamflow statistics and descriptive information for 725 USGS data-collection stations, and (3) an automated procedure that determines characteristics of the land-surface area (basin) that drains to the stream and inserts those characteristics into equations that estimate the streamflow statistics. Each of these components is described and guidance for using STREAMSTATS is provided below.

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Smith, Kirk P.

2010-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB), Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgage stations; 13 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance and water temperature. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2009 (October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009). Water-quality samples also were collected at 37 sampling stations by the PWSB and at 14 monitoring stations by the USGS during WY 2009 as part of a long-term sampling program; all stations are in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area. Water-quality data collected by PWSB are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2009. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed a mean streamflow of about 27 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2009. For the same time period, annual mean1 streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.50 to 17 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,400,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 2,200,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2009; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 10,000 to 64,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 15,000 to 110,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the PWSB, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 21.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.001 mg/L as N, median nitrate concentration was 0.02 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.09 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 61 and 16 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 190 kg/d (61 kg/d/mi2), 12 g/d (4.5 g/d/mi2), 93 g/d (32 g/d/mi2), 420 g/d (290 g/d/mi2), 6,200 million colony forming units per day (CFU?106/d) (2,600 CFU?106/d/mi2), and 1,100 CFU?106/d (340 CFU?106/d/mi2), respectively. 1The arithmetic mean of the individual daily mean discharges for the year noted or for the designated period.

MSWEP: 3-hourly 0.25° global gridded precipitation (1979-2015) by merging gauge, satellite, and reanalysis data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, Hylke E.; van Dijk, Albert I. J. M.; Levizzani, Vincenzo; Schellekens, Jaap; Miralles, Diego G.; Martens, Brecht; de Roo, Ad

2017-01-01

Current global precipitation (P) datasets do not take full advantage of the complementary nature of satellite and reanalysis data. Here, we present Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) version 1.1, a global P dataset for the period 1979-2015 with a 3-hourly temporal and 0.25° spatial resolution, specifically designed for hydrological modeling. The design philosophy of MSWEP was to optimally merge the highest quality P data sources available as a function of timescale and location. The long-term mean of MSWEP was based on the CHPclim dataset but replaced with more accurate regional datasets where available. A correction for gauge under-catch and orographic effects was introduced by inferring catchment-average P from streamflow (Q) observations at 13 762 stations across the globe. The temporal variability of MSWEP was determined by weighted averaging of P anomalies from seven datasets; two based solely on interpolation of gauge observations (CPC Unified and GPCC), three on satellite remote sensing (CMORPH, GSMaP-MVK, and TMPA 3B42RT), and two on atmospheric model reanalysis (ERA-Interim and JRA-55). For each grid cell, the weight assigned to the gauge-based estimates was calculated from the gauge network density, while the weights assigned to the satellite- and reanalysis-based estimates were calculated from their comparative performance at the surrounding gauges. The quality of MSWEP was compared against four state-of-the-art gauge-adjusted P datasets (WFDEI-CRU, GPCP-1DD, TMPA 3B42, and CPC Unified) using independent P data from 125 FLUXNET tower stations around the globe. MSWEP obtained the highest daily correlation coefficient (R) among the five P datasets for 60.0 % of the stations and a median R of 0.67 vs. 0.44-0.59 for the other datasets. We further evaluated the performance of MSWEP using hydrological modeling for 9011 catchments (< 50 000 km2) across the globe. Specifically, we calibrated the simple conceptual hydrological model HBV (Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning) against daily Q observations with P from each of the different datasets. For the 1058 sparsely gauged catchments, representative of 83.9 % of the global land surface (excluding Antarctica), MSWEP obtained a median calibration NSE of 0.52 vs. 0.29-0.39 for the other P datasets. MSWEP is available via http://www.gloh2o.org.

Flood-inundation maps for North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Zachary W.

2017-11-13

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.2-mile reach of North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding that correspond to selected water levels (stages) at the North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind., streamgage (USGS station number 03371650). Real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also shows observed USGS stages at the same site as the USGS streamgage (NWS site NFSI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional, step-backwater hydraulic modeling software developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated using the current (2015) stage-discharge rating at the USGS streamgage 03371650, North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals, except for the highest profile of 22.9 ft, referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from 12.0 ft (the NWS “action stage”) to 22.9 ft, which is the highest stage of the current (2015) USGS stage-discharge rating curve and 1.9 ft higher than the NWS “major flood stage.” The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each stage.The availability of these maps, along with information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

Hydrological responses in water loss due to thinning of forested watersheds in Japan using the short-term water balance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sano, K.; Gomi, T.; Hiraoka, M.; Sato, T.; Onda, Y.

2015-12-01

We examined the changes in seasonal patterns of catchment-scale evapotranspiration (i.e., water loss) using Short-Term Water Balance Model (STWBM) developed. STWBM is applied to estimate the value of water loss based on precipitation minus discharge volume during　short-periods(8 to 80 days). This method can be applicable for examining seasonal characteristics of water loss that relets to ET. We applied STWBM for investigating the effects of 50% thinning in nested headwater catchments draining Japanese cypress (Cryptomeria japonica) and cedar (Chamaecyparis obtusa) forests. Study areas is located to 70 km north of Tokyo with 1250 mm annual precipitation and 14℃ mean annual temperature. 50% of the stems (46% of timber volume) were removed by strip thinning in 17 ha treatment catchment, 9 ha catchment remained untreated as a control. We installed 4 nested gauging stations in treated and control catchments with 3 to 10 ha of drainage areas. Runoff in each nested gauging station was measured in the pre- (from April, 2010 to June 2011) and the post-thinning periods (from January 2012 to December 2012). Total runoff coefficient in treated and control catchment was 54% and 26%, respectively. , . Estimated annual water loss by STWBM was 585 mm in treated and 969 mm in control catchments. Because annual evapotranspiration of Japanese cypress and cedar was about ranging from 400 to 800 mm in this catchment, our estimated water loss mostly associated with ET and partially by water loss by deep bedrock percolation. Estimated water loss after thinning in growth season (May to October) decreased 45 to 60 (in 2012) % and 51 to 60 (in 2013) % for all nested gauging station, while estimated water loss in control catchment was consistent. This result suggested that 50% of thinning decreased water loss by ET but changes can be varied among nested gauging station.

USGS Tracks Acid Rain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gordon, John D.; Nilles, Mark A.; Schroder, LeRoy J.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been actively studying acid rain for the past 15 years. When scientists learned that acid rain could harm fish, fear of damage to our natural environment from acid rain concerned the American public. Research by USGS scientists and other groups began to show that the processes resulting in acid rain are very complex. Scientists were puzzled by the fact that in some cases it was difficult to demonstrate that the pollution from automobiles and factories was causing streams or lakes to become more acidic. Further experiments showed how the natural ability of many soils to neutralize acids would reduce the effects of acid rain in some locations--at least as long as the neutralizing ability lasted (Young, 1991). The USGS has played a key role in establishing and maintaining the only nationwide network of acid rain monitoring stations. This program is called the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). Each week, at approximately 220 NADP/NTN sites across the country, rain and snow samples are collected for analysis. NADP/NTN site in Montana. The USGS supports about 72 of these sites. The information gained from monitoring the chemistry of our nation's rain and snow is important for testing the results of pollution control laws on acid rain.

27 CFR 9.103 - Mimbres Valley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) “North Peak, N. Mex.,” 7.5 minute series, edition of 1965; (22) “Red Mountain, N. Mex.,” 7.5 minute... 2, Township 21 South (T21S), Range 12 West (R12W) on the Faywood Station Quadrangle U.S.G.S. map; (1...

27 CFR 9.103 - Mimbres Valley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) “North Peak, N. Mex.,” 7.5 minute series, edition of 1965; (22) “Red Mountain, N. Mex.,” 7.5 minute... 2, Township 21 South (T21S), Range 12 West (R12W) on the Faywood Station Quadrangle U.S.G.S. map; (1...

Flood characteristics for the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiley, J.B.; Cunningham, M.K.

1994-01-01

The frequency and magnitude of flooding of the New River in the New River Gorge National River was studied. A steady-state, one-dimensional flow model was applied to the study reach. Rating curves, cross sections, and Manning's roughness coefficients that were used are presented in this report. Manning's roughness coefficients were evaluated by comparing computed elevations (from application of the steady-state, one-dimensional flow model) to rated elevations at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations and miscellaneous-rating sites. Manning's roughness coefficients ranged from 0.030 to 0.075 and varied with hydraulic depth. The 2-, 25-, and 100-year flood discharges were esti- mated on the basis of information from flood- insurance studies of Summers County, Fayette County, and the city of Hinton, and flood-frequency analysis of discharge records for the USGS streamflow-gaging stations at Hinton and Thurmond. The 100-year discharge ranged from 107,000 cubic feet per second at Hinton to 150,000 cubic feet per second at Fayette.

Summary of Hydrologic Conditions in Georgia, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knaak, Andrew E.; Joiner, John K.; Peck, Michael F.

2009-01-01

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Georgia Water Science Center (WSC) maintains a long-term hydrologic monitoring network of more than 290 real-time streamgages, more than 170 groundwater wells, and 10 lake and reservoir monitoring stations. One of the many benefits of data collected from this monitoring network is that analysis of the data provides an overview of the hydrologic conditions of rivers, creeks, reservoirs, and aquifers in Georgia. Hydrologic conditions are determined by statistical analysis of data collected during the current water year (WY) and comparison of the results to historical data collected at long-term stations. During the drought that persisted through 2008, the USGS succeeded in verifying and documenting numerous historic low-flow statistics at many streamgages and current water levels in aquifers, lakes, and reservoirs in Georgia. Streamflow data from the 2008 WY indicate that this drought is one of the most severe on record when compared to drought periods of 1950-1957, 1985-1989, and 1999-2002.

TMPA Products 3B42RT & 3B42V6: Evaluation and Application in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Z.; Sun, L.; Wang, J.

2012-04-01

Hydrological researchers in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tend to be haunted by deficiency of station gauged precipitation data for the sparse and uneven distribution of local meteorological stations. Fortunately, alternative data can be obtained from TRMM (Tropic Rainfall Measurement Mission) satellite. Preliminary evaluation and necessary correction of TRMM satellite rainfall products is required for the sake of reliability and suitability considering that TRMM precipitation is unconventional and natural condition in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is unusually complicated. 3B42RT and 3B42V6 products from TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis(TMPA) are evaluated in northeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with 50 stations quality-controlled gauged daily precipitation as the benchmark precipitation set. It is found that the RT data overestimates the actual precipitation greatly while V6 only overestimates it slightly. RT data shows different seasonal and inter-annual accuracies. Summer and autumn see better accuracies than winter and spring and wet years see higher accuracies than dry years. Latitude is believed to be an important factor that influences the accuracy of satellite precipitation. Both RT and V6 can reflect the general pattern of the spatial distribution of precipitation even though RT overestimates the quantity greatly. A new parameter, accumulated precipitation weight point (APWP), was introduced to describe the temporal-spatial pattern evolution of precipitation. The APWP of both RT and V6 were moving from south to north in the past decade, but they are all in the west of station gauged precipitation APWP(s).V6 APWP track fit gauged precipitation perfectly while RT APWP track has over-exaggerated legs, indicating that spatial distribution of RT precipitation experienced unreasonable sharp changes. A practical and operational procedure to correct satellite precipitation data is developed. For RT, there are two steps. Step 1, the downscaling, original daily precipitation was multiplied by a ratio of its monthly satellite/station precipitation gauged precipitation. Step2, objective analysis, Barnes/Cressman successive correction as well as Optimal Interpolation was applied to refine the processed daily results. Step 1 is unnecessary for V6 correction. The accuracy of RT can be improved significantly and the spatial details of satellite precipitation can be obtained as much as possible while quite little improvement showed in V6 correction. Besides, the iteration of successive correction should not be more than twice and the ideal influence radius for Optimal Interpolation is R=5. The original/corrected RT and V6 data sets were used as precipitation inputs to drive a newly developed hydrological model DHM-SP in the headwater region of the Yellow river so as to assess their applicability in simulating the daily runoff. V6 simulation result is qualified even though it is uncorrected. The bias in RT is too much to make use of RT as model input directly while quite satisfied results can be derived from corrected RT input. The simulation results of corrected RT are even better than that of station gauged and V6.

Value of a dual-polarized gap-filling radar in support of southern California post-fire debris-flow warnings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgensen, David P.; Hanshaw, Maiana N.; Schmidt, Kevin M.; Laber, Jayme L; Staley, Dennis M.; Kean, Jason W.; Restrepo, Pedro J.

2011-01-01

A portable truck-mounted C-band Doppler weather radar was deployed to observe rainfall over the Station Fire burn area near Los Angeles, California, during the winter of 2009/10 to assist with debris-flow warning decisions. The deployments were a component of a joint NOAA–U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research effort to improve definition of the rainfall conditions that trigger debris flows from steep topography within recent wildfire burn areas. A procedure was implemented to blend various dual-polarized estimators of precipitation (for radar observations taken below the freezing level) using threshold values for differential reflectivity and specific differential phase shift that improves the accuracy of the rainfall estimates over a specific burn area sited with terrestrial tipping-bucket rain gauges. The portable radar outperformed local Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) National Weather Service network radars in detecting rainfall capable of initiating post-fire runoff-generated debris flows. The network radars underestimated hourly precipitation totals by about 50%. Consistent with intensity–duration threshold curves determined from past debris-flow events in burned areas in Southern California, the portable radar-derived rainfall rates exceeded the empirical thresholds over a wider range of storm durations with a higher spatial resolution than local National Weather Service operational radars. Moreover, the truck-mounted C-band radar dual-polarimetric-derived estimates of rainfall intensity provided a better guide to the expected severity of debris-flow events, based on criteria derived from previous events using rain gauge data, than traditional radar-derived rainfall approaches using reflectivity–rainfall relationships for either the portable or operational network WSR-88D radars. Part of the reason for the improvement was due to siting the radar closer to the burn zone than the WSR-88Ds, but use of the dual-polarimetric variables improved the rainfall estimation by ~12% over the use of traditional Z–R relationships.

The Hydrological Response of Snowmelt Dominated Catchments to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrigoni, A. S.; Moore, J. N.

2007-12-01

Hydrological systems dominated by snowmelt discharge contribute greater than half the freshwater resource available to the western United States. Globally, the contribution of mountain discharge to total runoff is twice the expected for their geographical coverage. Therefore, snowmelt dominated mountain catchments have proportionally a more prominent role than other systems to our freshwater resource. A changing climate, or even a more variable climate, could have a significant impact on these systems, and consequently on our freshwater resource. Ergo, a better understanding of how changes and variations in climate will influence mountain catchments is a necessity for improving future water management under predicted/proposed climate change. The research presented here is a first order analysis to improve our understanding of these systems by monitoring and analyzing high mountain catchments along the entirety of the Mission Mountain Front, Montana USA. The Mission Mountain Range is an ideal location for conducting this research as it runs directly north to south with elevations progressively increasing from 7600 feet in the northern section, to over 9700 feet at the southern end. The lower elevation catchments will be used as surrogates for variable climate change, while the high elevation catchments will be used as surrogates for a more stable, cooler, climate regime. We use a combination of USGS and Tribal stream gauges, as well as stage gauge loggers in the headwaters of the catchments, SNOTEL datasets, and weather station datasets. This information is used to determine if, how, and why the snowmelt hydrographs vary between catchments, within the catchments between the upper and lower segments, and the dominant driver or drivers of the hydrograph form in relation to changing climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation. This research will improve current comprehension of how mountain catchments respond to climatic variables, and additionally will expand upon the current understanding of general catchment hydrology.

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).

Magnitude and frequency of floods in western Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, David Dell; Hubbard, Larry L.; Hubbard, Lawrence E.

1979-01-01

A method for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods is presented for unregulated streams in western Oregon. Equations relating flood magnitude to basin characteristics were developed for exceedance probabilities of 0.5 to 0.01 (2- to 100-year recurrence intervals). Separate equations are presented for four regions: Coast, Willamette, Rogue-Umpqua, and High Cascades. Also presented are values of flood discharges for selected exceedance probabilities and of basin characteristics for all gaging stations used in the analysis. Included are data for 230 stations in Oregon, 6 stations in southwestern Washington, and 3 stations in northwestern California. Drainage areas used in the analysis range from 0.21 to 7,280 square miles. Also included are maximum discharges for all western Oregon stations used in the analysis. (Woodard-USGS)

Methods of Data Collection, Sample Processing, and Data Analysis for Edge-of-Field, Streamgaging, Subsurface-Tile, and Meteorological Stations at Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm in Wisconsin, 2001-7

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Komiskey, Matthew J.; Owens, David W.; Hall, David W.

2008-01-01

The University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Discovery Farms (Discovery Farms) and UW-Platteville Pioneer Farm (Pioneer Farm) programs were created in 2000 to help Wisconsin farmers meet environmental and economic challenges. As a partner with each program, and in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Sand County Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wisconsin Water Science Center (WWSC) installed, maintained, and operated equipment to collect water-quantity and water-quality data from 25 edge-offield, 6 streamgaging, and 5 subsurface-tile stations at 7 Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm. The farms are located in the southern half of Wisconsin and represent a variety of landscape settings and crop- and animal-production enterprises common to Wisconsin agriculture. Meteorological stations were established at most farms to measure precipitation, wind speed and direction, air and soil temperature (in profile), relative humidity, solar radiation, and soil moisture (in profile). Data collection began in September 2001 and is continuing through the present (2008). This report describes methods used by USGS WWSC personnel to collect, process, and analyze water-quantity, water-quality, and meteorological data for edge-of-field, streamgaging, subsurface-tile, and meteorological stations at Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm from September 2001 through October 2007. Information presented includes equipment used; event-monitoring and samplecollection procedures; station maintenance; sample handling and processing procedures; water-quantity, waterquality, and precipitation data analyses; and procedures for determining estimated constituent concentrations for unsampled runoff events.

Bivariate copula in fitting rainfall data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Kong Ching; Suhaila, Jamaludin; Yusof, Fadhilah; Mean, Foo Hui

2014-07-01

The usage of copula to determine the joint distribution between two variables is widely used in various areas. The joint distribution of rainfall characteristic obtained using the copula model is more ideal than the standard bivariate modelling where copula is belief to have overcome some limitation. Six copula models will be applied to obtain the most suitable bivariate distribution between two rain gauge stations. The copula models are Ali-Mikhail-Haq (AMH), Clayton, Frank, Galambos, Gumbel-Hoogaurd (GH) and Plackett. The rainfall data used in the study is selected from rain gauge stations which are located in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia, during the period from 1980 to 2011. The goodness-of-fit test in this study is based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC).

R2 Water Quality Portal Monitoring Stations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Water Quality Data Portal (WQP) provides an easy way to access data stored in various large water quality databases. The WQP provides various input parameters on the form including location, site, sampling, and date parameters to filter and customize the returned results. The The Water Quality Portal (WQP) is a cooperative service sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) that integrates publicly available water quality data from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) the EPA STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) Data Warehouse, and the USDA ARS Sustaining The Earth??s Watersheds - Agricultural Research Database System (STEWARDS).

1997 flood tracking chart for the Red River of the North basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiche, G.J.; Martin, C.R.; Albright, L.L.; Wald, Geraldine B.

1997-01-01

The flood tracking chart for the Red River of the North Basin can be used by local citizens and emergency response personnel to determine the latest river stage. By comparing the current stage (water-surface elevation above some datum) and predicted flood crest to the recorded peak stages of previous floods, emergency response personnel and residents can make informed decisions concerning the threat to life and property. The flood tracking chart shows a map of the basin with the location of major real-time streamflow-gaging stations in the basin. Click on a station in the map or in the list below the map. Streamflow and stage information for the last 7 days, current stage relative to recorded peak stages, and streamflow for the previous 18 months are provided in graphic form, along with information such as station location and length of record. The National Weather Service has direct access to all information collected by the USGS for use in their forecasting models and routinely broadcasts the forecast information to the news media and on shortwave radio. The radio frequencies are 162.400 MHz (megahertz) in Petersburg, N. Dak., and Detroit Lakes, Minn.; 162.425 MHz in Webster, N. Dak., and Bemidji, Minn.; 162.450 MHz in Roosevelt, Minn.; 162.475 MHz in Grand Forks and Amenia, N. Dak.; and 162.550 MHz in Thief River Falls, Minn. To use the flood tracking chart for a particular property, determine the approximate elevation of the threatened property and the elevation of the gaging station that is closest to the threatened property. For example, most people in Grand Forks, N. Dak., probably will use the Red River of the North at Grand Forks station. Record the flood elevation for the gaging station. Compare the flood elevation to the elevation of the property to immediately know if the property has an impending threat of flooding. One must be cautioned by the fact that the surface of flowing water is not flat but has a slope. Therefore, the water-surface elevation near a threatened property might not be the same as the river stages at the gaging stations. The network of river-gaging stations in the Red River of the North Basin is operated by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the North Dakota State Water Commission, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Southeast Cass Water Resources District, the Cass County Joint Water Resource District, the Red River Joint Water Resource Board, and the Red River Watershed Management Board. For more information about USGS programs in North Dakota, contact the District Chief, U.S. Geological Survey, North Dakota District, at (701) 250-7400.

MONITOIRNG OF A CONTROLLED DNAPL SPILL USING A PROTOTYPE DIELECTRIC LOGGING TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) utilized their prototype dielectric logging tool to monitor a controlled Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) spill into a large tank located at the University of California Richmond Field Station (RFS) containing multiple sand and clayey sand...

Water Resources Data--Nebraska, Water Year 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hitch, D.E.; Hull, S.H.; Walczyk, V.C.

2002-01-01

The Water Resources Discipline of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with State and local agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Nebraska each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series entitled ?Water Resources Data - Nebraska.' The Nebraska water resources data report for water year 2002 includes records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and/or contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and quality of ground water in wells. This report contains records of stream stage for 3 stations; stream discharge for 96 continuous and 5 crest-state gaging stations, and 3 miscellaneous and 55 low-flow sites; stream water quality for 23 gaging stations and 5 miscellaneous sites; water elevation and/or contents for 1 lake and 1 reservoir; ground-water levels for 43 observation wells; and ground-water quality for 115 wells. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected in and near Nebraska by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating local, state and Federal agencies.

Surficial geology of the sea floor in Central Rhode Island Sound Southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMullen, K.Y.; Poppe, L.J.; Ackerman, S.D.; Blackwood, D.S.; Schaer, J.D.; Nadeau, M.A.; Wood, D.A.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working together to study sea-floor environments off the northeast coast of the United States. During 2008, NOAA survey H11996 collected multibeam echosounder data in a 65-square kilometer area in central Rhode Island Sound, southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island. During 2010, the USGS collected bottom photographs and sediment samples from 25 stations in this study area. The bathymetry, photography, and sediment data are used to interpret sea-floor features including scour depressions, sand waves, trawl marks, and dredge spoils. Scour depressions cover the bathymetric highs in much of the study area. Sand waves are located mostly in the southwest, and trawl marks tend to be in the northern regions. Dredge spoils are located at a disposal site in a bathymetric low in the western end of the study area. Most stations have a sea-floor surface of sand or silty sand, but eight of the stations have boulders to pea-sized gravel or gravelly sediment on the surface. Photographs show sandy areas typically have scattered burrows, shells, amphipod communities, and worm tubes. Boulders and cobbles are commonly overgrown with hydrozoans and anemones.

Droughts in Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, Nancy L.; Stamey, Timothy C.

2000-01-01

Droughts do not have the immediate effects of floods, but sustained droughts can cause economic stress throughout the State. The word 'drought' has various meanings, depending on a person's perspective. To a farmer, a drought is a period of moisture deficiency that affects the crops under cultivation - even two weeks without rainfall can stress many crops during certain periods of the growing cycle. To a meteorologist, a drought is a prolonged period when precipitation is less than normal. To a water manager, a drought is a deficiency in water supply that affects water availability and water quality. To a hydrologist, a drought is an extended period of decreased precipitation and streamflow. Droughts in Georgia have severely affected municipal and industrial water supplies, agriculture, stream water quality, recreation at major reservoirs, hydropower generation, navigation, and forest resources. In Georgia, droughts have been documented at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow gaging stations since the 1890's. From 1910 to 1940, about 20 streamflow gaging stations were in operation. Since the early 1950's through the late 1980's, about 100 streamflow gaging stations were in operation. Currently (2000), the USGS streamflow gaging network consists of more than 135 continuous-recording gages. Ground-water levels are currently monitored at 165 wells equipped with continuous recorders.

iss009e26364

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-10-01

ISS009-E-26364 (1 October 2004) --- Mount Saint Helens, Washington, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 9 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). The USGS has been monitoring Mount Saint Helens closely since last Thursday, when the volcano began to belch steam and swarms of tiny earthquakes were first recorded.

Analysis of the most recent data of Cascais Tide Gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antunes, Carlos; Taborda, Rui; Mendes, Virgílio B.

2010-05-01

In order to meet international standards and to integrate sea level changes and tsunami monitoring networks, Cascais tide gauge, one of the oldest in the world, has been upgraded in 2003 with new acoustic equipment with digital data acquisition, temperature and air-pressure sensors, and internet connection for real time data. The new tide gauge is located very close to the old analogical gauge, which is still working. Datum links between both gauges and the permanent GPS station of Cascais were made and height differences between gauges and the GPS station have been monitored to verify site stability and to estimate the absolute vertical velocity of the site, and therefore, the absolute sea level changes. Tide gauge data from 2000 to 2009 has been analyzed and relative and absolute sea level rise rates have been estimated. The estimation of sea level rise rate with the short baseline of 10 years is made with the daily mean sea level data corrected from the inverse barometric effect. The relative sea level trend is obtained from a 60-day moving average run over the corrected daily mean sea level. The estimated rate has shown greater stability in contrast to the analysis of daily mean sea level raw data, which shows greater variability and uncertainty. Our results show a sea level rise rate of 2.6 mm/year (± 0.3 mm/year), higher than previous rates (2.1 mm/year for 1990 decade and 1.6 mm/year from 1920 to 2000), which is compatible with a sea level rise acceleration scenario. From the analysis of Cascais GPS data, for the period 1990.0 to 2010.0 we obtain an uplift rate of 0.3 mm/year leading to an absolute sea level rise of 2.9 mm/year for Cascais, under the assumption, as predicted by the ICE-5G model, that Cascais has no vertical displacement caused by the post-glacial isostatic adjustment.

Bayesian analysis of stage-fall-discharge rating curves and their uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansanarez, Valentin; Le Coz, Jérôme; Renard, Benjamin; Lang, Michel; Pierrefeu, Gilles; Le Boursicaud, Raphaël; Pobanz, Karine

2016-04-01

Stage-fall-discharge (SFD) rating curves are traditionally used to compute streamflow records at sites where the energy slope of the flow is variable due to variable backwater effects. Building on existing Bayesian approaches, we introduce an original hydraulics-based method for developing SFD rating curves used at twin gauge stations and estimating their uncertainties. Conventional power functions for channel and section controls are used, and transition to a backwater-affected channel control is computed based on a continuity condition, solved either analytically or numerically. The difference between the reference levels at the two stations is estimated as another uncertain parameter of the SFD model. The method proposed in this presentation incorporates information from both the hydraulic knowledge (equations of channel or section controls) and the information available in the stage-fall-discharge observations (gauging data). The obtained total uncertainty combines the parametric uncertainty and the remnant uncertainty related to the model of rating curve. This method provides a direct estimation of the physical inputs of the rating curve (roughness, width, slope bed, distance between twin gauges, etc.). The performance of the new method is tested using an application case affected by the variable backwater of a run-of-the-river dam: the Rhône river at Valence, France. In particular, a sensitivity analysis to the prior information and to the gauging dataset is performed. At that site, the stage-fall-discharge domain is well documented with gaugings conducted over a range of backwater affected and unaffected conditions. The performance of the new model was deemed to be satisfactory. Notably, transition to uniform flow when the overall range of the auxiliary stage is gauged is correctly simulated. The resulting curves are in good agreement with the observations (gaugings) and their uncertainty envelopes are acceptable for computing streamflow records. Similar conclusions were drawn from the application to other similar sites.

Satellite data-relay activities in Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boner, F.C.; Blee, J.W.; Shope, W.G.

1985-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Arizona District collects data from automated streamflow stations for a wide variety of uses. Data from these stations are provided to Federal, State, and local agencies that have a responsibility to issue flood warnings; to generate forecasts of water availability; to monitor flow to insure compliance with treaties and other legal mandates; and to manage reservoirs for hydropower, flood abatement, and municipal and irrigation water supply. In the mid-1970's, the escalation of data collection costs and a need for more timely data led the Arizona District to examine alternatives for remote data acquisition. On the basis of successful data communications experiments with NASA 's Landsat satellite, an operational system for satellite-data relay was developed in 1976 using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations 's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). A total of 62 data collection platforms (DCP's) was operated in 1983. Satellite telemetry operations are controlled at the remote data-collection stations by small battery-operated data collection platforms. The DCP 's periodically collect data from the sensors, store the data in computer memory, and at preset times transmit the data to the GOES satellite. The satellite retransmits the data to Earth where a ground-receive station transmits or transfers the data by land communications to the USGS computer in Reston, Virginia, for processing. The satellite relay transfers the data from sensor to computer in minutes; therefore, the data are available to users on a near real-time basis. (Author 's abstract)

GLASS 2.0: An Operational, Multimodal, Bayesian Earthquake Data Association Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benz, H.; Johnson, C. E.; Patton, J. M.; McMahon, N. D.; Earle, P. S.

2015-12-01

The legacy approach to automated detection and determination of hypocenters is arrival time stacking algorithms. Examples of such algorithms are the associator, Binder, which has been in continuous use in many USGS-supported regional seismic networks since the 1980s and the spherical earth successor, GLASS 1.0, currently in service at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center for over 10 years. The principle short-comings of the legacy approach are 1) it can only use phase arrival times, 2) it does not adequately address the problems of extreme variations in station density worldwide, 3) it cannot incorporate multiple phase models or statistical attributes of phases with distance, and 4) it cannot incorporate noise model attributes of individual stations. Previously we introduced a theoretical framework of a new associator using a Bayesian kernel stacking approach to approximate a joint probability density function for hypocenter localization. More recently we added station- and phase-specific Bayesian constraints to the association process. GLASS 2.0 incorporates a multiplicity of earthquake related data including phase arrival times, back-azimuth and slowness information from array beamforming, arrival times from waveform cross correlation processing, and geographic constraints from real-time social media reports of ground shaking. We demonstrate its application by modeling an aftershock sequence using dozens of stations that recorded tens of thousands of earthquakes over a period of one month. We also demonstrate Glass 2.0 performance regionally and teleseismically using the globally distributed real-time monitoring system at NEIC.

Assimilation of measurement data in hydrodynamic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karamuz, Emilia; Romanowicz, Renata J.

2016-04-01

This study focuses on developing methods to combine ground-based data from operational monitoring with data from satellite imaging to obtain a more accurate evaluation of flood inundation extents. The distributed flow model MIKE 11 was used to determine the flooding areas for a flood event with available satellite data. Model conditioning was based on the integrated use of data from remote measurement techniques and traditional data from gauging stations. Such conditioning of the model improves the quality of fit of the model results. The use of high resolution satellite images (from IKONOS, QuickBird e.t.c) and LiDAR Digital Elevation Model (DEM) allows information on water levels to be extended to practically any chosen cross-section of the tested section of the river. This approach allows for a better assessment of inundation extent, particularly in areas with a scarce network of gauging stations. We apply approximate Bayesian analysis to integrate the information on flood extent originating from different sources. The approach described above was applied to the Middle River Vistula reach, from the Zawichost to Warsaw gauging stations. For this part of the river the detailed geometry of the river bed and floodplain data were available. Finally, three selected sub-sections were analyzed with the most suitable satellite images of inundation area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was supported by the Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences through the Young Scientist Grant no. 3b/IGF PAN/2015.

Water-Quality and Lake-Stage Data for Wisconsin Lakes, Water Year 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, W.J.; Garn, H.S.; Goddard, G.L.; Marsh, S.B.; Olson, D.L.; Robertson, Dale M.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The locations of water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 2006 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006 is called 'water year 2006.' The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during non-frozen periods are included for all lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, area of the lake's watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published in another volume: 'Water Resources Data-Wisconsin, 2006.' Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available through the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin Water Science Center's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin Water Science Center's Lakes Program is found at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html and http://wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/index.html.

Water-quality and Llake-stage data for Wisconsin Lakes, Water Year 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, W.J.; Garn, H.S.; Goddard, G.L.; Marsh, S.B.; Olson, D.L.; Robertson, Dale M.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The locations of water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 2004 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the period October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004 is called 'water year 2004.' The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during non-frozen periods are included for all lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, area of the lake's watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published in another volume: 'Water Resources Data-Wisconsin, 2004.' Water-resources data, including stage and discharge data at most streamflow-gaging stations, are available throught the World Wide Web on the Internet. The Wisconsin Water Science Center's home page is at http://wi.water.usgs.gov/. Information on the Wisconsin Water Science Center's Lakes Program is found at wi.water.usgs.gov/lake/index.html and wi.water.usgs.gov/projects/index.html

NARSTO EPA SS BALTIMORE JHU MET DATA

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-04-09

... Meteorological Station Instrument:  Temperature Probe Humidity Probe Cup Anemometer Rain Gauge Sonic ...   E arthdata Search Parameters:  Air Temperature Humidity Surface Winds Precipitation Amount Heat Flux ...

Comparability among four invertebrate sampling methods and two multimetric indexes, Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2010–2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bruce, James F.; Roberts, James J.; Zuellig, Robert E.

2018-05-24

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering and Colorado Springs Utilities, analyzed previously collected invertebrate data to determine the comparability among four sampling methods and two versions (2010 and 2017) of the Colorado Benthic Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (MMI). For this study, annual macroinvertebrate samples were collected concurrently (in space and time) at 15 USGS surface-water gaging stations in the Fountain Creek Basin from 2010 to 2012 using four sampling methods. The USGS monitoring project in the basin uses two of the methods and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends the other two. These methods belong to two distinct sample types, one that targets single habitats and one that targets multiple habitats. The study results indicate that there are significant differences in MMI values obtained from the single-habitat and multihabitat sample types but methods from each program within each sample type produced comparable values. This study also determined that MMI values calculated by different versions of the Colorado Benthic Macroinvertebrate MMI are indistinguishable. This indicates that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment methods are comparable with the USGS monitoring project methods for single-habitat and multihabitat sample types. This report discusses the direct application of the study results to inform the revision of the existing USGS monitoring project in the Fountain Creek Basin.

Streamstats: U.S. Geological Survey Web Application for Streamflow Statistics for Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahearn, Elizabeth A.; Ries, Kernell G.; Steeves, Peter A.

2006-01-01

Introduction An important mission of the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to provide information on streamflow in the Nation's rivers. Streamflow statistics are used by water managers, engineers, scientists, and others to protect people and property during floods and droughts, and to manage land, water, and biological resources. Common uses for streamflow statistics include dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; water-use appropriations and permitting; wastewater and industrial discharge permitting; hydropower-facility design and regulation; and flood-plain mapping for establishing flood-insurance rates and land-use zones. In an effort to improve access to published streamflow statistics, and to make the process of computing streamflow statistics for ungaged stream sites easier, more accurate, and more consistent, the USGS and the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) developed StreamStats (Ries and others, 2004). StreamStats is a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Web application for serving previously published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for USGS data-collection stations, and computing streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for ungaged stream sites. The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, has implemented StreamStats for Connecticut.

The AmericaView Project - Putting the Earth into Your Hands

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a leader in collecting, archiving, and distributing geospatial data and information about the Earth. Providing quick, reliable access to remotely sensed images and geospatial data is the driving principle behind the AmericaView Project. A national not-for-profit organization, AmericaView, Inc. was established and is supported by the USGS to coordinate the activities of a national network of university-led consortia with the primary objective of the advancement of the science of remote sensing. Individual consortia members include academic institutions, as well as state, local, and tribal government agencies. AmericaView's focus is to expand the understanding and use of remote sensing through education and outreach efforts and to provide affordable, integrated remote sensing information access and delivery to the American public. USGS's Landsat and NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite data are downlinked from satellites or transferred from other facilities to the USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) ground receiving station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The data can then be transferred over high-speed networks to consortium members, where it is archived and made available for public use.

Ohio River backwater flood-inundation maps for the Saline and Wabash Rivers in southern Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for the Saline and Wabash Rivers referenced to elevations on the Ohio River in southern Illinois were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The inundation maps, accessible through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (gage heights) at the USGS streamgage at Ohio River at Old Shawneetown, Illinois-Kentucky (station number 03381700). Current gage height and flow conditions at this USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03381700. In addition, this streamgage is incorporated into the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/) by the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often co-located at USGS streamgages. That NWS forecasted peak-stage information, also shown on the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown inundation Web site, may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, eight water-surface elevations were mapped at 5-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from just above the NWS Action Stage (31 ft) to above the maximum historical gage height (66 ft). The elevations of the water surfaces were compared to a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) by using a Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. These maps, along with information on the Internet regarding current gage heights from USGS streamgages and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Geodetic infrastructure at the Barcelona harbour for sea level monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, Juan Jose; Gili, Josep; Lopez, Rogelio; Tapia, Ana; Pros, Francesc; Palau, Vicenc; Perez, Begona

2015-04-01

The presentation is directed to the description of the actual geodetic infrastructure of Barcelona harbour with three tide gauges of different technologies for sea level determination and contribution to regional sea level rise and understanding past and present sea level rise in the Barcelona harbour. It is intended that the overall system will constitute a CGPS Station of the ESEAS (European Sea Level) and TIGA (GPS Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring) networks. At Barcelona harbour there is a MIROS radar tide gauge belonging to Puertos del Estado (Spanish Harbours).The radar sensor is over the water surface, on a L-shaped structure which elevates it a few meters above the quay shelf. 1-min data are transmitted to the ENAGAS Control Center by cable and then sent each 1 min to Puertos del Estado by e-mail. The information includes wave forescast (mean period, significant wave height, sea level, etc.This sensor also measures agitation and sends wave parameters each 20 min. There is a GPS station Leica Geosystems GRX1200 GG Pro and antenna AX 1202 GG. The Control Tower of the Port of Barcelona is situated in the North dike of the so-called Energy Pier in the Barcelona harbor (Spain). This tower has different kind of antennas for navigation monitoring and a GNSS permanent station. As the tower is founded in reclaimed land, and because its metallic structure, the 50 m building is subjected to diverse movements, including periodic fluctuations due to temperature changes. In this contribution the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 the necessary monitoring campaigns are described. In the framework of a Spanish Space Project, the instrumentation of sea level measurements has been improved by providing the Barcelona site with a radar tide gauge Datamar 2000C from Geonica S.L. in June 2014 near an acoustic tide gauge from the Barcelona Harbour installed in 2013. Precision levelling has been made several times in the last two years because the tower is founded in reclaimed land and a little far away from the geographic location of the pulse and acustic radar location on the Europa bridge. The measured settlement rate is about 1cm/year that may be could mask the values registered by the tide gauge. An intercomparison of the results of the three different tide gauges is presented and discussed. These activities has been received funding of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under Spanish National Project CGL2009-13435/CLI.

COCONet enhancements to circum-Caribbean tsunami warning, tidal, and sea-level monitoring: update on tide gauge installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dausz, K.; Dittmann, S. T.; Feaux, K.; von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Mattioli, G. S.; Normandeau, J.

2014-12-01

The Continually Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network (COCONet) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded multi-hazard geodetic and meteorological network distributed throughout the Caribbean, which provides infrastructure and capacity building for a broad range of earth science questions. The network is a multi-national collaboration consisting of 46 newly constructed continuous Global Positioning Systems (cGPS) and 21 refurbished existing GPS stations, all co-located with meteorological sensors. One recommendation of the COCONet working group was to improve the vertical reference frame for long-term sea level monitoring. A COCONet supplement was awarded by the NSF to further address this particular objective through the co-location of GPS and tide gauges. This COCOnet infrastructure, along with the new tide gauges, will have broad scientific implications for hazards mitigation, solid earth, and atmospheric science research. UNAVCO engineers have meet with members of the Caribbean tide gauge community to establish target locations and design station layout. Allocated NSF funds allow for the construction of two complete new tide gauge systems each with two complimentary cGPS. Following the recommendations of NOAA and the sea level monitoring community, the two "new" locales will be Port Royal, Jamaica and Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Both locations had previously existing, but currently non-operational tide gauges. UNAVCO engineers will install a Sutron Radar Level Recorder and a backup pressure sensor tide gauge with GOES satellite telemetry. Tide data will be freely available by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org). The NSF supplement also provided funds for adding cGPS to two additional locations where currently functioning tide gauge systems exist. Proposed locations for this additional infrastructure are Barahona, Dominican Republic and Bocas del Toro, Panama. All four locations will feature two standard COCONet cGPS systems consisting of a Trimble Choke Ring GNSS antenna, Trimble NetR9 GPS receiver, and a Vaisala meteorological sensor. All GPS data will be collected, processed and distributed via standard COCONet archiving and processing along with raw meteorological data at coconet.unavco.org.

A laboratory evaluation of the influence of weighing gauges performance on extreme events statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colli, Matteo; Lanza, Luca

2014-05-01

The effects of inaccurate ground based rainfall measurements on the information derived from rain records is yet not much documented in the literature. La Barbera et al. (2002) investigated the propagation of the systematic mechanic errors of tipping bucket type rain gauges (TBR) into the most common statistics of rainfall extremes, e.g. in the assessment of the return period T (or the related non-exceedance probability) of short-duration/high intensity events. Colli et al. (2012) and Lanza et al. (2012) extended the analysis to a 22-years long precipitation data set obtained from a virtual weighing type gauge (WG). The artificial WG time series was obtained basing on real precipitation data measured at the meteo-station of the University of Genova and modelling the weighing gauge output as a linear dynamic system. This approximation was previously validated with dedicated laboratory experiments and is based on the evidence that the accuracy of WG measurements under real world/time varying rainfall conditions is mainly affected by the dynamic response of the gauge (as revealed during the last WMO Field Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges). The investigation is now completed by analyzing actual measurements performed by two common weighing gauges, the OTT Pluvio2 load-cell gauge and the GEONOR T-200 vibrating-wire gauge, since both these instruments demonstrated very good performance under previous constant flow rate calibration efforts. A laboratory dynamic rainfall generation system has been arranged and validated in order to simulate a number of precipitation events with variable reference intensities. Such artificial events were generated basing on real world rainfall intensity (RI) records obtained from the meteo-station of the University of Genova so that the statistical structure of the time series is preserved. The influence of the WG RI measurements accuracy on the associated extreme events statistics is analyzed by comparing the original intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves with those obtained from the measuring of the simulated rain events. References: Colli, M., L.G. Lanza, and P. La Barbera, (2012). Weighing gauges measurement errors and the design rainfall for urban scale applications, 9th International Workshop On Precipitation In Urban Areas, 6-9 December, 2012, St. Moritz, Switzerland Lanza, L.G., M. Colli, and P. La Barbera (2012). On the influence of rain gauge performance on extreme events statistics: the case of weighing gauges, EGU General Assembly 2012, April 22th, Wien, Austria La Barbera, P., L.G. Lanza, and L. Stagi, (2002). Influence of systematic mechanical errors of tipping-bucket rain gauges on the statistics of rainfall extremes. Water Sci. Techn., 45(2), 1-9.

Monitoring runoff and nutrient transport in the coastal zone of a Danish lowland river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovesen, N. B.; Windolf, J.; Kronvang, B.

2012-04-01

Denmark has a very long coastline compared to its total area, and therefore large parts of the lower river reaches are influenced by tidal and coastal backwater effects. In general the gradients of these lowland rivers are very low, and furthermore thousands of small watercourses are flowing directly to the sea along the coastline. This situation makes it impossible to gauge the runoff to many fjords and marine inland waters utilizing traditional monitoring techniques, and consequently, even though Denmark is covered with several hundreds of gauging stations, only 50 percent of the country is gauged. Models are today used to estimate the total runoff and loads of nutrients to coastal waters. One of the major problems in the calibration of the models is however, the lacking of data from the lower part of rivers influenced by tidal and coastal backwater. In order to investigate the possibilities of improving the Danish gauging network and to test the models used for runoff estimation in the ungauged areas, a new monitoring station was established in the summer of 2011 in the River Skjern very close to the outlet in Ringkobing Fjord at the west coast of Jutland. The hydraulic conditions are here affected by tidal and backwater effects and the nutrient transport may be influenced by stratified flow conditions. The catchment area to the new station is 2455 km2, and the width of the channel is 70-80meters. The velocity distribution is measured in the profile by both horizontal and vertical multi cell Doppler sensors. Conductivity (salinity), turbidity and water temperature are measured by sensors in 2 levels, near bottom and in the upper part of the depth profile. Time integrated water samples are collected also in 2 levels with a 2 hour interval and analyzed for total nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, total phosphorous, and phosphate. The wind speed and direction is registered at the station. The preliminary results show a strong correlation between the water velocities and the wind especially during the winter storms coming mainly from the vest and northwest. Also the nutrient concentrations and the suspended sediments are changing heavily during and following the storm events, and stratification and intrusion of brackish water from the fjord is registered. Data from the new monitoring station and the model outputs will be compared and evaluated.

Iowa Flood Information System: Towards Integrated Data Management, Analysis and Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, I.; Krajewski, W. F.; Goska, R.; Mantilla, R.; Weber, L. J.; Young, N.

2012-04-01

The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is a web-based platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts both short-term and seasonal, flood-related data, information and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The key element of the system's architecture is the notion of community. Locations of the communities, those near streams and rivers, define basin boundaries. The IFIS provides community-centric watershed and river characteristics, weather (rainfall) conditions, and streamflow data and visualization tools. Interactive interfaces allow access to inundation maps for different stage and return period values, and flooding scenarios with contributions from multiple rivers. Real-time and historical data of water levels, gauge heights, and rainfall conditions are available in the IFIS by streaming data from automated IFC bridge sensors, USGS stream gauges, NEXRAD radars, and NWS forecasts. Simple 2D and 3D interactive visualizations in the IFIS make the data more understandable to general public. Users are able to filter data sources for their communities and selected rivers. The data and information on IFIS is also accessible through web services and mobile applications. The IFIS is optimized for various browsers and screen sizes to provide access through multiple platforms including tablets and mobile devices. The IFIS includes a rainfall-runoff forecast model to provide a five-day flood risk estimate for around 500 communities in Iowa. Multiple view modes in the IFIS accommodate different user types from general public to researchers and decision makers by providing different level of tools and details. River view mode allows users to visualize data from multiple IFC bridge sensors and USGS stream gauges to follow flooding condition along a river. The IFIS will help communities make better-informed decisions on the occurrence of floods, and will alert communities in advance to help minimize damage of floods. This presentation provides an overview and live demonstration of the tools and interfaces in the IFIS developed to date to provide a platform for one-stop access to flood related data, visualizations, flood conditions, and forecast.

Iowa Flood Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, I.; Krajewski, W. F.; Goska, R.; Mantilla, R.; Weber, L. J.; Young, N.

2011-12-01

The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is a web-based platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts both short-term and seasonal, flood-related data, information and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The key element of the system's architecture is the notion of community. Locations of the communities, those near streams and rivers, define basin boundaries. The IFIS provides community-centric watershed and river characteristics, weather (rainfall) conditions, and streamflow data and visualization tools. Interactive interfaces allow access to inundation maps for different stage and return period values, and flooding scenarios with contributions from multiple rivers. Real-time and historical data of water levels, gauge heights, and rainfall conditions are available in the IFIS by streaming data from automated IFC bridge sensors, USGS stream gauges, NEXRAD radars, and NWS forecasts. Simple 2D and 3D interactive visualizations in the IFIS make the data more understandable to general public. Users are able to filter data sources for their communities and selected rivers. The data and information on IFIS is also accessible through web services and mobile applications. The IFIS is optimized for various browsers and screen sizes to provide access through multiple platforms including tablets and mobile devices. The IFIS includes a rainfall-runoff forecast model to provide a five-day flood risk estimate for around 500 communities in Iowa. Multiple view modes in the IFIS accommodate different user types from general public to researchers and decision makers by providing different level of tools and details. River view mode allows users to visualize data from multiple IFC bridge sensors and USGS stream gauges to follow flooding condition along a river. The IFIS will help communities make better-informed decisions on the occurrence of floods, and will alert communities in advance to help minimize damage of floods. This presentation provides an overview of the tools and interfaces in the IFIS developed to date to provide a platform for one-stop access to flood related data, visualizations, flood conditions, and forecast.

Flood Risk Management in Iowa through an Integrated Flood Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, Ibrahim; Krajewski, Witold

2013-04-01

The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is a web-based platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts both short-term and seasonal, flood-related data, information and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The key element of the system's architecture is the notion of community. Locations of the communities, those near streams and rivers, define basin boundaries. The IFIS provides community-centric watershed and river characteristics, weather (rainfall) conditions, and streamflow data and visualization tools. Interactive interfaces allow access to inundation maps for different stage and return period values, and flooding scenarios with contributions from multiple rivers. Real-time and historical data of water levels, gauge heights, and rainfall conditions are available in the IFIS by streaming data from automated IFC bridge sensors, USGS stream gauges, NEXRAD radars, and NWS forecasts. Simple 2D and 3D interactive visualizations in the IFIS make the data more understandable to general public. Users are able to filter data sources for their communities and selected rivers. The data and information on IFIS is also accessible through web services and mobile applications. The IFIS is optimized for various browsers and screen sizes to provide access through multiple platforms including tablets and mobile devices. The IFIS includes a rainfall-runoff forecast model to provide a five-day flood risk estimate for around 1100 communities in Iowa. Multiple view modes in the IFIS accommodate different user types from general public to researchers and decision makers by providing different level of tools and details. River view mode allows users to visualize data from multiple IFC bridge sensors and USGS stream gauges to follow flooding condition along a river. The IFIS will help communities make better-informed decisions on the occurrence of floods, and will alert communities in advance to help minimize damage of floods. This presentation provides an overview and live demonstration of the tools and interfaces in the IFIS developed to date to provide a platform for one-stop access to flood related data, visualizations, flood conditions, and forecast.

Observations of Heavy Rainfall in a Post Wildland Fire Area Using X-Band Polarimetric Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cifelli, R.; Matrosov, S. Y.; Gochis, D. J.; Kennedy, P.; Moody, J. A.

2011-12-01

Polarimetric X-band radar systems have been used increasingly over the last decade for rainfall measurements. Since X-band radar systems are generally less costly, more mobile, and have narrower beam widths (for same antenna sizes) than those operating at lower frequencies (e.g., C and S-bands), they can be used for the "gap-filling" purposes for the areas when high resolution rainfall measurements are needed and existing operational radars systems lack adequate coverage and/or resolution for accurate quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). The main drawback of X-band systems is attenuation of radar signals, which is significantly stronger compared to frequencies used by "traditional" precipitation radars operating at lower frequencies. The use of different correction schemes based on polarimetric data can, to a certain degree, overcome this drawback when attenuation does not cause total signal extinction. This presentation will focus on examining the use of high-resolution data from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) mobile X-band dual polarimetric radar for the purpose of estimating precipitation in a post-wildland fire area. The NOAA radar was deployed in the summer of 2011 to examine the impact of gap-fill radar on QPE and the resulting hydrologic response during heavy rain events in the Colorado Front Range in collaboration with colleagues from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Colorado State University (CSU), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A network of rain gauges installed by NCAR, the Denver Urban Drainage Flood Control District (UDFCD), and the USGS are used to compare with the radar estimates. Supplemental data from NEXRAD and the CSU-CHILL dual polarimetric radar are also used to compare with the NOAA X-band and rain gauges. It will be shown that rainfall rates and accumulations estimated from specific differential phase measurements (KDP) at X-band are in good agreement with the measurements from the gauge network during heavy rain and rain/hail mixture events. The X-band radar measurements also were generally successful in capturing the high spatial variability in convective rainfall, which caused post-fire debris flows.

Preface; Water quality of large U.S. rivers; results from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Stream Quality Accounting Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirsch, Robert M.; Hooper, Richard P.; Kelly, Valerie J.

2001-01-01

The mission of the US Geological Survey (USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the earth resources of the USA and to provide information that will assist resource managers and policymakers at federal, state and local levels in making sound decisions. Characterizing the water quality of the largest rivers of the USA is a daunting prospect, especially given the resources available for the task. The most effective approach is uncertain and is legitimately a research topic. The National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) was redesigned in 1995 to estimate the annual mass flux of constituents at a network of fixed stations in the Mississippi, Rio Grande, Colorado, and Columbia River basins. This special volume of Hydrological Processes contains a series of papers evaluating the data collected by NASQAN during its first 3 years of operation under this design. The NASQAN network complements other USGS national programs that are designed to address water quality at different scales. The National Water-Quality Assessment Program (Hirsch et al., 1988) is designed around river basins of 10 000 to 100 000 km2 (versus these NASQAN basins, which are 650 000 to 3 100 000 km2 at their most downstream stations). The USGS also operates the Hydrologic Benchmark Network that is focused on relatively pristine basins of only 10 to 100 km2 (Mast and Turk, 1999a,b; Clark et al., 2000; Mast et al., 2000).

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Seismic Data, January to December 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakata, Jennifer S.; Okubo, Paul G.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) summary presents seismic data gathered during the year. The seismic summary is offered without interpretation as a source of preliminary data and is complete in that most data for events of M=1.5 are included. All latitude and longitude references in this report are stated in Old Hawaiian Datum. The HVO summaries have been published in various forms since 1956. Summaries prior to 1974 were issued quarterly, but cost, convenience of preparation and distribution, and the large quantities of data necessitated an annual publication, beginning with Summary 74 for the year 1974. Beginning in 2004, summaries are simply identified by the year, rather than by summary number. Summaries originally issued as administrative reports were republished in 2007 as Open-File Reports. All the summaries since 1956 are listed at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ (last accessed September 30, 2008). In January 1986, HVO adopted CUSP (California Institute of Technology USGS Seismic Processing). Summary 86 includes a description of the seismic instrumentation, calibration, and processing used in recent years. The present summary includes background information about the seismic network to provide the end user an understanding of the processing parameters and how the data were gathered. A report by Klein and Koyanagi (1980) tabulates instrumentation, calibration, and recording history of each seismic station in the network. It is designed as a reference for users of seismograms and phase data and includes and augments the information in the station table in this summary.

Remotely Sensing Pollution: Detection and Monitoring of PCBs in the San Francisco Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, A.; Kudela, R. M.; Bausell, J.

2016-12-01

While the EPA banned polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 1977, they continue to persist in San Francisco Bay (SF Bay), often at dangerously high concentrations due to their long half-life. However, in spite of their associated health and environmental risks, PCB monitoring within SF Bay is extremely limited, due in large part to the high costs, both in terms of labor and capital that are associated with it. In this study, a cost effective alternative to in-situ PCB sampling is presented by demonstrating the feasibility of PCB detection via remote sensing. This was done by first establishing relationships between in-situ measurements of sum of 40 PCB concentrations and total suspended sediment concentration (SSC) collected from 1998-2006 at 37 stations distributed throughout SF Bay. A correlation was discovered for all stations at (R2 =0.32), which improved markedly upon partitioning stations into north bay, (R2 =0.64), central bay (R2 =0.80) and south bay (R2 =0.52) regions. SSC was then compared from three USGS monitoring stations with temporally consistent Landsat 8 imagery. The resulting correlation between Landsat 8 (Rrs 654) and SSC measured at USGS stations (R2 =0.50) was validated using an Airborne Visible/ Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) image. The end product is a two-step empirical algorithm that can derive PCB from Landsat 8 imagery within SF Bay. This algorithm can generate spatial PCB concentration maps for SF Bay, which can in turn be utilized to increase ability to forecast PCB concentration. The observation that correlation between AVIRIS (Rrs 657) and SSC was stronger than that of Landsat 8 suggests that the accuracy of this algorithm could be enhanced with improved atmospheric correction.

Stage measurement at gaging stations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, Vernon B.; Turnipseed, D. Phil

2010-01-01

Stream and reservoir stage are critical parameters in the computation of stream discharge and reservoir volume, respectively. In addition, a record of stream stage is useful in the design of structures that may be affected by stream elevation, as well as for the planning for various uses of flood plains. This report describes equipment and methodology for the observation, sensing, and recording of stage in streams and reservoirs. Although the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) still uses the traditional, basic stilling-well float system as a predominant gaging station, modern electronic stage sensors and water-level recorders are now commonly used. Bubble gages coupled with nonsubmersible pressure transducers eliminate the need for stilling wells. Submersible pressure transducers have become common in use for the measurement of stage in both rivers and lakes. Furthermore, noncontact methods, such as radar, acoustic, and laser methods of sensing water levels, are being developed and tested, and in the case of radar, are commonly used for the measurement of stage. This report describes commonly used gaging-station structures, as well as the design and operation of gaging stations. Almost all of the equipment and instruments described in this report will meet the accuracy standard set by the USGS Office of Surface Water (OSW) for the measurement of stage for most applications, which is ±0.01 foot (ft) or 0.2 percent of the effective stage. Several telemetry systems are used to transmit stage data from the gaging station to the office, although satellite telemetry has become the standard. These telemetry systems provide near real-time stage data, as well as other information that alerts the hydrographer to extreme or abnormal events, and instrument malfunctions.

Accessing northern California earthquake data via Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowicz, Barbara; Neuhauser, Douglas; Bogaert, Barbara; Oppenheimer, David

The Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) provides easy access to central and northern California digital earthquake data. It is located at the University of California, Berkeley, and is operated jointly with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, Calif., and funded by the University of California and the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. It has been accessible to users in the scientific community through Internet since mid-1992.The data center provides an on-line archive for parametric and waveform data from two regional networks: the Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN) operated by the USGS and the Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN) operated by the Seismographic Station at the University of California, Berkeley.

Quantifying the Temporal Inequality of Nutrient Loads with a Novel Metric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gall, H. E.; Schultz, D.; Rao, P. S.; Jawitz, J. W.; Royer, M.

2015-12-01

Inequality is an emergent property of many complex systems. For a given series of stochastic events, some events generate a disproportionately large contribution to system responses compared to other events. In catchments, such responses cause streamflow and solute loads to exhibit strong temporal inequality, with the vast majority of discharge and solute loads exported during short periods of time during which high-flow events occur. These periods of time are commonly referred to as "hot moments". Although this temporal inequality is widely recognized, there is currently no uniform metric for assessing it. We used a novel application of Lorenz Inequality, a method commonly used in economics to quantify income inequality, to quantify the spatial and temporal inequality of streamflow and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads exported to the Chesapeake Bay. Lorenz Inequality and the corresponding Gini Coefficient provide an analytical tool for quantifying inequality that can be applied at any temporal or spatial scale. The Gini coefficient (G) is a formal measure of inequality that varies from 0 to 1, with a value of 0 indicating perfect equality (i.e., fluxes and loads are constant in time) and 1 indicating perfect inequality (i.e., all of the discharge and solute loads are exported during one instant in time). Therefore, G is a simple yet powerful tool for providing insight into the temporal inequality of nutrient transport. We will present the results of our detailed analysis of streamflow and nutrient time series data collected since the early 1980's at 30 USGS gauging stations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The analysis is conducted at an annual time scale, enabling trends and patterns to be assessed both temporally (over time at each station) and spatially (for the same period of time across stations). The results of this analysis have the potential to create a transformative new framework for identifying "hot moments", improving our ability to temporally and spatially target implementation of best management practices to ultimately improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. This method also provides insight into the temporal scales at which hydrologic and biogeochemical variability dominate nutrient export dynamics.

Principal facts for gravity data collected in the southern Albuquerque Basin area and a regional compilation, central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillespie, Cindy L.; Grauch, V.J.S.; Oshetski, Kim; Keller, Gordon R.

2000-01-01

Principal facts for 156 new gravity stations in the southern Albuquerque basin are presented. These data fill a gap in existing data coverage. The compilation of the new data and two existing data sets into a regional data set of 5562 stations that cover the Albuquerque basin and vicinity is also described. Bouguer anomaly and isostatic residual gravity data for this regional compilation are available in digital form from ftp://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/openfile- reports/ofr-00-490.

Effects of urbanization on the magnitude and frequency of floods on small streams in Tennessee; basic data report no. 2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Clarence H.

1982-01-01

Peak stages, discharges, and rainfall recorded at 22 gaging stations on streams draining small (less than 25 mi super 2) urbanized basins across Tennessee are presented. The gaged basins are in 17 different municipalities with populations ranging between 5,000 and 100,000. The report gives a description of each gaged site along with a data sheet on which peak stages, discharges, and corresponding rainfall are listed. The description gives the station location, type of gage, basin characteristics, and general remarks. (USGS)

Total dissolved gas and water temperature in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, water year 2009: Quality-assurance data and comparison to water-quality standards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanner, Dwight Q.; Bragg, Heather M.; and Johnston, Matthew W.

2010-01-01

For the eight monitoring stations in water year 2009, a total of 99.2 percent of the TDG data were received in real time by the USGS satellite downlink and were within 1-percent saturation of the expected value on the basis of calibration data, replicate quality-control measurements in the river, and comparison to ambient river conditions at adjacent sites. Data received from the individual stations ranged from 97.0 to 100.0 percent complete.

Trends and spatial distribution of annual and seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cheung, W.H.; Senay, G.B.; Singh, A.

2008-01-01

As a country whose economy is heavily dependent on low-productivity rainfed agriculture, rainfall trends are often cited as one of the more important factors in explaining various socio-economic problems such as food insecurity. Therefore, in order to help policymakers and developers make more informed decisions, this study investigated the temporal dynamics of rainfall and its spatial distribution within Ethiopia. Changes in rainfall were examined using data from 134 stations in 13 watersheds between 1960 and 2002. The variability and trends in seasonal and annual rainfall were analysed at the watershed scale with data (1) from all available years, and (2) excluding years that lacked observations from at least 25% of the gauges. Similar analyses were also performed at the gauge, regional, and national levels. By regressing annual watershed rainfall on time, results from the one-sample t-test show no significant changes in rainfall for any of the watersheds examined. However, in our regressions of seasonal rainfall averages against time, we found a significant decline in June to September rainfall (i.e. Kiremt) for the Baro-Akobo, Omo-Ghibe, Rift Valley, and Southern Blue Nile watersheds located in the southwestern and central parts of Ethiopia. While the gauge level analysis showed that certain gauge stations experienced recent changes in rainfall, these trends are not necessarily reflected at the watershed or regional levels.

Hydrologic data for the Larimer-Weld regional water-monitoring program, Colorado, 1975-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakely, S.R.; Steinheimer, J.T.

1984-01-01

The Larimer-Weld, Colorado, regional Monitoring Program was begun in 1976 to provide information on the quality and quantity of the surface-water resources in the area. Three stations on the big Thompson River and five stations on the Cache La Poudre River were selected for a data-collection network. Four previously established stations were added to complete the data-collection network: Horsetooth Reservoir, Joe Wright Creek above and below Joe Wright Reservoir, and Michigan River near Cameron Pass. Station description, location, and period of record are given for each station. A statistical summary of the water-quality data for each station is tabulated. Frequency of occurrence is given at the 95th, 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles. Monthly water-quality data and daily average streamflow data are tabulated for each streamflow station for which this data was collected; Monthly contents data are presented for Horsetooth Reservoir. All data tabulated and summarized are from the period October 1, 1975, through September 30, 1982. (USGS)

Flood of December 1987 in central and eastern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neely, B.L.

1990-01-01

Heavy rain fell across Arkansas during December 24-28, 1987. During this period, 6 to 12 inches of rain fell in a 100-mile wide belt extending roughly from Texarkana to West Memphis, Arkansas. The intense rainfall produced flooding throughout much of central and eastern Arkansas. Peak discharges associated with the flood had recurrence intervals of 100 years at two gaging stations. Peak stages, discharges, and recurrence intervals for this flood are documented profiles for 41 gaging stations. Also included in this report are flood profiles for Bayou Meto, Bayou Two Prairie, Cache River, L'Anguille River, and flood hydrographs for gaging stations on Bayou Meto near Lonoke and Cache River at Patterson. (USGS)

Flood characteristics of streams in Owyhee County, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Riggs, H.C.; Harenberg, W.A.

1976-01-01

Channel-width measurements were used to estimate annual peaks with a recurrence interval of 10 years at 79 sites in Owyhee County, Idaho, and adjacent areas. These discharges and those from 33 gaging stations are plotted on a map of the area. The map will allow the user to interpolate between sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Bureau of Land Management density management study.

Treesearch

John Cissel; Paul Anderson; Shanti Berryman; Sam Chan; Deanna Olson; Klaus Puettman

2004-01-01

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Oregon State University (OSU) established the Density Management Study (DMS) in 1994 to develop and test options for young stand management to meet Northwest Forest Plan objectives in western Oregon. The DMS demonstrates and evaluates alternative approaches...

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanger, Elizabeth A.; Ponce, David A.

2003-01-01

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

Flood of March 1997 in southern Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jackson, K.S.; Vivian, S.A.; Diam, F.J.; Crecelius, C.J.

1997-01-01

Rainfall amounts of up to 12 inches produced by thunderstorms during March 1-2, 1997 resulted in severe flooding throughout much of southern Ohio. Eighteen counties were declared Federal and State disaster areas. Cost estimates of damage in Ohio from the flooding are nearly $180 million. About 6,500 residences and more than 800 businesses were affected by flooding. Nearly 20,000 persons were evacuated, and 5 deaths were attributed to the flooding. Record peak stage and streamflow were recorded at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations on Ohio Brush Creek near West Union and Shade River near Chester. The peak streamflow at these two locations exceeded the estimate of the 100-year-recurrence- interval peak streamflow. The recurrence intervals of peak stream flow at selected USGS streamflow gaging stations throughout southern Ohio ranged from less than 2 years to greater than 100 years. The most severe flooding in the State was generally confined to areas within 50 to 70 miles of the Ohio River. Many communities along the Ohio River experienced the worst flooding in more than 30 years.

Surface flow observations from a gauge-cam station on the Tiber river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tauro, Flavia; Porfiri, Maurizio; Petroselli, Andrea; Grimaldi, Salvatore

2016-04-01

Understanding the kinematic organization of natural water bodies is central to hydrology and environmental engineering practice. Reliable and continuous flow observations are essential to comprehend flood generation and propagation mechanisms, erosion dynamics, sediment transport, and drainage network evolution. In engineering practice, flood warning systems largely rely on real-time discharge measurements, and flow velocity monitoring is important for the design and management of hydraulic structures, such as reservoirs and hydropower plants. Traditionally, gauging stations have been equipped with water level meters, and stage-discharge relationships (rating curves) have been established through few direct discharge measurements. Only in rare instances, monitoring stations have integrated radar technology for local measurement of surface flow velocity. Establishing accurate rating curves depends on the availability of a comprehensive range of discharge values, including measurements recorded during extreme events. However, discharge values during high-flow events are often difficult or even impossible to obtain, thereby hampering the reliability of discharge predictions. Fully remote observations have been enabled in the past ten years through optics-based velocimetry techniques. Such methodologies enable the estimation of the surface flow velocity field over extended regions from the motion of naturally occurring debris or floaters dragged by the current. Resting on the potential demonstrated by such approaches, here, we present a novel permanent gauge-cam station for the observation of the flow velocity field in the Tiber river. This new station captures one-minute videos every 10 minutes over an area of up to 20.6 × 15.5m2. In a feasibility study, we demonstrate that experimental images analyzed via particle tracking velocimetry and particle image velocimetry can be used to obtain accurate surface flow velocity estimations in close agreement with radar records. Future efforts will be devoted to the development of a comprehensive testbed infrastructure for investigating the potential of multiple optics-based approaches for surface hydrology.

Application of acoustic doppler velocimeters for streamflow measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rehmel, M.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) principally has used Price AA and Price pygmy mechanical current meters for measurement of discharge. New technologies have resulted in the introduction of alternatives to the Price meters. One alternative, the FlowTracker acoustic Doppler velocimeter, was designed by SonTek/YSI to make streamflow measurements in wadeable conditions. The device measures a point velocity and can be used with standard midsection method algorithms to compute streamflow. The USGS collected 55 quality-assurance measurements with the FlowTracker at 43 different USGS streamflow-gaging stations across the United States, with mean depths from 0.05to0.67m, mean velocities from 13 to 60 cm/s, and discharges from 0.02 to 12.4m3/s. These measurements were compared with Price mechanical current meter measurements. Analysis of the comparisons shows that the FlowTracker discharges were not statistically different from the Price meter discharges at a 95% confidence level. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Evaluation of the streamflow-gaging network of Alaska in providing regional streamflow information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.

1996-01-01

In 1906, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began operating a network of streamflow-gaging stations in Alaska. The primary purpose of the streamflow- gaging network has been to provide peak flow, average flow, and low-flow characteristics to a variety of users. In 1993, the USGS began a study to evaluate the current network of 78 stations. The objectives of this study were to determine the adequacy of the existing network in predicting selected regional flow characteristics and to determine if providing additional streamflow-gaging stations could improve the network's ability to predict these characteristics. Alaska was divided into six distinct hydrologic regions: Arctic, Northwest, Southcentral, Southeast, Southwest, and Yukon. For each region, historical and current streamflow data were compiled. In Arctic, Northwest, and Southwest Alaska, insufficient data were available to develop regional regression equations. In these areas, proposed locations of streamflow-gaging stations were selected by using clustering techniques to define similar areas within a region and by spatial visual analysis using the precipitation, physiographic, and hydrologic unit maps of Alaska. Sufficient data existed in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska to use generalized least squares (GLS) procedures to develop regional regression equations to estimate the 50-year peak flow, annual average flow, and a low-flow statistic. GLS procedures were also used for Yukon Alaska but the results should be used with caution because the data do not have an adequate spatial distribution. Network analysis procedures were used for the Southcentral, Southeast, and Yukon regions. Network analysis indicates the reduction in the sampling error of the regional regression equation that can be obtained given different scenarios. For Alaska, a 10-year planning period was used. One scenario showed the results of continuing the current network with no additional gaging stations and another scenario showed the results of adding gaging stations to the network. With the exception of the annual average discharge equation for Southeast Alaska, by adding gaging stations in all three regions, the sampling error was reduced to a greater extent than by not adding gaging stations. The proposed streamflow-gaging network for Alaska consists of 308 gaging stations, of which 32 are designated as index stations. If the proposed network can not be implemented in its entirety, then a lesser cost alternative would be to establish the index stations and to implement the network for a particular region.

Flooding Associated with Typhoon Chata'an, July 5, 2002, Guam

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fontaine, Richard A.

2003-01-01

Introduction On July 5, 2002, starting at about 8 a.m., the southern half of the eye of Typhoon Chata'an passed directly over the northern part of the island of Guam. Data collected on Guam indicate that the typhoon had sustained winds of 85 to 90 miles per hour (mi/hr) with gusts of up to 115 mi/hr (Charles Guard, National Weather Service, written commun., 2003). Storm rainfall totals exceeded 21 inches (in.) over the mountainous areas in south-central Guam. During the peak of the storm, rain fell at rates of up to 6.48 inches per hour (in/hr). Because of the damage caused by Typhoon Chata'an, the President signed a major disaster declaration on July 6, 2002. Damages associated with Typhoon Chata'an, while considered moderate relative to other storms that have affected Guam, amounted to several tens of millions of dollars. In excess of 1,000 single-family and multi-family homes were either extensively damaged or destroyed. Electrical power was out for several days over most of the island and no potable water was available through public distribution systems (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2002). The extreme rainfall led to flooding in southern Guam and caused numerous landslides and severe erosion along water courses. The most significant evidence of these effects could be found in the Fena Valley Reservoir, where elevated sediment concentrations made the water unsuitable for use as a domestic water supply for several days. During normal operation, Fena Valley Reservoir supplies most of the drinking water for the military and some of the general public in southern Guam. All of the stream-gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Guam were damaged to some extent during the flood and three of the stations were totally destroyed. Peak flows in many rivers in southern Guam reached record levels during Typhoon Chata'an. New record peak stages and/or flows of record occurred at 14 of 15 sites where the USGS has collected data. In some areas, the magnitude of flood peaks exceeded previous records significantly. Peak flows had recurrence intervals of 80 years or more at 9 of the 13 sites where sufficient data were available to make the computations. Four of the 9 sites had recurrence intervals that were determined to be greater than 100 years. In this fact sheet, storm rainfall totals and maximum rainfall totals for durations of 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-hours are summarized for 12 rain gages on Guam. Peak stages and/or flows were computed at 15 USGS streamflow-gaging stations and recurrence intervals for the peaks determined. Rainfall and streamflow-gaging stations operated by the USGS on Guam are supported by funding provided by numerous agencies including the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the University of Guam through the Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI). The USGS Office of Surface Water, as part of a national program to document the effects of extreme floods in the United States, provided funding to support the preparation of this fact sheet.

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

Aziz, Mohd Khairul Bazli Mohd, E-mail: mkbazli@yahoo.com; Yusof, Fadhilah, E-mail: fadhilahy@utm.my; Daud, Zalina Mohd, E-mail: zalina@ic.utm.my

Recently, many rainfall network design techniques have been developed, discussed and compared by many researchers. Present day hydrological studies require higher levels of accuracy from collected data. In numerous basins, the rain gauge stations are located without clear scientific understanding. In this study, an attempt is made to redesign rain gauge network for Johor, Malaysia in order to meet the required level of accuracy preset by rainfall data users. The existing network of 84 rain gauges in Johor is optimized and redesigned into a new locations by using rainfall, humidity, solar radiation, temperature and wind speed data collected during themore » monsoon season (November - February) of 1975 until 2008. This study used the combination of geostatistics method (variance-reduction method) and simulated annealing as the algorithm of optimization during the redesigned proses. The result shows that the new rain gauge location provides minimum value of estimated variance. This shows that the combination of geostatistics method (variance-reduction method) and simulated annealing is successful in the development of the new optimum rain gauge system.« less

Geodetic Infrastructure in the Ibiza and Barcelona Harbours for Sea Level Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, J. J.; Gili, J.; Lopez, R.; Tapia, A.; Perez, B.; Pros, F.

2013-12-01

The presentation is directed to the description of the actual situation and relevant information of the geodetic infrastructure of Ibiza and Barcelona sites for sea level determination and contribution to regional sea level rise. Time series are being analysed for mean sea level variations www.puertos.es. .In the framework of a Spanish Space Project, the instrumentation of sea level measurements has been improved by providing the Barcelona site with a radar tide gauge Datamar 2000C from Geonica s.l. near an acoustic tide gauge. Puertos del Estado installed in 2007 a MIROS radar tide gauge and the Barcelona Harbour Authority a GPS referente station in the roof of the new Control Tower situated in the Energy Pier. The radar sensor is over the water surface, on a L-shaped structure which elevates it a few meters above the quay shelf. 1-min data are transmitted to the ENAGAS Control Center by cable and then sent each 1 min to Puertos del Estado by e-mail. There is a GPS station Leica Geosystems GRX1200 GG Pro and antenna 1202. Precision levelling has been made several times in the last two years because the tower is founded in reclaimed land. The measured settlement rate is about 1cm/year that may be could mask the values registered by the tide gauge. A description of the actual infrastructure at Ibiza harbour at Marina de Botafoch, is presented and its applications to sea level monitoring and altimeter calibration in support of the main CGPS at Ibiza harbour. It is described the geometrical precision levelling made in June 2013 between the radar tide gauge and the GPS station. In particular, the CGPS located at Ibiza harbour is essential for its application to the marine campaign Baleares 2013, near Ibiza island. The main objective is to determine the altimeter bias for Jason-2, about 9:09 UTC September 15, 2013, and Saral/AltiKa, about 05:30 UTC September 16, UTC. These activities has been received funding of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under Spanish National Project CGL2009-13435/CLI.

Importance of large-scale bathymetry features on 2011 Tohoku tsunami waveforms through comparison of simulations with the spatially dense ALBACORE OBS array data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, M. D.; Lynett, P. J.; Legg, M. R.; Weeraratne, D. S.

2012-12-01

In March 2011, a deployment of ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) off the coast of Southern California recorded the tsunami resulting from the Mw=9.0 Tohoku, Japan earthquake with very high spatial resolution. The ALBACORE (Asthenosphere and Lithosphere Broadband Architecture from the California Offshore Region Experiment) OBS array spanned a region that was 150 km north-south by 400 km east-west, extending into deep open ocean west of the Patton escarpment. In that array, 22 stations with a spacing of 75 km had differential pressure gauges (DPGs) that recorded water pressure waveform data continuously at 50 samples/second. The DPG tsunami records across the entire array show multiple large-amplitude, coherent phases arriving one hour to more than 36 hours after the initial tsunami phase. To determine the source of the large-amplitude coherent phases, gravity ocean wave propagation calculations were carried out for the Pacific Ocean. Simulated pressure waveforms were compared with data for the ALBACORE stations, as well as for the NOAA DART buoys. The linear, non-dispersive shallow-water simulations include bottom frictional effects, and use the USGS NEIC Tohoku slip model and ETOPO2 (two-minute spatial resolution) bathymetry. The predicted travel times of the initial arrivals are found to be less than 1% different from the observed travel times in the southern California ALBACORE DPG data. In order to gauge the effects of large-scale features in Pacific Ocean bathymetry, several large-scale features were individually removed, and simulations were carried out for the modified bathymetry. The removed features include the Emperor Seamount chain, Hawaiian Islands, Oceania, French Polynesia, and the South American coastline. The results show that the removal of these features has an effect on the arrival time of the phases that depends on the feature proximity to the direct path, but their removal does not have a significant effect on the frequency content or phase amplitudes of the waves. The direct paths recorded in Southern California indicate that the tsunami wave did not interfere with distant above-water features such as the Aleutians, but was diffracted around Point Conception in the California coastline and around southern California islands. It is more likely that the scattered phases are the result of wave reflections off the western Japan coastline, or interactions with local structures such as the central-southern California coastline, plateaus beneath the Channel Islands, and the Patton Escarpment.

49 CFR 239.101 - Emergency preparedness plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... gauge roller bandage that is at least two inches wide; (F) Wound cleaning agent, such as sealed...) Station signs or video monitors; (F) Public service announcements; or (G) Seat drops. (b) [Reserved] ...

49 CFR 239.101 - Emergency preparedness plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... gauge roller bandage that is at least two inches wide; (F) Wound cleaning agent, such as sealed...) Station signs or video monitors; (F) Public service announcements; or (G) Seat drops. (b) [Reserved] ...

49 CFR 239.101 - Emergency preparedness plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... gauge roller bandage that is at least two inches wide; (F) Wound cleaning agent, such as sealed...) Station signs or video monitors; (F) Public service announcements; or (G) Seat drops. (8) Procedures...

49 CFR 239.101 - Emergency preparedness plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... gauge roller bandage that is at least two inches wide; (F) Wound cleaning agent, such as sealed...) Station signs or video monitors; (F) Public service announcements; or (G) Seat drops. (b) [Reserved] ...

Cost effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging program in Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mades, D.M.; Oberg, K.A.

1984-01-01

Data uses and funding sources were identified for 138 continuous-record discharge-gaging stations currently (1983) operated as part of the stream-gaging program in Illinois. Streamflow data from five of those stations are used only for regional hydrology studies. Most streamflow data are used for defining regional hydrology, defining rainfall-runoff relations, flood forecasting, regulating navigation systems, and water-quality sampling. Based on the evaluations of data use and of alternative methods for determining streamflow in place of stream gaging, no stations in the 1983 stream-gaging program should be deactivated. The current budget (in 1983 dollars) for operating the 138-station program is $768,000 per year. The average standard error of instantaneous discharge for the current practice for visiting the gaging stations is 36.5 percent. Missing stage record accounts for one-third of the 36.5 percent average standard error. (USGS)

How useful is LiDAR in establishing a stream gauging network in a tropical experimental forest

Treesearch

Boris Poff; Daniel G. Neary; Gregory P. Asner

2008-01-01

In the late summer of 2007 the Institute for Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF), which is part of the US Forest Service Pacific Southwestern Research Station, asked the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station's (RMRS) Air, Water and Aquatic Program's (AWA) Southwest Watershed Science Team for assistance in the establishing baseline data in the initial phase of a...

Evaporation from weighing precipitation gauges: impacts on automated gauge measurements and quality assurance methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leeper, R. D.; Kochendorfer, J.

2015-06-01

Evaporation from a precipitation gauge can cause errors in the amount of measured precipitation. For automated weighing-bucket gauges, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) suggests the use of evaporative suppressants and frequent observations to limit these biases. However, the use of evaporation suppressants is not always feasible due to environmental hazards and the added cost of maintenance, transport, and disposal of the gauge additive. In addition, research has suggested that evaporation prior to precipitation may affect precipitation measurements from auto-recording gauges operating at sub-hourly frequencies. For further evaluation, a field campaign was conducted to monitor evaporation and its impacts on the quality of precipitation measurements from gauges used at U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) stations. Two Geonor gauges were collocated, with one gauge using an evaporative suppressant (referred to as Geonor-NonEvap) and the other with no suppressant (referred to as Geonor-Evap) to evaluate evaporative losses and evaporation biases on precipitation measurements. From June to August, evaporative losses from the Geonor-Evap gauge exceeded accumulated precipitation, with an average loss of 0.12 mm h-1. The impact of evaporation on precipitation measurements was sensitive to the choice of calculation method. In general, the pairwise method that utilized a longer time series to smooth out sensor noise was more sensitive to gauge evaporation (-4.6% bias with respect to control) than the weighted-average method that calculated depth change over a smaller window (<+1% bias). These results indicate that while climate and gauge design affect gauge evaporation rates, computational methods also influence the magnitude of evaporation biases on precipitation measurements. This study can be used to advance quality insurance (QA) techniques used in other automated networks to mitigate the impact of evaporation biases on precipitation measurements.

Analysis of floods, including the tropical storm Irene inundation, of the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, Bridgewater, and Killington and of Reservoir Brook in Bridgewater and Plymouth, Vermont

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Robert H.

2014-01-01

In addition to the two digital flood inundation maps, flood profiles were created that depict the study reach flood elevation of tropical storm Irene of August 2011 and the 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEP floods, also known as the 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year floods, respectively. The 10-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent AEP flood discharges were determined using annual peak flow data from the USGS Ottauquechee River near West Bridgewater, Vt. streamgage (station 01150900). Flood profiles were computed for the Ottauquechee River and Reservoir Brook by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using documented high-water marks of the peak of the tropical storm Irene flood of August 2011 as well as stage discharge data as determined for USGS Ottauquechee River near West Bridgewater, Vt. streamgage (station 01150900). The simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a digital elevation model within a geographic information system to delineate the areas flooded during tropical storm Irene and for the 1-percent AEP water-surface profile. The digital elevation model data were derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data obtained for a 3,281-foot (1,000-meter) corridor along the Ottauquechee River study reach and were augmented with 33-foot (10- meter) contour interval data in the modeled flood-inundation areas outside the lidar corridor. The 33-foot (10-meter) contour interval USGS 15-minute quadrangle topographic digital raster graphics map used to augment lidar data was produced at a scale of 1:24,000. The digital flood inundation maps and flood profiles along with information regarding current stage from USGS streamgages on the Internet provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

The Southern Kansas Seismic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terra, F. M.

2015-12-01

Historically aseismic Harper and Sumner counties in Southern Kansas experienced a dramatic increase in seismicity beginning in early 2014, coincident with the development of new oil production in the Mississippi Lime Play. In order to better understand the potential relationships between seismicity and oil development, the USGS installed a real-time telemetered seismic network in cooperation with the Kansas Geological Survey, the Kansas Corporation Commission, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Harper County, and the Oklahoma Geological Survey. The network began operation in March 2014 with an initial deployment of 5 NetQuakes accelerometers and by July 2014 had expanded to include 10 broadband sites. The network currently has 14 stations, all with accelerometers and 12 with broadband seismometers. The network has interstation spacing of 15 - 25 km and typical azimuthal gap of 80 for well-located events. Data are continuously streamed to IRIS at 200 samples per second from most sites. Earthquake locations are augmented with additional stations from the USGS National Network, Oklahoma Geological Survey Seismic Network, Kansas Seismic Monitoring Network and the Enid Oklahoma Network. Since the spring of 2014 over 7500 earthquakes have been identified with data from this network, 1400 of which have been manually timed and cataloged. Focal depths for earthquakes typically range between 2 and 7 km. The catalog is available at earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/ under network code 'Ismpkansas'. The network recorded the largest known earthquake in Harper County, Mw 4.3, on October 2, 2014 and in Sumner County, Mw 4.9, on November 12, 2014. Recorded ground motions at the epicenter of the October earthquake were 0.70 g (PGA) and 12 cm/s (PGV). These high ground motion values agree with near-source recordings made by other USGS temporary deployments in the U. S. midcontinent, indicating a significant shaking hazard from such shallow, moderate-magnitude earthquakes.

Bathymetry and capacity of Blackfoot Reservoir, Caribou County, Idaho, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Molly S.; Skinner, Kenneth D.; Fosness, Ryan L.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, surveyed the bathymetry and selected above-water sections of Blackfoot Reservoir, Caribou County, Idaho, in 2011. Reservoir operators manage releases from Government Dam on Blackfoot Reservoir based on a stage-capacity relation developed about the time of dam construction in the early 1900s. Reservoir operation directly affects the amount of water that is available for irrigation of agricultural land on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and surrounding areas. The USGS surveyed the below-water sections of the reservoir using a multibeam echosounder and real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS) equipment at full reservoir pool in June 2011, covering elevations from 6,090 to 6,119 feet (ft) above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). The USGS used data from a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey performed in 2000 to map reservoir bathymetry from 6,116 to 6,124 ft NAVD 88, which were mostly in depths too shallow to measure with the multibeam echosounder, and most of the above-water section of the reservoir (above 6,124 ft NAVD 88). Selected points and bank erosional features were surveyed by the USGS using RTK-GPS and a total station at low reservoir pool in September 2011 to supplement and verify the LiDAR data. The stage-capacity relation was revised and presented in a tabular format. The datasets show a 2.0-percent decrease in capacity from the original survey, due to sedimentation or differences in accuracy between surveys. A 1.3-percent error also was detected in the previously used capacity table and measured water-level elevation because of questionable reference elevation at monitoring stations near Government Dam. Reservoir capacity in 2011 at design maximum pool of 6,124 ft above NAVD 88 was 333,500 acre-ft.

Flood-inundation maps for the White River at Noblesville, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Zachary W.

2017-11-02

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 7.5-mile reach of the White River at Noblesville, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the White River at Noblesville, Ind., streamgage (USGS station number 03349000). Real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at the same site as the USGS streamgage (NWS site NBLI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional, step-backwater hydraulic modeling software developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated using the current (2016) stage-discharge rating at the USGS streamgage 03349000, White River at Noblesville, Ind., and documented high-water marks from the floods of September 4, 2003, and May 6, 2017. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 15 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from 10.0 ft (the NWS “action stage”) to 24.0 ft, which is the highest stage interval of the current (2016) USGS stage-discharge rating curve and 2 ft higher than the NWS “major flood stage.” The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each stage.The availability of these maps, along with internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage and forecasted high-flow stages from the NWS, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

Estimating suspended sediment load with multivariate adaptive regression spline, teaching-learning based optimization, and artificial bee colony models.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Banu; Aras, Egemen; Nacar, Sinan; Kankal, Murat

2018-05-23

The functional life of a dam is often determined by the rate of sediment delivery to its reservoir. Therefore, an accurate estimate of the sediment load in rivers with dams is essential for designing and predicting a dam's useful lifespan. The most credible method is direct measurements of sediment input, but this can be very costly and it cannot always be implemented at all gauging stations. In this study, we tested various regression models to estimate suspended sediment load (SSL) at two gauging stations on the Çoruh River in Turkey, including artificial bee colony (ABC), teaching-learning-based optimization algorithm (TLBO), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). These models were also compared with one another and with classical regression analyses (CRA). Streamflow values and previously collected data of SSL were used as model inputs with predicted SSL data as output. Two different training and testing dataset configurations were used to reinforce the model accuracy. For the MARS method, the root mean square error value was found to range between 35% and 39% for the test two gauging stations, which was lower than errors for other models. Error values were even lower (7% to 15%) using another dataset. Our results indicate that simultaneous measurements of streamflow with SSL provide the most effective parameter for obtaining accurate predictive models and that MARS is the most accurate model for predicting SSL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Precipitation interpolation in mountainous areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolberg, Sjur

2015-04-01

Different precipitation interpolation techniques as well as external drift covariates are tested and compared in a 26000 km2 mountainous area in Norway, using daily data from 60 stations. The main method of assessment is cross-validation. Annual precipitation in the area varies from below 500 mm to more than 2000 mm. The data were corrected for wind-driven undercatch according to operational standards. While temporal evaluation produce seemingly acceptable at-station correlation values (on average around 0.6), the average daily spatial correlation is less than 0.1. Penalising also bias, Nash-Sutcliffe R2 values are negative for spatial correspondence, and around 0.15 for temporal. Despite largely violated assumptions, plain Kriging produces better results than simple inverse distance weighting. More surprisingly, the presumably 'worst-case' benchmark of no interpolation at all, simply averaging all 60 stations for each day, actually outperformed the standard interpolation techniques. For logistic reasons, high altitudes are under-represented in the gauge network. The possible effect of this was investigated by a) fitting a precipitation lapse rate as an external drift, and b) applying a linear model of orographic enhancement (Smith and Barstad, 2004). These techniques improved the results only marginally. The gauge density in the region is one for each 433 km2; higher than the overall density of the Norwegian national network. Admittedly the cross-validation technique reduces the gauge density, still the results suggest that we are far from able to provide hydrological models with adequate data for the main driving force.

Hydro-climatic data network (HCDN); a U.S. Geological Survey streamflow data set for the United States for the study of climate variations, 1874-1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slack, J.R.; Landwehr, Jurate Maciunas

1992-01-01

Records of streamflow can provide an account of climatic variation over a hydrologic basin. The ability to do so is conditioned on the absence of confounding factors that diminish the climate signal. A national data set of streamflow records that are relatively free of confounding anthropogenic influences has been developed for the purpose of studying the variation in surface-water conditions throughout the United States. Records in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE) data base for active and discontinued streamflow gaging stations through water year 1988 (that is, through September 30, 1988) were reviewed jointly with data specialists in each USGS District office. The resulting collection of stations, each with its respective period of record satisfying the qualifying criteria, is called the Hydro-Climatic Data Network, or HCDN. The HCDN consists of 1,659 sites throughout the United States and its territories, totaling 73,231 water years of daily mean discharge values. For each station in the HCDN, information necessary for its identification, along with any qualifying comments about the available record and a set of descriptive watershed characteristics are provided in tabular format in this report, both on paper and on computer disk (enclosed). For each station in the HCDN, the appropriate daily mean discharge values were compiled, and statistical characteristics, including monthly mean discharges and annual mean, minimum and maximum discharges, were derived. The discharge data values are provided in a companion report.

Long-term autonomous volcanic gas monitoring with Multi-GAS at Mount St. Helens, Washington, and Augustine Volcano, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, P. J.; Ketner, D. M.; Kern, C.; Lahusen, R. G.; Lockett, C.; Parker, T.; Paskievitch, J.; Pauk, B.; Rinehart, A.; Werner, C. A.

2015-12-01

In recent years, the USGS Volcano Hazards Program has worked to implement continuous real-time in situ volcanic gas monitoring at volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska. The main goal of this ongoing effort is to better link the compositions of volcanic gases to other real-time monitoring data, such as seismicity and deformation, in order to improve baseline monitoring and early detection of volcanic unrest. Due to the remote and difficult-to-access nature of volcanic-gas monitoring sites in the Cascades and Alaska, we developed Multi-GAS instruments that can operate unattended for long periods of time with minimal direct maintenance from field personnel. Our Multi-GAS stations measure H2O, CO2, SO2, and H2S gas concentrations, are comprised entirely of commercial off-the-shelf components, and are powered by small solar energy systems. One notable feature of our Multi-GAS stations is that they include a unique capability to perform automated CO2, SO2, and H2S sensor verifications using portable gas standards while deployed in the field, thereby allowing for rigorous tracking of sensor performances. In addition, we have developed novel onboard data-processing routines that allow diagnostic and monitoring data - including gas ratios (e.g. CO2/SO2) - to be streamed in real time to internal observatory and public web pages without user input. Here we present over one year of continuous data from a permanent Multi-GAS station installed in August 2014 in the crater of Mount St. Helens, Washington, and several months of data from a station installed near the summit of Augustine Volcano, Alaska in June 2015. Data from the Mount St. Helens Multi-GAS station has been streaming to a public USGS site since early 2015, a first for a permanent Multi-GAS site. Neither station has detected significant changes in gas concentrations or compositions since they were installed, consistent with low levels of seismicity and deformation.

Evaporation from weighing precipitation gauges: impacts on automated gauge measurements and quality assurance methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leeper, R. D.; Kochendorfer, J.

2014-12-01

The effects of evaporation on precipitation measurements have been understood to bias total precipitation lower. For automated weighing-bucket gauges, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) suggests the use of evaporative suppressants with frequent observations. However, the use of evaporation suppressants is not always feasible due to environmental hazards and the added cost of maintenance, transport, and disposal of the gauge additive. In addition, research has suggested that evaporation prior to precipitation may affect precipitation measurements from auto-recording gauges operating at sub-hourly frequencies. For further evaluation, a field campaign was conducted to monitor evaporation and its impacts on the quality of precipitation measurements from gauges used at US Climate Reference Network (USCRN) stations. Collocated Geonor gauges with (nonEvap) and without (evap) an evaporative suppressant were compared to evaluate evaporative losses and evaporation biases on precipitation measurements. From June to August, evaporative losses from the evap gauge exceeded accumulated precipitation, with an average loss of 0.12 mm h-1. However, the impact of evaporation on precipitation measurements was sensitive to calculation methods. In general, methods that utilized a longer time series to smooth out sensor noise were more sensitive to gauge (-4.6% bias with respect to control) evaporation than methods computing depth change without smoothing (< +1% bias). These results indicate that while climate and gauge design affect gauge evaporation rates computational methods can influence the magnitude of evaporation bias on precipitation measurements. It is hoped this study will advance QA techniques that mitigate the impact of evaporation biases on precipitation measurements from other automated networks.

USGS Field Activities 11CEV01 and 11CEV02 on the West Florida Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, in January and February 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Knorr, Paul O.; Daly, Kendra L.; Taylor, Carl A.

2014-01-01

During January and February 2011 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the University of South Florida (USF), conducted geochemical surveys on the west Florida Shelf. Data collected will allow USGS and USF scientists to investigate the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically, the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. This work is part of a larger USGS study on Climate and Environmental Variability (CEV). The first cruise was conducted from January 3 – 7 (11CEV01) and the second from February 17 - 27 (11CEV02). To view each cruise's survey lines, please see the Trackline page. Both cruises took place aboard the R/V Weatherbird II, a ship of opportunity led by Dr. Kendra Daly (USF), which departed and returned from Saint Petersburg, Florida. Data collection included sampling of the surface and water column (referred to as station samples) with lab analysis of pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and total alkalinity. Augmenting the lab analysis was a continuous flow-through system with a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) sensor, which also recorded salinity, and pH. Corroborating the USGS data are the vertical CTD profiles collected by USF. The CTD casts measured continuous vertical profiles of oxygen, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and transmissometer. Discrete samples for nutrients, chlorophyll, and particulate organic carbon/nitrogen were also collected during the CTD casts.

Water level monitoring using radar remote sensing data: Application to Lake Kivu, central Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munyaneza, Omar; Wali, Umaru G.; Uhlenbrook, Stefan; Maskey, Shreedhar; Mlotha, McArd J.

Satellite radar altimetry measures the time required for a pulse to travel from the satellite antenna to the earth’s surface and back to the satellite receiver. Altimetry on inland lakes generally shows some deviation from in situ level measurements. The deviation is attributed to the geographically varying corrections applied to account for atmospheric effects on radar waves. This study was focused on verification of altimetry data for Lake Kivu (2400 km 2), a large inland lake between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and estimating the lake water levels using bathymetric data combined with satellite images. Altimetry data obtained from ENVISAT and ERS-2 satellite missions were compared with water level data from gauging stations for Lake Kivu. Gauge data for Lake Kivu were collected from the stations ELECTROGAZ and Rusizi. ENVISAT and ERS-2 data sets for Lake Kivu are in good agreement with gauge data having R2 of 0.86 and 0.77, respectively. A combination of the two data sets improved the coefficient of determination to 95% due to the improved temporal resolution of the data sets. The calculated standard deviation for Lake Kivu water levels was 0.642 m and 0.701 m, for ENVISAT and ERS-2 measurements, respectively. The elevation-surface area characteristics derived from bathymetric data in combination with satellite images were used to estimate the lake level gauge. Consequently, the water level of Lake Kivu could be estimated with an RMSE of 0.294 m and an accuracy of ±0.58 m. In situations where gauges become malfunctioning or inaccessible due to damage or extreme meteorological events, the method can be used to ensure data continuity.

Airborne geoid mapping of land and sea areas of East Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamil, H.; Kadir, M.; Forsberg, R.; Olesen, A.; Isa, M. N.; Rasidi, S.; Mohamed, A.; Chihat, Z.; Nielsen, E.; Majid, F.; Talib, K.; Aman, S.

2017-02-01

This paper describes the development of a new geoid-based vertical datum from airborne gravity data, by the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia, on land and in the South China Sea out of the coast of East Malaysia region, covering an area of about 610,000 square kilometres. More than 107,000 km flight line of airborne gravity data over land and marine areas of East Malaysia has been combined to provide a seamless land-to-sea gravity field coverage; with an estimated accuracy of better than 2.0 mGal. The iMAR-IMU processed gravity anomaly data has been used during a 2014-2016 airborne survey to extend a composite gravity solution across a number of minor gaps on selected lines, using a draping technique. The geoid computations were all done with the GRAVSOFT suite of programs from DTU-Space. EGM2008 augmented with GOCE spherical harmonic model has been used to spherical harmonic degree N = 720. The gravimetric geoid first was tied at one tide-gauge (in Kota Kinabalu, KK2019) to produce a fitted geoid, my_geoid2017_fit_kk. The fitted geoid was offset from the gravimetric geoid by +0.852 m, based on the comparison at the tide-gauge benchmark KK2019. Consequently, orthometric height at the six other tide gauge stations was computed from HGPS Lev = hGPS - Nmy_geoid2017_.t_kk. Comparison of the conventional (HLev) and GPS-levelling heights (HGPS Lev) at the six tide gauge locations indicate RMS height difference of 2.6 cm. The final gravimetric geoidwas fitted to the seven tide gauge stations and is known as my_geoid2017_fit_east. The accuracy of the gravimetric geoid is estimated to be better than 5 cm across most of East Malaysia land and marine areas

Comparison of spatial interpolation of rainfall with emphasis on extreme events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Kanwal; Duan, Zheng; Disse, Markus

2017-04-01

The sparse network of rain-gauges has always motivated the scientists to find more robust ways to include the spatial variability of precipitation. Turning Bands Simulation, External Drift Kriging, Copula and Random Mixing are amongst one of them. Remote sensing Technologies i.e., radar and satellite estimations are widely known to provide a spatial profile of the precipitation, however during extreme events the accuracy of the resulted areal precipitation is still under discussion. The aim is to compare the areal hourly precipitation results of a flood event from RADOLAN (Radar online adjustment) with the gridded rainfall obtained via Turning Bands Simulation (TBM) and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method. The comparison is mainly focused on performing the uncertainty analysis of the areal precipitation through the said simulation and remote sensing technique for the Upper Main Catchment. The comparison of the results obtained from TBM, IDW and RADOLAN show considerably similar results near the rain gauge stations, but the degree of ambiguity elevates with the increasing distance from the gauge stations. Future research will be carried out to compare the forecasted gridded precipitation simulations with the real-time rainfall forecast system (RADVOR) to make the flood evacuation process more robust and efficient.

Validation of crowdsourced automatic rain gauge measurements in Amsterdam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vos, Lotte; Leijnse, Hidde; Overeem, Aart; Uijlenhoet, Remko

2016-04-01

The increasing number of privately owned weather stations and the facilitating role the internet to make this data publicly available, has led to several online platforms that collect and visualize crowdsourced weather data. This has resulted in ever increasing freely available datasets of weather measurements generated by amateur weather enthusiasts. Because of the lack of quality control and the frequent absence of metadata, these measurements are often considered as unreliable. Given the often large variability of weather variables in space and time, and the generally low number of official weather stations, this growing quantity of crowdsourced data may become an important additional source of information. Amateur weather observations have become more frequent over the past decade due to weather stations becoming more user-friendly and affordable. The variables measured by these weather stations are temperature, pressure and dew point, and in some cases wind and rainfall. Meteorological data from crowdsourced automatic weather stations in cities have primarily been used to examine the urban heat island effect. Thus far, these studies have focused on the comparison of the crowdsourced station temperature measurements with a nearby WMO-standard weather station, which is often located in a rural area or the outskirts of a city, generally not being representative of the city center. Instead of temperature, the rainfall measurements by the stations are examined. This research focuses on the combined ability of a large number of privately owned weather stations in an urban setting to correctly monitor rainfall. A set of 64 automatic weather stations distributed over Amsterdam (The Netherlands) that have at least 3 months of precipitation measurement during one year are evaluated. Precipitation measurements from stations are compared to a merged radar-gauge precipitation product. Disregarding sudden jumps in station measured precipitation, the accumulative rainfall over time in most stations showed an underestimation of rainfall compared to the accumulative values found in the corresponding radar pixel of the reference. Special consideration is given to the identification of faulty measurements without the need to obtain additional meta-data, such as setup and surroundings. This validation will show the potential of crowdsourced automatic weather stations for future urban rainfall monitoring.

Flood-inundation maps for the Big Blue River at Shelbyville, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, Kathleen K.

2017-02-13

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 4.1-mile reach of the Big Blue River at Shelbyville, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The floodinundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at https://water. usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Big Blue River at Shelbyville, Ind. (station number 03361500). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata. usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at https://water.weather.gov/ ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site (SBVI3). Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Big Blue River at Shelbyville, Ind., streamgage. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 9.0 feet, or near bankfull, to 19.4 feet, the highest stage of the current stage-discharge rating curve. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging [lidar] data having a 0.98-foot vertical accuracy and 4.9-foot horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage at the Big Blue River at Shelbyville, Ind., and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Simulation of Runoff and Reservoir Inflow for Use in a Flood-Analysis Model for the Delaware River, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goode, Daniel J.; Koerkle, Edward H.; Hoffman, Scott A.; Regan, R. Steve; Hay, Lauren E.; Markstrom, Steven L.

2010-01-01

A model was developed to simulate inflow to reservoirs and watershed runoff to streams during three high-flow events between September 2004 and June 2006 for the main-stem subbasin of the Delaware River draining to Trenton, N.J. The model software is a modified version of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS), a modular, physically based, distributed-parameter modeling system developed to evaluate the impacts of various combinations of precipitation, climate, and land use on surface-water runoff and general basin hydrology. The PRMS model simulates time periods associated with main-stem flooding that occurred in September 2004, April 2005, and June 2006 and uses both daily and hourly time steps. Output from the PRMS model was formatted for use as inflows to a separately documented reservoir and riverrouting model, the HEC-ResSim model, developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center to evaluate flooding. The models were integrated through a graphical user interface. The study area is the 6,780 square-mile watershed of the Delaware River in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York that drains to Trenton, N.J. A geospatial database was created for use with a geographic information system to assist model discretization, determine land-surface characterization, and estimate model parameters. The USGS National Elevation Dataset at 100-meter resolution, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), was used for model discretization into streams and hydrologic response units. In addition, geospatial processing was used to estimate initial model parameters from the DEM and other data layers, including land use. The model discretization represents the study area using 869 hydrologic response units and 452 stream segments. The model climate data for point stations were obtained from multiple sources. These sources included daily data for 22 National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Climate Station network stations, hourly data for 15 stations from the National Climatic Data Center, hourly data for 1 station from the NWS Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center records, and daily and hourly data for 7 stations operated by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The NWS Multisensor Precipitation Estimate data set for 2001-2007 was used for computing daily precipitation for the model and for computing hourly precipitation for storm simulation periods. Calibration of the PRMS model included regression and optimization algorithms, as well as manual adjustments of model parameters. The general goal of the calibration procedure was to minimize the difference between discharge measured at USGS streamgages and the corresponding discharge simulated by the model. Daily streamflow data from 35 USGS streamgages were used in model calibration. The streamflow data represent areas draining from 20.2 to 6,780 square miles. The PRMS model simulates reservoir inflow and watershed runoff for use as input into HECResSim for the purpose of evaluating and comparing the effects of different watershed conditions on main-stem flooding in the Delaware River watershed draining to Trenton, N.J. The PRMS model is useful as a planning tool to simulate the effects of land-use changes and different antecedent conditions on local runoff and reservoir inflow and, as input to the HEC-ResSim model, on flood flows in the main stem of the Delaware River.

Inferring Aquifer Transmissivity from River Flow Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trichakis, Ioannis; Pistocchi, Alberto

2016-04-01

Daily streamflow data is the measurable result of many different hydrological processes within a basin; therefore, it includes information about all these processes. In this work, recession analysis applied to a pan-European dataset of measured streamflow was used to estimate hydrogeological parameters of the aquifers that contribute to the stream flow. Under the assumption that base-flow in times of no precipitation is mainly due to groundwater, we estimated parameters of European shallow aquifers connected with the stream network, and identified on the basis of the 1:1,500,000 scale Hydrogeological map of Europe. To this end, Master recession curves (MRCs) were constructed based on the RECESS model of the USGS for 1601 stream gauge stations across Europe. The process consists of three stages. Firstly, the model analyses the stream flow time-series. Then, it uses regression to calculate the recession index. Finally, it infers characteristics of the aquifer from the recession index. During time-series analysis, the model identifies those segments, where the number of successive recession days is above a certain threshold. The reason for this pre-processing lies in the necessity for an adequate number of points when performing regression at a later stage. The recession index derives from the semi-logarithmic plot of stream flow over time, and the post processing involves the calculation of geometrical parameters of the watershed through a GIS platform. The program scans the full stream flow dataset of all the stations. For each station, it identifies the segments with continuous recession that exceed a predefined number of days. When the algorithm finds all the segments of a certain station, it analyses them and calculates the best linear fit between time and the logarithm of flow. The algorithm repeats this procedure for the full number of segments, thus it calculates many different values of recession index for each station. After the program has found all the recession segments, it performs calculations to determine the expression for the MRC. Further processing of the MRCs can yield estimates of transmissivity or response time representative of the aquifers upstream of the station. These estimates can be useful for large scale (e.g. continental) groundwater modelling. The above procedure allowed calculating values of transmissivity for a large share of European aquifers, ranging from Tmin = 4.13E-04 m²/d to Tmax = 8.12E+03 m²/d, with an average value Taverage = 9.65E+01 m²/d. These results are in line with the literature, indicating that the procedure may provide realistic results for large-scale groundwater modelling. In this contribution we present the results in the perspective of their application for the parameterization of a pan-European bi-dimensional shallow groundwater flow model.

Daily Temperature and Precipitation Data for 223 Former-USSR Stations (NDP-040)

DOE Data Explorer

Razuvaev, V. N. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre; Apasova, E. B. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre; Martuganov, R. A. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre

1990-01-01

The stations in this dataset are considered by RIHMI to comprise one of the best networks suitable for temperature and precipitation monitoring over the the former-USSR. Factors involved in choosing these 223 stations included length or record, amount of missing data, and achieving reasonably good geographic coverage. There are indeed many more stations with daily data over this part of the world, and hundreds more station records are available through NOAA's Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCND) database. The 223 stations comprising this database are included in GHCND, but different data processing, updating, and quality assurance methods/checks mean that the agreement between records will vary depending on the station. The relative quality and accuracy of the common station records in the two databases also cannot be easily assessed. As of this writing, most of the common stations contained in the GHCND have more recent records, but not necessarily records starting as early as the records available here. This database contains four variables: daily mean, minimum, and maximum temperature, and daily total precipitation (liquid equivalent). Temperature were taken three times a day from 1881-1935, four times a day from 1936-65, and eight times a day since 1966. Daily mean temperature is defined as the average of all observations for each calendar day. Daily maximum/minimum temperatures are derived from maximum/minimum thermometer measurements. See the measurement description file for further details. Daily precipitation totals are also available (to the nearest tenth of a millimeter) for each station. Throughout the record, daily precipitation is defined as the total amount of precipitation recorded during a 24-h period, snowfall being converted to a liquid total by melting the snow in the gauge. From 1936 on, rain gauges were checked several times each day; the cumulative total of all observations during a calendar day was presumably used as the daily total. Again, see the measurement description file for further details.

Application of Jason-2/3 Altimetry for Virtual Gauging and Flood Forecasting in Mekong Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H.; Hossain, F.; Okeowo, M. A.; Nguyen, L. D.; Bui, D. D.; Chang, C. H.

2016-12-01

Vietnam suffers from both flood and drought during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, due to its highly varying surface water resources. However, the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (NAWAPI) states that only 7 surface water monitoring stations have been constructed in Central and Highland Central regions with 100 station planned to be constructed by 2030 throughout Vietnam. For the Mekong Delta (MD), the Mekong River Commission (MRC) provides 7-day river level forecasting, but only at the two gauge stations located near the border between Cambodia and Vietnam (http://ffw.mrcmekong.org/south.htm). In order to help stakeholder agencies monitor upstream processes in the rivers and manage their impacts on the agricultural sector and densely populated delta cities, we, first of all, construct the so-called virtual stations throughout the entire Mekong River using the fully automated river level extraction tool with Jason-2/3 Geophysical Research Record (GDR) data. Then, we discuss the potentials and challenges of river level forecasting using Jason-2/3 Interim GDR (IGDR) data, which has 1 - 2 days of latency, over the Mekong River. Finally, based on our analyses, we propose a forecasting system for the Mekong River by drawing from our experience in operationalizing Jason-2 altimetry for Bangladesh flood forecasting.

Quantifying downstream impacts of impoundment on flow regime and channel planform, lower Trinity River, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellmeyer, Jessica L.; Slattery, Michael C.; Phillips, Jonathan D.

2005-07-01

As human population worldwide has grown, so has interest in harnessing and manipulating the flow of water for the benefit of humans. The Trinity River of eastern Texas is one such watershed greatly impacted by engineering and urbanization. Draining the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, just under 30 reservoirs are in operation in the basin, regulating flow while containing public supplies, supporting recreation, and providing flood control. Lake Livingston is the lowest, as well as largest, reservoir in the basin, a mere 95 km above the Trinity's outlet near Galveston Bay. This study seeks to describe and quantify channel activity and flow regime, identifying effects of the 1968 closure of Livingston dam. Using historic daily and peak discharge data from USGS gauging stations, flow duration curves are constructed, identifying pre- and post-dam flow conditions. A digital historic photo archive was also constructed using six sets of aerial photographs spanning from 1938 to 1995, and three measures of channel activity applied using a GIS. Results show no changes in high flow conditions following impoundment, while low flows are elevated. However, the entire post-dam period is characterized by significantly higher rainfall, which may be obscuring the full impact of flow regulation. Channel activity rates do not indicate a more stabilized planform following dam closure; rather they suggest that the Trinity River is adjusting itself to the stress of Livingston dam in a slow, gradual process that may not be apparent in a modern time scale.

Estimating extreme stream temperatures by the standard deviate method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogan, Travis; Othmer, Jonathan; Mohseni, Omid; Stefan, Heinz

2006-02-01

It is now widely accepted that global climate warming is taking place on the earth. Among many other effects, a rise in air temperatures is expected to increase stream temperatures indefinitely. However, due to evaporative cooling, stream temperatures do not increase linearly with increasing air temperatures indefinitely. Within the anticipated bounds of climate warming, extreme stream temperatures may therefore not rise substantially. With this concept in mind, past extreme temperatures measured at 720 USGS stream gauging stations were analyzed by the standard deviate method. In this method the highest stream temperatures are expressed as the mean temperature of a measured partial maximum stream temperature series plus its standard deviation multiplied by a factor KE (standard deviate). Various KE-values were explored; values of KE larger than 8 were found physically unreasonable. It is concluded that the value of KE should be in the range from 7 to 8. A unit error in estimating KE translates into a typical stream temperature error of about 0.5 °C. Using a logistic model for the stream temperature/air temperature relationship, a one degree error in air temperature gives a typical error of 0.16 °C in stream temperature. With a projected error in the enveloping standard deviate dKE=1.0 (range 0.5-1.5) and an error in projected high air temperature d Ta=2 °C (range 0-4 °C), the total projected stream temperature error is estimated as d Ts=0.8 °C.

Building Climate Service Capacities in Eastern Africa with CHIRP and GeoCLIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedreros, D. H.; Magadzire, T.; Funk, C. C.; Verdin, J. P.; Peterson, P.; Landsfeld, M.; Husak, G. J.

2013-12-01

In developing countries there is a great need for capacity building within national and regional climate agencies to develop and analyze historical and real time gridded rainfall datasets. These datasets are of key importance for monitoring climate and agricultural food production at decadal and seasonal time scales, and for informing local decision makers. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), working together with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Climate Hazards Group (CHG) of the University of California Santa Barbara, has developed an integrated set of data products and tools to support the development of African climate services. The core data product is the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRP) dataset. The CHIRP is a new rainfall dataset resulting from the blending of satellite estimated precipitation with high resolution precipitation climatology. The CHIRP depicts rainfall on five day totals at 5km spatial resolution from 1981 to present. The CHG is developing and deploying a standalone tool - the GeoCLIM - which will allow national and regional meteorological agencies to blend the CHIRP with station observations, run simple crop water balance models, and conduct climatological, trend, and time series analysis. Blending satellite estimates and gauge data helps overcome limited in situ observing networks. Furthermore, the GeoCLIM combines rainfall, soil, and evapotranspiration data with crop hydrological requirements to calculate agricultural water balance, presented as the Water Requirement Satisfaction Index (WRSI). The WRSI is a measurement of the degree in which a crop's hydrological requirements have been satisfied by rainfall. We present the results of a training session for personnel of the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction and Applications Center. The two week training program included the use of the GeoCLIM to improve CHIRP using station data, and to calculate and analyze trends in rainfall, WRSI, and drought frequency in the region.

Availability of selected meteorological data in computer-based files of the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, Brenda L.; Cary, L.E.

1986-01-01

Meteorological data were located, acquired, and stored from selected stations in Montana and North Dakota coal regions and adjacent areas including South Dakota and Wyoming. Data that were acquired have potential use in small watershed modeling studies. Emphasis was placed on acquiring data that was collected during the period 1970 to the present (1984). A map shows the location and type of stations selected. A narration summarizing conventions used in acquiring and storing the meteorological data is provided along with the various retrieval options available. Individual station descriptions are followed by tables listing the meteorological variables collected, period of obtained record, percentage of data recovery, and the instruments used and their description. (USGS)

SEISMIC STUDY OF THE AGUA DE PAU GEOTHERMAL PROSPECT, SAO MIGUEL, AZORES.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dawson, Phillip B.; Rodrigues da Silva, Antonio; Iyer, H.M.; Evans, John R.

1985-01-01

A 16 station array was operated over the 200 km**2 central portion of Sao Miguel utilizing 8 permanent Instituto Nacional de Meterologia e Geofisica stations and 8 USGS portable stations. Forty four local events with well constrained solutions and 15 regional events were located. In addition, hundreds of unlocatable seismic events were recorded. The most interesting seismic activity occurred in a swarm on September 6 and 7, 1983 when over 200 events were recorded in a 16 hour period. The seismic activity around Agua de Pau was centered on the east and northeast slopes of the volcano. The data suggest a boiling hydrothermal system beneath the Agua de Pau volcano, consistent with a variety of other data.

USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network 2009 (HCDN-2009)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lins, Harry F.

2012-01-01

After nearly two decades of use without undergoing a systematic revalidation, questions have arisen as to whether many of the original stations still maintain their climate-sensitive status or even remain operational, as some are known to have closed. Some watersheds had been altered to the point that stations no longer meet the minimal disturbance criteria set forth in the original HCDN report. In addition, some sites that did not qualify as HCDN sites in 1988 (the last year of data evaluation) because their records were too short now have sufficiently long streamflow records for climate-sensitivity studies. Accordingly, a review of the existing network was initiated in 2009 in order to drop old stations and add new ones as appropriate.

TIGA Tide Gauge Data Reprocessing at GFZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Zhiguo; Schöne, Tilo; Gendt, Gerd

2014-05-01

To analyse the tide gauge measurements for the purpose of global long-term sea level change research a well-defined absolute reference frame is required by oceanographic community. To create such frame the data from a global GNSS network located at or near tide gauges are processed. For analyzing the GNSS data on a preferably continuous basis the International GNSS Service (IGS) Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring Working Group (TIGA-WG) is responsible. As one of the TIGA Analysis Centers the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) is contributing to the IGS TIGA Reprocessing Campaign. The solutions of the TIGA Reprocessing Campaign will also contribute to 2nd IGS Data Reprocessing Campaign with GFZ IGS reprocessing solution. After the first IGS reprocessing finished in 2010 some improvements were implemented into the latest GFZ software version EPOS.P8: reference frame IGb08 based on ITRF2008, antenna calibration igs08.atx, geopotential model (EGM2008), higher-order ionospheric effects, new a priori meteorological model (GPT2), VMF mapping function, and other minor improvements. GPS data of the globally distributed tracking network of 794 stations for the time span from 1994 until end of 2012 are used for the TIGA reprocessing. To handle such large network a new processing strategy is developed and described in detail. In the TIGA reprocessing the GPS@TIGA data are processed in precise point positioning (PPP) mode to clean data using the IGS reprocessing orbit and clock products. To validate the quality of the PPP coordinate results the rates of 80 GPS@TIGA station vertical movement are estimated from the PPP results using Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method. The rates are compared with the solution of University of LaRochelle Consortium (ULR) (named ULR5). 56 of the 80 stations have a difference of the vertical velocities below 1 mm/yr. The error bars of PPP rates are significant larger than those of ULR5, which indicates large time correlated noise in the PPP solutions.

Assessing rangelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pyke, David A.

2002-01-01

It is important for land managers and technical assistance specialists to be able to assess the health of rangelands in order to know where to focus management efforts. The complexity of ecological processes, and the inherent expense of directly measuring site integrity, suggests a need for an evaluation process that focuses instead on biological and physical attributes. In a collaborative effort, the USGS, ARS, BLM, and NRCS have jointly developed a system in which 17 indicators are used to gauge three attributes of rangeland health. A qualitative, observational procedure provides an assessment of the functional status of these indicators. This quick assessment technique, by providing an understanding about each attribute, helps interpret rangeland health.

Analysis of Nitrogen Loads From Long Island Sound Watersheds, 1988-98

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullaney, J. R.; Trench, E. C.

2001-05-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently estimated annual nonpoint-source nitrogen loads from watersheds that drain to Long Island Sound. The study, was conducted in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to assist these agencies with the issue of low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound caused by nitrogen enrichment. A regression model was used to determine annual nitrogen loads at 27 streams monitored by the USGS during 1988-98. Estimates of nitrogen loads from municipal wastewater-treatment plants (where applicable) were subtracted from the total nitrogen loads to determine the nonpoint-source nitrogen load for each water-quality monitoring station. The nonpoint-source load information was applied to unmonitored areas by comparing the land-use and land-cover characteristics of monitored areas with unmonitored areas, and selecting basins that were most similar. In extrapolating load estimates to unmonitored areas, regional differences in mean annual runoff between monitored and unmonitored areas also were considered, using flow information from nearby USGS gaging stations. Estimates of nonpoint nitrogen loads from monitored areas with point sources of nitrogen discharge and estimates from unmonitored areas are subject to uncertainty. These estimates could be improved with additional data collection in coastal basins and in basins with a large percentage of urbanized land, measurements of instream transformation or losses of nitrogen, improved reporting of total nitrogen concentrations from municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and tracking of intrabasin and (or) interbasin diversion of water.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

1990-01-01

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

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2012-01-01

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

U.S. Geological Survey scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica: 1946-2006 record of personnel in Antarctica and their postal cachets: U.S. Navy (1946-48, 1954-60), International Geophysical Year (1957-58), and USGS (1960-2006)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meunier, Tony K.; Williams, Richard S.; Ferrigno, Jane G.

2007-01-01

Antarctica, a vast region encompassing 13.2 million km2 (5.1 million mi2), is considered to be one of the most important scientific laboratories on Earth. During the past 60 years, the USGS, in collaboration and with logistical support from the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, has sent 325 USGS scientists to Antarctica to work on a wide range of projects: 169 personnel from the NMD (mostly aerial photography, surveying, and geodesy, primarily used for the modern mapping of Antarctica), 138 personnel from the GD (mostly geophysical and geological studies onshore and offshore), 15 personnel from the WRD (mostly hydrological/glaciological studies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys), 2 personnel from the BRD (microbiological studies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys), and 1 person from the Director's Office (P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director, 2005–06 austral field season). Three GD scientists and three NMD scientists have carried out field work in Antarctica 9 or more times: John C. Behrendt (15), who started in 1956–57 and published two memoirs (Behrendt, 1998, 2005), Arthur B. Ford (10), who started in 1960–61, and Gary D. Clow (9), who started in 1985–86; Larry D. Hothem (12), who began as a winter-over geodesist at Mawson Station in 1968–69, and Jerry L. Mullins (12), who started in 1982–83 and followed in the legendary footsteps of his NMD predecessor, William R. MacDonald (9), who started in 1960–61 and supervised the acquisition of more than 1,000,000 square miles of aerial photography of Antarctica. This report provides a record as complete as possible, of USGS and non-USGS collaborating personnel in Antarctica from 1946–2006, the geographic locations of their work, and their scientific/engineering disciplines represented. Postal cachets for each year follow the table of personnel and scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica during those 60 years. To commemorate special events and projects in Antarctica, it became an international practice to create postal cachets. A cachet is defined as a seal, emblem, or commemorative design printed or stamped on an envelope to mark a philatelic or special event. All stamp collectors are familiar with engraved cachets on envelopes of "First-Day-of-Issue" stamps. For Antarctica, a stamped (inked) impression informs the scientist, historian, stamp collector, and general public about the multidisciplinary science projects staffed by USGS scientists and other specialists during a specific austral summer field season. Because philatelic cachets were created by team members for each USGS field season, in most cases depicting the specific areas and scientific objectives, the cachets have become a convenient documentation of the people, projects, and geographic places for that year. Because the cachets are representative of USGS activities, each year's cachet is included in that year's Open-File Report (1960–61 to 2005–06). Starting with the 1983–84 season, however, two USGS cachets were prepared for the next seven years, one for the winter team at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, until 1992–93, and the other for all other field sites. Multiple cachets were created by USGS divisional programs during the 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1995–96, 2003–04, and the 2005–06 years. This report includes facsimiles of each annual postal cachet (or postal cachets) designed by USGS graphic specialists and provides a record of USGS personnel (and non-USGS collaborating scientists) and their science division affiliation for each austral field season. In addition, cachets used by USGS personnel for U.S. Navy Operation Highjump (1946–47), U.S. Navy Operation Windmill (1947–48), U.S. Navy U.S.S. Atka reconnaissance cruise (1954–55), U.S. Navy Operation Deep Freeze (DF) (I, 1955–56; II, 1956–57; III, 1957–58; IV, 1958–59; and DF 60, 1959–60), and the International Geophysical Year (1957–58) are included, because USGS scientists made use of these cachets when involved in each of the field activities during these austral field seasons.

Principal Facts for 463 Gravity Stations in the Vicinity of Tangle Lakes, East-Central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morin, Robert L.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.

2002-01-01

During the summer of 2001, a gravity survey was conducted in the vicinity of Tangle Lakes, east-central Alaska. Measurements of 87 gravity stations were made. The Tangle Lakes area is located about 25 km west of Paxson and north of the Denali Highway. The gravity survey is located on the southwest corner of the Mt. Hayes and the northwest corner of the Gulkana 1:250,000 scale USGS topographic maps. The boundaries of the study area are 62 deg 30' to 63 deg 30' N. latitude and 145 deg 30' to 147 deg 00' W. longitude. A map showing the location of the study area is shown in figure 1. One gravity base station was used for control for this survey. This base station, TLIN is located at the Tangle Lakes Inn. The observed gravity of this station was calculated based on multiple ties to base stations ANCU in Anchorage, PALH in Palmer, BD27 in Gulkana, and base stations D42, and D57 along the Denali Highway.

Development of a hydraulic model and flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boldt, Justin A.

2018-01-16

A two-dimensional hydraulic model and digital flood‑inundation maps were developed for a 30-mile reach of the Wabash River near the Interstate 64 Bridge near Grayville, Illinois. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Flood Inundation Mapping Science web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Wabash River at Mount Carmel, Ill (USGS station number 03377500). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site (NWS AHPS site MCRI2). The NWS AHPS forecasts peak stage information that may be used with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation.Flood elevations were computed for the Wabash River reach by means of a two-dimensional, finite-volume numerical modeling application for river hydraulics. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using global positioning system measurements of water-surface elevation and the current stage-discharge relation at both USGS streamgage 03377500, Wabash River at Mount Carmel, Ill., and USGS streamgage 03378500, Wabash River at New Harmony, Indiana. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute 27 water-surface elevations for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from less than the action stage (9 ft) to the highest stage (35 ft) of the current stage-discharge rating curve. The simulated water‑surface elevations were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model, derived from light detection and ranging data, to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these maps, along with information on the internet regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage at Mount Carmel, Ill., and forecasted stream stages from the NWS AHPS, provides emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood-response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for the Wabash River at Terre Haute, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lombard, Pamela J.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.3-mi reach of the Wabash River from 0.1 mi downstream of the Interstate 70 bridge to 1.1 miles upstream of the Route 63 bridge, Terre Haute, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to select water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage Wabash River at Terre Haute (station number 03341500). Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/uv/?site_no=03341500&agency_cd=USGS&p"). In addition, the same data are provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps//). Within this system, the NWS forecasts flood hydrographs for the Wabash River at Terre Haute that may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Wabash River at the Terre Haute streamgage. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 22 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-ft interval referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bank-full to approximately the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data having a 0.37-ft vertical accuracy and a 1.02-ft horizontal accuracy) to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding the current stage from the USGS streamgage and forecasted stream stages from the NWS can provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post flood recovery efforts.

Acceleration and volumetric strain generated by the Parkfield 2004 earthquake on the GEOS strong-motion array near Parkfield, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borcherdt, Rodger D.; Johnston, Malcolm J.S.; Dietel, Christopher; Glassmoyer, Gary; Myren, Doug; Stephens, Christopher

2004-01-01

An integrated array of 11 General Earthquake Observation System (GEOS) stations installed near Parkfield, CA provided on scale broad-band, wide-dynamic measurements of acceleration and volumetric strain of the Parkfield earthquake (M 6.0) of September 28, 2004. Three component measurements of acceleration were obtained at each of the stations. Measurements of collocated acceleration and volumetric strain were obtained at four of the stations. Measurements of velocity at most sites were on scale only for the initial P-wave arrival. When considered in the context of the extensive set of strong-motion recordings obtained on more than 40 analog stations by the California Strong-Motion Instrumentation Program (Shakal, et al., 2004 http://www.quake.ca.gov/cisn-edc) and those on the dense array of Spudich, et al, (1988), these recordings provide an unprecedented document of the nature of the near source strong motion generated by a M 6.0 earthquake. The data set reported herein provides the most extensive set of near field broad band wide dynamic range measurements of acceleration and volumetric strain for an earthquake as large as M 6 of which the authors are aware. As a result considerable interest has been expressed in these data. This report is intended to describe the data and facilitate its use to resolve a number of scientific and engineering questions concerning earthquake rupture processes and resultant near field motions and strains. This report provides a description of the array, its scientific objectives and the strong-motion recordings obtained of the main shock. The report provides copies of the uncorrected and corrected data. Copies of the inferred velocities, displacements, and Psuedo velocity response spectra are provided. Digital versions of these recordings are accessible with information available through the internet at several locations: the National Strong-Motion Program web site (http://agram.wr.usgs.gov/), the COSMOS Virtual Data Center Web site (http://www.cosmos-eq.org), and the CISN Engineering and Berkeley data centers (http://www.quake.ca.gov/cisn-edc). They are also accessible together with recordings on the GEOS Strong-motion Array near Parkfield, CA since its installation in 1987 through the USGS GEOS web site ( http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/GEOS).

Tsunami Source Inversion Using Tide Gauge and DART Tsunami Waveforms of the 2017 Mw8.2 Mexico Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adriano, Bruno; Fujii, Yushiro; Koshimura, Shunichi; Mas, Erick; Ruiz-Angulo, Angel; Estrada, Miguel

2018-01-01

On September 8, 2017 (UTC), a normal-fault earthquake occurred 87 km off the southeast coast of Mexico. This earthquake generated a tsunami that was recorded at coastal tide gauge and offshore buoy stations. First, we conducted a numerical tsunami simulation using a single-fault model to understand the tsunami characteristics near the rupture area, focusing on the nearby tide gauge stations. Second, the tsunami source of this event was estimated from inversion of tsunami waveforms recorded at six coastal stations and three buoys located in the deep ocean. Using the aftershock distribution within 1 day following the main shock, the fault plane orientation had a northeast dip direction (strike = 320°, dip = 77°, and rake =-92°). The results of the tsunami waveform inversion revealed that the fault area was 240 km × 90 km in size with most of the largest slip occurring on the middle and deepest segments of the fault. The maximum slip was 6.03 m from a 30 × 30 km2 segment that was 64.82 km deep at the center of the fault area. The estimated slip distribution showed that the main asperity was at the center of the fault area. The second asperity with an average slip of 5.5 m was found on the northwest-most segments. The estimated slip distribution yielded a seismic moment of 2.9 × 10^{21} Nm (Mw = 8.24), which was calculated assuming an average rigidity of 7× 10^{10} N/m2.

Climatic data for Mirror Lake, West Thornton, New Hampshire, 1981-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturrock, A.M.; Buso, D.C.; Bieber, G.M.; Engelbrecht, L.G.; Winter, T.C.

1984-01-01

Research on the hydrology of Mirror Lake, (north-central) New Hampshire includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: temperature of lake water surface, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation and solar radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations. (USGS)

Aftermath of World Trade Center Attack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This true-color image was taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) aboard the Landsat 7 satellite on September 12, 2001, at roughly 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Visit the NASA home page for photos from the space station and MODIS, and GlobalSecurity.org for images from other satellites. Image courtesy USGS Landsat 7 team, at the EROS Data Center.

Geographic, geologic, and hydrologic summaries of intermontane basins of the northern Rocky Mountains, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendy, Eloise; Tresch, R.E.

1996-01-01

This report combines a literature review with new information to provide summaries of the geography, geology, and hydrology of each of 32 intermontane basins in western Montana. The summary of each intermontane basin includes concise descriptions of topography, areal extent, altitude, climate, 1990 population, land and water use, geology, surface water, aquifer hydraulic characteristics, ground-water flow, and ground-water quality. If present, geothermal features are described. Average annual and monthly temperature and precipitation are reported from one National Weather Service station in each basin. Streamflow data, including the drainage area, period of record, and average, minimum, and maximum historical streamflow, are reported for all active and discontinued USGS streamflow-gaging stations in each basin. Monitoring-well data, including the well depth, aquifer, period of record, and minimum and maximum historical water levels, are reported for all long-term USGS monitoring wells in each basin. Brief descriptions of geologic, geophysical, and potentiometric- surface maps available for each basin also are included. The summary for each basin also includes a bibliography of hydrogeologic literature. When used alone or in conjunction with regional RASA reports, this report provides a practical starting point for site-specific hydrogeologic investigations.

Geodatabase of environmental information for Air Force Plant 4 and Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, Fort Worth, Texas, 1990-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shah, Sachin D.; Quigley, Sean M.

2005-01-01

Air Force Plant 4 (AFP4) and adjacent Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base (NAS-JRB) at Fort Worth, Tex., constitute a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility that has been in operation since 1942. Contaminants from the facility, primarily volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals, have entered the groundwater-flow system through leakage from waste-disposal sites (landfills and pits) and from manufacturing processes (U.S. Air Force, Aeronautical Systems Center, 1995). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force (USAF), Aeronautical Systems Center, Environmental Management Directorate (ASC/ENVR), developed a comprehensive database (or geodatabase) of temporal and spatial environmental information associated with the geology, hydrology, and water quality at AFP4 and NAS-JRB. The database of this report provides information about the AFP4 and NAS-JRB study area including sample location names, identification numbers, locations, historical dates, and various measured hydrologic data. This database does not include every sample location at the site, but is limited to an aggregation of selected digital and hardcopy data of the USAF, USGS, and various consultants who have previously or are currently working at the site.

Techniques for analyzing and utilizing the rain gauges at the NASA White Sands Test Facility. [Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System ground station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalagher, R. J.

1973-01-01

Ten tipping bucket rain gauges have been installed at the NASA WSTF for the purpose of determining rainfall characteristics in this area which may affect the performance of the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. A plan is presented for analyzing and utilizing the data which will be obtained during the course of this experiment. Also included is a description of a computer program which has been written to aid in the analysis.

Recent Instrumentation Developments in the Global Seismographic Network (GSN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafner, K.; Davis, J. P.; Wilson, D.

2016-12-01

One of the challenges facing the GSN is continuing to provide robust, uniform high-quality, very broadband, high-dynamic range recordings of ground motion data as the original primary seismometers age. Recently the GSN has been upgrading all stations with the next generation of digital data acquisition systems (DASs), which has significantly increased the station data availability. In 2012, the Department of Energy received an additional $5.7M to support GSN refurbishment. The funds were transferred to the USGS via a 5-year interagency agreement and have been used for developing the next generation of very broadband (VBB) sensors. The USGS Albuquerque Seismic Laboratory (ASL) received the first prototype of a very broadband borehole sensor (Streckeisen STS-6A) in November 2015. Initial testing showed this prototype met all the required sensor specifications. Three pre-production sensors are scheduled to arrive by late August 2016. We will present the results of testing these devices, as well as an update on other recent VBB sensor developments (Trillium T360) and how they compare to the performance of the STS-1 and other available sensors. Recent work at ASL and the USArray Transportable Array has shown that installing sensors in shallow postholes up to 10 meters deep can lead to significant improvement in data quality. The GSN is investigating the potential of installing borehole sensors at some GSN stations where the STS-1 has shown significant susceptibility to pier tilt, temperature instability, or cultural noise. The GSN is also broadening the types of sensors deployed at GSN stations. After initial testing at ASL and UCSD's Pinyon Flat test site, the first infrasound sensor deployment will take place in Fall 2016. We will present the results of these tests and descriptions of the initial deployment.

Water quality in the tidal Potomac River and Estuary, hydrologic data report, 1979 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen F.; Hahl, D.C.

1981-01-01

This report contains data on the physical and chemical properties measured during the 1979 water year for the tidal Potomac River and estuary. Data were collected routinely at five major stations and periodically at 14 intervening stations. Each major station represents a cross section through which the transport of selected dissolved and suspended materials will be computed. The intervening stations represent locations at which data were collected for special studies such as: salt water migration, dissolved oxygen dynamics, and other synoptic studies. About 960 samples were analyzed for silicate, Kjeldhal nitrogen, nitrite, phosphorus, chlorophyll and suspended sediment, with additional samples analyzed for organic carbon, calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, potassium, chloride, fluoride, seston and dissolved solids residue. In addition, about 1400 in-situ measurements of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, temperature, and Secchi disk transparency are reported. (USGS)

Index of surface-water stations in Texas, January 1986

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carrillo, E.R.; Buckner, H.D.; Rawson, Jack

1986-01-01

As of January 1, 1986, the surface-water data-collection network in Texas operated by the U.S. Geological Survey included 386 streamflow, 87 reservoir-contents, 33 stage, 10 crest-stage partial-record, 8 periodic discharge through range, 38 flood-hydrograph partial-record, 11 flood-profile partial-record , 36 low-flow partial-record 2 tide-level, 45 daily chemical-quality, 23 continuous-recording water-quality, 97 periodic biological, 19 lake surveys, 174 periodic organic- and (or) nutrient, 4 periodic insecticide, 58 periodic pesticide, 22 automatic sampler, 157 periodic minor elements, 141 periodic chemical-quality, 108 periodic physical-organic, 14 continuous-recording three- or four-parameter water-quality, 3 sediment, 39 periodic sediment, 26 continuous-recording temperature, and 37 national stream-quality accounting network stations were in operation. Tables describing the station location, type of data collected, and place where data are available are included, as well as maps showing the location of most of the stations. (USGS)

5. DETAIL OF MAIN LIQUID NITROGEN TANK, WEST SIDE WITH ...

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

5. DETAIL OF MAIN LIQUID NITROGEN TANK, WEST SIDE WITH METERS, VALVES AND GAUGES; VIEW TO SOUTHEAST. - Cape Canaveral Air Station, Launch Complex 17, Facility 28419, East end of Lighthouse Road, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

The Anatahan volcano-monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marso, J. N.; Lockhart, A. B.; White, R. A.; Koyanagi, S. K.; Trusdell, F. A.; Camacho, J. T.; Chong, R.

2003-12-01

A real-time 24/7 Anatahan volcano-monitoring and eruption detection system is now operational. There had been no real-time seismic monitoring on Anatahan during the May 10, 2003 eruption because the single telemetered seismic station on Anatahan Island had failed. On May 25, staff from the Emergency Management Office (EMO) of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) established a replacement telemetered seismic station on Anatahan whose data were recorded on a drum recorder at the EMO on Saipan, 130 km to the south by June 5. In late June EMO and USGS staff installed a Glowworm seismic data acquisition system (Marso et al, 2003) at EMO and hardened the Anatahan telemetry links. The Glowworm system collects the telemetered seismic data from Anatahan and Saipan, places graphical display products on a webpage, and exports the seismic waveform data in real time to Glowworm systems at Hawaii Volcano Observatory and Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO). In early July, a back-up telemetered seismic station was placed on Sarigan Island 40 km north of Anatahan, transmitting directly to the EMO on Saipan. Because there is currently no population on the island, at this time the principal hazard presented by Anatahan volcano would be air traffic disruption caused by possible erupted ash. The aircraft/ash hazard requires a monitoring program that focuses on eruption detection. The USGS currently provides 24/7 monitoring of Anatahan with a rotational seismic duty officer who carries a Pocket PC-cell phone combination that receives SMS text messages from the CVO Glowworm system when it detects large seismic signals. Upon receiving an SMS text message notification from the CVO Glowworm, the seismic duty officer can use the Pocket PC - cell phone to view a graphic of the seismic traces on the EMO Glowworm's webpage to determine if the seismic signal is eruption related. There have been no further eruptions since the monitoring system was installed, but regional tectonic earthquakes have provided frequent tests of the system. Reliance on a Pocket PC - cell phone requires that the seismic duty officer remain in an area with cell phone coverage. With this monitoring method, the USGS is able to provide rapid notice of an Anatahan eruption to the EMO and the Washington Volcano Ash Advisory Center. Reference Marso, J.N., Murray, T.L., Lockhart, A.B., Bryan, C.J., Glowworm: An extended PC-based Earthworm system for volcano monitoring. Abstracts, Cities On Volcanoes III, Hilo Hawaii, July 2003.

Flood-inundation maps for the Flatrock River at Columbus, Indiana, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coon, William F.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5-mile reach of the Flatrock River on the western side of Columbus, Indiana, from County Road 400N to the river mouth at the confluence with Driftwood River, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ and the Federal Flood Inundation Mapper Web site at http://wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Flatrock River at Columbus (station number 03363900). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, which also presents the USGS data, at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/. Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Flatrock River streamgage, high-water marks that were surveyed following the flood of June 7, 2008, and water-surface profiles from the current flood-insurance study for the City of Columbus. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 9 ft or near bankfull to 20 ft, which exceeds the stages that correspond to both the estimated 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood (500-year recurrence interval flood) and the maximum recorded peak flow. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System digital elevation model (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data having a 0.37 ft vertical accuracy and 3.9 ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps on the USGS Federal Flood Inundation Mapper Web site, along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for the East Fork White River at Shoals, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boldt, Justin A.

2016-05-06

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.9-mile reach of the East Fork White River at Shoals, Indiana (Ind.), were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the East Fork White River at Shoals, Ind. (USGS station number 03373500). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site (NWS AHPS site SHLI3). NWS AHPS forecast peak stage information may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation.Flood profiles were computed for the East Fork White River reach by means of a one-dimensional, step-backwater model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the current stage-discharge relation (USGS rating no. 43.0) at USGS streamgage 03373500, East Fork White River at Shoals, Ind. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute 26 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from approximately bankfull (10 ft) to the highest stage of the current stage-discharge rating curve (35 ft). The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system (GIS) digital elevation model (DEM), derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data, to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The areal extent of the 24-ft flood-inundation map was verified with photographs from a flood event on July 20, 2015.The availability of these maps, along with information on the Internet regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage at East Fork White River at Shoals, Ind., and forecasted stream stages from the NWS AHPS, provides emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Water quality of the tidal Potomac River and estuary hydrologic data report, 1980 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen; Coupe, R.H.; Woodward, J.C.

1982-01-01

This report contains data on the physical and chemical properties measured in the Tidal Potomac River and Estuary during the 1980 Water Year. Data were collected routinely at five stations, and periodically at 17 stations including three stations near the mouth of the Potomac River in Chesapeake Bay. Each of the five stations represent a cross section through which the transport of selected dissolved and suspended materials can be computed. The remaining stations represent locations at which data were collected for special synoptic studies such as salt water migration, and dissolved oxygen dynamics. Routinely, samples were analyzed for silica, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, pheophytin, and suspended sediment. Additional samples were analyzed for organic carbon, calcium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, alkalinity, sulfate, iron, potassium, chloride, fluoride, seston, algal growth potential, adenosine triphosphate, nitrifying bacteria and dissolved-solids residue. In addition, solar radiation measurements and in-situ measurements of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, temperature, and Secchi disk transparency are reported. (USGS)

Water quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, water years 2006-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schuster, Paul F.; Maracle, Karonhiakta'tie Bryan; Herman-Mercer, Nicole

2010-01-01

The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the U.S. Geological Survey developed a water-quality monitoring program to address a shared interest in the water quality of the Yukon River and its relation to climate. This report contains water-quality data from samples collected in the Yukon River Basin during water years 2006 through 2008. A broad range of chemical analyses from 44 stations throughout the YRB are presented. On August 8, 2009 the USGS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council representing the culmination of 5 years of dedicated efforts to forge a working collaboration and partnership with expectations of continuing into the foreseeable future. The Memorandum of Understanding may be viewed at http://www.usgs.gov/mou/docs/yritwc_mou.pdf.

System designed for issuing landslide alerts in the San Francisco Bay area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finley, D.

1987-01-01

A system for forecasting landslides during major storms has been developed for the San Francisco Bay area by the U.S Geological Survey and was successfully tested during heavy storms in the bay area during February 1986. Based on the forecasts provided by the USGS, the National Weather Service (NWS) included landslide warnings in its regular weather forecasts or in special weather statements transmitted to local radio and television stations and other news media. USGS scientists said the landslide forecasting and warning system for the San Francisco Bay area can be used as a prototype in developing similar systems for other parts of the Nation susceptible to landsliding. Studies show damage from landslides in the United States averages an estimated $1.5 billion per year. 

Experimental Acoustic Velocity Measurements in a Tidally Affected Stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Storm, J.B.; ,

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) constructed a continuous steamgaging station on the tidally affected Escatawpa River at Interstate 10 near Orange Grove, Mississippi, in August 2001. The gage collects water quantity parameters of stage and stream velocity, and water quality parameters of water temperature, specific conductance, and salinity. Data are transmitted to the local USGS office via the GOES satellite and are presented on a near real-time web page. Due to tidal effects, the stream has multiple flow regimes which include downstream, bi-directional, and reverse flows. Advances in acoustic technology have made it possible to gage streams of this nature where conventional methods have been unsuccessful. An experimental mount was designed in an attempt to recognize, describe, and quantify these flow regimes by using acoustic Doppler equipment.

Using continuous GPS and absolute gravity to separate vertical land movements and changes in sea-level at tide-gauges in the UK.

PubMed

Teferle, F N; Bingley, R M; Williams, S D P; Baker, T F; Dodson, A H

2006-04-15

Researchers investigating climate change have used historical tide-gauge measurements from all over the world to investigate the changes in sea-level that have occurred over the last century or so. However, such estimates are a combination of any true sea-level variations and any vertical movements of the land at the specific tide-gauge. For a tide- gauge record to be used to determine the climate related component of changes in sea-level, it is therefore necessary to correct for the vertical land movement component of the observed change in sea-level.In 1990, the Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy and Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory started developing techniques based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for measuring vertical land movements (VLM) at tide-gauges in the UK. This paper provides brief details of these early developments and shows how they led to the establishment of continuous GPS (CGPS) stations at a number of tide-gauges. The paper then goes on to discuss the use of absolute gravity (AG), as an independent technique for measuring VLM at tide-gauges. The most recent results, from CGPS time-series dating back to 1997 and AG time-series dating back to 1995/1996, are then used to demonstrate the complementarity of these two techniques and their potential for providing site-specific estimates of VLM at tide-gauges in the UK.

U.S. Geological Survey second national symposium on Water quality; abstracts of the technical sessions, Orlando, Florida, November 12-17, 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pederson, G. L.; Smith, M.M.

1989-01-01

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) compiled and analyzed existing hydrologic and water-quality data from over 200 stream and estuary stations of the Abemarle-Pamlico estuarine system (A/P) to identify long-term temporal and spatial trends. The dataset included seven stations of the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network, two stations of the National Atmospheric Precipitation Deposition monitoring network, stations of the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, and stations from 25 reports by individual investigators. Regression-residuals analysis, the seasonal Kendall's Tau test for trends, and graphical analysis using annual box plots were employed to determine trends. Profound change has occurred in the water quality of the A/P area over the last 30 years. Analysis of water-quality data upstream from the estuaries indicates increases of discharge-adjusted values of specific conductance, alkalinity, phosphorous, hardness, chloride, and dissolved solids. In the estuaries, pH is increasing except in the Pamlico River, where it is decreasing. There is a generalized decrease in suspended inorganic material in the system. Salinities are decreasing for sections of the Pamlico River, and increasing for parts of Albemarle Sound. Nitrogen concentrations are decreasing except in the Pamlico River, where they are increasing. Phosphorus concentrations are increasing in the Pamlico River and decreasing elsewhere. Annual average data show that nitrogen is the limiting nutrient in the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers. Phosphorus is limiting in the rest of the area. Chlorophyll-a levels are increasing in parts of the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers and decreasing in parts of the Chowan River. To evaluate the effect of basin characteristics on water quality, linear correlation was used. Agricultural crop variables produced the most correlations with water-quality data. Fertilizer usage had little detectable relation to water quality in the study area. In the section of the Pamlico River near Aurora, relations between employment, road mileages, and water quality indicated effects of development in the area.

Bayesian Non-Stationary Index Gauge Modeling of Gridded Precipitation Extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdin, A.; Bracken, C.; Caldwell, J.; Balaji, R.; Funk, C. C.

2017-12-01

We propose a Bayesian non-stationary model to generate watershed scale gridded estimates of extreme precipitation return levels. The Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) dataset is used to obtain gridded seasonal precipitation extremes over the Taylor Park watershed in Colorado for the period 1981-2016. For each year, grid cells within the Taylor Park watershed are aggregated to a representative "index gauge," which is input to the model. Precipitation-frequency curves for the index gauge are estimated for each year, using climate variables with significant teleconnections as proxies. Such proxies enable short-term forecasting of extremes for the upcoming season. Disaggregation ratios of the index gauge to the grid cells within the watershed are computed for each year and preserved to translate the index gauge precipitation-frequency curve to gridded precipitation-frequency maps for select return periods. Gridded precipitation-frequency maps are of the same spatial resolution as CHIRPS (0.05° x 0.05°). We verify that the disaggregation method preserves spatial coherency of extremes in the Taylor Park watershed. Validation of the index gauge extreme precipitation-frequency method consists of ensuring extreme value statistics are preserved on a grid cell basis. To this end, a non-stationary extreme precipitation-frequency analysis is performed on each grid cell individually, and the resulting frequency curves are compared to those produced by the index gauge disaggregation method.

StreamStats: A water resources web application

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Guthrie, John G.; Rea, Alan H.; Steeves, Peter A.; Stewart, David W.

2008-01-01

Streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent flood, the mean flow, and the 7-day 10-year low flow, are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. For example, estimates of the 1-percent flood (the flow that is exceeded, on average, once in 100 years and has a 1-percent chance of being exceeded in any year, sometimes referred to as the 100-year flood) are used to create flood-plain maps that form the basis for setting insurance rates and land-use zoning. This and other streamflow statistics also are used for dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; water-use appropriations and permitting; wastewater and industrial discharge permitting; hydropower facility design and regulation; and the setting of minimum required streamflows to protect freshwater ecosystems. In addition, researchers, planners, regulators, and others often need to know the physical and climatic characteristics of the drainage basins (basin characteristics) and the influence of human activities, such as dams and water withdrawals, on streamflow upstream from locations of interest to understand the mechanisms that control water availability and quality at those locations. Knowledge of the streamflow network and downstream human activities also is necessary to adequately determine whether an upstream activity, such as a water withdrawal, can be allowed without adversely affecting downstream activities.Streamflow statistics could be needed at any location along a stream. Most often, streamflow statistics are needed at ungaged sites, where no streamflow data are available to compute the statistics. At U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow data-collection stations, which include streamgaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous-measurement stations, streamflow statistics can be computed from available data for the stations. Streamflow data are collected continuously at streamgaging stations. Streamflow measurements are collected systematically over a period of years at partial-record stations to estimate peak-flow or low-flow statistics. Streamflow measurements usually are collected at miscellaneous-measurement stations for specific hydrologic studies with various objectives.StreamStats is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that was created by the USGS, in cooperation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)1, to provide users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats functionality is based on ESRI’s ArcHydro Data Model and Tools, described on the Web at http://resources.arcgis.com/en/communities/hydro/01vn0000000s000000.htm. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and descriptive information for USGS data-collection stations and user-selected ungaged sites. It also allows users to identify stream reaches that are upstream and downstream from user-selected sites, and to identify and obtain information for locations along the streams where activities that may affect streamflow conditions are occurring. This functionality can be accessed through a map-based user interface that appears in the user’s Web browser, or individual functions can be requested remotely as Web services by other Web or desktop computer applications. StreamStats can perform these analyses much faster than historically used manual techniques.StreamStats was designed so that each state would be implemented as a separate application, with a reliance on local partnerships to fund the individual applications, and a goal of eventual full national implementation. Idaho became the first state to implement StreamStats in 2003. By mid-2008, 14 states had applications available to the public, and 18 other states were in various stages of implementation.

The GEOSCOPE program: state of the art in 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roult, G.; Geoscope Group, A

2006-12-01

The GEOSCOPE program was launched in 1982 by the National Institute of Sciences of Universe (INSU), a department of the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), following the initiative of the Institute of Physics of the Earth of Paris (IPGP). The purpose was the installation of about 25 stations well distributed worldwide (in particular in the southern hemisphere), in the standard configuration defined by the FDSN (very broad-band 24 bit, continuous recording at 20sps). At present, the GEOSCOPE program is operating 28 digital 3-component very- broadband stations. In terms of site locations, the aim of the GEOSCOPE program is almost fulfilled. Our purpose is to maintain the stations at original sites (Indian Ocean, Africa) and to fill some geographical gaps at high latitudes in the southern and northern hemisphere. In particular, we plan to install a new stations VOR (Vorkuta) at high latitudes in Russia and to move the station SEY (Seimchan) to a new location in northern Kamchatka. We are also working on improving data quality and transmission. Historically, GEOSCOPE did not operate real-time data. Continuous data from most of stations arrive with significant delays and records from large events are teletransmitted from some stations (by phone RTC line or through internet) and are made available within one day. To improve this situation, we are replacing the old Streckeisen digitizers with new Quanterra data loggers. This will potentially allow us to receive most of data in our Data Center in a near real-time. Presently data from 8 stations arrive at the IPGP Geoscope Data Center in near real-time, with a delay depending on the station: 1-DZM Dzumac in New Caledonia, a joint DASE/CTBTO/GEOSCOPE station 2-FDF Fort de France in French West Indies 3-SSB Saint Sauveur-Badole in France 4-RER Riviere de l'Est , La Réunion, Indian Ocean 5-KIP Kipapa, Hawaï, a joint USGS/IRIS/GEOSCOPE station 6-TRIS Tristan Da Cunha, a joint USGS/IRIS/GEOSCOPE station 7-TAOE Marquesas Islands, a joint DASE/GEOSCOPE station 8-ATD Arta, Djibouti, a joint CTBTO/CERD/G station The next challenge is to link the maximum number of stations to our Data Center for getting data in real time. To reach this objective in a few years, we plan to upgrade 3 or 4 stations every year, giving priority to the ones easy to link permanently to Paris (TAM/Algeria, SPB/Brasil and CAN/Australia before the end of 2006). For the last ten years we have been progressively installing microbarometers and thermometers, transforming all our stations in multiparameter observatories. We also are participating to the national efforts for the creation of a Tsunami Warning Center at La Reunion Island in the frame of the CNATOI project (Centre National d'Alerte aux Tsunamis dans l'Ocean Indien).

Future of Hydroinformatics: Towards Open, Integrated and Interactive Online Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, I.; Krajewski, W. F.

2012-12-01

Hydroinformatics is a domain of science and technology dealing with the management of information in the field of hydrology (IWA, 2011). There is the need for innovative solutions to the challenges towards open information, integration, and communication in the Internet. This presentation provides an overview of the trends and challenges in the future of hydroinformatics, and demonstrates an information system, Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), developed within the light of these challenges. The IFIS is a web-based platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts both short-term and seasonal, flood-related data, information and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The key element of the system's architecture is the notion of community. Locations of the communities, those near streams and rivers, define basin boundaries. The IFIS provides community-centric watershed and river characteristics, weather (rainfall) conditions, and streamflow data and visualization tools. Interactive interfaces allow access to inundation maps for different stage and return period values, and flooding scenarios with contributions from multiple rivers. Real-time and historical data of water levels, gauge heights, and rainfall conditions are available in the IFIS by streaming data from automated IFC bridge sensors, USGS stream gauges, NEXRAD radars, and NWS forecasts. 2D and 3D interactive visualizations in the IFIS make the data more understandable to general public. Users are able to filter data sources for their communities and selected rivers. The data and information on IFIS is also accessible through web services and mobile applications. The IFIS is optimized for various browsers and screen sizes to provide access through multiple platforms including tablets and mobile devices. The IFIS includes a rainfall-runoff forecast model to provide a five-day flood risk estimate for more than 1000 communities in Iowa. Multiple view modes in the IFIS accommodate different user types from general public to researchers and decision makers by providing different level of tools and details. River view mode allows users to visualize data from multiple IFC bridge sensors and USGS stream gauges to follow flooding condition along a river. The IFIS will help communities make better-informed decisions on the occurrence of floods, and will alert communities in advance to help minimize damage of floods.

Specific conductance and water temperature data for San Francisco Bay, California, for Water Year 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchanan, P.A.

2004-01-01

This article presents time-series graphs of specific-conductance and water-temperature data collected in San Francisco Bay during water year 2003 (October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003). Specific-conductance and water-temperature data were recorded at 15-minute intervals at the following US Geological Survey (USGS) locations (Figure 1): • Suisun Bay at Benicia Bridge, near Benicia, CA. (BEN) (site # 11455780) • Carquinez Strait at Carquinez Bridge, near Crockett, CA. (CARQ) (site # 11455820) • Napa River at Mare Island Causeway, near Vallejo, CA. (NAP) (site # 11458370) • San Pablo Strait at Point San Pablo, CA. (PSP) (site # 11181360) • San Pablo Bay at Petaluma River Channel Marker 9, CA. (SPB) (site # 380519122262901) • San Francisco Bay at Presidio Military Reservation, CA. (PRES) (site # 11162690) • San Francisco Bay at San Mateo Bridge, near Foster City, CA. (SMB) (site # 11162765) Suspended-sediment-concentration data also were collected at most of these sites during water year 2003. Specific-conductance and water-temperature data from PSP, PRES, and SMB were recorded by the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) before 1988, by the USGS National Research Program from 1988 to 1989, and by the USGS-DWR cooperative program since 1990. BEN, CARQ, NAP, and SPB were established in 1998 by USGS. The monitoring station at PRES was discontinued on November 12, 2002, due to shoaling at the site.

Monitoring Sea Level At L'Estartit, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Benjamin, J.; Ortiz Castellon, M.; Martinez-Garcia, M.; Talaya, J.; Rodriguez Velasco, G.; Perez, B.

2007-12-01

Sea level is an environmental variable which is widely recognised as being important in many scientific disciplines as a control parameter for coastal dynamical processes or climate processes in the coupled atmosphere-ocean systems, as well as engineering applications. A major source of sea-level data are the national networks of coastal tide gauges, in Spain belonging to different institutions as the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), Puertos del Estado (PE), Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina (IHM), Ports de la Generalitat, etc. Three Begur Cape experiences on radar altimeter calibration and marine geoid mapping made on 1999, 2000 and 2002 are overviewed. The marine geoid has been used to relate the coastal tide gauge data from l'Estartit harbour to off-shore altimetric data. The necessity to validate and calibrate the satellite's altimeter due to increasing needs in accuracy and long term integrity implies establishing calibration sites with enhanced ground based methods for sea level monitoring. A technical Spanish contribution to the calibration experience has been the design of GPS buoys and GPS catamaran taking in account the University of Colorado at Boulder and Senetosa/Capraia designs. Altimeter calibration is essential to obtain an absolute measure of sea level, as are knowing the instrument's drifts and bias. Specially designed tidegauges are necessary to improve the quality of altimetric data, preferably near the satellite track. Further, due to systematic differences a month instruments onboard different satellites, several in-situ calibrations are essentials to tie their systematic differences. L'Estartit tide gauge is a classical floating tide gauge set up in l'Estartit harbour (NE Spain) in 1990. It provides good quality information about the changes in the sea heights at centimetre level, that is the magnitude of the common tides in theMediterranean. In the framework of a Spanish Space Project, ref:ESP2001- 4534-PE, the instrumentation of sea level measurements as been improved by providing this site with a radar tide gauge and with a continuous GPS station nearby. This will have a significant incidence in the satellite altimeter calibration activities. The radar tide gauge with data recorder and transmitter is a Datamar 3000C with 26 GHz frequency, 1mm resolution, 8º beam width incorporating a GPS receiver for automatic clock synchronization and a Thales Navigation Internet-Enabled GPS Continuous Geodetic Reference Station (iCGRS) with a choke ring antenna. It is intended that the overall system will constitute a CGPS Station of the ESEAS (European Sea Level) and TIGA (GPS Tide Gauge Benchmark Monitoring) networks. A Partenavia P-68 airborne LIDAR campaign carrying an Optech Lidar ALT-3025 has been made in June 2007 to test the potential of Lidar to connect sea level measurements from tide gauges at the coast with satellite (as Jason-1 or Envisat) altimetry measurements offshore. The calibrated airborne Lidar can then be used over ocean to detect the sea surface height. In consequence, the objective is to check that the coastal sea level can be observed with GPS buoys and may be Lidar campaigns for get detailed regional geoid and sea surface topography models for referencing satellite altimeter measurements.

46 CFR 182.410 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) MACHINERY INSTALLATION Specific Machinery Requirements § 182.410 General requirements. (a) Starting motors.... Electrical equipment in spaces, compartments, or enclosures that contain machinery powered by, or fuel tanks... gauges must be readily visible at the operating station. (c) An enclosed space containing machinery...

46 CFR 182.410 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) MACHINERY INSTALLATION Specific Machinery Requirements § 182.410 General requirements. (a) Starting motors.... Electrical equipment in spaces, compartments, or enclosures that contain machinery powered by, or fuel tanks... gauges must be readily visible at the operating station. (c) An enclosed space containing machinery...

46 CFR 182.410 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) MACHINERY INSTALLATION Specific Machinery Requirements § 182.410 General requirements. (a) Starting motors.... Electrical equipment in spaces, compartments, or enclosures that contain machinery powered by, or fuel tanks... gauges must be readily visible at the operating station. (c) An enclosed space containing machinery...

46 CFR 182.410 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) MACHINERY INSTALLATION Specific Machinery Requirements § 182.410 General requirements. (a) Starting motors.... Electrical equipment in spaces, compartments, or enclosures that contain machinery powered by, or fuel tanks... gauges must be readily visible at the operating station. (c) An enclosed space containing machinery...

46 CFR 182.410 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) MACHINERY INSTALLATION Specific Machinery Requirements § 182.410 General requirements. (a) Starting motors.... Electrical equipment in spaces, compartments, or enclosures that contain machinery powered by, or fuel tanks... gauges must be readily visible at the operating station. (c) An enclosed space containing machinery...

Regional biases in absolute sea-level estimates from tide gauge data due to residual unmodeled vertical land movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Matt A.; Keshin, Maxim; Whitehouse, Pippa L.; Thomas, Ian D.; Milne, Glenn; Riva, Riccardo E. M.

2012-07-01

The only vertical land movement signal routinely corrected for when estimating absolute sea-level change from tide gauge data is that due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). We compare modeled GIA uplift (ICE-5G + VM2) with vertical land movement at ˜300 GPS stations located near to a global set of tide gauges, and find regionally coherent differences of commonly ±0.5-2 mm/yr. Reference frame differences and signal due to present-day mass trends cannot reconcile these differences. We examine sensitivity to the GIA Earth model by fitting to a subset of the GPS velocities and find substantial regional sensitivity, but no single Earth model is able to reduce the disagreement in all regions. We suggest errors in ice history and neglected lateral Earth structure dominate model-data differences, and urge caution in the use of modeled GIA uplift alone when interpreting regional- and global- scale absolute (geocentric) sea level from tide gauge data.

Identifying dominant controls on hydrologic parameter transfer from gauged to ungauged catchments: a comparative hydrology approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singh, R.; Archfield, S.A.; Wagener, T.

2014-01-01

Daily streamflow information is critical for solving various hydrologic problems, though observations of continuous streamflow for model calibration are available at only a small fraction of the world’s rivers. One approach to estimate daily streamflow at an ungauged location is to transfer rainfall–runoff model parameters calibrated at a gauged (donor) catchment to an ungauged (receiver) catchment of interest. Central to this approach is the selection of a hydrologically similar donor. No single metric or set of metrics of hydrologic similarity have been demonstrated to consistently select a suitable donor catchment. We design an experiment to diagnose the dominant controls on successful hydrologic model parameter transfer. We calibrate a lumped rainfall–runoff model to 83 stream gauges across the United States. All locations are USGS reference gauges with minimal human influence. Parameter sets from the calibrated models are then transferred to each of the other catchments and the performance of the transferred parameters is assessed. This transfer experiment is carried out both at the scale of the entire US and then for six geographic regions. We use classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to determine the relationship between catchment similarity and performance of transferred parameters. Similarity is defined using physical/climatic catchment characteristics, as well as streamflow response characteristics (signatures such as baseflow index and runoff ratio). Across the entire US, successful parameter transfer is governed by similarity in elevation and climate, and high similarity in streamflow signatures. Controls vary for different geographic regions though. Geology followed by drainage, topography and climate constitute the dominant similarity metrics in forested eastern mountains and plateaus, whereas agricultural land use relates most strongly with successful parameter transfer in the humid plains.

Incorporation of Multiple Datasets in Earthquake Source Inversions: Case Study for the 2015 Illapel Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, A.; Cummins, P. R.; Newman, A. V.; Benavente, R. F.

2016-12-01

The 2015 Illapel, Chile earthquake was recorded over a wide range of seismic, geodetic and oceanographic instruments. The USGS assigned magnitude 8.3 earthquake produced a tsunami that was recorded trans-oceanically at both tide gauges and deep-water tsunami pressure sensors. The event also generated surface deformation along the Chilean coast that was recovered through ascending and descending paths of the Sentinel-1A satellite. Additionally, seismic waves were recorded across various global seismic networks. While the determination of the rupture source through seismic and geodetic means is now commonplace and has been studied extensively in this fashion for the Illapel event, the use of tsunami datasets in the inversion process, rather than purely as a forward validation of models, is less common. In this study, we evaluate the use of both near and far field tsunami pressure gauges in the source inversion process, examining their contribution to seismic and geodetic joint inversions- as well as examine the contribution of dispersive and elastic loading parameters on the numerical tsunami propagation. We determine that the inclusion of near field tsunami pressure gauges assists in resolving the degree of slip in the near-trench environment, where purely geodetic inversions lose most resolvability. The inclusion of a far-field dataset has the potential to add further confidence to tsunami inversions, however at a high computational cost. When applied to the Illapel earthquake, this added near-trench resolvability leads to a better estimation of tsunami arrival times at near field gauges and contributes understanding to the wide variation in tsunamigenic slip present along the highly active Peru-Chile trench.

Real-time surface-water monitoring in New Jersey, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schopp, Robert D.; Stedfast, David A.; Navoy, Anthony S.

2003-01-01

A network of 93 gaging stations that provide surface-water stage, flow (discharge), and tide-level data on a “realtime” basis through satellite, radio, and telephone telemetry is operating (May 2003) in New Jersey through a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies. The stream data from these stations are transmitted every 1 to 4 hours and then are immediately posted for viewing on the Internet. This fact sheet describes the “real-time” monitoring network, and the equipment used to measure stage and flow and to transmit the data for viewing on the Internet. Instructions for viewing the data are included.

Selected hydrologic and climatologic data from the Prairie Dog Creek basin, southeastern Montana, water year 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cary, L.E.; Johnson, J.D.

1982-01-01

Hydrologic and climatologic data are being collected in a 25-square-mile (65-square-kilometer) basin in southeastern Montana to provide a base for development, calibration, and verification of a precipitation-runoff model. The study area and data-collection stations within the area are shown on a map. A summary of data collected at each station during the second year , beginning in October 1979, is provided in tables. The data include precipitation, snow depth and water content, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, soil temperature and moisture, stream discharge, chemical analyses of water, and suspended sediment. (USGS)

Selected hydrologic and climatologic data from the Prairie Dog Creek Basin, southeastern Montana, water year 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cary, Lawrence E.; Johnson, Joel D.

1981-01-01

Hydrologic and climatologic data are being collected in a 19-square-mile (49-square-kilometer) basin in southeastern Montana to provide a base for development, calibration, and verification of a precipitation-runoff model. The study area and data-collection stations within the area are shown on a map. A summary of data collected at each station during the first year, beginning in October 1978, is provided in tables. The data include precipitation, snow depth and water content, air temperature, relative humidity, wind run, solar radiation, soil temperature and moisture, stream discharge, chemical analyses of water, and suspended sediment. (USGS)

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Seismic Data, January to December 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakata, Jennifer S.; Okubo, Paul G.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) summary presents seismic data gathered during the year. The seismic summary is offered without interpretation as a source of preliminary data and is complete in that most data for events of M greater than 1.5 are included. All latitude and longitude references in this report are stated in Old Hawaiian Datum. The HVO summaries have been published in various forms since 1956. Summaries prior to 1974 were issued quarterly, but cost, convenience of preparation and distribution, and the large quantities of data necessitated an annual publication, beginning with Summary 74 for the year 1974. Beginning in 2004, summaries are simply identified by the year, rather than by summary number. Summaries originally issued as administrative reports were republished in 2007 as Open-File Reports. All the summaries since 1956 are listed at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ (last accessed 09/21/2009). In January 1986, HVO adopted CUSP (California Institute of Technology USGS Seismic Processing). Summary 86 includes a description of the seismic instrumentation, calibration, and processing used in recent years. The present summary includes background information about the seismic network to provide the end user an understanding of the processing parameters and how the data were gathered. A report by Klein and Koyanagi (1980) tabulates instrumentation, calibration, and recording history of each seismic station in the network. It is designed as a reference for users of seismograms and phase data and includes and augments the information in the station table in this summary. Figures 11-14 are maps showing computer-located hypocenters. The maps were generated using the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/, last accessed 09/21/2009) in place of traditional Qplot maps.

Evaluation of the Radar Stage Sensor manufactured by Forest Technology Systems—Results of laboratory and field testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kunkle, Gerald A.

2018-01-31

Two identical Radar Stage Sensors from Forest Technology Systems were evaluated to determine if they are suitable for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic data collection. The sensors were evaluated in laboratory conditions to evaluate the distance accuracy of the sensor over the manufacturer’s specified operating temperatures and distance to water ranges. Laboratory results were compared to the manufacturer’s accuracy specification of ±0.007 foot (ft) and the USGS Office of Surface Water (OSW) policy requirement that water-level sensors have a measurement uncertainty of no more than 0.01 ft or 0.20 percent of the indicated reading. Both of the sensors tested were within the OSW policy requirement in both laboratory tests and within the manufacturer’s specification in the distance to water test over tested distances from 3 to 15 ft. In the temperature chamber test, both sensors were within the manufacturer’s specification for more than 90 percent of the data points collected over a temperature range of –40 to +60 degrees Celsius at a fixed distance of 8 ft. One sensor was subjected to an SDI-12 communication test, which it passed. A field test was conducted on one sensor at a USGS field site near Landon, Mississippi, from February 5 to March 29, 2016. Water-level measurements made by the radar during the field test were in agreement with those made by the Sutron Accubar Constant Flow Bubble Gauge.Upon the manufacturer’s release of updated firmware version 1.09, additional SDI-12 and temperature testing was performed to evaluate added SDI-12 functions and verify that performance was unaffected by the update. At this time, an Axiom data logger is required to perform a firmware update on this sensor. The data confirmed the results of the original test. Based on the test results, the Radar Stage Sensor is a suitable choice for USGS hydrologic data collection.

Optimization of a hydrometric network extension using specific flow, kriging and simulated annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chebbi, Afef; Kebaili Bargaoui, Zoubeida; Abid, Nesrine; da Conceição Cunha, Maria

2017-12-01

In hydrometric stations, water levels are continuously observed and discharge rating curves are constantly updated to achieve accurate river levels and discharge observations. An adequate spatial distribution of hydrological gauging stations presents a lot of interest in linkage with the river regime characterization, water infrastructures design, water resources management and ecological survey. Due to the increase of riverside population and the associated flood risk, hydrological networks constantly need to be developed. This paper suggests taking advantage of kriging approaches to improve the design of a hydrometric network. The context deals with the application of an optimization approach using ordinary kriging and simulated annealing (SA) in order to identify the best locations to install new hydrometric gauges. The task at hand is to extend an existing hydrometric network in order to estimate, at ungauged sites, the average specific annual discharge which is a key basin descriptor. This methodology is developed for the hydrometric network of the transboundary Medjerda River in the North of Tunisia. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is adopted to delineate basin limits and centroids. The latter are adopted to assign the location of basins in kriging development. Scenarios where the size of an existing 12 stations network is alternatively increased by 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 new station(s) are investigated using geo-regression and minimization of the variance of kriging errors. The analysis of the optimized locations from a scenario to another shows a perfect conformity with respect to the location of the new sites. The new locations insure a better spatial coverage of the study area as seen with the increase of both the average and the maximum of inter-station distances after optimization. The optimization procedure selects the basins that insure the shifting of the mean drainage area towards higher specific discharges.

Concentrations, loads, and yields of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment and bacteria concentrations in the Wister Lake Basin, Oklahoma and Arkansas, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buck, Stephanie D.

2014-01-01

The Poteau Valley Improvement Authority uses Wister Lake in southeastern Oklahoma as a public water supply. Total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediments from agricultural runoff and discharges from wastewater treatment plants and other sources have degraded water quality in the lake. As lake-water quality has degraded, water-treatment cost, chemical usage, and sludge production have increased for the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Poteau Valley Improvement Authority, investigated and summarized concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, suspended sediment, and bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) in surface water flowing to Wister Lake. Estimates of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment loads, yields, and flow-weighted mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations were made for the Wister Lake Basin for a 3-year period from October 2010 through September 2013. Data from water samples collected at fixed time increments during base-flow conditions and during runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla. (USGS station 07247015), the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla. (USGS station 07247350), and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla. (USGS station 07247650), water-quality stations were used to evaluate water quality over the range of streamflows in the basin. These data also were collected to estimate annual constituent loads and yields by using regression models. At the Poteau River stations, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment concentrations in surface-water samples were significantly larger in samples collected during runoff conditions than in samples collected during base-flow conditions. At the Fourche Maline station, in contrast, concentrations of these constituents in water samples collected during runoff conditions were not significantly larger than concentrations during base-flow conditions. Flow-weighted mean total phosphorus concentrations at all three stations from 2011 to 2013 were several times larger than the Oklahoma State Standard for Scenic Rivers (0.037 milligrams per liter [mg/L]), with the largest flow-weighted phosphorus concentrations typically being measured at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., station. Flow-weighted mean total nitrogen concentrations did not vary substantially between the Poteau River stations and the Fourche Maline near Leflore, Okla., station. At all of the sampled water-quality stations, bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus sp.) concentrations were substantially larger in water samples collected during runoff conditions than in water samples collected during base-flow conditions from 2011 to 2013. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Poteau River stations during runoff conditions ranged from 82 to 98 percent of the total annual loads of those constituents. Estimated annual loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in the Fourche Maline during runoff conditions ranged from 86 to nearly 100 percent of the total annual loads. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads generally were smallest during base-flow and runoff conditions in autumn. Estimated seasonal total phosphorus loads during base-flow conditions tended to be largest in winter and during runoff conditions tended to be largest in the spring. Estimated seasonal total nitrogen loads tended to be smallest in autumn during base-flow and runoff conditions and largest in winter during runoff conditions. Estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads tended to be smallest during base-flow conditions in the summer and smallest during runoff conditions in the autumn. The largest estimated seasonal suspended sediment loads during runoff conditions typically were in the spring. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual total phosphorus yield was largest during base flow at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station and at both of the Poteau River water-quality stations during runoff conditions. The estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest at the Poteau River water-quality stations. Estimated mean annual total nitrogen yields were largest during base-flow and runoff conditions at the Poteau River at Loving, Okla., water-quality station. The estimated mean annual suspended sediment yield was largest at the Poteau River near Heavener, Okla., water-quality station during base-flow and runoff conditions. Flow-weighted mean concentrations indicated that total phosphorus inputs from the Poteau River Basin in the Wister Lake Basin were larger than from the Fourche Maline Basin. Flow-weighted mean concentrations of total nitrogen did not vary spatially in a consistent manner. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total phosphorus loads of 137 to 278 tons per year (tons/yr) to Wister Lake. Between 89 and 95 percent of the annual total phosphorus loads were transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total nitrogen loads of 657 to 1,294 tons/yr, with 86 to 94 percent of the annual total nitrogen loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. The Poteau River and the Fourche Maline contributed estimated annual total suspended sediment loads of 110,919 to 234,637 tons/yr, with 94 to 99 percent of the annual suspended sediment loads being transported to Wister Lake during runoff conditions. Most of the total phosphorus and suspended sediment were delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in the spring. The majority of the total nitrogen was delivered to Wister Lake during runoff conditions in winter.

Climatic data for Mirror Lake, West Thornton, New Hampshire, 1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturrock, A.M.; Buso, D.C.; Scarborough, J.L.; Winter, T.C.

1986-01-01

Research on the hydrology of Mirror lake, (north-central) New Hampshire includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: temperature of lake water surface; dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures; wind speed at 3 levels above the water surface; and solar and atmospheric radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations. (USGS)

Alaska Volcano Observatory Seismic Network Data Availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, J. P.; Haney, M. M.; McNutt, S. R.; Power, J. A.; Prejean, S. G.; Searcy, C. K.; Stihler, S. D.; West, M. E.

2009-12-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) established in 1988 as a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, monitors active volcanoes in Alaska. Thirty-three volcanoes are currently monitored by a seismograph network consisting of 193 stations, of which 40 are three-component stations. The current state of AVO’s seismic network, and data processing and availability are summarized in the annual AVO seismological bulletin, Catalog of Earthquake Hypocenters at Alaska Volcanoes, published as a USGS Data Series (most recent at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/467). Despite a rich seismic data set for 12 VEI 2 or greater eruptions, and over 80,000 located earthquakes in the last 21 years, the volcanic seismicity in the Aleutian Arc remains understudied. Initially, AVO seismic data were only provided via a data supplement as part of the annual bulletin, or upon request. Over the last few years, AVO has made seismic data more available with the objective of increasing volcano seismic research on the Aleutian Arc. The complete AVO earthquake catalog data are now available through the annual AVO bulletin and have been submitted monthly to the on-line Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) composite catalog since 2008. Segmented waveform data for all catalog earthquakes are available upon request and efforts are underway to make this archive web accessible as well. Continuous data were first archived using a tape backup, but the availability of low cost digital storage media made a waveform backup of continuous data a reality. Currently the continuous AVO waveform data can be found in several forms. Since late 2002, AVO has burned all continuous waveform data to DVDs, as well as storing these data in Antelope databases at the Geophysical Institute. Beginning in 2005, data have been available through a Winston Wave Server housed at the USGS in Anchorage. AVO waveform data were added to the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Data Management Center (IRIS-DMC) beginning in 2008 and now includes continuous waveform data from all available AVO seismograph stations in real time. Data coverage is available through the DMC’s Metadata Aggregator.

Real-time GPS integration for prototype earthquake early warning and near-field imaging of the earthquake rupture process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudnut, K. W.; Given, D.; King, N. E.; Lisowski, M.; Langbein, J. O.; Murray-Moraleda, J. R.; Gomberg, J. S.

2011-12-01

Over the past several years, USGS has developed the infrastructure for integrating real-time GPS with seismic data in order to improve our ability to respond to earthquakes and volcanic activity. As part of this effort, we have tested real-time GPS processing software components , and identified the most robust and scalable options. Simultaneously, additional near-field monitoring stations have been built using a new station design that combines dual-frequency GPS with high quality strong-motion sensors and dataloggers. Several existing stations have been upgraded in this way, using USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds in southern California. In particular, existing seismic stations have been augmented by the addition of GPS and vice versa. The focus of new instrumentation as well as datalogger and telemetry upgrades to date has been along the southern San Andreas fault in hopes of 1) capturing a large and potentially damaging rupture in progress and augmenting inputs to earthquake early warning systems, and 2) recovering high quality recordings on scale of large dynamic displacement waveforms, static displacements and immediate and long-term post-seismic transient deformation. Obtaining definitive records of large ground motions close to a large San Andreas or Cascadia rupture (or volcanic activity) would be a fundamentally important contribution to understanding near-source large ground motions and the physics of earthquakes, including the rupture process and friction associated with crack propagation and healing. Soon, telemetry upgrades will be completed in Cascadia and throughout the Plate Boundary Observatory as well. By collaborating with other groups on open-source automation system development, we will be ready to process the newly available real-time GPS data streams and to fold these data in with existing strong-motion and other seismic data. Data from these same stations will also serve the very practical purpose of enabling earthquake early warning and greatly improving rapid finite-fault source modeling. Multiple uses of the effectively very broad-band data obtained by these stations, for operational and research purposes, are bound to occur especially because all data will be freely, openly and instantly available.

Weather Instruments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brantley, L. Reed, Sr.; Demanche, Edna L.; Klemm, E. Barbara; Kyselka, Will; Phillips, Edwin A.; Pottenger, Francis M.; Yamamoto, Karen N.; Young, Donald B.

This booklet presents some activities to measure various weather phenomena. Directions for constructing a weather station are included. Instruments including rain gauges, thermometers, wind vanes, wind speed devices, humidity devices, barometers, atmospheric observations, a dustfall jar, sticky-tape can, detection of gases in the air, and pH of…

4. ENVIRONMENT, FROM NORTH, SHOWING RIVER ROAD BRIDGE CARRYING CASSELMAN ...

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

4. ENVIRONMENT, FROM NORTH, SHOWING RIVER ROAD BRIDGE CARRYING CASSELMAN RIVER ROAD OVER CASSELMAN RIVER, WITH MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STREAM-GAUGING STATION AT NORTHEAST CORNER OF BRIDGE - River Road Bridge, Crossing Casselman River on Casselman River Road, Grantsville, Garrett County, MD

Using Remote Sensing and Radar MET Data to Support Watershed Assessments Comprising IEM

EPA Science Inventory

Meteorological (MET) data required by watershed assessments that comprise Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) have traditionally been provided by land-based weather (gauge) stations; although these data may not be most appropriate for describing adequate spatial and temporal...

Flood-Inundation Maps for a 1.6-Mile Reach of Salt Creek, Wood Dale, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 1.6-mile reach of Salt Creek from upstream of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad to Elizabeth Drive, Wood Dale, Illinois, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the DuPage County Stormwater Management Division. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (gage heights) at the USGS streamgage on Salt Creek at Wood Dale, Illinois (station number 05531175). Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?05531175. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional unsteady flow Full EQuations (FEQ) model. The unsteady flow model was verified by comparing the rating curve output for a September 2008 flood event to discharge measurements collected at the Salt Creek at Wood Dale gage. The hydraulic model was then used to determine 14 water-surface profiles for gage heights at 0.5-ft intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from less than bankfull to approximately the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System (GIS) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The areal extent of the inundation was verified with high-water marks from a flood in July 2010 with a peak gage height of 14.08 ft recorded at the Salt Creek at Wood Dale gage. The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current gage height from USGS streamgages provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Monitoring storm tide and flooding from Hurricane Matthew along the Atlantic coast of the United States, October 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frantz, Eric R.; Byrne,, Michael L.; Caldwell, Andral W.; Harden, Stephen L.

2017-11-02

IntroductionHurricane Matthew moved adjacent to the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The hurricane made landfall once near McClellanville, South Carolina, on October 8, 2016, as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) deployed a temporary monitoring network of storm-tide sensors at 284 sites along the Atlantic coast from Florida to North Carolina to record the timing, areal extent, and magnitude of hurricane storm tide and coastal flooding generated by Hurricane Matthew. Storm tide, as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the water-level rise generated by a combination of storm surge and astronomical tide during a coastal storm.The deployment for Hurricane Matthew was the largest deployment of storm-tide sensors in USGS history and was completed as part of a coordinated Federal emergency response as outlined by the Stafford Act (Public Law 92–288, 42 U.S.C. 5121–5207) under a directed mission assignment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In total, 543 high-water marks (HWMs) also were collected after Hurricane Matthew, and this was the second largest HWM recovery effort in USGS history after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.During the hurricane, real-time water-level data collected at temporary rapid deployment gages (RDGs) and long-term USGS streamgage stations were relayed immediately for display on the USGS Flood Event Viewer (https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/FEV/#MatthewOctober2016). These data provided emergency managers and responders with critical information for tracking flood-effected areas and directing assistance to effected communities. Data collected from this hurricane can be used to calibrate and evaluate the performance of storm-tide models for maximum and incremental water level and flood extent, and the site-specific effects of storm tide on natural and anthropogenic features of the environment.

Flood-inundation maps for the Saddle River in Ho-Ho-Kus Borough, the Village of Ridgewood, and Paramus Borough, New Jersey, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watson, Kara M.; Niemoczynski, Michal J.

2014-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.4-mile reach of the Saddle River in New Jersey from Hollywood Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus Borough downstream through the Village of Ridgewood and Paramus Borough to the confluence with Hohokus Brook in the Village of Ridgewood were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Saddle River at Ridgewood, New Jersey (station 01390500). Current conditions for estimating near real-time areas of inundation using USGS streamgage information may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=01390500 or at the National Weather Services (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=okx&gage=rwdn4. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation (March 11, 2011) at the USGS streamgage 01390500, Saddle River at Ridgewood, New Jersey. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 10 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), and ranging from 5 ft, the NWS “action and minor flood stage”, to 14 ft, which is the maximum extent of the stage-discharge rating and 0.6 ft higher than the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system 3-meter (9.84-ft) digital elevation model derived from Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) data in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps along with information on the Internet regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage provides emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for the Elkhart River at Goshen, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strauch, Kellan R.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, created digital flood-inundation maps for an 8.3-mile reach of the Elkhart River at Goshen, Indiana, extending from downstream of the Goshen Dam to downstream from County Road 17. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to nine selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Elkhart River at Goshen (station number 04100500). Current conditions for the USGS streamgages in Indiana may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/. In addition, stream stage data have been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often colocated with USGS streamgages. NWS-forecasted peak-stage information may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Elkhart River at Goshen streamgage. The hydraulic model was then used to compute nine water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from approximately bankfull (5 ft) to greater than the highest recorded water level (13 ft). The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system (GIS) digital-elevation model (DEM), derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data having a 0.37-ft vertical accuracy and 3.9-ft horizontal resolution in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with Internet information regarding current stage from USGS streamgages and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

The impact of a windshield in a tipping bucket rain gauge on the reduction of losses in precipitation measurements during snowfall events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buisan, Samuel T.; Collado, Jose Luis; Alastrue, Javier

2016-04-01

The amount of snow available controls the ecology and hydrological response of mountainous areas and cold regions and affects economic activities including winter tourism, hydropower generation, floods and water supply. An accurate measurement of snowfall accumulation amount is critical and source of error for a better evaluation and verification of numerical weather forecast, hydrological and climate models. It is well known that the undercatch of solid precipitation resulting from wind-induced updrafts at the gauge orifice is the main factor affecting the quality and accuracy of the amount of snowfall precipitation. This effect can be reduced by the use of different windshields. Overall, Tipping Bucket Rain Gauges (TPBRG) provide a large percentage of the precipitation amount measurements, in all climate regimes, estimated at about 80% of the total of observations by automatic instruments. In the frame of the WMO-SPICE project, we compared at the Formigal-Sarrios station (Spanish Pyrenees, 1800 m a.s.l.) the measured precipitation in two heated TPBRGs, one of them protected with a single alter windshield in order to reduce the wind bias. Results were contrasted with measured precipitation using the SPICE reference gauge (Pluvio2 OTT) in a Double Fence Intercomparison Reference (DFIR). Results reported that shielded reduces undercatch up to 40% when wind speed exceeds 6 m/s. The differences when compared with the reference gauge reached values higher than 70%. The inaccuracy of these measurements showed a significant impact in nowcasting operations and climatology in Spain, especially during some heavy snowfall episodes. Also, hydrological models showed a better agreement with the observed rivers flow when including the precipitation not accounted during these snowfall events. The conclusions of this experiment will be used to take decisions on the suitability of the installation of windshields in stations characterized by a large quantity of snowfalls during the winter season and which are mainly located in Northern Spain

Methods for estimating peak-flow frequencies at ungaged sites in Montana based on data through water year 2011: Chapter F in Montana StreamStats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sando, Roy; Sando, Steven K.; McCarthy, Peter M.; Dutton, DeAnn M.

2016-04-05

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, completed a study to update methods for estimating peak-flow frequencies at ungaged sites in Montana based on peak-flow data at streamflow-gaging stations through water year 2011. The methods allow estimation of peak-flow frequencies (that is, peak-flow magnitudes, in cubic feet per second, associated with annual exceedance probabilities of 66.7, 50, 42.9, 20, 10, 4, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.2 percent) at ungaged sites. The annual exceedance probabilities correspond to 1.5-, 2-, 2.33-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence intervals, respectively.Regional regression analysis is a primary focus of Chapter F of this Scientific Investigations Report, and regression equations for estimating peak-flow frequencies at ungaged sites in eight hydrologic regions in Montana are presented. The regression equations are based on analysis of peak-flow frequencies and basin characteristics at 537 streamflow-gaging stations in or near Montana and were developed using generalized least squares regression or weighted least squares regression.All of the data used in calculating basin characteristics that were included as explanatory variables in the regression equations were developed for and are available through the USGS StreamStats application (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/) for Montana. StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application that was created by the USGS to provide users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resource planning and management. The primary purpose of the Montana StreamStats application is to provide estimates of basin characteristics and streamflow characteristics for user-selected ungaged sites on Montana streams. The regional regression equations presented in this report chapter can be conveniently solved using the Montana StreamStats application.Selected results from this study were compared with results of previous studies. For most hydrologic regions, the regression equations reported for this study had lower mean standard errors of prediction (in percent) than the previously reported regression equations for Montana. The equations presented for this study are considered to be an improvement on the previously reported equations primarily because this study (1) included 13 more years of peak-flow data; (2) included 35 more streamflow-gaging stations than previous studies; (3) used a detailed geographic information system (GIS)-based definition of the regulation status of streamflow-gaging stations, which allowed better determination of the unregulated peak-flow records that are appropriate for use in the regional regression analysis; (4) included advancements in GIS and remote-sensing technologies, which allowed more convenient calculation of basin characteristics and investigation of many more candidate basin characteristics; and (5) included advancements in computational and analytical methods, which allowed more thorough and consistent data analysis.This report chapter also presents other methods for estimating peak-flow frequencies at ungaged sites. Two methods for estimating peak-flow frequencies at ungaged sites located on the same streams as streamflow-gaging stations are described. Additionally, envelope curves relating maximum recorded annual peak flows to contributing drainage area for each of the eight hydrologic regions in Montana are presented and compared to a national envelope curve. In addition to providing general information on characteristics of large peak flows, the regional envelope curves can be used to assess the reasonableness of peak-flow frequency estimates determined using the regression equations.

ERS-ENVISAT radar altimetry over the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos da Silva, J.; Calmant, S.; Rotunno Filho, O. C.; Seyler, F.; Mansur, W. J.; Cochonneau, G.

2009-12-01

Since the launch of satellite embarking radar altimeters in the late 80’s, scientists have investigated the feasibility of using these ocean-dedicated data over the continental waters. In fact, satellite radar altimetry is being recognized as a powerful tool to obtain time series of water stage consistent to those obtained by conventional in situ gauge stations. In addition, this technology has been proved to provide reliable information about the dynamics of large water bodies such as lakes and inner seas. However, the results should be deeply examined as we shift the analysis to water levels acquired during satellite crosses over rivers. Yet, hydrologists are still reluctant in using these data, as neither the neces¬sary time sampling nor accuracy is achieved, leading to endless debates in specialized workshops. Noteworthy to highlight, few published studies are dedicated to an in depth assessment of the radar altimetry over rivers, in¬cluding comparisons with water levels at fluviometric gauges. In this work, we present an extensive analysis of the quality of times series of river stages that we have constructed in the Amazon basin for a variety of water bodies such as large rivers, narrow stems, lakes and flooded areas using radar altimeters embarked on¬board ERS-2 and ENVISAT. The approach includes the sensitivity to the raw data processing methodology such as the tracking algorithm, the data selection at the crossings between satellite track and river bed (so-called virtual stations) and correction for off-nadir effects. The VALS toolbox was developed to process altimetry data at virtual stations under the framework of this study. Results of internal validation at cross-overs and external validation by comparison with in situ gauges are presented.

Retrieval of river discharge solely from satellite imagery and at-many-stations hydraulic geometry: Sensitivity to river form and optimization parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleason, Colin J.; Smith, Laurence C.; Lee, Jinny

2014-12-01

Knowledge of river discharge is critically important for water resource management, climate modeling, and improved understanding of the global water cycle, yet discharge is poorly known in much of the world. Remote sensing holds promise to mitigate this gap, yet current approaches for quantitative retrievals of river discharge require in situ calibration or a priori knowledge of river hydraulics, limiting their utility in unmonitored regions. Recently, Gleason and Smith (2014) demonstrated discharge retrievals within 20-30% of in situ observations solely from Landsat TM satellite images through discovery of a river-specific geomorphic scaling phenomenon termed at-many-stations hydraulic geometry (AMHG). This paper advances the AMHG discharge retrieval approach via additional parameter optimizations and validation on 34 gauged rivers spanning a diverse range of geomorphic and climatic settings. Sensitivity experiments reveal that discharge retrieval accuracy varies with river morphology, reach averaging procedure, and optimization parameters. Quality of remotely sensed river flow widths is also important. Recommended best practices include a proposed global parameter set for use when a priori information is unavailable. Using this global parameterization, AMHG discharge retrievals are successful for most investigated river morphologies (median RRMSE 33% of in situ gauge observations), except braided rivers (median RRMSE 74%), rivers having low at-a-station hydraulic geometry b exponents (reach-averaged b < 0.1, median RRMSE 86%), and arid rivers having extreme discharge variability (median RRMSE > 1000%). Excluding such environments, 26-41% RRMSE agreement between AMHG discharge retrievals and in situ gauge observations suggests AMHG can meaningfully address global discharge knowledge gaps solely from repeat satellite imagery.

Merging of rain gauge and radar data for urban hydrological modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berndt, Christian; Haberlandt, Uwe

2015-04-01

Urban hydrological processes are generally characterised by short response times and therefore rainfall data with a high resolution in space and time are required for their modelling. In many smaller towns, no recordings of rainfall data exist within the urban catchment. Precipitation radar helps to provide extensive rainfall data with a temporal resolution of five minutes, but the rainfall amounts can be highly biased and hence the data should not be used directly as a model input. However, scientists proposed several methods for adjusting radar data to station measurements. This work tries to evaluate rainfall inputs for a hydrological model regarding the following two different applications: Dimensioning of urban drainage systems and analysis of single event flow. The input data used for this analysis can be divided into two groups: Methods, which rely on station data only (Nearest Neighbour Interpolation, Ordinary Kriging), and methods, which incorporate station as well as radar information (Conditional Merging, Bias correction of radar data based on quantile mapping with rain gauge recordings). Additionally, rainfall intensities that were directly obtained from radar reflectivities are used. A model of the urban catchment of the city of Brunswick (Lower Saxony, Germany) is utilised for the evaluation. First results show that radar data cannot help with the dimensioning task of sewer systems since rainfall amounts of convective events are often overestimated. Gauges in catchment proximity can provide more reliable rainfall extremes. Whether radar data can be helpful to simulate single event flow depends strongly on the data quality and thus on the selected event. Ordinary Kriging is often not suitable for the interpolation of rainfall data in urban hydrology. This technique induces a strong smoothing of rainfall fields and therefore a severe underestimation of rainfall intensities for convective events.

Water Resources Data, New Jersey, Water Year 2003; Volume 1. Surface-Water Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, T.J.; White, B.T.; Centinaro, G.L.; Dudek, J.F.; Protz, A.R.; Shvanda, J.C.; Watson, A.F.

2004-01-01

Water-resources data for the 2003 Water Year for New Jersey are presented in three volumes, and consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. Volume 1 contains discharge records for 100 gaging stations; tide summaries at 29 tidal gaging stations; and stage and contents at 39 lakes and reservoirs. Also included are stage and discharge for 106 crest-stage partial-record stations, stage-only at 33 tidal crest-stage gages, and discharge for 142 low-flow partial- record stations. Locations of these sites are shown in figures 8-11. Additional discharge measurements were made at 143 miscellaneous sites that are not part of the systematic data-collection program. Discontinued station tables for gaging stations, crest-stage gages, tidal crest-stage and tidal gaging stations show historical coverage. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Information System (NWIS) data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Hydrologic conditions are also described for this water year, including streamflow, precipitation, reservoir conditions, and air temperatures.

Water resources data, New Jersey, water year 2005. Volume 1 - surface-water data

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, B.T.; Hoppe, H.L.; Centinaro, G.L.; Dudek, J.F.; Painter, B.S.; Protz, A.R.; Reed, T.J.; Shvanda, J.C.; Watson, A.F.

2006-01-01

Water-resources data for the 2005 water year for New Jersey are presented in three volumes, and consists of records of stage, discharge, and water-quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water-quality of ground water. Volume 1 contains discharge records for 103 gaging stations; tide summaries at 28 tidal gaging stations; stage and contents at 34 lakes and reservoirs; and diversions from 50 surface-water sources. Also included are stage and discharge for 116 crest-stage partial-record stations, stage-only at 33 tidal crest-stage gages, and discharge for 155 low-flow partial-record stations. Locations of these sites are shown in figures 8-11. Additional discharge measurements were made at 222 miscellaneous sites that are not part of the systematic data-collection program. Discontinued station tables for gaging stations, crest-stage gages, tidal crest-stage and tidal gaging stations show historical coverage. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Information System (NWIS) data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Hydrologic conditions are also described for this water year, including stream-flow, precipitation, reservoir conditions, and air temperatures.

Water resources data, New Jersey, water year 2004-volume 1. surface-water data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Centinaro, G.L.; White, B.T.; Hoppe, H.L.; Dudek, J.F.; Protz, A.R.; Reed, T.J.; Shvanda, J.C.; Watson, A.F.

2005-01-01

Water-resources data for the 2004 water year for New Jersey are presented in three volumes, and consists of records of stage, discharge, and water-quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water-quality of ground water. Volume 1 contains discharge records for 105 gaging stations; tide summaries at 27 tidal gaging stations; stage and contents at 39 lakes and reservoirs; and diversions from 51 surface-water sources. Also included are stage and discharge for 108 crest-stage partial-record stations, stage-only at 34 tidal crest-stage gages, and discharge for 124 low-flow partial-record stations. Locations of these sites are shown in figures 8-11. Additional discharge measurements were made at 131 miscellaneous sites that are not part of the systematic data-collection program. Discontinued station tables for gaging stations, crest-stage gages, tidal crest-stage and tidal gaging stations show historical coverage. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Information System (NWIS) data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Hydrologic conditions are also described for this water year, including stream-flow, precipitation, reservoir conditions, and air temperatures.

Cost-effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey's stream-gaging programs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gadoury, R.A.; Smath, J.A.; Fontaine, R.A.

1985-01-01

The report documents the results of a study of the cost-effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey 's continuous-record stream-gaging programs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Data uses and funding sources were identified for 91 gaging stations being operated in Massachusetts are being operated to provide data for two special purpose hydrologic studies, and they are planned to be discontinued at the conclusion of the studies. Cost-effectiveness analyses were performed on 63 continuous-record gaging stations in Massachusetts and 15 stations in Rhode Island, at budgets of $353,000 and $60,500, respectively. Current operations policies result in average standard errors per station of 12.3% in Massachusetts and 9.7% in Rhode Island. Minimum possible budgets to maintain the present numbers of gaging stations in the two States are estimated to be $340,000 and $59,000, with average errors per station of 12.8% and 10.0%, respectively. If the present budget levels were doubled, average standards errors per station would decrease to 8.1% and 4.2%, respectively. Further budget increases would not improve the standard errors significantly. (USGS)

Cost-effectiveness of the streamflow-gaging program in Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Druse, S.A.; Wahl, K.L.

1988-01-01

This report documents the results of a cost-effectiveness study of the streamflow-gaging program in Wyoming. Regression analysis or hydrologic flow-routing techniques were considered for 24 combinations of stations from a 139-station network operated in 1984 to investigate suitability of techniques for simulating streamflow records. Only one station was determined to have sufficient accuracy in the regression analysis to consider discontinuance of the gage. The evaluation of the gaging-station network, which included the use of associated uncertainty in streamflow records, is limited to the nonwinter operation of the 47 stations operated by the Riverton Field Office of the U.S. Geological Survey. The current (1987) travel routes and measurement frequencies require a budget of $264,000 and result in an average standard error in streamflow records of 13.2%. Changes in routes and station visits using the same budget, could optimally reduce the standard error by 1.6%. Budgets evaluated ranged from $235,000 to $400,000. A $235,000 budget increased the optimal average standard error/station from 11.6 to 15.5%, and a $400,000 budget could reduce it to 6.6%. For all budgets considered, lost record accounts for about 40% of the average standard error. (USGS)

National water-information clearinghouse activities; ground-water perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haupt, C.A.; Jensen, R.A.

1988-01-01

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has functioned for many years as an informal clearinghouse for water resources information, enabling users to access groundwater information effectively. Water resources clearinghouse activities of the USGS are conducted through several separate computerized water information programs that are involved in the collection, storage, retrieval, and distribution of different types of water information. The following USGS programs perform water information clearinghouse functions and provide the framework for a formalized National Water-Information Clearinghouse: (1) The National Water Data Exchange--a nationwide confederation of more than 300 Federal, State, local, government, academic, and private water-oriented organizations that work together to improve access to water data; (2) the Water Resources Scientific Information Center--acquires, abstracts, and indexes the major water-resources-related literature of the world, and provides this information to the water resources community; (3) the Information Transfer Program--develops innovative approaches to transfer information and technology developed within the USGS to audiences in the public and private sectors; (4) the Hydrologic Information Unit--provides responses to a variety of requests, both technical and lay-oriented, for water resources information , and helps efforts to conduct water resources research; (5) the Water Data Storage and Retrieval System--maintains accessible computerized files of hydrologic data collected nationwide, by the USGS and other governmental agencies, from stream gaging stations, groundwater observation wells, and surface- and groundwater quality sampling sites; (6) the Office of Water Data Coordination--coordinate the water data acquisition activities of all agencies of the Federal Government, and is responsible for the planning, design, and inter-agency coordination of a national water data and information network; and (7) the Water Resources Research Institute Program--coordinates and evaluates activities performed by a variety of groundwater contamination studies ranging from field investigations to analysis of socioeconomic issues. (Lantz-PTT)

The Wetland and Aquatic Research Center strategic science plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2017-02-02

IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) has two primary locations (Gainesville, Florida, and Lafayette, Louisiana) and field stations throughout the southeastern United States and Caribbean. WARC’s roots are in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Park Service research units that were brought into the USGS as the Biological Research Division in 1996. Founded in 2015, WARC was created from the merger of two long-standing USGS biology science Centers—the Southeast Ecological Science Center and the National Wetlands Research Center—to bring together expertise in biology, ecology, landscape science, geospatial applications, and decision support in order to address issues nationally and internationally. WARC scientists apply their expertise to a variety of wetland and aquatic research and monitoring issues that require coordinated, integrated efforts to better understand natural environments. By increasing basic understanding of the biology of important species and broader ecological and physiological processes, this research provides information to policymakers and aids managers in their stewardship of natural resources and in regulatory functions.This strategic science plan (SSP) was developed to guide WARC research during the next 5–10 years in support of Department of the Interior (DOI) partnering bureaus such as the USFWS, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as well as other Federal, State, and local natural resource management agencies. The SSP demonstrates the alignment of the WARC goals with the USGS mission areas, associated programs, and other DOI initiatives. The SSP is necessary for workforce planning and, as such, will be used as a guide for future needs for personnel. The SSP also will be instrumental in developing internal funding priorities and in promoting WARC’s capabilities to both external cooperators and other groups within the USGS.

The National Flood Frequency Program, version 3 : a computer program for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods for ungaged sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Crouse, Michele Y.

2002-01-01

For many years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been developing regional regression equations for estimating flood magnitude and frequency at ungaged sites. These regression equations are used to transfer flood characteristics from gaged to ungaged sites through the use of watershed and climatic characteristics as explanatory or predictor variables. Generally, these equations have been developed on a Statewide or metropolitan-area basis as part of cooperative study programs with specific State Departments of Transportation. In 1994, the USGS released a computer program titled the National Flood Frequency Program (NFF), which compiled all the USGS available regression equations for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods in the United States and Puerto Rico. NFF was developed in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since the initial release of NFF, the USGS has produced new equations for many areas of the Nation. A new version of NFF has been developed that incorporates these new equations and provides additional functionality and ease of use. NFF version 3 provides regression-equation estimates of flood-peak discharges for unregulated rural and urban watersheds, flood-frequency plots, and plots of typical flood hydrographs for selected recurrence intervals. The Program also provides weighting techniques to improve estimates of flood-peak discharges for gaging stations and ungaged sites. The information provided by NFF should be useful to engineers and hydrologists for planning and design applications. This report describes the flood-regionalization techniques used in NFF and provides guidance on the applicability and limitations of the techniques. The NFF software and the documentation for the regression equations included in NFF are available at http://water.usgs.gov/software/nff.html.

A dependence modelling study of extreme rainfall in Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouveia-Reis, Délia; Guerreiro Lopes, Luiz; Mendonça, Sandra

2016-08-01

The dependence between variables plays a central role in multivariate extremes. In this paper, spatial dependence of Madeira Island's rainfall data is addressed within an extreme value copula approach through an analysis of maximum annual data. The impact of altitude, slope orientation, distance between rain gauge stations and distance from the stations to the sea are investigated for two different periods of time. The results obtained highlight the influence of the island's complex topography on the spatial distribution of extreme rainfall in Madeira Island.

The GEOSCOPE Program: state of the art in 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roult, G.; Stutzmann, E.; Maggi, A.

2007-05-01

The GEOSCOPE program was launched in 1982 by the National Institute of Sciences of Universe (INSU), a department of the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), following the initiative of the Institute of Physics of the Earth of Paris (IPGP). The purpose was the installation of about 25 stations well distributed worldwide (in particular in the southern hemisphere), in the standard configuration defined by the FDSN (very broad-band 24 bit, continuous recording at 20sps). At present, the GEOSCOPE program is operating 28 digital 3-component very- broadband stations. In terms of site locations, the aim of the GEOSCOPE program is almost fulfilled. Our purpose is to maintain the stations at original sites (Indian Ocean, Africa) and to fill some geographical gaps at high latitudes in the southern and northern hemisphere. In particular, at high latitudes in Russia, we plan to install a new station VOR (Vorkuta) and to move the station SEY (Seimchan) to a new location in northern Kamchatka. We are also working on improving data quality and transmission. Historically, GEOSCOPE did not operate real- time data. Continuous data from most of stations arrive with significant delays and records from large events are teletransmitted from some stations (by phone RTC line or through internet) and are made available within one day. To improve this situation, we are replacing the old Streckeisen digitizers with new Quanterra data loggers, essentially Q330-HR ones. Presently data from 13 stations are made available at the IPGP Geoscope Data Center in near real-time, with a delay depending on the station: 1- ATD (Arta, Djibouti), a joint CTBTO/CERD/G station 2- CAN (Canberra, Australia), a joint ANU/G station 3- DZM (Dzumac, New Caledonia, a joint DASE/CTBTO/G station 4- ECH (Echery, France) 5- FDF (Fort de France, French West Indies) 6- KIP (Kipapa, Hawai), a joint IRIS/USGS/G station 7- PAF (Port aux Français, Kerguelen Island) 8- RER (Riviere de l'Est , La Reunion) 9- SSB (Saint Sauveur-Badole, France) 10- SPB (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 11- TAM (Tamanrasset, Algeria) 12- TAOE Marquesas Islands, a joint DASE/G station 13- TRIS Tristan Da Cunha, a joint IRIS/USGS/G station Our challenge is to link the maximum number of stations to our Data Center for getting data in real time. To reach this objective in a few years, we plan to upgrade more than 2 stations every year, our priority in 2007 is the upgrade of stations PEL and COYC in Chile. For the last ten years we have been progressively installing en environmental sensors (microbaromètres, thermometers), transforming all our stations in multiparameter observatories. We also are participating to the national efforts for the creation of a Tsunami Warning Center at La Réunion Island in the frame of the CNATOI project (Centre National d'Alerte aux Tsunamis dans l'Océan Indien). That project includes the installation of two new stations in 2007, one at Rodrigues Island (Mauritius) and one at Fort- Dauphin (NAM station, Madagascar). Daily automatic procedures allow to compute the noise level plots of each component, for each station in near real-time, in order to detect any anomalous behaviour of the station and to follow the station status.

How Well do we Measure Precipitation? 'Wind-Induced Undercatch' Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, M.; Colli, M.; Dutton, M.; O'Donnell, G. M.; Wilkinson, M.; Black, A.; Kilsby, C. G.; Quinn, P. F.; Lanza, L. G.; Stagnaro, M.; O'Connell, P. E.

2016-12-01

Data from precipitation gauges are critical for flood forecasting and flood risk management; radar calibration and numerical weather prediction models; and water resource management and hydrological modelling. They are often considered to provide the most accurate practicable measure of precipitation at a point in space and time, but remain subject to considerable errors. Inaccuracies in measurements are compounded in modelling applications by producing potentially misleading or incorrect results; it is therefore of utmost importance to understand uncertainty in observations. All precipitation gauges mounted above the ground surface present an obstruction to the prevailing wind. This causes an acceleration of wind above the orifice of a gauge resulting in what is commonly referred to as `wind-induced undercatch'. This is where precipitation is deflected away from the orifice and lands 'downstream' of the area represented by the gauge measurement, which reduces its collection efficiency (CE). The physical shape of a gauge bears a significant impact on its CE. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations are used to investigate how different shapes of precipitation gauge are affected by the wind. The CFD modelling is supported by high-resolution field measurements at several exposed `Hydro-Met' research stations in the UK. These sites are occupied by a range of precipitation gauges, scrutinised in the CFD analysis, which have different shapes and are mounted at varying heights. The wind-induced undercatch present within a number of large UK storms, which is not captured by operational gauge networks in the UK, is quantified and presented in this study. The combination of results from CFD modelling and the field studies show that gauge shape and mounting height significantly affect the extent of the `undercatching'. `Aerodynamic' gauges following a `champagne flute' or a `funnel' profile were demonstrated by both to have significant advantages over conventional gauge shapes, in terms of improving the CE.

Oregon Magnetic and Gravity Maps and Data: A Web Site for Distribution of Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts, Carter W.; Kucks, Robert P.; Hill, Patricia L.

2008-01-01

This web site gives the results of a USGS project to acquire the best available, public-domain, aeromagnetic and gravity data in the United States and merge these data into uniform, composite grids for each State. The results for the State of Oregon are presented here on this site. Files of aeromagnetic and gravity grids and images are available for these States for downloading. In Oregon, 49 magnetic surveys have been knit together to form a single digital grid and map. Also, a complete Bouguer gravity anomaly grid and map was generated from 40,665 gravity station measurements in and adjacent to Oregon. In addition, a map shows the location of the aeromagnetic surveys, color-coded to the survey flight-line spacing. This project was supported by the Mineral Resource Program of the USGS.

Peak streamflow on selected streams in Arkansas, December 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breaker, Brian K.

2017-01-11

Heavy rainfall during December 2015 resulted in flooding across parts of Arkansas; rainfall amounts were as high as 12 inches over a period from December 27, 2015, to December 29, 2015. Although precipitation accumulations were highest in northwestern Arkansas, significant flooding occurred in other parts of the State. Flood damage occurred in several counties as water levels rose in streams, and disaster declarations were declared in 32 of the 75 counties in Arkansas.Given the severity of the December 2015 flooding, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), conducted a study to document the meteorological and hydrological conditions prior to and during the flood; compiled flood-peak gage heights, streamflows, and flood probabilities at USGS streamflow-gaging stations; and estimated streamflows and flood probabilities at selected ungaged locations.

Development of a method of robust rain gauge network optimization based on intensity-duration-frequency results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chebbi, A.; Bargaoui, Z. K.; da Conceição Cunha, M.

2012-12-01

Based on rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, a robust optimization approach is proposed to identify the best locations to install new rain gauges. The advantage of robust optimization is that the resulting design solutions yield networks which behave acceptably under hydrological variability. Robust optimisation can overcome the problem of selecting representative rainfall events when building the optimization process. This paper reports an original approach based on Montana IDF model parameters. The latter are assumed to be geostatistical variables and their spatial interdependence is taken into account through the adoption of cross-variograms in the kriging process. The problem of optimally locating a fixed number of new monitoring stations based on an existing rain gauge network is addressed. The objective function is based on the mean spatial kriging variance and rainfall variogram structure using a variance-reduction method. Hydrological variability was taken into account by considering and implementing several return periods to define the robust objective function. Variance minimization is performed using a simulated annealing algorithm. In addition, knowledge of the time horizon is needed for the computation of the robust objective function. A short and a long term horizon were studied, and optimal networks are identified for each. The method developed is applied to north Tunisia (area = 21 000 km2). Data inputs for the variogram analysis were IDF curves provided by the hydrological bureau and available for 14 tipping bucket type rain gauges. The recording period was from 1962 to 2001, depending on the station. The study concerns an imaginary network augmentation based on the network configuration in 1973, which is a very significant year in Tunisia because there was an exceptional regional flood event in March 1973. This network consisted of 13 stations and did not meet World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recommendations for the minimum spatial density. So, it is proposed to virtually augment it by 25, 50, 100 and 160% which is the rate that would meet WMO requirements. Results suggest that for a given augmentation robust networks remain stable overall for the two time horizons.

Development of a method of robust rain gauge network optimization based on intensity-duration-frequency results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chebbi, A.; Bargaoui, Z. K.; da Conceição Cunha, M.

2013-10-01

Based on rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, fitted in several locations of a given area, a robust optimization approach is proposed to identify the best locations to install new rain gauges. The advantage of robust optimization is that the resulting design solutions yield networks which behave acceptably under hydrological variability. Robust optimization can overcome the problem of selecting representative rainfall events when building the optimization process. This paper reports an original approach based on Montana IDF model parameters. The latter are assumed to be geostatistical variables, and their spatial interdependence is taken into account through the adoption of cross-variograms in the kriging process. The problem of optimally locating a fixed number of new monitoring stations based on an existing rain gauge network is addressed. The objective function is based on the mean spatial kriging variance and rainfall variogram structure using a variance-reduction method. Hydrological variability was taken into account by considering and implementing several return periods to define the robust objective function. Variance minimization is performed using a simulated annealing algorithm. In addition, knowledge of the time horizon is needed for the computation of the robust objective function. A short- and a long-term horizon were studied, and optimal networks are identified for each. The method developed is applied to north Tunisia (area = 21 000 km2). Data inputs for the variogram analysis were IDF curves provided by the hydrological bureau and available for 14 tipping bucket type rain gauges. The recording period was from 1962 to 2001, depending on the station. The study concerns an imaginary network augmentation based on the network configuration in 1973, which is a very significant year in Tunisia because there was an exceptional regional flood event in March 1973. This network consisted of 13 stations and did not meet World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recommendations for the minimum spatial density. Therefore, it is proposed to augment it by 25, 50, 100 and 160% virtually, which is the rate that would meet WMO requirements. Results suggest that for a given augmentation robust networks remain stable overall for the two time horizons.

Evaluating the use of different precipitation datasets in simulating a flood event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyurek, Z.; Ozkaya, A.

2016-12-01

Floods caused by convective storms in mountainous regions are sensitive to the temporal and spatial variability of rainfall. Space-time estimates of rainfall from weather radar, satellites and numerical weather prediction models can be a remedy to represent pattern of the rainfall with some inaccuracy. However, there is a strong need for evaluation of the performance and limitations of these estimates in hydrology. This study aims to provide a comparison of gauge, radar, satellite (Hydro-Estimator (HE)) and numerical weather prediciton model (Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)) precipitation datasets during an extreme flood event (22.11.2014) lasting 40 hours in Samsun-Turkey. For this study, hourly rainfall data from 13 ground observation stations were used in the analyses. This event having a peak discharge of 541 m3/sec created flooding at the downstream of Terme Basin. Comparisons were performed in two parts. First the analysis were performed in areal and point based manner. Secondly, a semi-distributed hydrological model was used to assess the accuracy of the rainfall datasets to simulate river flows for the flood event. Kalman Filtering was used in the bias correction of radar rainfall data compared to gauge measurements. Radar, gauge, corrected radar, HE and WRF rainfall data were used as model inputs. Generally, the HE product underestimates the cumulative rainfall amounts in all stations, radar data underestimates the results in cumulative sense but keeps the consistency in the results. On the other hand, almost all stations in WRF mean statistics computations have better results compared to the HE product but worse than the radar dataset. Results in point comparisons indicated that, trend of the rainfall is captured by the radar rainfall estimation well but radar underestimates the maximum values. According to cumulative gauge value, radar underestimated the cumulative rainfall amount by % 32. Contrary to other datasets, the bias of WRF is positive due to the overestimation of rainfall forecasts. It was seen that radar-based flow predictions demonstrated good potential for successful hydrological modeling. Moreover, flow predictions obtained from bias corrected radar rainfall values produced an increase in the peak flows compared to the ones obtained from radar data itself.

Using Remote Sensing and Radar Meteorological Data to Support Watershed Assessments Comprising Integrated Environmental Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Meteorological (MET) data required by watershed assessments comprising Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) traditionally have been provided by land-based weather (gauge) stations, although these data may not be the most appropriate for adequate spatial and temporal resolution...

Analysis of rainfall distribution in Kelantan river basin, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che Ros, Faizah; Tosaka, Hiroyuki

2018-03-01

Using rainfall gauge on its own as input carries great uncertainties regarding runoff estimation, especially when the area is large and the rainfall is measured and recorded at irregular spaced gauging stations. Hence spatial interpolation is the key to obtain continuous and orderly rainfall distribution at unknown points to be the input to the rainfall runoff processes for distributed and semi-distributed numerical modelling. It is crucial to study and predict the behaviour of rainfall and river runoff to reduce flood damages of the affected area along the Kelantan river. Thus, a good knowledge on rainfall distribution is essential in early flood prediction studies. Forty six rainfall stations and their daily time-series were used to interpolate gridded rainfall surfaces using inverse-distance weighting (IDW), inverse-distance and elevation weighting (IDEW) methods and average rainfall distribution. Sensitivity analysis for distance and elevation parameters were conducted to see the variation produced. The accuracy of these interpolated datasets was examined using cross-validation assessment.

Radarsat-1 and ERS InSAR analysis over southeastern coastal Louisiana: Implications for mapping water-level changes beneath swamp forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Z.; Kwoun, Oh-Ig

2008-01-01

Detailed analysis of C-band European Remote Sensing 1 and 2 (ERS-1/ERS-2) and Radarsat-1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) imagery was conducted to study water-level changes of coastal wetlands of southeastern Louisiana. Radar backscattering and InSAR coherence suggest that the dominant radar backscattering mechanism for swamp forest and saline marsh is double-bounce backscattering, implying that InSAR images can be used to estimate water-level changes with unprecedented spatial details. On the one hand, InSAR images suggest that water-level changes over the study site can be dynamic and spatially heterogeneous and cannot be represented by readings from sparsely distributed gauge stations. On the other hand, InSAR phase measurements are disconnected by structures and other barriers and require absolute water-level measurements from gauge stations or other sources to convert InSAR phase values to absolute water-level changes. ?? 2006 IEEE.

Optimal regionalization of extreme value distributions for flood estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asadi, Peiman; Engelke, Sebastian; Davison, Anthony C.

2018-01-01

Regionalization methods have long been used to estimate high return levels of river discharges at ungauged locations on a river network. In these methods, discharge measurements from a homogeneous group of similar, gauged, stations are used to estimate high quantiles at a target location that has no observations. The similarity of this group to the ungauged location is measured in terms of a hydrological distance measuring differences in physical and meteorological catchment attributes. We develop a statistical method for estimation of high return levels based on regionalizing the parameters of a generalized extreme value distribution. The group of stations is chosen by optimizing over the attribute weights of the hydrological distance, ensuring similarity and in-group homogeneity. Our method is applied to discharge data from the Rhine basin in Switzerland, and its performance at ungauged locations is compared to that of other regionalization methods. For gauged locations we show how our approach improves the estimation uncertainty for long return periods by combining local measurements with those from the chosen group.

Water resources data, Arkansas, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brossett, T.H.; Evans, D.A.

2003-01-01

Water resources data for the 2002 water year for Arkansas consist of records of discharge and water quality (physical measurements and chemical concentrations) of streams, water quality of lakes, and groundwater levels and ground-water quality. Data from selected sites in Missouri and Oklahoma also are included. This report contains daily discharge records for 108 surface-water gaging stations and 87 peak-discharge partial-record stations, water-quality data for 65 surface-water stations and 5 wells, and water levels for 15 observation wells. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Note: Historically, this report has been published as a paper report. Beginning with the 2002 water year report, these reports will be available from the World Wide Web at http://ar.water.usgs.gov.

Evaluation of Measurements Collected with Multi-Parameter Continuous Water-Quality Monitors in Selected Illinois Streams, 2001-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Groschen, George E.; King, Robin B.

2005-01-01

Eight streams, representing a wide range of environmental and water-quality conditions across Illinois, were monitored from July 2001 to October 2003 for five water-quality parameters as part of a pilot study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Continuous recording multi-parameter water-quality monitors were installed to collect data on water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentrations, specific conductivity, pH, and turbidity. The monitors were near USGS streamflow-gaging stations where stage and streamflow are continuously recorded. During the study period, the data collected for these five parameters generally met the data-quality objectives established by the USGS and IEPA at all eight stations. A similar pilot study during this period for measurement of chlorophyll concentrations failed to achieve the data-quality objectives. Of all the sensors used, the temperature sensors provided the most accurate and reliable measurements (generally within ?5 percent of a calibrated thermometer reading). Signal adjustments and calibration of all other sensors are dependent upon an accurate and precise temperature measurement. The dissolved-oxygen sensors were the next most reliable during the study and were responsive to changing conditions and accurate at all eight stations. Specific conductivity was the third most accurate and reliable measurement collected from the multi-parameter monitors. Specific conductivity at the eight stations varied widely-from less than 40 microsiemens (?S) at Rayse Creek near Waltonville to greater than 3,500 ?S at Salt Creek at Western Springs. In individual streams, specific conductivity often changed quickly (greater than 25 percent in less than 3 hours) and the sensors generally provided good to excellent record of these variations at all stations. The widest range of specific-conductivity measurements was in Salt Creek at Western Springs in the Greater Chicago metropolitan area. Unlike temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity that have been typically measured over a wide range of historical streamflow conditions in many streams, there are few historical turbidity data and the full range of turbidity values is not well known for many streams. Because proposed regional criteria for turbidity in regional streams are based on upper 25th percentiles of concentration in reference streams, accurate determination of the distribution of turbidity in monitored streams is important. Digital data from all five sensors were recorded within each of the eight sondes deployed in the streams and in automated data recorders in the nearby streamflow-gaging houses at each station. The data recorded on each sonde were retrieved to a field laptop computer at each station visit. The feasibility of transmitting these data in near-real time to a central processing point for dissemination on the World-Wide Web was tested successfully. Data collected at all eight stations indicate that a number of factors affect the dissolved-oxygen concentration in the streams and rivers monitored. These factors include: temperature, biological activity, nutrient runoff, and weather (storm runoff). During brief periods usually in late summer, dissolved-oxygen concentrations in half or more of the eight streams and rivers monitored were below the 5 milligrams per liter minimum established by the Illinois Pollution Control Board to protect aquatic life. Because the streams monitored represent a wide range in water-quality and environmental conditions, including diffuse (non-point) runoff and wastewater-effluent contributions, this result indicates that deleterious low dissolved-oxygen concentrations during late summer may be widespread in Illinois streams.

Flood-inundation maps for a 6.5-mile reach of the Kentucky River at Frankfort, Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lant, Jeremiah G.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.5-mile reach of Kentucky River at Frankfort, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Frankfort Office of Emergency Management. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage Kentucky River at Lock 4 at Frankfort, Kentucky (station no. 03287500). Current conditions for the USGS streamgage may be obtained online at the USGS National Water Information System site (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?agency_code=USGS&site_no=03287500). In addition, the information has been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often colocated at USGS streamgages. The forecasted peak-stage information, also available on the Internet, may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the Kentucky River reach by using HEC–RAS, a one-dimensional step-backwater model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current (2013) stage-discharge relation for the Kentucky River at Lock 4 at Frankfort, Kentucky, in combination with streamgage and high-water-mark measurements collected for a flood event in May 2010. The calibrated model was then used to calculate 26 water-surface profiles for a sequence of flood stages, at 1-foot intervals, referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from a stage near bankfull to the elevation that breached the levees protecting the City of Frankfort. To delineate the flooded area at each interval flood stage, the simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a digital elevation model (DEM) of the study area by using geographic information system software. The DEM consisted of bare-earth elevations within the study area and was derived from a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) dataset having a 5.0-foot horizontal resolution and an accuracy of 0.229 foot. The availability of these maps, along with Internet information regarding current stages from USGS streamgages and forecasted stages from the NWS, provides emergency management personnel and local residents with critical information for flood response activities such as evacuations, road closures, and postflood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for an 8.9-mile reach of the South Fork Little River at Hopkinsville, Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lant, Jeremiah G.

2013-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for an 8.9-mile reach of South Fork Little River at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Hopkinsville Community Development Services. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at South Fork Little River at Highway 68 By-Pass at Hopkinsville, Kentucky (station no. 03437495). Current conditions for the USGS streamgage may be obtained online at the USGS National Water Information System site (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?agency_code=USGS&site_no=03437495). In addition, the information has been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often co-located at USGS streamgages. The forecasted peak-stage information, also available on the Internet, may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the South Fork Little River reach by using HEC-RAS, a one-dimensional step-backwater model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current (2012) stage-discharge relation at the South Fork Little River at Highway 68 By-Pass at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, streamgage and measurements collected during recent flood events. The calibrated model was then used to calculate 13 water-surface profiles for a sequence of flood stages, most at 1-foot intervals, referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from a stage near bank full to the estimated elevation of the 1.0-percent annual exceedance probability flood at the streamgage. To delineate the flooded area at each interval flood stage, the simulated water-surface profiles were combined with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the study area by using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The DEM consisted of bare-earth elevations within the study area and was derived from a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) dataset having a 3.28-foot horizontal resolution. These flood-inundation maps, along with online information regarding current stages from USGS streamgage and forecasted stages from the NWS, provide emergency management and local residents with critical information for flood response activities such as evacuations, road closures, and post-flood recovery efforts.

Five years on: Revisiting GSN data quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gee, L. S.; Nettles, M.; Ekstrom, G.; Davis, J. P.; Ringler, A. T.; Storm, T. L.; Wilson, D.; Anderson, K. R.

2014-12-01

In 2010, the Lamont Waveform Quality Center (WQC) conducted an in-depth review of ten stations in the Global Seismographic Network (GSN). IU stations (CASY, DAV, KIP, KONO, WCI), IC stations (SSE, XAN), and II stations (ALE, DGAR, RPN) were analyzed using a scaling analysis based on data-synthetic comparisons, evaluation of noise levels, assessment of inter-sensor coherence, and polarization analysis. These reports (available from http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~ekstrom/Projects/WQC.html) highlighted a number of significant problems in GSN data quality, including the frequency-dependent loss of gain in the STS-1 seismometer (Ekström et al., 2006) that has been attributed to the presence of humidity in the electronics, cables, and connectors (Yuki and Ishihara, 2002; Hutt and Ringler, 2011). The reports from the WQC spurred a number of changes in the operation of the GSN, including the adoption of the policy of annual calibrations and the development of new tools and metrics to monitor, evaluate, and communicate data quality. In parallel, the USGS' Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) and UCSD's Project IDA worked with the IRIS Consortium to upgrade GSN stations with new data acquisition systems, to refurbish the STS-1 seismometers with new electronics, and to expand the deployment of secondary broadband sensors. We revisit the 2010 reports, using the tools of the WQC as well as a number of newly developed tools such as the USGS' Data Quality Analyzer and IRIS' MUSTANG, and provide an update on GSN data quality. Our initial focus is on CASY and KIP, the first two stations reviewed by the WQC. Our goal is to evaluate progress in the last five years and assess our ability to quantify data quality as well as to identify potential problems that could compromise data quality in the future. Ekström, G., C. A. Dalton, and M. Nettles (2006). Observations of time-dependent errors in long-period instrument gain at global seismic stations. Seismological Research Letters, 77 (1), 12-22. Hutt, C.R. and A.T. Ringler (2011). Some possible causes of and corrections for STS-1 response changes in the Global Seismographic Network, Seis. Res. Lett., 82 (4), 560-571. Yuki, Y., and Y. Ishihara (2002). Methods for maintaining the performance of STS-1 seismometer. Frontier Research on Earth Evolution 2, 1-5.

Climatic data for Mirror Lake, West Thornton, New Hampshire : 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturrock, Alex M.; Buso, D.C.; Scarborough, J.L.; Winter, T.C.

1988-01-01

Research on the hydrology of Mirror Lake, West Thornton, New Hampshire, includes a study of evaporation. Those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer evaporation studies are presented, including: water surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, vapor pressure at and above the water surface, wind speed, and short- and long-wave radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations. (USGS)

Normal streamflows and water levels continue—Summary of hydrologic conditions in Georgia, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knaak, Andrew E.; Ankcorn, Paul D.; Peck, Michael F.

2016-03-31

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) Georgia office, in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, maintains a long-term hydrologic monitoring network of more than 350 real-time, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations (streamgages). The network includes 14 real-time lake-level monitoring stations, 72 real-time surface-water-quality monitors, and several water-quality sampling programs. Additionally, the SAWSC Georgia office operates more than 204 groundwater monitoring wells, 39 of which are real-time. The wide-ranging coverage of streamflow, reservoir, and groundwater monitoring sites allows for a comprehensive view of hydrologic conditions across the State. One of the many benefits this monitoring network provides is a spatially distributed overview of the hydrologic conditions of creeks, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers in Georgia.Streamflow and groundwater data are verified throughout the year by USGS hydrographers and made available to water-resource managers, recreationists, and Federal, State, and local agencies. Hydrologic conditions are determined by comparing the statistical analyses of data collected during the current water year to historical data. Changing hydrologic conditions underscore the need for accurate, timely data to allow informed decisions about the management and conservation of Georgia’s water resources for agricultural, recreational, ecological, and water-supply needs and in protecting life and property.

A global gridded dataset of daily precipitation going back to 1950, ideal for analysing precipitation extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contractor, S.; Donat, M.; Alexander, L. V.

2017-12-01

Reliable observations of precipitation are necessary to determine past changes in precipitation and validate models, allowing for reliable future projections. Existing gauge based gridded datasets of daily precipitation and satellite based observations contain artefacts and have a short length of record, making them unsuitable to analyse precipitation extremes. The largest limiting factor for the gauge based datasets is a dense and reliable station network. Currently, there are two major data archives of global in situ daily rainfall data, first is Global Historical Station Network (GHCN-Daily) hosted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the other by Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) part of the Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD). We combine the two data archives and use automated quality control techniques to create a reliable long term network of raw station data, which we then interpolate using block kriging to create a global gridded dataset of daily precipitation going back to 1950. We compare our interpolated dataset with existing global gridded data of daily precipitation: NOAA Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) Global V1.0 and GPCC Full Data Daily Version 1.0, as well as various regional datasets. We find that our raw station density is much higher than other datasets. To avoid artefacts due to station network variability, we provide multiple versions of our dataset based on various completeness criteria, as well as provide the standard deviation, kriging error and number of stations for each grid cell and timestep to encourage responsible use of our dataset. Despite our efforts to increase the raw data density, the in situ station network remains sparse in India after the 1960s and in Africa throughout the timespan of the dataset. Our dataset would allow for more reliable global analyses of rainfall including its extremes and pave the way for better global precipitation observations with lower and more transparent uncertainties.

Validation and correction of rainfall data from the WegenerNet high density network in southeast Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O, Sungmin; Foelsche, U.; Kirchengast, G.; Fuchsberger, J.

2018-01-01

Eight years of daily rainfall data from WegenerNet were analyzed by comparison with data from Austrian national weather stations. WegenerNet includes 153 ground level weather stations in an area of about 15 km × 20 km in the Feldbach region in southeast Austria. Rainfall has been measured by tipping bucket gauges at 150 stations of the network since the beginning of 2007. Since rain gauge measurements are considered close to true rainfall, there are increasing needs for WegenerNet data for the validation of rainfall data products such as remote sensing based estimates or model outputs. Serving these needs, this paper aims at providing a clearer interpretation on WegenerNet rainfall data for users in hydro-meteorological communities. Five clusters - a cluster consists of one national weather station and its four closest WegenerNet stations - allowed us close comparison of datasets between the stations. Linear regression analysis and error estimation with statistical indices were conducted to quantitatively evaluate the WegenerNet daily rainfall data. It was found that rainfall data between the stations show good linear relationships with an average correlation coefficient (r) of 0.97 , while WegenerNet sensors tend to underestimate rainfall according to the regression slope (0.87). For the five clusters investigated, the bias and relative bias were - 0.97 mm d-1 and - 11.5 % on average (except data from new sensors). The average of bias and relative bias, however, could be reduced by about 80 % through a simple linear regression-slope correction, with the assumption that the underestimation in WegenerNet data was caused by systematic errors. The results from the study have been employed to improve WegenerNet data for user applications so that a new version of the data (v5) is now available at the WegenerNet data portal (www.wegenernet.org).

Interior Western U. S. Deformation Coming into Focus with Maturing Survey and Continuous GPS Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thatcher, W. R.; Svarc, J. L.

2010-12-01

Active Basin and Range (BR) extension produces spectacular fault-generated topography spread over ~800 km in the interior western US. However, present-day deformation rates are relatively low east of the San Andreas fault system and Cascadia subduction zone and ± 1 mm/yr precision in GPS velocity is needed to pinpoint the major faults that accommodate extension. Typically, 3 years of continuous (CGPS) operation and 8 years of sparsely repeated survey (SGPS) network occupations are required to attain this precision. U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) survey networks and Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) continuous station records are now long enough to meet these requirements. USGS and PBO station coverage is generally complementary. PBO coverage established since 2005 within the ~1000 km x 1500 km deforming zone is relatively complete at ~100 km station spacing; USGS survey-mode profiles established during 1999-2003 are dense; typical station spacing is ~25 km and results are sufficiently precise to determine localized velocity gradients of 1 mm/yr or greater (over ~25-50 km distances) across mapped active strike-slip and normal faults traversed by the SGPS profiles. The great majority of geologically young faults appear to slip at rates less than 1 mm/yr but rates are measurably higher near the western and eastern edges of the BR. There is a marked transition in NE California from strike-slip faulting at rates of ~ 4 mm/yr across the northern Walker Lane zone to pure extension north of about Mt. Lassen. This distinct boundary is apparently related to the prevalence of strike-slip tractions on the San Andreas plate boundary south of the Mendocino triple junction (MTJ) to tensile stresses caused by Cascadia slab retreat north of the MTJ. A horizontal extension rate of 3 mm/yr is observed across the north-striking Hat Creek and related normal faults immediately north of Lassen, but this extension decreases to no more than 1 mm/yr in the Klamath Basin, about 150 km to the north. Extension rates could be as high as ~1 mm/yr across the Surprise Valley fault (near the California-Nevada border) and the Steens Mountain-Pueblo Mountains fault (SE Oregon). But elsewhere in Oregon, Idaho and Montana, extension rates are < 1 mm/yr and only on the eastern edge of the BR, across the Wasatch and related faults in central Utah, do rates reach 3 mm/yr.

Scaling Analysis of Tide Gauge Data from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Coasts of the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, C. C.; Smigelski, J. R.; Tebbens, S. F.

2008-12-01

Most coastal regions are subject to inundation due to many periodic and non-periodic inputs including for example: diurnal and semi diurnal tides, storms, tsunamis, and global sea level change. Tide guage data provide a frequently sampled long term record of fluctuations in water level. A power-spectral-density analysis of tidal gauge data is used to quantify persistence (degree of internal correlation over various time intervals) in terms of the scaling exponent β and to identify temporal changes in persistence. The stations are located at different proximity to the open ocean, including bays, harbors, and channels. The datasets are from the NOAA CO-OPS Verified Hourly Station Datum. The length of the data sets ranges from 3 years to 101 years. The hourly data sets are decimated to one record every four hours. All data sets analyzed show three distinct regions of persistence with two inflection points at approximately one day and five days. For times less than one day, the scaling exponent ranges between 0 < β < 2.6. For the time interval 1 to 5 days, the scaling exponent ranges between 1.1 < β < 2.1. For times greater than 5 days, the scaling exponent ranges between 0.4 < β < 0.9. Persistence generally decreases as period increases but is stable between the inflection points. At Duck, NC, long term persistence in the tide gauge signal is 0.6 as compared to 0.9 for the biweekly shoreline position signal over twenty years, suggesting a strong correlation between the two and the possibility of using tide gauge data to quantify nearby shoreline mobility over similar time intervals.

Concurrency and climate change signal in Scottish flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, A. E.; Butler, A.; Goody, N.; Bertram, D.; Baggaley, N.; Tett, S. F.

2013-12-01

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency maintains a database of river gauging stations and intensity rain-gauges with a 3-hourly resolution that covers the majority of Scotland. Both SEPA and a number of other Scottish agencies are invested in climate change attribution in this data set. SEPA's main interest lies in trend detection and changes in river level (';stage') data throughout Scotland. Emergency response teams are more concerned with the concurrency of multiple flood events that might stretch their ability to respond effectively. Unfortunately, much of the rainfall signal within SEPA's river-gauge data is altered by land use changes, modified by artificial interventions such as reservoirs, compromised by tidal flow, or obscured by measurement issues. Data reduction techniques, indices of extreme rainfall, and hydrology-driven discrimination have been employed to produce a reduced set of flood-relevant information for 24-hour ';flashy' events. Links between this set and North Atlantic circulation have been explored, as have patterns of mutual occurrence across Scotland and location- and seasonally- dependent trends through time. Both frontal systems and summer convective storms have been characterised in terms of subsequent flood-inducing flow regime, their changing behaviour over the last fifty years, and their spatial extent. This is the first stage of an ongoing project that will intelligently expand to take less robust river and rain-gauge stations into account through statistical analysis and hydrological modelling. It is also the first study of its type to analyse a nation-scale dataset of both rainfall and river flow from multiple catchments for flood event concurrency. As rainfall events are expected to intensify across much of Europe, this kind of research is likely to have an increasing degree of relevance for policy-makers. This project demonstrates that productive, policy-relevant and mutually-rewarding partnerships are already underway.

The Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) network of the U.S. Geological Survey—Past and future implementation of storm-response monitoring, data collection, and data delivery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verdi, Richard J.; Lotspeich, R. Russell; Robbins, Jeanne C.; Busciolano, Ronald J.; Mullaney, John R.; Massey, Andrew J.; Banks, William S.; Roland, Mark A.; Jenter, Harry L.; Peppler, Marie C.; Suro, Thomas P.; Schubert, Christopher E.; Nardi, Mark R.

2017-06-20

After Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the northeastern Atlantic coast of the United States on October 29, 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) carried out scientific investigations to assist with protecting coastal communities and resources from future flooding. The work included development and implementation of the Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) network consisting of more than 900 monitoring stations. The SWaTH network was designed to greatly improve the collection and timely dissemination of information related to storm surge and coastal flooding. The network provides a significant enhancement to USGS data-collection capabilities in the region impacted by Hurricane Sandy and represents a new strategy for observing and monitoring coastal storms, which should result in improved understanding, prediction, and warning of storm-surge impacts and lead to more resilient coastal communities.As innovative as it is, SWaTH evolved from previous USGS efforts to collect storm-surge data needed by others to improve storm-surge modeling, warning, and mitigation. This report discusses the development and implementation of the SWaTH network, and some of the regional stories associated with the landfall of Hurricane Sandy, as well as some previous events that informed the SWaTH development effort. Additional discussions on the mechanics of inundation and how the USGS is working with partners to help protect coastal communities from future storm impacts are also included.

StreamStats, version 4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Newson, Jeremy K.; Smith, Martyn J.; Guthrie, John D.; Steeves, Peter A.; Haluska, Tana L.; Kolb, Katharine R.; Thompson, Ryan F.; Santoro, Richard D.; Vraga, Hans W.

2017-10-30

IntroductionStreamStats version 4, available at https://streamstats.usgs.gov, is a map-based web application that provides an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management, and engineering purposes. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the primary purpose of StreamStats is to provide estimates of streamflow statistics for user-selected ungaged sites on streams and for USGS streamgages, which are locations where streamflow data are collected.Streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent flood, the mean flow, and the 7-day 10-year low flow, are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. For example, estimates of the 1-percent flood (which is exceeded, on average, once in 100 years and has a 1-percent chance of exceedance in any year) are used to create flood-plain maps that form the basis for setting insurance rates and land-use zoning. This and other streamflow statistics also are used for dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; permitting of water withdrawals and wastewater and industrial discharges; hydropower facility design and regulation; and setting of minimum allowed streamflows to protect freshwater ecosystems. Streamflow statistics can be computed from available data at USGS streamgages depending on the type of data collected at the stations. Most often, however, streamflow statistics are needed at ungaged sites, where no streamflow data are available to determine the statistics.

Closet to Cloud: The online archiving of tape-based continuous NCSN seismic data from 1993-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuhauser, D. S.; Aranha, M. A.; Kohler, W. M.; Oppenheimer, D.

2016-12-01

As earthquake monitoring systems in the 1980s moved from analog to digital recording systems, most seismic networks only archived digital waveforms from detected events due to lack of affordable online digital storage for continuous high-rate (100 sps) data. The Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC), established in 1991 by UC Berkeley and the USGS Menlo Park, archived 20 sps continuous data and triggerd high-rate from the sparse Berkeley seismic network, but could not afford the online storage for continuous high-rate data from the 300+ stations of the USGS Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN). The discovery of non-volcanic tremor and the use of continuous waveform correlation techniques for detecting repeating earthquakes combined with the increase in disk capacity capacity and significant reduction in disk costs led the Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) to begin archiving continuous high-rate waveforms in 2004-2005. The USGS Menlo Park NCSN network had backup tapes of continuous high-rate waveform data since 1993 on the shelf, and the USGS and NCEDC embarked on a project to restore and archive all continuous NCSN data from 1993 through 2005. We will discuss the procedures and problems encountered when reading, transcribing, converting data formats, SEED channel naming, and archiving the 1993-2005 continuous NCSN waveforms. We will also illustrate new science enabled by these data. These and other northern California seismic and geophysical data are available via web services at http://service.ncedc.org

Using Remote Sensing and Radar MET Data to Support Watershed Assessments Comprising IEM

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Meteorological (MET) data required by watershed assessments that comprise Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) have traditionally been provided by land-based weather (gauge) stations; although these data may not be most appropriate for describing adequate spatial and temporal resolution if the ME...

Analytical and Experimental Studies of Leak Location and Environment Characterization for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronowicz, Michael; Abel, Joshua; Autrey, David; Blackmon, Rebecca; Bond, Tim; Brown, Martin; Buffington, Jesse; Cheng, Edward; DeLatte, Danielle; Garcia, Kelvin;

Analytical and Experimental Studies of Leak Location and Environment Characterization for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronowicz, Michael S.; Abel, Joshua C.; Autrey, David; Blackmon, Rebecca; Bond, Tim; Brown, Martin; Buffington, Jesse; Cheng, Edward; DeLatte, Danielle; Garcia, Kelvin;

An Update of Sea Level Rise in the northwestern part of the Arabian Gulf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alothman, Abdulaziz; Bos, Machiel; Fernandes, Rui

2017-04-01

Relative sea level variations in the northwestern part of the Arabian Gulf have been estimated in the past using no more than 10 to 15 years of observations. In Alothman et al. (2014), we have almost doubled the period to 28.7 years by examining all available tide gauge data in the area and constructing a mean gauge time-series from seven coastal tide gauges. We found for the period 1979-2007 a relative sea level rise of about 2mm/yr, which correspond to an absolute sea level rise of about 1.5mm/yr based on the vertical displacement of GNSS stations in the region. By taking into account the temporal correlations we concluded that previous published results underestimate the true sea level rate error in this area by a factor of 5-10. In this work, we discuss and update the methodology and results from Alothman et al. (2014), particularly by checking and extending the GNSS solutions. Since 3 of the 6 GPS stations used only started observing in the end of 2011, the longer time series have now significantly lower uncertainties in the estimated vertical rate. In addition, we compare our results with GRACE derived ocean bottom pressure time series which are a good proxy of the changes in water mass in this area over time.

Modern Adaptive Analytics Approach to Lowering Seismic Network Detection Thresholds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, C. E.

2017-12-01

Modern seismic networks present a number of challenges, but perhaps most notably are those related to 1) extreme variation in station density, 2) temporal variation in station availability, and 3) the need to achieve detectability for much smaller events of strategic importance. The first of these has been reasonably addressed in the development of modern seismic associators, such as GLASS 3.0 by the USGS/NEIC, though some work still remains to be done in this area. However, the latter two challenges demand special attention. Station availability is impacted by weather, equipment failure or the adding or removing of stations, and while thresholds have been pushed to increasingly smaller magnitudes, new algorithms are needed to achieve even lower thresholds. Station availability can be addressed by a modern, adaptive architecture that maintains specified performance envelopes using adaptive analytics coupled with complexity theory. Finally, detection thresholds can be lowered using a novel approach that tightly couples waveform analytics with the event detection and association processes based on a principled repicking algorithm that uses particle realignment for enhanced phase discrimination.

Low-flow frequency analyses for streams in west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hammett, K.M.

1985-01-01

The log-Pearson type III distribution was used for defining low-flow frequency at 116 continuous-record streamflow stations in west-central Florida. Frequency distributions were calculated for 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 183 consecutive-day periods for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, and 20 years. Discharge measurements at more than 100 low-flow partial-record stations and miscellaneous discharge-measurement stations were correlated with concurrent daily mean discharge at continuous-record stations. Estimates of the 7-day, 2-year; 7-day, 10-year; 30-day, 2-year; and 30-day, 10-year discharges were made for most of the low-flow partial-record and miscellaneous discharge-measurement stations based on those correlations. Multiple linear-regression analysis was used in an attempt to mathematically relate low-flow frequency data to basin characteristics. The resulting equations showed an apparent bias and were considered unsatisfactory for use in estimating low-flow characteristics. Maps of the 7-day, 10-year and 30-day, 10-year low flows are presented. Techniques that can be used to estimate low-flow characteristics at an ungaged site are also provided. (USGS)

Water quality of the tidal Potomac River and Estuary; hydrologic data report, 1981 water year, with a section on collection and analysis of chlorophyll-a

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen F.; Coupe, Richard H.; Woodward, Joan C.

1982-01-01

This report contains data on the physical and chemical properties measured in the Tidal Potomac River and Estuary during the 1981 water year. Data were collected at least weekly at five stations, and periodically at 15 stations and at two other stations near the mouth of the Potomac River in Chesapeake Bay. Each of the five stations represent a cross section at which the transport of selected dissolved and suspended materials can be computed. The remaining 17 stations are locations at which data were collected for special studies of selected phenomena, such as salt water migration and dissolved oxygen dynamics. Samples were routinely analyzed for chlorophyll-a, nitrogen, pheophytin, phosphorus, silica and suspended sediment. Additional samples were analyzed for adenosine triphosphate, algal growth potential, alkalinity, calcium, chloride, dissolved-solids residue, fluoride, iron, manganese, magnesium, nitrifying bacteria, organic carbon, potassium, seston, sodium, and sulfate. In addition, in-situ measurements of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, temperature, solar radiation, and secchi disk transparency were made. (USGS)

Chemical, physical, biochemical, and bacteriological characteristics at selected stream sites in Puerto Rico, 1976-77

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quinones, F.; Vasquez, Pedro; Pena-Cortes, Rafael

1978-01-01

In 1969, the Caribbean District of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, initiated the operation of a network to monitor some parameters indicative of water-quality changes at selected stream sites. In 1974, at the request of the Environmental Quality Board of Puerto Rico, the network was modified to conform with the Environmental Protection Agency National Water Quality Surveillance System. The purpose of the present network is to monitor changes in water quality between the upstream and downstream stations. The expanded network consisted of 58 stations. During 1976, five had been discontinued. One other was added late in 1976. Most of the stations in the original network have been maintained, thus providing some degree of continuity. The monitoring stations used in this report are shown on a map and listed in a table. The results of the network operation are summarized for the period July 1976 to August 1977. (Woodard-USGS)

Flood monitoring network in southeastern Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCallum, Brian E.

1994-01-01

A flood monitoring network has been established to alert emergency operations personnel and the public about hydrologic conditions in the Amite River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP), has installed a real-time data acquisition system to monitor rainfall and river stages in the basin. These data will be transmitted for use by emergency operations personnel to develop flood control and evacuation strategies. The current river stages at selected gaging stations in the basin also will be broadcast by local television and radio stations during a flood. Residents can record the changing river stages on a basin monitoring map, similar to a hurricane tracking map.

Cost effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in northeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffard, S.H.; Pearce, V.F.; Tasker, Gary D.; Doyle, W.H.

1984-01-01

Results are documented of a study of the cost effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in northeastern California. Data uses and funding sources were identified for the 127 continuous stream gages currently being operated in the study area. One stream gage was found to have insufficient data use to warrant cooperative Federal funding. Flow-routing and multiple-regression models were used to simulate flows at selected gaging stations. The models may be sufficiently accurate to replace two of the stations. The average standard error of estimate of streamflow records is 12.9 percent. This overall level of accuracy could be reduced to 12.0 percent using computer-recommended service routes and visit frequencies. (USGS)

Development of Relations of Stream Stage to Channel Geometry and Discharge for Stream Segments Simulated with Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF), Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Adjacent Parts of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moyer, Douglas; Bennett, Mark

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB), Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (VADCR), and University of Maryland (UMD) are collaborating to improve the resolution of the Chesapeake Bay Regional Watershed Model (CBRWM). This watershed model uses the Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) to simulate the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and extended areas of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Information from the CBRWM is used by the CBP and other watershed managers to assess the effectiveness of water-quality improvement efforts as well as guide future management activities. A critical step in the improvement of the CBRWM framework was the development of an HSPF function table (FTABLE) for each represented stream channel. The FTABLE is used to relate stage (water depth) in a particular stream channel to associated channel surface area, channel volume, and discharge (streamflow). The primary tool used to generate an FTABLE for each stream channel is the XSECT program, a computer program that requires nine input variables used to represent channel morphology. These input variables are reach length, upstream and downstream elevation, channel bottom width, channel bankfull width, channel bankfull stage, slope of the floodplain, and Manning's roughness coefficient for the channel and floodplain. For the purpose of this study, the nine input variables were grouped into three categories: channel geometry, Manning's roughness coefficient, and channel and floodplain slope. Values of channel geometry for every stream segment represented in CBRWM were obtained by first developing regional regression models that relate basin drainage area to observed values of bankfull width, bankfull depth, and bottom width at each of the 290 USGS streamflow-gaging stations included in the areal extent of the model. These regression models were developed on the basis of data from stations in four physiographic provinces (Appalachian Plateaus, Valley and Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain) and were used to predict channel geometry for all 738 stream segments in the modeled area from associated basin drainage area. Manning's roughness coefficient for the channel and floodplain was represented in the XSECT program in two forms. First, all available field-estimated values of roughness were compiled for gaging stations in each physiographic province. The median of field-estimated values of channel and floodplain roughness for each physiographic province was applied to all respective stream segments. The second representation of Manning's roughness coefficient was to allow roughness to vary with channel depth. Roughness was estimated at each gaging station for each 1-foot depth interval. Median values of roughness were calculated for each 1-foot depth interval for all stations in each physiographic province. Channel and floodplain slope were determined for every stream segment in CBRWM using the USGS National Elevation Dataset. Function tables were generated by the XSECT program using values of channel geometry, channel and floodplain roughness, and channel and floodplain slope. The FTABLEs for each of the 290 USGS streamflow-gaging stations were evaluated by comparing observed discharge to the XSECT-derived discharge. Function table stream discharge derived using depth-varying roughness was found to be more representative of and statistically indistinguishable from values of observed stream discharge. Additionally, results of regression analysis showed that XSECT-derived discharge accounted for approximately 90 percent of the variability associated with observed discharge in each of the four physiographic provinces. The results of this study indicate that the methodology developed to generate FTABLEs for every s

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.

2014-01-01

Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2012 (October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012), for tributaries to the Scituate Reservoir, Rhode Island. Streamflow and water-quality data used in the study were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB). Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgages; 14 of these streamgages were equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring water level, specific conductance, and water temperature. Water-quality samples were collected at 37 sampling stations by the PWSB and at 14 continuous-record streamgages by the USGS during WY 2012 as part of a long-term sampling program; all stations were in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area. Water-quality data collected by the PWSB were summarized by using values of central tendency and used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2012. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed a mean streamflow of about 26 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2012. For the same time period, annual mean1 streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.40 to about 17 ft3/s. Together, tributaries (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,100,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 1,900,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2012; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 8,700 to 51,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 14,000 to 87,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the PWSB, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 19 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as nitrogen (N), median nitrate concentration was less than 0.01 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.06 mg/L as phosphorus, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 43 and 16 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 200 kilograms per day (kg/d) (71 kilograms per day per square mile (kg/d/mi2)); 15 grams per day (g/d) (5.4 grams per day per square mile (g/d/mi2)); 100 g/d (38 g/d/mi2); 500 g/d (260 g/d/mi2); 4,300 million colony forming units per day (CFUx106/d) (1,500 CFUx106/d/mi2); and 1,000 CFUx106/d (360 CFUx106/d/mi2), respectively.

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.

2013-01-01

Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2011 (October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2011), for tributaries to the Scituate Reservoir, Rhode Island. Streamflow and water-quality data used in the study were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB). Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgages; 14 of these streamgages were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring water level, specific conductance, and water temperature. Water-quality samples also were collected at 37 sampling stations by the PWSB and at 14 continuous-record streamgages by the USGS during WY 2011 as part of a long-term sampling program; all stations were in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area. Water-quality data collected by PWSB are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2011. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed a mean streamflow of about 37 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2011. For the same time period, annual mean1 streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.5 to about 21 ft3/s. Together, tributaries (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,600,000 kg (kilograms) of sodium and 2,600,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2011; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 9,800 to 53,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 15,000 to 90,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the PWSB, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 20.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as nitrogen (N), median nitrate concentration was 0.01 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.07 mg/L as phosphorus, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 33 and 23 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 230 kilograms per day (kg/d) (80 kilograms per day per square mile (kg/d/mi2)); 10 grams per day (g/d) (6.3 grams per day per square mile (g/d/mi2)); 110 g/d (29 g/d/mi2); 610 g/d (270 g/d/mi2); 4,600 million colony forming units per day (CFUx106/d) (2,500 CFUx106/d/mi2); and 1,800 CFUx106/d (810 CFUx106/d/mi2), respectively.

Practical analysis of tide gauges records from Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galassi, Gaia; Spada, Giorgio

2015-04-01

We have collected and analyzed in a basic way the currently available time series from tide gauges deployed along the coasts of Antarctica. The database of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) holds relative sea level information for 17 stations, which are mostly concentrated in the Antarctic Peninsula (8 out of 17). For 7 of the PSMSL stations, Revised Local Reference (RLR) monthly and yearly observations are available, spanning from year 1957.79 (Almirante Brown) to 2013.95 (Argentine Islands). For the remaining 11 stations, only metric monthly data can be obtained during the time window 1957-2013. The record length of the available time series is not generally exceeding 20 years. Remarkable exceptions are the RLR station of Argentine Island, located in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) (time span: 1958-2013, record length: 54 years, completeness=98%), and the metric station of Syowa in East Antarctica (1975-2012, 37 years, 92%). The general quality (geographical coverage and length of record) of the time series hinders a coherent geophysical interpretation of the relative sea-level data along the coasts of Antarctica. However, in an attempt to characterize the relative sea level signals available, we have stacked (i.e., averaged) the RLR time series for the AP and for the whole Antarctica. The so obtained time series have been analyzed using simple regression in order to estimate a trend and a possible sea-level acceleration. For the AP, the the trend is 1.8 ± 0.2 mm/yr and for the whole Antarctica it is 2.1 ± 0.1 mm/yr (both during 1957-2013). The modeled values of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) obtained with ICE-5G(VM2) using program SELEN, range between -0.7 and -1.6 mm/yr, showing that the sea-level trend recorded by tide gauges is strongly influenced by GIA. Subtracting the average GIA contribution (-1.1 mm/yr) to observed sea-level trend from the two stacks, we obtain 3.2 and 2.9 mm/yr for Antarctica and AP respectively, which are interpreted as the effect of current ice melting and steric ocean contributions. By the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition method, we have detected different oscillations embedded in the sea-level signals for Antarctica and AP. This confirms previously recognized connections between the sea-level variations in Antarctica and ocean modes like the ENSO.

Contribution of tropical cyclones to global rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khouakhi, Abdou; Villarini, Gabriele; Vecchi, Gabriel; Smith, James

2016-04-01

Rainfall associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) can have both devastating and beneficial impacts in different parts of the world. In this work, daily precipitation and historical six-hour best track TC datasets are used to quantify the contribution of TCs to global rainfall. We select 18607 rain gauge stations with at least 25 complete (at least 330 measurements per year) years between 1970 and 2014. We consider rainfall associated with TCs if the center of circulation of the storm passed within a given distance from the rain gauge and within a given time window. Spatial and temporal sensitivity analyses are performed with varying time windows (same day, ±1 day) and buffer radii (400 km and 500 km) around each rain gauge. Results highlight regional differences in TC-induced rainfall. The highest TC-induced precipitation totals (400 to 600+ mm/year) are prevalent along eastern Asia, western and northeastern Australia, and in the western Pacific islands. Stations along the southeast of the U.S. coast and surrounding the Gulf of Mexico receive up to 200 mm/year of TC rainfall. The highest annual fractional contributions of TCs to total rainfall (from 35 to 50%) are recorded in stations located in northwestern Australia, southeastern China, the northern Philippines and the southern Mexico peninsula. Seasonally, the highest proportions (40 to 50%) are recorded along eastern Australia and Mauritius in winter, and in eastern Asia and Mexico in summer and autumn. Analyses of the relative contribution of TCs to extreme rainfall using annual maximum (AM) and peaks-over-threshold (POT) approaches indicate notable differences among regions. The highest TC-AM rainfall proportions (45 to 60%) are found in stations located in Japan, eastern China, the Philippines, eastern and western Australia. Substantial contributions (25 to 40% of extreme rainfall) are also recorded in stations located along the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mexico peninsula. We find similar patterns using the POT approach to identify extremes. The fractional contributions decrease as we move inland from the coast. Moreover, the relationship between TC-induced extreme rainfall and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is also examined using logistic and Poisson regression. Results indicate that TC-induced extreme rainfall tends to occur more frequently in Australia and along the U.S. East Coast during La Niña, and along eastern Asia and northwestern Pacific islands during El Niño.

Including local rainfall dynamics and uncertain boundary conditions into a 2-D regional-local flood modelling cascade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermúdez, María; Neal, Jeffrey C.; Bates, Paul D.; Coxon, Gemma; Freer, Jim E.; Cea, Luis; Puertas, Jerónimo

2016-04-01

Flood inundation models require appropriate boundary conditions to be specified at the limits of the domain, which commonly consist of upstream flow rate and downstream water level. These data are usually acquired from gauging stations on the river network where measured water levels are converted to discharge via a rating curve. Derived streamflow estimates are therefore subject to uncertainties in this rating curve, including extrapolating beyond the maximum observed ratings magnitude. In addition, the limited number of gauges in reach-scale studies often requires flow to be routed from the nearest upstream gauge to the boundary of the model domain. This introduces additional uncertainty, derived not only from the flow routing method used, but also from the additional lateral rainfall-runoff contributions downstream of the gauging point. Although generally assumed to have a minor impact on discharge in fluvial flood modeling, this local hydrological input may become important in a sparse gauge network or in events with significant local rainfall. In this study, a method to incorporate rating curve uncertainty and the local rainfall-runoff dynamics into the predictions of a reach-scale flood inundation model is proposed. Discharge uncertainty bounds are generated by applying a non-parametric local weighted regression approach to stage-discharge measurements for two gauging stations, while measured rainfall downstream from these locations is cascaded into a hydrological model to quantify additional inflows along the main channel. A regional simplified-physics hydraulic model is then applied to combine these inputs and generate an ensemble of discharge and water elevation time series at the boundaries of a local-scale high complexity hydraulic model. Finally, the effect of these rainfall dynamics and uncertain boundary conditions are evaluated on the local-scale model. Improvements in model performance when incorporating these processes are quantified using observed flood extent data and measured water levels from a 2007 summer flood event on the river Severn. The area of interest is a 7 km reach in which the river passes through the city of Worcester, a low water slope, subcritical reach in which backwater effects are significant. For this domain, the catchment area between flow gauging stations extends over 540 km2. Four hydrological models from the FUSE framework (Framework for Understanding Structural Errors) were set up to simulate the rainfall-runoff process over this area. At this regional scale, a 2-dimensional hydraulic model that solves the local inertial approximation of the shallow water equations was applied to route the flow, whereas the full form of these equations was solved at the local scale to predict the urban flow field. This nested approach hence allows an examination of water fluxes from the catchment to the building scale, while requiring short setup and computational times. An accurate prediction of the magnitude and timing of the flood peak was obtained with the proposed method, in spite of the unusual structure of the rain episode and the complexity of the River Severn system. The findings highlight the importance of estimating boundary condition uncertainty and local rainfall contribution for accurate prediction of river flows and inundation.

Orthogonal stack of global tide gauge sea level data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trupin, A.; Wahr, J.

1990-01-01

Yearly and monthly tide gauge sea level data from around the globe are fitted to numerically generated equilibrium tidal data to search for the 18.6 year lunar tide and 14 month pole tide. Both tides are clearly evident in the results, and their amplitudes and phases are found to be consistent with a global equilibrium response. Global, monthly sea level data from outside the Baltic sea and Gulf of Bothnia are fitted to global atmospheric pressure data to study the response of the ocean to pressure fluctuations. The response is found to be inverted barometer at periods greater than two months. Global averages of tide gauge data, after correcting for the effects of post glacial rebound on individual station records, reveal an increase in sea level over the last 80 years of between 1.1 mm/yr and 1.9 mm/yr.

Estimating relative sea-level rise and submergence potential at a coastal wetland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, Donald R.

2015-01-01

A tide gauge records a combined signal of the vertical change (positive or negative) in the level of both the sea and the land to which the gauge is affixed; or relative sea-level change, which is typically referred to as relative sea-level rise (RSLR). Complicating this situation, coastal wetlands exhibit dynamic surface elevation change (both positive and negative), as revealed by surface elevation table (SET) measurements, that is not recorded at tide gauges. Because the usefulness of RSLR is in the ability to tie the change in sea level to the local topography, it is important that RSLR be calculated at a wetland that reflects these local dynamic surface elevation changes in order to better estimate wetland submergence potential. A rationale is described for calculating wetland RSLR (RSLRwet) by subtracting the SET wetland elevation change from the tide gauge RSLR. The calculation is possible because the SET and tide gauge independently measure vertical land motion in different portions of the substrate. For 89 wetlands where RSLRwet was evaluated, wetland elevation change differed significantly from zero for 80 % of them, indicating that RSLRwet at these wetlands differed from the local tide gauge RSLR. When compared to tide gauge RSLR, about 39 % of wetlands experienced an elevation rate surplus and 58 % an elevation rate deficit (i.e., sea level becoming lower and higher, respectively, relative to the wetland surface). These proportions were consistent across saltmarsh, mangrove, and freshwater wetland types. Comparison of wetland elevation change and RSLR is confounded by high levels of temporal and spatial variability, and would be improved by co-locating tide gauge and SET stations near each other and obtaining long-term records for both.

HOW WELL CAN YOU ESTIMATE LOW FLOW AND BANKFULL DISCHARGE FROM STREAM CHANNEL HABITAT DATA?

EPA Science Inventory

Modeled estimates of stream discharge are becoming more important because of reductions in the number of gauging stations and increases in flow alteration from land development and climate change. Field measurements of channel morphology are available at thousands of streams and...

Breadth of Scientific Activities and Network Station Specifications in the International GPS Service (IGS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, A. W.; Neilan, R. E.; Springer, T. A.; Reigber, Ch.

2000-01-01

A strong multipurpose aspect of the International GPS Service (IGS) is revealed by a glance at the titles of current projects and working groups within the IGS: IGS/BIPM Time Transfer Project; Ionosphere Working Group; Troposphere Working Group; International GLONASS Experiment; Working Group on Low-Earth Orbiter Missions; and Tide Gauges, CGPS, and the IGS. The IGS network infrastructure, in large part originally commissioned for geodynamical investigations, has proved to be a valuable asset in developing application-oriented subnetworks whose requirements overlap the characteristics of existing IGS stations and future station upgrades. Issues encountered thus far in the development of multipurpose or multitechnique IGS projects as well as future possibilities will be reviewed.

Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio Magnetic and Gravity Maps and Data: A Website for Distribution of Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daniels, David L.; Kucks, Robert P.; Hill, Patricia L.

2008-01-01

This web site gives the results of a USGS project to acquire the best available, public-domain, aeromagnetic and gravity data in the United States and merge these data into uniform, composite grids for each state. The results for the three states, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are presented here in one site. Files of aeromagnetic and gravity grids and images are available for these states for downloading. In Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, 19 magnetic surveys have been knit together to form a single digital grid and map. And, a complete Bouguer gravity anomaly grid and map was generated from 128,227 gravity station measurements in and adjacent to Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. In addition, a map shows the location of the aeromagnetic surveys, color-coded to the survey flight-line spacing. This project was supported by the Mineral Resource Program of the USGS.

Connecticut Highlands Technical Report - Documentation of the Regional Rainfall-Runoff Model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahearn, Elizabeth A.; Bjerklie, David M.

2010-01-01

This report provides the supporting data and describes the data sources, methodologies, and assumptions used in the assessment of existing and potential water resources of the Highlands of Connecticut and Pennsylvania (referred to herein as the “Highlands”). Included in this report are Highlands groundwater and surface-water use data and the methods of data compilation. Annual mean streamflow and annual mean base-flow estimates from selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging stations were computed using data for the period of record through water year 2005. The methods of watershed modeling are discussed and regional and sub-regional water budgets are provided. Information on Highlands surface-water-quality trends is presented. USGS web sites are provided as sources for additional information on groundwater levels, streamflow records, and ground- and surface-water-quality data. Interpretation of these data and the findings are summarized in the Highlands study report.

Measuring gravity currents in the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oberg, K.A.; Czuba, J.A.; Johnson, K.K.

2008-01-01

Recent studies of the Chicago River have determined that gravity currents are responsible for persistent bidirectional flows that have been observed in the river. A gravity current is the flow of one fluid within another caused by a density difference between the fluids. These studies demonstrated how acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) can be used to detect and characterize gravity currents in the field. In order to better understand the formation and evolution of these gravity currents, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has installed ADCPs and other instruments to continuously measure gravity currents in the Chicago River and the North Branch Chicago River. These instruments include stage sensors, thermistor strings, and both upward-looking and horizontal ADCPs. Data loggers and computers installed at gaging stations along the river are used to collect data from these instruments and transmit them to USGS offices. ?? 2008 IEEE.

Report of the annual yield of the Arkansas River basin for the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma,1983 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, M.A.; Lamb, T.E.

1984-01-01

The computed annual yield and deficiency of the subbasins as defined in the Arkansas River Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma, are given in tables. Actual runoff from the subbasins and depletion caused by major reservoirs in the compact area are also given in tabular form. Monthly, maximum, minimum, and mean discharges are shown for the 14 streamflow stations used in computing annual yield. (USGS)

Climatic data for the Cottonwood Lake area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sturrock, A.M.; Hanson, B.A.; Scarborough, J.L.; Winter, T.C.

1987-01-01

Research on the hydrology of the Cottonwood Lake area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, includes study of evaporation. Climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer evaporation studies that were collected during 1983 include water-surface temperature, sediment temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperature, vapor pressure at and above the water surface, wind speed, and short-and long-wave radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations. (USGS)

The NASA GPM Iowa Flood Studies Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, W. A.; Krajewski, W. F.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.; Rutledge, S. A.; Wolff, D. B.

2013-12-01

The overarching objective of NASA Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) integrated hydrologic ground validation (GV) is to provide a better understanding of the strengths and limitations of the satellite products, in the context of hydrologic applications. Accordingly, the NASA GPM GV program recently completed the first of several hydrology-oriented field efforts: the Iowa Flood Studies (IFloodS) experiment. IFloodS was conducted in central Iowa during the months of April-June, 2013. IFloodS science objectives focused on: a) The collection of reference multi-parameter radar, rain gauge, disdrometer, soil moisture, and hydrologic network measurements to quantify the physical character and space/time variability of rain (e.g., rates, drop size distributions, processes), land surface- state and hydrologic response; b) Application of the ground reference measurements to assessment of satellite-based rainfall estimation uncertainties; c) Propagation of both ground and satellite rainfall estimation uncertainties in coupled hydrologic prediction models to assess impacts on predictive skill; and d) Evaluation of rainfall properties such as rate and accumulation relative to basin hydrologic characteristics in modeled flood genesis. IFloodS observational objectives were achieved via deployments of the NASA NPOL S-band and D3R Ka/Ku-band dual-polarimetric radars (operating in coordinated scanning modes), four University of Iowa X-band dual-polarimetric radars, four Micro Rain Radars, a network of 25 paired rain gauge platforms with attendant soil moisture and temperature probes, a network of six 2D Video and 14 Parsivel disdrometers, and 15 USDA-ARS rain gauge and soil-moisture stations (collaboration with the USDA-ARS and NASA Soil Moisture Active-Passive mission). The aforementioned platforms complemented existing operational WSR-88D S-band polarimetric radar, USGS streamflow, and Iowa Flood Center-affiliated stream monitoring and rainfall measurements. Coincident low-earth orbiter microwave, geostationary infrared, and derived satellite-algorithm rainfall products were also archived during the experiment. Twice daily NASA Unified Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations were conducted to provide weather forecast guidance and a coupled atmospheric/land-surface model simulation benchmark. During the experiment the IFloodS observational domain experienced heavy rainfall (> 250-300 mm) and significant flooding. Deployed observational assets, especially the research radars performed well throughout the experiment, sampling a broad range of precipitation system types including multi-day mixtures of rain and snow, warm-season mesoscale convective systems, and supercell thunderstorms. The variety of regimes and large rain accumulations sampled creates a rich source of data for testing both satellite products and coupled atmospheric, land system, and hydrologic models. In this study we will provide an overview of the IFloodS experiment, datasets, and preliminary observational results.

Geometeorological data collected by the USGS Desert Winds Project at Desert Wells, Sonoran Desert, central-west Arizona, 1981 - 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helm, Paula J.; Breed, Carol S.; Tigges, Richard; Creighton, Shawn

1998-01-01

The data in this report were obtained by instruments deployed on a GOES-satellite data collection station operated by the U.S. Geological Survey Desert Winds Project at Desert Wells (latitude 33° 42' 08" N, longitude 113° 48' 40" W), La Paz County, west-central Arizona. The elevation is 344 m (1,130 ft). From January 9, 1981 through May 31, 1995 the station recorded eight parameters: wind direction, wind speed, peak gust, air temperature, precipitation, humidity, barometric pressure, and soil temperature. On June 1, 1995, the station was upgraded by adding a SENSIT sand-flux sensor, which records grain impacts concurrently with wind speed and wind direction measurements. Included with the data is descriptive text on the geology, soils, climate, vegetation, and land use at the site, as well as text on data format, date retrieval software and instructions, and metadata

Water-quality assessment of the Merced River, California, in the 1977 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorenson, Stephen K.; Hoffman, Ray J.

1981-01-01

Water-quality conditions in the Merced River in California were sampled four times during the 1977 water year at 12 stations on the river and its major impoundments. Samples taken at the record or near-record low flows of the 1976-77 drought, showed that calcium and bicarbonate were the predominant ions in the water. Inflow of irrigation return water to the river caused a threefold to sevenfold increase in specific conductance between river kilometer 42 and the farthest downstream station at kilometer 8. During the four sampling periods, the increase in total nitrogen concentrations was twofold to sixfold in that reach. Upstream of kilometer 42, the river was free of apparent water-quality degradation, with the exception of occasional increases in nitrogen and phosphorus. Measurements of primary productivity and phytoplankton in Lake McClure and at three river stations gave indications of trophic conditions in the river system. (USGS)

A description of the index of active Florida water data collection stations and a user's guide for station or site information retrieval using computer program Findex H578

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merritt, M.L.

1977-01-01

A computerized index of water-data collection activities and retrieval software to generate publication list of this information was developed for Florida. This system serves a vital need in the administration of the many and diverse water-data collection activities. Previously, needed data was very difficult to assemble for use in program planning or project implementation. Largely descriptive, the report tells how a file of computer card images has been established which contains entries for all sites in Florida at which there is currently a water-data-collection activity. Entries include information such as identification number, station name, location, type of site, county, information about data collection, funding, and other pertinent details. The computer program FINDEX selectively retrieves entries and lists them in a format suitable for publication. Updating the index is done routinely. (Woodard-USGS)

Miscellaneous streamflow measurements in the State of Washington, January 1961 to September 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, John R.; Riis, S.A.

1989-01-01

This report is a compilation of previously published miscellaneous streamflow measurements made in Washington State by the U.S. Geological Survey between January 1961 and September 1985. It is a supplement to a volume of similar data for the period 1890 to January 1961. The data include stream name and stream to which it is tributary, latitude and longitude, county code, hydrologic unit code, land-line location, drainage area, and measurement dates and discharges. In general, the data sites are not at gaging stations; however, some data are given for gaging station sites during periods when the stations were not in operation. All data in this report have been entered into a computerized data base that includes the data for the period 1890 to January 1961. The data can be retrieved in a variety of ways, such as by county, by hydrologic unit code, by river basin , or by size of drainage area. (USGS)

Performance of high-resolution satellite precipitation products over China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Y.; Xiong, A.; Wang, Y.; Xie, P.; Precipitation Merge Team

2010-12-01

A gauge-based analysis of hourly precipitation is constructed on a 0.25°latitude/ longitude grid over China for a 3 year period from 2005 to 2007 by interpolating gauge reports from ~2000 stations (fig.1) collected and quality controlled by the National Meteorological Information Center of the China Meteorological Administration. Gauge-based precipitation analysis is applied to examine the performance of six high-resolution satellite precipitation estimates, including Joyce et al.’s (2004) Climate Prediction Center Morphing Technique (CMORPH) and the arithmetic mean of the microwave estimates used in CMORPH; Huffman et al.’s (2007) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation product 3B42 and its real-time version 3B42RT; Turk et al.’s (2004) Naval Research Laboratory blended product; and Hsu et al.’s (1997) Precipitation Estimation From Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Network (PERSIANN). Our results showed the following: (1) all six satellite products are capable of capturing the overall spatial distribution and temporal variations of precipitation reasonably well; (2) performance of the satellite products varies for different regions and different precipitation regimes, with better comparison statistics observed over wet regions and for warm seasons; (3) products based solely on satellite observations present regionally and seasonally varying biases, while the gauge-adjustment procedures applied in TRMM 3B42 remove the large-scale bias almost completely; (4) CMORPH exhibits the best performance in depicting the spatial pattern and temporal variations of precipitation; and (5) both the relative magnitude and the phase of the warm season precipitation over China are estimated quite well, but the early morning peak associated with the Mei-Yu rainfall over central eastern China is substantially under-estimated by all satellite products. The work reported in this paper is an integral part of our efforts to construct an analysis of hourly merged precipitation analysis in the future (Shen et al., 2010). Further work is to extend its temporal coverage and to improve the quality of the CPAP. The dataset for the period of 1900-1952 with only ~100 gauge reports available over mainland China is under consideration for development. Gauge network is an important element to determine the quality of the dataset, while the gauge distribution is very sparse over the northwestern China and the Tibetan Plateau, the effective tool to improve the quality of the dataset over these areas is to merge the gauge observations with the satellite precipitation products which is under way. Figure 1 Number of Chinese stations reporting hourly precipitation over a three-year period from January 2005 to December 2007

Current progress on GSN data quality evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. P.; Gee, L. S.; Anderson, K. R.; Ahern, T. K.

2012-12-01

We discuss ongoing work to assess and improve the quality of data collected from instruments deployed at the 150+ stations of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN). The USGS and the IRIS Consortium are coordinating efforts to emphasize data quality following completion of the major installation phase of the GSN and recapitalization of the network's data acquisition systems, ancillary equipment and many of the secondary seismic sensors. We highlight here procedures adopted by the network's operators, the USGS' Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) and UCSD's Project IDA, to ensure that the quality of the waveforms collected is maximized, that published metadata accurately reflect the instrument response of the data acquisitions systems, and that the data users are informed of the status of the GSN data quality. Additional details can be found at the GSN Quality webpage (www.iris.edu/hq/programs/gsn/quality). The GSN network operation teams meet frequently to share information and techniques. While custom software developed by each network operator to identify and track known problems remains important, recent efforts are providing new resources and tools to evaluate waveform quality, including analysis provided by the Lamont Waveform Quality Center (www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~ekstrom/Projects/WQC.html) and synthetic seismograms made available through Princeton University's Near Real Time Global Seismicity Portal ( http://global.shakemovie.princeton.edu/home.jsp ) and developments such as the IRIS DMS's MUSTANG and the ASL's Data Quality Analyzer. We conclude with the concept of station certification, a comprehensive overview of a station's performance that we have developed to communicate to data users the state of data- and metadata quality. As progress is made to verify the response and performance of existing systems as well as analysis of past calibration signals and waveform data, we will update information on the GSN web portals to apprise users of the condition of each GSN station's data.

Measured and Estimated Sodium-Adsorption Ratios for Tongue River and its Tributaries, Montana and Wyoming, 2004-06

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, M.R.; Nimick, David A.; Cleasby, Thomas E.; Kinsey, Stacy M.; Lambing, John H.

2007-01-01

The Tongue River drains an area of about 5,400 square miles and flows northward from its headwaters in the Bighorn National Forest of northeastern Wyoming to join the Yellowstone River at Miles City, Montana. Water from the Tongue River and its tributaries is extensively used for irrigation in both Wyoming and Montana. The Tongue River watershed contains vast coal deposits that are extracted at several surface mines. In some areas of the watershed, the coal beds also contain methane gas (coal-bed methane or natural gas), which has become the focus of intense exploration and development. Production of coal-bed methane requires the pumping of large volumes of ground water from the coal beds to reduce water pressure within the formation and release the stored gas. Water from the coal beds typically is high in sodium and low in calcium and magnesium, resulting in a high sodium-adsorption ratio (SAR). Disposal of ground water with high sodium concentrations into the Tongue River has the potential to increase salinity and SAR of water in the river, and potentially reduce the quality of water for irrigation purposes. This report documents SAR values measured in water samples collected at 12 monitoring sites in the Tongue River watershed and presents regression relations between specific conductance (SC) and SAR at each site for the years 2004-06. SAR in water samples was determined from laboratory-measured concentrations of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. The results of regression analysis indicated that SC and SAR were significantly related (p-values < 0.05) at most sites. The regression relations developed for most monitoring sites in the Tongue River watershed were used with continuous SC data to estimate daily SAR during the 2004 and 2005 irrigation seasons and to estimate 2006 provisional SAR values, which were displayed on the Web in real-time. Water samples were collected and analyzed from seven sites on the main stem of the Tongue River located at: (1) Monarch, Wyoming, station 06299980, (2) State line near Decker, Montana, station 06306300, (3) Tongue River Dam near Decker, Montana, station 06307500, (4) Birney Day School Bridge near Birney, Montana, station 06307616, (5) below Brandenberg Bridge near Ashland, Montana, station 06307830, (6) above T&Y Diversion Dam near Miles City, Montana, station 06307990, and (7) Miles City, Montana, station 06308500. Water samples were collected and analyzed from five sites on tributaries located at: (1) Goose Creek near Acme, Wyoming, station 06305700, (2) Prairie Dog Creek near Acme, Wyoming, station 06306250, (3) Hanging Woman Creek near Birney, Montana, station 06307600, (4) Otter Creek at Ashland, Montana, station 06307740, and (5) Pumpkin Creek near Miles City, Montana, station 06308400. All water-quality data for samples collected at these 12 sites can be accessed at Web sites http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis or http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wy/nwis.

PG&E's Seismic Network Goes Digital With Strong Motion: Successes and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanton, M. A.; Cullen, J.; McLaren, M. K.

2008-12-01

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is in year 3 of a 5-year project to upgrade the Central Coast Seismic Network (CCSN) from analog to digital. Located along the south-central California coast, the CCSN began operation in 1987, with 20 analog stations; 15 vertical component and 5 dual gain 3-component S-13 sensors. The analog signals travel over FM radio telemetry links and voice channels via PG&E's microwave network to our facility in San Francisco (SF), where the A/D conversion is performed on a computer running Earthworm v7.1, which also transmits the data to the USGS in Menlo Park. At the conversion point the dynamic ranges of the vertical and dual-gain sensors are 40-50dB and 60-70dB, respectively. Dynamic range exceedance (data clipping) generally occurs for a M2.5 or greater event within about 40 km of a station. The motivations to upgrade the seismic network were the need for higher dynamic range and to retire obsolete analog transmission equipment. The upgraded digital stations consist of the existing velocity sensors, a 131A-02/3 accelerometer and a Reftek 130-01 Broadband Seismic Recorder for digital data recording and transmission to SF. Vertical only stations have one component of velocity and 3 components of acceleration. Dual gain sites have 3 components of velocity and 3 of acceleration. To date we have successfully upgraded 6 sites; 3 more will be installed by the end of 2008. Some of the advantages of going digital are 1) data is recorded at each site and in SF, 2) substantially increased dynamic range of the velocity sensors to 120dB, as observed by on scale, close-by recordings from a M3.9 San Simeon aftershock on 04/29/2008, 3) accelerometers for on scale recording of large earthquakes, and 4) ability to contribute our strong motion data to USGS ShakeMaps. A significant challenge has been consistent radio communications. To resolve this issue we are installing point-to-multipoint Motorola Canopy spread spectrum radios at the stations and communication towers.

Precipitation and streamflow data from the Fort Carson Military Reservation and precipitation, streamflow, and suspended-sediment data from the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Southeastern Colorado, 2008-2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U. S. Department of the Army, compiled available precipitation and streamflow data for the years of 2008–2012 from the Fort Carson Military Reservation (Fort Carson) near Colorado Springs, Colo., and precipitation, streamflow, and suspended-sediment loads from the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) near Trinidad, Colo. Graphical representations of the data presented herein are a continuation of work completed by the USGS in 2008 to gain a better understanding of spatial and temporal trends within the hydrologic data. Precipitation stations at Fort Carson and the PCMS were divided into groups based on their land-surface altitude (LSA) to determine if there is a spatial difference in precipitation amounts based on LSA for either military facility. Two-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests indicated statistically significant differences exist between precipitation values at different groups for Fort Carson but not for the PCMS. All five precipitation stations at Fort Carson exhibit a decrease in median daily total precipitation from years 2002–2007 to 2008–2012. For the PCMS, median precipitation values decreased from the first study period to the second for the 13 stations monitored year-round except for Burson and Big Hills. Mean streamflow for 2008–2012 is less than mean streamflow for 1983–2007 for all stream-gaging stations at Fort Carson and at the PCMS. During the study period, each of the stream-gaging stations within the tributary channels at the PCMS accounted for less than three percent of the total streamflow at the Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing gage. Peak streamflow for 2008–2012 is less than peak streamflow for 2002–2007 at both Fort Carson and the PCMS. At the PCMS, mean suspended-sediment yield for 2008–2012 increased by 54 percent in comparison to the mean yield for 2002–2007. This increase is likely related to the destruction of groundcover by a series of wildfires within the PCMS in 2008 and 2011.

An expanded model: flood-inundation maps for the Leaf River at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Storm, John B.

2014-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6.8-mile reach of the Leaf River at Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Miss.), were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Hattiesburg, City of Petal, Forrest County, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mississippi Department of Homeland Security, and the Emergency Management District. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Leaf River at Hattiesburg, Miss. (station no. 02473000). Current conditions for estimating near-real-time areas of inundation by use of USGS streamgage information may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/. In addition, the information has been provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) for incorporation into their Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood warning system (http://water.weather.gov/ahps/). The NWS forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often colocated with USGS streamgages. NWS-forecasted peak-stage information may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relations at the Leaf River at Hattiesburg, Miss. streamgage (02473000) and documented high-water marks from recent and historical floods. The hydraulic model was then used to determine 13 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1.0-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from bankfull to approximately the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system (GIS) digital elevation model (DEM, derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data having a 0.6-foot vertical and 9.84-foot horizontal resolution) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. Development of the estimated flood inundation maps as described in this report update previously published inundation estimates by including reaches of the Bouie and Leaf Rivers above their confluence. The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current stage from USGS streamgages and forecasted stream stages from the NWS provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for post flood recovery efforts.

Effect of Sampling Period on Flood Frequency Distributions in the Susquehanna Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargar, M.; Beighley, R. E.

2010-12-01

Flooding is a devastating natural hazard that claims many human lives and significantly impact regional economies each year. Given the magnitude of flooding impacts, significant resources are dedicated to the development of forecasting models for early warning and evacuation planning, construction of flood defenses (levees/dams) to limit flooding, and the design of civil infrastructure (bridges, culverts, storm sewers) to convey flood flows without failing. In all these cases, it is particularly important to understand the potential flooding risk in terms of both recurrence interval (i.e., return period) and magnitude. Flood frequency analysis (FFA) is a form of risk analysis used to extrapolate the return periods of floods beyond the gauged record. The technique involves using observed annual peak flow discharge data to calculate statistical information such as mean values, standard deviations, skewness, and recurrence intervals. Since discharge data for most catchments have been collected for periods of time less than 100 years, the estimation of the design discharge requires a degree of extrapolation. This study focuses on the assessment and modifications of flood frequency based discharges for sites with limited sampling periods. Here, limited sampling period is intended to capture two issues: (1) limited number of observations to adequately capture the flood frequency signal (i.e., minimum number of annual peaks needed) and (2) climate variability (i.e., sampling period contains primarily “wet” or “dry” periods only). Total of 34 gauges (more than 70 years of data) spread throughout the Susquehanna River basin (71,000 sq km) were used to investigate the impact of sampling period on flood frequency distributions. Data subsets ranging from 10 years to the total number of years available were created from the data for each gauging station. To estimate the flood frequency, the Log Pearson Type III distribution was fit to the logarithms of instantaneous annual peak flows following Bulletin 17B guidelines of the U.S. Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data. The resulting flood frequencies from these subsets were compared to the results from the entire record at each gauge. Based on the analysis, the minimum number of years required to obtain a reasonable flood frequency distribution was determined for each gauge. In addition, a method to adjust flood frequency distribution at a given gauging station with limited data based on other locations with longer periods of records was developed.

Land-margin ecosystem hydrologic data for the coastal Everglades, Florida, water years 1996-2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Gordon H.; Smith, Thomas J.; Balentine, Karen M.

2014-01-01

Mangrove forests and salt marshes dominate the landscape of the coastal Everglades (Odum and McIvor, 1990). However, the ecological effects from potential sea-level rise and increased water flows from planned freshwater Everglades restoration on these coastal systems are poorly understood. The National Park Service (NPS) proposed the South Florida Global Climate Change Project (SOFL-GCC) in 1990 to evaluate climate change and the effect from rising sea levels on the coastal Everglades, particularly at the marsh/mangrove interface or ecotone (Soukup and others, 1990). A primary objective of SOFL-GCC project was to monitor and synthesize the hydrodynamics of the coastal Everglades from the upstream freshwater marsh to the downstream estuary mangrove. Two related hypotheses were set forward (Nuttle and Cosby, 1993): 1. There exists hydrologic conditions (tide, local rainfall, and upstream water deliveries), which characterize the location of the marsh/mangrove ecotone along the marine and terrestrial hydrologic gradient; and 2. The marsh/mangrove ecotone is sensitive to fluctuations in sea level and freshwater inflow from inland areas. Hydrologic monitoring of the SOFL-GCC network began in 1995 after startup delays from Hurricane Andrew (August 1992) and organizational transfers from the NPS to the National Biological Survey (October 1993) and the merger with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Biological Research Division in 1996 (Smith, 2004). As the SOFL-GCC project progressed, concern by environmental scientists and land managers over how the diversion of water from Everglades National Park would affect the restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem. Everglades restoration scenarios were based on hydrodynamic models, none of which included the coastal zone (Fennema and others, 1994). Modeling efforts were expanded to include the Everglades coastal zone (Schaffranek and others, 2001) with SOFL-GCC hydrologic data assisting the ecological modeling needs. In 2002, as a response for a more interdisciplinary science approach to understanding the coastal Everglades ecological system, the SOFL-GCC hydrology project was integrated into the “Dynamics of Land-Margin Ecosystems: Historical Change, Hydrology, Vegetation, Sediment, and Climate” study (Smith and others, 2002). Data from the ongoing study has been useful in providing an empirical hydrologic baseline for the greater Everglades ecosystem restoration science and management needs. The hydrology network consisted of 13 hydrologic gaging stations installed in the southwestern coastal region of Everglades National Park along three transects: Shark River (Shark or SH) transect, Lostmans River (Lostmans or LO) transect, and Chatham River (Chatham or CH) transect (fig. 1). There were five paired surface-water/groundwater gaging stations on the Shark transect (SH1, SH2, SH3, SH4, and SH5) and one stage gaging station (BSC) in the Big Sable Creek; four paired surface-water/groundwater gaging stations on the Lostmans transect (LO1, LO2, LO3, and LO4); and three paired surface-water/groundwater gaging stations on the Chatham transect (CH1, CH2, and CH3). Both surface-water and groundwater levels, salinities, and temperatures were monitored at the paired gaging stations. Rainfall was recorded at marsh and open canopy gaging stations. This report details the study introduction, method, and description of data collected, which are accessible through the final instantaneous hydrologic dataset stored in the USGS South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) South Florida Hydrology Database website, http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/sfl_hydro_data/location.html#brdlandmargin.

The ionospheric impact on GPS performance in southern polar region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hong, C.-K.; Grejner-Brzezinska, D. A.; Arslan, N.; Willis, M.; Hothem, L.

2006-01-01

The primary objective of this paper is to present the results of the study of the effects of varying ionospheric conditions on the GPS signal tracking in the southern polar region. In the first stage of this study, the data collected by the OSU/USGS team in October-November 2003 within the TAMDEF (Transantarctic Mountains Deformation) network were used together with some IGS Antarctic stations to study the effect of severe ionospheric storms on GPS hardware. Note that TAMDEF is a joint USGS/OSU project with the primary objective of measuring crustal motion in the Transantarctic Mountains of Southern Victoria Land using GPS techniques. This study included ten Antarctic stations equipped with different dual-frequency GPS hardware, and the data were evaluated for two 24-hour periods of severe ionospheric storm (2003/10/29) and moderate ionospheric conditions (minor storm of 2003/11/11). The results of this study were presented at the LAG Assembly in Cairns, Australia (Grejner-Brzezinska et al., 2005). Additional tests, in a more controlled environment, were carried out at the US Antarctic station, McMurdo, between January 10 and February 6, 2006, under varying ionospheric conditions, where several different types of receivers were connected to the same antenna located on the rooftop of the Crary Laboratory (the primary test site). In this scenario, each antenna was subject to identical ionospheric effects during each day of the test, and no spatial decorrelation effects were present, as seen in the previous study, due to the spatial separation of the receivers tested. It should be noted, however, that no moderate or severe ionospheric storms occurred during the experiment, so, unfortunately, this type of conditions was not tested here. The test was repeated with different receivers connected to different antenna types; a total of four 5-day sessions were carried out. The following receiver types were used at the primary site: Trimble 5700, Ashtech Z-Surveyor, JNS Euro-80 and Novatel DL-4, with the following antennas: Trimble Zephyr Geodetic, Ashtech D/M and Ashtech E/M chokering. In addition, data collected by the MCM4 IGS station, MCMD UNAVCO station, and CRAR USGS station, all located within 300 m from the primary test site, were used in the analyses. These stations were equipped with the following receiver/antenna combinations: ADA SNR-12/AOAD/MJT chokering (MCM4), Trimble NETRS/AOAD/MJT chokering (MCMD), and TPS ODYSEY_E/JPSREGANT_DD_E (CRAR). The UNAVCO TEQC software was used to carry out the analyses. Depending on the data sampling rate and the mask angle, the expected numbers of observations per receiver/satellite were compared to the actual number of measurements collected during the ionospheric events, with a special emphasis on L2 data. A total number of cycle slips and losses of lock were computed and compared among the hardware types. The results presented here indicate that there is no significant effects on the GPS receivers during minor ionospheric storms (Kp<5). However, the results reported in ibid, indicate significant differences in the hardware performance under severe ionospheric storms. Thus, careful hardware selection is needed to assure data quality/continuity when observations may be affected by severe ionospheric disturbances, while under calm to minor ionospheric activity level there is no significant difference in performance among the hardware tested here.

USDI DCS technical support: Mississippi Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Preble, D. M.

1975-01-01

The objective of the technical support effort is to provide hardware and data processing support to DCS users so that application of the system may be simply and effectively implemented. Technical support at Mississippi Test Facility (MTF) is concerned primarily with on-site hardware. The first objective of the DCP hardware support was to assure that standard measuring apparatus and techniques used by the USGS could be adapted to the DCS. The second objective was to try to standardize the miscellaneous variety of parameters into a standard instrument set. The third objective was to provide the necessary accessories to simplify the use and complement the capabilities of the DCP. The standard USGS sites have been interfaced and are presently operating. These sites are stream gauge, ground water level and line operated quality of water. Evapotranspiration, meteorological and battery operated quality of water sites are planned for near future DCP operation. Three accessories which are under test or development are the Chu antenna, solar power supply and add-on memory. The DCP has proven to be relatively easy to interface with many monitors. The large antenna is awkward to install and transport. The DCS has met the original requirements well; it has and is proving that an operation, satellite-based data collection system is feasible.

Flood-inundation maps for Cedar Creek at 18th Street at Auburn, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, Kathleen K.

2018-02-27

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 1.9-mile reach of Cedar Creek at Auburn, Indiana (Ind.), from the First Street bridge, downstream to the streamgage at 18th Street, then ending approximately 1,100 feet (ft) downstream of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science web site at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on Cedar Creek at 18th Street at Auburn, Ind. (station number 04179520). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, although forecasts of flood hydrographs are not available at this site (ABBI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Cedar Creek at 18th Street at Auburn, Ind. streamgage and the documented high-water marks from the flood of March 11, 2009. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute seven water-surface profiles for flood stages referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 7 ft, or near bankfull, to 13 ft, in 1-foot increments. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging [lidar] data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these maps, along with internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage at Cedar Creek at 18th Street at Auburn, Ind., and stream information from the National Weather Service, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for the Patoka River in and near Jasper, southwestern Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, Kathleen K.

2018-01-23

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9.5-mile reach of the Patoka River in and near the city of Jasper, southwestern Indiana (Ind.), from the streamgage near County Road North 175 East, downstream to State Road 162, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science web site at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage Patoka River at Jasper, Ind. (station number 03375500). The Patoka streamgage is located at the upstream end of the 9.5-mile river reach. Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, although flood forecasts and stages for action and minor, moderate, and major flood stages are not currently (2017) available at this site (JPRI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relation at the Patoka River at Jasper, Ind., streamgage and the documented high-water marks from the flood of April 30, 2017. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute five water-surface profiles for flood stages referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from 15 feet (ft), or near bankfull, to 19 ft. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging [lidar] data having a 0.98 ft vertical accuracy and 4.9 ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these flood-inundation maps, along with real-time stage from the USGS streamgage at the Patoka River at Jasper, Ind., will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures as well as for postflood recovery efforts.

Flood inundation maps for the Wabash River at New Harmony, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fowler, Kathleen K.

2016-10-11

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.68-mile reach of the Wabash River extending 1.77 miles upstream and 1.91 miles downstream from streamgage 03378500 at New Harmony, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind. (station 03378500). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site (NHRI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The hydraulic model was calibrated by using the most current stage-discharge relations at the Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind., streamgage and the documented high-water marks from the flood of April 27–28, 2013. The calibrated hydraulic model was then used to compute 17 water-surface profiles for flood stages at approximately 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 10.0 feet, or near bankfull, to 25.4 feet, the highest stage of the stage-discharge rating curve used in the model. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level.The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage at Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind., and forecasted stream stages from the NWS will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Flood-inundation maps for the Mississinewa River at Marion, Indiana, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coon, William F.

2014-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9-mile (mi) reach of the Mississinewa River from 0.75 mi upstream from the Pennsylvania Street bridge in Marion, Indiana, to 0.2 mi downstream from State Route 15 were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The flood inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage on the Mississinewa River at Marion (station number 03326500). Near-real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained on the Internet from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http://water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at this site. Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated by using the current stage-discharge relation at the Mississinewa River streamgage, in combination with water-surface profiles from historic floods and from the current (2002) flood-insurance study for Grant County, Indiana. The hydraulic model was then used to compute seven water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-fo (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 10 ft, which is near bankfull, to 16 ft, which is between the water levels associated with the estimated 10- and 2-percent annual exceedance probability floods (floods with recurrence interval between 10 and 50 years) and equals the “major flood stage” as defined by the NWS. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) data having a 0.98 ft vertical accuracy and 4.9 ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage and forecasted high-flow stages from the NWS, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Tides at the east coast of Lanzarote Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavent, M.; Arnoso, J.; Vélez, E. J.

2012-04-01

The main goal of this work is the study of the ocean tides at the east coast of Lanzarote (Canary Islands). We have analyzed time series of tide gauge and bottom pressure observations available in the region and we have made a further comparative validation with recent global and local ocean tide models. Lanzarote island shows singular features, with regard its volcanic structure and geomorphological properties and, also, concerning the characteristics of the ocean tides in the surrounding waters. For this reason, this region experiences a great interest in Geodesy and Geodynamics. Particularly, an accurate modelization of the ocean tides is of great importance to correct with high accuracy the effect of the ocean over the multiple geodetic measurements that are being carried out in the Geodynamic Laboratory of Lanzarote, LGL (Vieira et al., 1991; 2006). Furthermore, the analysis of tide gauge and bottom pressure records in this area is of great importance to investigate sea level variations, to evaluate and quantify the causes of these changes and the possible correlation with vertical movements of the Earth's crust. The time series of sea level and bottom pressure data considered in this work are obtained at two different locations of the island and, in each of them, using several sensors at different periods of time. First location is Jameos del Agua (JA) station, which belongs to the LGL. This station is placed in the open ocean, 200 meters distant from the northeastern coast of the island and at 8 meters depth. The observations have been carried out using 3 bottom pressure sensors (Aanderaa WLR7, SAIV TD301A and Aqualogger 210PT) at different periods of time (spanning a total of six years). Second location is Arrecife (AR) station, which is 23 km south of JA station. In this case, the sea level data come from a float tide gauge belonging to the Instituto Español de Oceanografía, installed at the beginning of the loading bay, and a radar tide gauge from the REDMAR network of Puertos del Estado placed at the end of the same loading bay. Results obtained from the time series analysis at both locations, amplitude and phase of the main diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal waves, are compared with the most recent global ocean tide models, as TPXO7.2, EOT11a, HAMTIDE, FES2004, GOT4.7 and AG2006, and also with the high resolution regional ocean tide model for the Canaries CIAM2 (Arnoso et al., 2006, Benavent, 2011). Comparison of simulated harmonic constant (from global and local ocean tide model) with those obtained from tidal stations is done by means of the direct comparison between amplitudes and phase for each tidal wave and the root mean square (rms) of the differences in the complex plane. Finally the root sum square (rss) of residuals over all harmonic constituents considered is calculated.

Bathymetry and capacity of Shawnee Reservoir, Oklahoma, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ashworth, Chad E.; Smith, S. Jerrod; Smith, Kevin A.

2017-02-13

Shawnee Reservoir (locally known as Shawnee Twin Lakes) is a man-made reservoir on South Deer Creek with a drainage area of 32.7 square miles in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. The reservoir consists of two lakes connected by an equilibrium channel. The southern lake (Shawnee City Lake Number 1) was impounded in 1935, and the northern lake (Shawnee City Lake Number 2) was impounded in 1960. Shawnee Reservoir serves as a municipal water supply, and water is transferred about 9 miles by gravity to a water treatment plant in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Secondary uses of the reservoir are for recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and flood control. Shawnee Reservoir has a normal-pool elevation of 1,069.0 feet (ft) above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). The auxiliary spillway, which defines the flood-pool elevation, is at an elevation of 1,075.0 ft.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Shawnee, has operated a real-time stage (water-surface elevation) gage (USGS station 07241600) at Shawnee Reservoir since 2006. For the period of record ending in 2016, this gage recorded a maximum stage of 1,078.1 ft on May 24, 2015, and a minimum stage of 1,059.1 ft on April 10–11, 2007. This gage did not report reservoir storage prior to this report (2016) because a sufficiently detailed and thoroughly documented bathymetric (reservoir-bottom elevation) survey and corresponding stage-storage relation had not been published. A 2011 bathymetric survey with contours delineated at 5-foot intervals was published in Oklahoma Water Resources Board (2016), but that publication did not include a stage-storage relation table. The USGS, in cooperation with the City of Shawnee, performed a bathymetric survey of Shawnee Reservoir in 2016 and released the bathymetric-survey data in 2017. The purposes of the bathymetric survey were to (1) develop a detailed bathymetric map of the reservoir and (2) determine the relations between stage and reservoir storage capacity and between stage and reservoir surface area. The bathymetric map may serve as a baseline to which temporal changes in storage capacity, due to sedimentation and other factors, can be compared. The stage-storage relation may be used in the reporting of real-time Shawnee Reservoir storage capacity at USGS station 07241600 to support water-resource management decisions by the City of Shawnee.

Analysis of the Seismic Events Apparently Associated with the 3 September 2017 DPRK Declared Nuclear Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, W. R.; Dodge, D. A.; Ichinose, G.; Myers, S. C.; Ford, S. R.; Pitarka, A.; Pyle, M. L.; Pasyanos, M.; Matzel, E.; Rodgers, A. J.; Mellors, R. J.; Hauk, T. F.; Kroll, K.

2017-12-01

On September 3, 2017, an mb 6.3 seismic event was reported by the USGS in the vicinity of the DPRK nuclear test site at Punggye-ri. Shortly afterwards DPRK declared it had conducted a nuclear explosion. The seismic signals indicate this event is roughly an order of magnitude larger than the largest of the previous five DPRK declared nuclear tests. In addition to its size, this explosion was different from previous DPRK tests in being associated with a number of additional seismic events. Approximately eight and a half minutes after the explosion a seismic event reported as ML 4.0 by the USGS occurred. Regional waveform modeling indicated this event had a collapse mechanism (e.g. Ichinose et al., 2017, written communication). On September 23 and again on October 12, 2017, seismic events were reported near the DPRK test site by the USGS and the CTBTO (on 9/23/17 two events: USGS ML 3.6 and USGS ML 2.6; and on 10/12/17 one event: USGS mb(Lg) 2.9). Aftershocks following underground nuclear testing are expected, though at much lower magnitudes and rates than for comparably sized earthquakes. This difference in aftershock production has been proposed by Ford and Walter (2010), and others as a potential source-type discriminant. Seismic signals from the collapse of cavities formed by underground nuclear testing have also been previously observed. For example, the mb 5.7 nuclear test ATRISCO in Nevada in 1982 was followed twenty minutes later by a collapse with an mb of 4.0. Here we examine the seismic characteristics of nuclear tests, post-test collapses and post-test aftershocks from both the former Nevada test site and the DPRK test site to better understand the differences between these different source-type signals. In particular we look at discriminants such as P/S ratios, to see if there are unique characteristics to post-test collapses and aftershocks. Finally, we apply correlation methods to continuous data at regional stations to look for additional seismic signals that might have an apparent association with the DPRK nuclear testing, post-testing collapses and post-test induced seismicity.

Streamflow, Water Quality, and Constituent Loads and Yields, Scituate Reservoir Drainage Area, Rhode Island,Water Year 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.

2009-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamflow-gaging stations; 10 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate instantaneous (15-minute) loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2002 (October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002). Water-quality samples were also collected at 35 of 37 sampling stations in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area by the Providence Water Supply Board during WY 2002 as part of a long-term sampling program. Water-quality data are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2002. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed about 12.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2002. For the same time period, annual mean streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.14 to 8.1 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 534,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 851,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2002; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 2,900 to 40,200 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 4,200 to 68,200 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the Providence Water Supply Board, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 16.8 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrate concentration was 0.02 mg/L as N, median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.03 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 22 and 14 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 21 kg/d (12 kg/d/mi2), 0.04 kg/d (0.014 kg/d/mi2), 0.005 kg/d (0.002 kg/d/mi2), 0.08 kg/d (0.035 kg/d/mi2), and 370 million colony forming units per day (CFUx106/d) (120 CFUx106/d/ mi2) and 300 CFUx106/d (75 CFUx106/d/mi2), respectively.

Streamflow, Water Quality, and Constituent Loads and Yields, Scituate Reservoir Drainage Area, Rhode Island, Water Year 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Campbell, Jean P.

2010-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgage stations; 10 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate instantaneous (15-minute) loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2006 (October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2006). Water-quality samples were also collected at 37 sampling stations in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area by the Providence Water Supply Board during WY 2006 as part of a long-term sampling program. Water-quality data are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2006. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed about 42 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2006. For the same time period, annual mean streamflows1 measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.60 to 26 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,600,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 2,500,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2006; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 15,000 to 100,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 22,000 to 180,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the Providence Water Supply Board, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 24.6 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.001 mg/L as N, median nitrate concentration was 0.02 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.07 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 43 and 23 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 230 kg/d (81 kg/d/mi2), 17 g/d (4.4 g/d/mi2), 130 g/d (50 g/d/mi2), 470 g/d (210 g/d/mi2), and 2,100 million colony forming units per day (CFU?106/d) (1,300 CFU?106/d/mi2) and 670 CFU?106/d (420 CFU?106/d/mi2), respectively. 1The arithmetic mean of the individual daily mean discharges for the year noted or for the designated period.

Streamflow, Water Quality, and Constituent Loads and Yields, Scituate Reservoir Drainage Area, Rhode Island, Water Year 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Campbell, Jean P.

2010-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island’s largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgage stations; 10 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate instantaneous (15-minute) loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2005 (October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005). Water-quality samples were also collected at 37 sampling stations in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area by the Providence Water Supply Board during WY 2005 as part of a long-term sampling program. Water-quality data are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2005. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed about 30 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2005. For the same time period, annual mean streamflows1 measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.42 to 19 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,300,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 2,000,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2005; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 13,000 to 77,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 19,000 to 130,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the Providence Water Supply Board, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 25.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as N, median nitrate concentration was 0.02 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.07 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 23 and 15 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 230 kg/d (93 kg/d/mi2), 16 g/d (6.1 g/d/mi2), 150 g/d (71 g/d/mi2), 530 g/d (250 g/d/mi2), and 1,500 million colony forming units per day (CFU×106/d) (630 CFU×106/d/mi2) and 420 CFU×106/d (290 CFU×106/d/mi2), respectively. 1The arithmetic mean of the individual daily mean discharges for the year noted or for the designated period.

Can hydraulic-modelled rating curves reduce uncertainty in high flow data?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westerberg, Ida; Lam, Norris; Lyon, Steve W.

2017-04-01

Flood risk assessments rely on accurate discharge data records. Establishing a reliable rating curve for calculating discharge from stage at a gauging station normally takes years of data collection efforts. Estimation of high flows is particularly difficult as high flows occur rarely and are often practically difficult to gauge. Hydraulically-modelled rating curves can be derived based on as few as two concurrent stage-discharge and water-surface slope measurements at different flow conditions. This means that a reliable rating curve can, potentially, be derived much faster than a traditional rating curve based on numerous stage-discharge gaugings. In this study we compared the uncertainty in discharge data that resulted from these two rating curve modelling approaches. We applied both methods to a Swedish catchment, accounting for uncertainties in the stage-discharge gauging and water-surface slope data for the hydraulic model and in the stage-discharge gauging data and rating-curve parameters for the traditional method. We focused our analyses on high-flow uncertainty and the factors that could reduce this uncertainty. In particular, we investigated which data uncertainties were most important, and at what flow conditions the gaugings should preferably be taken. First results show that the hydraulically-modelled rating curves were more sensitive to uncertainties in the calibration measurements of discharge than water surface slope. The uncertainty of the hydraulically-modelled rating curves were lowest within the range of the three calibration stage-discharge gaugings (i.e. between median and two-times median flow) whereas uncertainties were higher outside of this range. For instance, at the highest observed stage of the 24-year stage record, the 90% uncertainty band was -15% to +40% of the official rating curve. Additional gaugings at high flows (i.e. four to five times median flow) would likely substantially reduce those uncertainties. These first results show the potential of the hydraulically-modelled curves, particularly where the calibration gaugings are of high quality and cover a wide range of flow conditions.

Standards for the Analysis and Processing of Surface-Water Data and Information Using Electronic Methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, Vernon B.

2002-01-01

Surface-water computation methods and procedures are described in this report to provide standards from which a completely automated electronic processing system can be developed. To the greatest extent possible, the traditional U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) methodology and standards for streamflow data collection and analysis have been incorporated into these standards. Although USGS methodology and standards are the basis for this report, the report is applicable to other organizations doing similar work. The proposed electronic processing system allows field measurement data, including data stored on automatic field recording devices and data recorded by the field hydrographer (a person who collects streamflow and other surface-water data) in electronic field notebooks, to be input easily and automatically. A user of the electronic processing system easily can monitor the incoming data and verify and edit the data, if necessary. Input of the computational procedures, rating curves, shift requirements, and other special methods are interactive processes between the user and the electronic processing system, with much of this processing being automatic. Special computation procedures are provided for complex stations such as velocity-index, slope, control structures, and unsteady-flow models, such as the Branch-Network Dynamic Flow Model (BRANCH). Navigation paths are designed to lead the user through the computational steps for each type of gaging station (stage-only, stagedischarge, velocity-index, slope, rate-of-change in stage, reservoir, tide, structure, and hydraulic model stations). The proposed electronic processing system emphasizes the use of interactive graphics to provide good visual tools for unit values editing, rating curve and shift analysis, hydrograph comparisons, data-estimation procedures, data review, and other needs. Documentation, review, finalization, and publication of records are provided for with the electronic processing system, as well as archiving, quality assurance, and quality control.

Drought in California; water resources data for 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgensen, Leonard N.; Pearce, Verrie F.

1978-01-01

The 2-year dry period 1976-77 was the most severe drought in northern California 's history, and the quantity and quality of all water-supply sources in the State were affected. This report contains special water-resources data collected by the Geological Survey during 1977. These data include: streamflow at 11 selected stations, comparing the 1977 mean monthly and yearly flow to the period-of-record medians; base-flow measurements at 189 selected sites; water quality at 131 selected sites; ground-water levels in wells and river stages along a 158-mile reach of the Sacramento River; and, finally, graphs showing the effect of tidal action on suspended-sediment concentration at the stream-gaging station on the Sacramento River at Sacramento. (Woodard-USGS)

Quantifying the quality of precipitation data from different sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leijnse, Hidde; Wauben, Wiel; Overeem, Aart; de Haij, Marijn

2015-04-01

There is an increasing demand for high-resolution rainfall data. The current manual and automatic networks of climate and meteorological stations provide high quality rainfall data, but they cannot provide the high spatial and temporal resolution required for many applications. This can only partly be solved by using remotely sensed data. It is therefore necessary to consider third-party data, such as rain gauges operated by amateurs and rainfall intensities from commercial cellular communication links. The quality of such third-party data is highly variable and generally lower than that of dedicated networks. Often, such data quality information is missing for third party data. In order to be able to use data from various sources it is vital that quantitative knowledge of the data quality is available. This holds for all data sources, including the rain gauges in the reference networks of climate and meteorological stations. Data quality information is generally either not available or very limited for third-party data sources. For most dedicated climate meteorological networks, this information is only available for the sensor in laboratory conditions. In many cases, however, a significant part of the measurement errors and uncertainties is determined by the siting and maintenance of the sensor, for which generally only qualitative information is available. Furthermore sensors may have limitations under specific conditions. We aim to quantify data quality for different data sources by performing analyses on collocated data sets. Here we present an intercomparison of two years of precipitation data from six different sources (manual rain gauge, automatic rain gauge, present weather sensor, weather radar, commercial cellular communication links, and Meteosat) at three different locations in the Netherlands. We use auxiliary meteorological data to determine if the quality is influenced by other variables (e.g. the temperature influencing the evaporation from the rain gauge). We use three techniques to compare the data sets: 1) direct comparison; 2) triple collocation (see Stoffelen, 1998); and 3) comparison of statistics. Stoffelen, A. (1998). Toward the true near-surface wind speed: Error modeling and calibration using triple collocation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (1978-2012), 103(C4), 7755-7766.

Acoustic measurement of suspensions of clay and silt particles using single frequency attenuation and backscatter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of ultrasonic acoustic technology to measure the concentration of fine suspended sediments has the potential to greatly increase the temporal and spatial resolution of sediment measurements while reducing the need for personnel to be present at gauging stations during storm events. The conv...

Caspar Creek

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

2001-01-01

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have gauged streamflow, and suspended sediment and precipitation since 1962 in the 473 ha North Fork and the 424 ha South Fork of the 2167 ha Caspar Creek in the Jackson Demonstation State Forest in northwestern California. Within the two Caspar...

33 CFR 209.170 - Violations of laws protecting navigable waters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... or to prevent floods, or as boundary marks, tide gauges, surveying stations, buoys, or other..., in the tidal waters of the harbors of New York, Hampton Roads, and Baltimore or its adjacent or... officers, have power and authority to swear out process and to arrest and take into custody, with or...

33 CFR 209.170 - Violations of laws protecting navigable waters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... or to prevent floods, or as boundary marks, tide gauges, surveying stations, buoys, or other..., in the tidal waters of the harbors of New York, Hampton Roads, and Baltimore or its adjacent or... officers, have power and authority to swear out process and to arrest and take into custody, with or...

Optimization of hydrometric monitoring network in urban drainage systems using information theory.

PubMed

Yazdi, J

2017-10-01

Regular and continuous monitoring of urban runoff in both quality and quantity aspects is of great importance for controlling and managing surface runoff. Due to the considerable costs of establishing new gauges, optimization of the monitoring network is essential. This research proposes an approach for site selection of new discharge stations in urban areas, based on entropy theory in conjunction with multi-objective optimization tools and numerical models. The modeling framework provides an optimal trade-off between the maximum possible information content and the minimum shared information among stations. This approach was applied to the main surface-water collection system in Tehran to determine new optimal monitoring points under the cost considerations. Experimental results on this drainage network show that the obtained cost-effective designs noticeably outperform the consulting engineers' proposal in terms of both information contents and shared information. The research also determined the highly frequent sites at the Pareto front which might be important for decision makers to give a priority for gauge installation on those locations of the network.

Summary of West Virginia Water-Resource Data through September 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evaldi, R.D.; Ward, S.M.; White, J.S.

2009-01-01

The West Virginia Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of West Virginia each water year. A water year is the 12-month period beginning October 1 and ending September 30. These data, accumulated during many years, constitute a valuable database for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. These data are maintained in the National Water Information System (NWIS) and are available through its World-Wide Web interface, NWISWeb, at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis. Data can be retrieved in a variety of common formats, and a tutorial is available at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/tutorial. Location information for all continuous-record gaging stations operated in West Virginia through September 2008 is provided in this report, as well as statistical summaries of the available daily records. This report can serve as an index to the daily records data available on the World-Wide Web. Hydrologic data for nearly all of the gaging stations identified in this report are also available in the annual publication series titled Water-Resources Data - West Virginia. This series of annual reports for West Virginia began with the 1961 water year with a report that contained only data relating to quantities of surface water. For the 1964 water year, a similar report was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginning with the 1975 water year, the report format was changed to include data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface water and groundwater, and groundwater levels. Prior to the introduction of the Water-Resources Data - West Virginia series and for several water years concurrent with it, water-resources data for West Virginia were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. Data on stream discharge and stage and on lake or reservoir contents and stage through September 1960 were published annually under the title Surface-Water Supply of the United States, Parts 6A and 6B. For the 1961 through 1970 water years, the data were published in two 5-year reports. Data on chemical quality, temperature, and suspended sediment for the 1941 through 1970 water years were published annually under the title Quality of Surface Water of the United States, and water levels for the 1935 through 1974 water years were published under the title Ground-Water Levels in the United States. Many of the above mentioned Water-Supply Papers are available at the USGS Publications Warehouse (http://pubs.er.usgs.gov), and most of the others may be found in the collections of large libraries or may be purchased from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, Colorado 80225. Annual reports on hydrologic data are published by the Geological Survey for all states, and each has an identification number consisting of the two-letter state abbreviation, the last two digits of the water year, and the volume number. For example, the 2005 water year report for West Virginia is identified as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WV-05-01. Water-Data Reports for West Virginia for 2001-2005 are available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/#WV. Water-Data Reports for water years prior to 2006 are for sale in paper copy or microfiche by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22161. Since the 2006 water year, the report is published online only and is available at http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/. When substantial errors in published records are discovered, the records are revised. Such revisions are routine and are made to records regardless of the age of the original records. Revisions have been made for many stations for which data are published in this report. The USGS National Water Information System always contains the most recent data revisions. For critical a

Surface-water and karst groundwater interactions and streamflow-response simulations of the karst-influenced upper Lost River watershed, Orange County, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bayless, E. Randall; Cinotto, Peter J.; Ulery, Randy L.; Taylor, Charles J.; McCombs, Gregory K.; Kim, Moon H.; Nelson, Hugh L.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), conducted a study of the upper Lost River watershed in Orange County, Indiana, from 2012 to 2013. Streamflow and groundwater data were collected at 10 data-collection sites from at least October 2012 until April 2013, and a preliminary Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER)-TOPMODEL based hydrologic model was created to increase understanding of the complex, karstic hydraulic and hydrologic system present in the upper Lost River watershed, Orange County, Ind. Statistical assessment of the optimized hydrologic-model results were promising and returned correlation coefficients for simulated and measured stream discharge of 0.58 and 0.60 and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.56 and 0.39 for USGS streamflow-gaging stations 03373530 (Lost River near Leipsic, Ind.), and 03373560 (Lost River near Prospect, Ind.), respectively. Additional information to refine drainage divides is needed before applying the model to the entire karst region of south-central Indiana. Surface-water and groundwater data were used to tentatively quantify the complex hydrologic processes taking place within the watershed and provide increased understanding for future modeling and management applications. The data indicate that during wet-weather periods and after certain intense storms, the hydraulic capacity of swallow holes and subsurface conduits is overwhelmed with excess water that flows onto the surface in dry-bed relic stream channels and karst paleovalleys. Analysis of discharge data collected at USGS streamflow-gaging station 03373550 (Orangeville Rise, at Orangeville, Ind.), and other ancillary data-collection sites in the watershed, indicate that a bounding condition is likely present, and drainage from the underlying karst conduit system is potentially limited to near 200 cubic feet per second. This information will direct future studies and assist managers in understanding when the subsurface conduits may become overwhelmed.

Analytical and experimental studies of leak location and environment characterization for the international space station

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

Woronowicz, Michael; Blackmon, Rebecca; Brown, Martin

2014-12-09

The International Space Station program is developing a robotically-operated leak locator tool to be used externally. The tool would consist of a Residual Gas Analyzer for partial pressure measurements and a full range pressure gauge for total pressure measurements. The primary application is to demonstrate the ability to detect NH{sub 3} coolant leaks in the ISS thermal control system. An analytical model of leak plume physics is presented that can account for effusive flow as well as plumes produced by sonic orifices and thruster operations. This model is used along with knowledge of typical RGA and full range gauge performancemore » to analyze the expected instrument sensitivity to ISS leaks of various sizes and relative locations (“directionality”). The paper also presents experimental results of leak simulation testing in a large thermal vacuum chamber at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This test characterized instrument sensitivity as a function of leak rates ranging from 1 lb{sub m/}/yr. to about 1 lb{sub m}/day. This data may represent the first measurements collected by an RGA or ion gauge system monitoring off-axis point sources as a function of location and orientation. Test results are compared to the analytical model and used to propose strategies for on-orbit leak location and environment characterization using the proposed instrument while taking into account local ISS conditions and the effects of ram/wake flows and structural shadowing within low Earth orbit.« less

GOES data-collection system instrumentation, installation, and maintenance manual

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blee, J.W.; Herlong, H.E.; Kaufmann, C.D.; Hardee, J.H.; Field, M.L.; Middelburg, R.F.

1986-01-01

The purpose of the manual is to describe the installation, operation, and maintenance of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data collection platforms (DCP's) and associated equipment. This manual is not a substitute for DCP manufacturers ' manuals but is additional material that describes the application of data-collection platforms in the Water Resources Division. Power supplies, encoders, antennas, Mini Monitors, voltage analog devices, and the installation of these at streamflow-gaging stations are discussed in detail. (USGS)

A comparison of observed extreme water levels at the German Bight elaborated through an extreme value analysis (EVA) with extremes derived from a regionally coupled ocean-atmospheric climate model (MPI-OM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möller, Jens; Heinrich, Hartmut

2017-04-01

As a consequence of climate change atmospheric and oceanographic extremes and their potential impacts on coastal regions are of growing concern for governmental authorities responsible for the transportation infrastructure. Highest risks for shipping as well as for rail and road traffic originate from combined effects of extremes of storm surges and heavy rainfall which sometimes lead to insufficient dewatering of inland waterways. The German Ministry of Transport and digital Infrastructure therefore has tasked its Network of Experts to investigate the possible evolutions of extreme threats for low lands and especially for Kiel Canal, which is an important shortcut for shipping between the North and Baltic Seas. In this study we present results of a comparison of an Extreme Value Analysis (EVA) carried out on gauge observations and values derived from a coupled Regional Ocean-Atmosphere Climate Model (MPI-OM). High water levels at the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas are one of the most important hazards which increase the risk of flooding of the low-lying land and prevents such areas from an adequate dewatering. In this study changes in the intensity (magnitude of the extremes) and duration of extreme water levels (above a selected threshold) are investigated for several gauge stations with data partly reaching back to 1843. Different methods are used for the extreme value statistics, (1) a stationary general Pareto distribution (GPD) model as well as (2) an instationary statistical model for better reproduction of the impact of climate change. Most gauge stations show an increase of the mean water level of about 1-2 mm/year, with a stronger increase of the highest water levels and a decrease (or lower increase) of the lowest water levels. Also, the duration of possible dewatering time intervals for the Kiel-Canal was analysed. The results for the historical gauge station observations are compared to the statistics of modelled water levels from the coupled atmosphere-ocean climate model MPI-OM for the time interval from 1951 to 2000. We demonstrate that for high water levels the observations and MPI-OM results are in good agreement, and we provide an estimate on the decreasing dewatering potential for Kiel Canal until the end of the 21st century.

Rapid reservoir erosion, hyperconcentrated flow, and downstream deposition triggered by breaching of 38 m tall Condit Dam, White Salmon River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, Andrew C.; O'Connor, James E.; Major, Jon J.

2014-01-01

Condit Dam on the White Salmon River, Washington, a 38 m high dam impounding a large volume (1.8 million m3) of fine-grained sediment (60% sand, 35% silt and clay, and 5% gravel), was rapidly breached in October 2011. This unique dam decommissioning produced dramatic upstream and downstream geomorphic responses in the hours and weeks following breaching. Blasting a 5 m wide hole into the base of the dam resulted in rapid reservoir drawdown, abruptly releasing ~1.6 million m3 of reservoir water, exposing reservoir sediment to erosion, and triggering mass failures of the thickly accumulated reservoir sediment. Within 90 min of breaching, the reservoir's water and ~10% of its sediment had evacuated. At a gauging station 2.3 km downstream, flow increased briefly by 400 m3 s−1during passage of the initial pulse of released reservoir water, followed by a highly concentrated flow phase—up to 32% sediment by volume—as landslide-generated slurries from the reservoir moved downstream. This hyperconcentrated flow, analogous to those following volcanic eruptions or large landslides, draped the downstream river with predominantly fine sand. During the ensuing weeks, suspended-sediment concentration declined and sand and gravel bed load derived from continued reservoir erosion aggraded the channel by >1 m at the gauging station, after which the river incised back to near its initial elevation at this site. Within 15 weeks after breaching, over 1 million m3 of suspended load is estimated to have passed the gauging station, consistent with estimates that >60% of the reservoir's sediment had eroded. This dam removal highlights the influence of interactions among reservoir erosion processes, sediment composition, and style of decommissioning on rate of reservoir erosion and consequent downstream behavior of released sediment.

Validating alternative methodologies to estimate the regime of temporary rivers when flow data are unavailable.

PubMed

Gallart, F; Llorens, P; Latron, J; Cid, N; Rieradevall, M; Prat, N

2016-09-15

Hydrological data for assessing the regime of temporary rivers are often non-existent or scarce. The scarcity of flow data makes impossible to characterize the hydrological regime of temporary streams and, in consequence, to select the correct periods and methods to determine their ecological status. This is why the TREHS software is being developed, in the framework of the LIFE Trivers project. It will help managers to implement adequately the European Water Framework Directive in this kind of water body. TREHS, using the methodology described in Gallart et al. (2012), defines six transient 'aquatic states', based on hydrological conditions representing different mesohabitats, for a given reach at a particular moment. Because of its qualitative nature, this approach allows using alternative methodologies to assess the regime of temporary rivers when there are no observed flow data. These methods, based on interviews and high-resolution aerial photographs, were tested for estimating the aquatic regime of temporary rivers. All the gauging stations (13) belonging to the Catalan Internal Catchments (NE Spain) with recurrent zero-flow periods were selected to validate this methodology. On the one hand, non-structured interviews were conducted with inhabitants of villages near the gauging stations. On the other hand, the historical series of available orthophotographs were examined. Flow records measured at the gauging stations were used to validate the alternative methods. Flow permanence in the reaches was estimated reasonably by the interviews and adequately by aerial photographs, when compared with the values estimated using daily flows. The degree of seasonality was assessed only roughly by the interviews. The recurrence of disconnected pools was not detected by flow records but was estimated with some divergences by the two methods. The combination of the two alternative methods allows substituting or complementing flow records, to be updated in the future through monitoring by professionals and citizens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engel, G.B.; Wahl, K.L.; Boohar, J.A.

1984-01-01

This report documents the results of a study of the cost-effectiveness of the streamflow information program in Nebraska. Presently, 145 continuous surface-water stations are operated in Nebraska on a budget of $908,500. Data uses and funding sources are identified for each of the 145 stations. Data from most stations have multiple uses. All stations have sufficient justification for continuation, but two stations primarily are used in short-term research studies; their continued operation needs to be evaluated when the research studies end. The present measurement frequency produces an average standard error for instantaneous discharges of about 12 percent, including periods when stage data are missing. Altering the travel routes and the measurement frequency will allow a reduction in standard error of about 1 percent with the present budget. Standard error could be reduced to about 8 percent if lost record could be eliminated. A minimum budget of $822,000 is required to operate the present network, but operations at that funding level would result in an increase in standard error to about 16 percent. The maximum budget analyzed was $1,363,000, which would result in an average standard error of 6 percent. (USGS)

Evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the 1983 stream-gaging program in Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medina, K.D.; Geiger, C.O.

1984-01-01

The results of an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the 1983 stream-gaging program in Kansas are documented. Data uses and funding sources were identified for the 140 complete record streamflow-gaging stations operated in Kansas during 1983 with a budget of $793,780. As a result of the evaluation of the needs and uses of data from the stream-gaging program, it was found that the 140 gaging stations were needed to meet these data requirements. The average standard error of estimation of streamflow records was 20.8 percent, assuming the 1983 budget and operating schedule of 6-week interval visitations and based on 85 of the 140 stations. It was shown that this overall level of accuracy could be improved to 18.9 percent by altering the 1983 schedule of station visitations. A minimum budget of $760 ,000, with a corresponding average error of estimation of 24.9 percent, is required to operate the 1983 program. None of the stations investigated were suitable for the application of alternative methods for simulating discharge records. Improved instrumentation can have a very positive impact on streamflow uncertainties by decreasing lost record. (USGS)

Isostatic gravity map and principal facts for 694 gravity stations in Yellowstone National Park and vicinity, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carle, S.F.; Glen, J.M.; Langenheim, V.E.; Smith, R.B.; Oliver, H.W.

1990-01-01

The report presents the principal facts for gravity stations compiled for Yellowstone National Park and vicinity. The gravity data were compiled from three sources: Defense Mapping Agency, University of Utah, and U.S. Geological Survey. Part A of the report is a paper copy describing how the compilation was done and presenting the data in tabular format as well as a map; part B is a 5-1/4 inch floppy diskette containing only the data files in ASCII format. Requirements for part B: IBM PC or compatible, DOS v. 2.0 or higher. Files contained on this diskette: DOD.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of the 514 gravity stations obtained from the Defense Mapping Agency. The data are in Plouff format* (see file PFTAB.TEX). UTAH.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of 153 gravity stations obtained from the University of Utah. Data are in Plouff format. USGS.ISO -- File containing the principal facts of 27 gravity stations collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in July 1987. Data are in Plouff format. PFTAB.TXT -- File containing explanation of principal fact format. ACC.TXT -- File containing explanation of accuracy codes.

Annual suspended-sediment loads in the Colorado River near Cisco, Utah, 1930-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, K.R.

1985-01-01

The Colorado River upstream of gaging station 09180500 near Cisco, Utah, drains about 24,100 square miles in Utah and Colorado. Altitudes in the basin range from 12,480 feet near the headwaters to 4,090 feet at station 09180500. The average annual precipitation for 1894-1982 near the station was 7.94 inches. The average annual precipitation near the headwaters often exceeds 50 inches. Rocks ranging in age from Precambrian to Holocene are exposed in the drainage basin upstream from station 09180500. Shale, limestone, siltstone, mudstone, and sandstone probably are the most easily eroded rocks in the basin, and they contribute large quantities of sediment to the Colorado River. During 1930-82, the U.S. Geological Survey collected records of fluvial sediment at station 09180500. Based on these records, the mean annual suspended-sediment load was 11,390,000 tone, ranging from 2,038,000 tons in water year 1981 to 35,700,000 tons in water year 1938. The minimum daily load of 14 tons was on August 22, 1960, and the maximum daily load of 2,790,000 tons was on October 14, 1941. (USGS)

Modeling the Effects of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems on Nitrate Loads Using SWAT in an Urban Watershed of Metropolitan Atlanta.

PubMed

Hoghooghi, Nahal; Radcliffe, David E; Habteselassie, Mussie Y; Jeong, Jaehak

2017-05-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) can be a source of nitrogen (N) pollution in both surface and ground waters. In metropolitan Atlanta, GA, >26% of homes are on OWTSs. In a previous article, we used the Soil Water Assessment Tool to model the effect of OWTSs on stream flow in the Big Haynes Creek Watershed in metropolitan Atlanta. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of OWTSs, including failing systems, on nitrate as N (NO-N) load in the same watershed. Big Haynes Creek has a drainage area of 44 km with mainly urban land use (67%), and most of the homes use OWTSs. A USGS gauge station where stream flow was measured daily and NO-N concentrations were measured monthly was used as the outlet. The model was simulated for 12 yr. Overall, the model showed satisfactory daily stream flow and NO-N loads with Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients of 0.62 and 0.58 for the calibration period and 0.67 and 0.33 for the validation period at the outlet of the Big Haynes Watershed. Onsite wastewater treatment systems caused an average increase in NO-N load of 23% at the watershed scale and 29% at the outlet of a subbasin with the highest density of OWTSs. Failing OWTSs were estimated to be 1% of the total systems and did not have a large impact on stream flow or NO-N load. The NO-N load was 74% of the total N load in the watershed, indicating the important effect of OWTSs on stream loads in this urban watershed. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Measuring river from the cloud - River width algorithm development on Google Earth Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Pavelsky, T.; Allen, G. H.; Donchyts, G.

2017-12-01

Rivers are some of the most dynamic features of the terrestrial land surface. They help distribute freshwater, nutrients, sediment, and they are also responsible for some of the greatest natural hazards. Despite their importance, our understanding of river behavior is limited at the global scale, in part because we do not have a river observational dataset that spans both time and space. Remote sensing data represent a rich, largely untapped resource for observing river dynamics. In particular, publicly accessible archives of satellite optical imagery, which date back to the 1970s, can be used to study the planview morphodynamics of rivers at the global scale. Here we present an image processing algorithm developed using the Google Earth Engine cloud-based platform, that can automatically extracts river centerlines and widths from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 scenes at 30 m resolution. Our algorithm makes use of the latest monthly global surface water history dataset and an existing Global River Width from Landsat (GRWL) dataset to efficiently extract river masks from each Landsat scene. Then a combination of distance transform and skeletonization techniques are used to extract river centerlines. Finally, our algorithm calculates wetted river width at each centerline pixel perpendicular to its local centerline direction. We validated this algorithm using in situ data estimated from 16 USGS gauge stations (N=1781). We find that 92% of the width differences are within 60 m (i.e. the minimum length of 2 Landsat pixels). Leveraging Earth Engine's infrastructure of collocated data and processing power, our goal is to use this algorithm to reconstruct the morphodynamic history of rivers globally by processing over 100,000 Landsat 5 scenes, covering from 1984 to 2013.

National Stream Quality Accounting Network and National Monitoring Network Basin Boundary Geospatial Dataset, 2008–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baker, Nancy T.

2011-01-01

This report and the accompanying geospatial data were created to assist in analysis and interpretation of water-quality data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) and by the U.S. Coastal Waters and Tributaries National Monitoring Network (NMN), which is a cooperative monitoring program of Federal, regional, and State agencies. The report describes the methods used to develop the geospatial data, which was primarily derived from the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. The geospatial data contains polygon shapefiles of basin boundaries for 33 NASQAN and 5 NMN streamflow and water-quality monitoring stations. In addition, 30 polygon shapefiles of the closed and noncontributing basins contained within the NASQAN or NMN boundaries are included. Also included is a point shapefile of the NASQAN and NMN monitoring stations and associated basin and station attributes. Geospatial data for basin delineations, associated closed and noncontributing basins, and monitoring station locations are available at http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/ds641_nasqan_wbd12.xml.

Integrating space geodesy and coastal sea level observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löfgren, J. S.; Haas, R.; Larson, K.; Scherneck, H.-G.

2012-04-01

The goal of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) is to monitor the Earth system, in particular with observations of the three fundamental geodetic observables: the Earth's shape, the Earth's gravity field and the Earth's rotational motion. A central part of GGOS is the network of globally distributed fundamental geodetic stations that allow the combination and integration of the different space geodetic techniques. One of these stations is the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), on the west coast of Sweden, which operates equipment for geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and superconducting gravimetry measurements, and additionally water vapour radiometers. The newest addition to the OSO fundamental geodetic station is a GNSS-based tide gauge (GNSS-TG). This installation integrates space geodesy with remote sensing of the local sea level. The GNSS-TG uses both direct GNSS-signals and GNSS-signals that are reflected off the sea surface. This is done using a zenith-looking Right Hand Circular Polarized (RHCP) and a nadir-looking Left Hand Circular Polarized (LHCP) antenna, respectively. Each of the two antennas is connected to a standard geodetic-type GNSS-receiver. The analysis of the data received with the RHCP-antenna allows one to determine land motion, while the analysis of the data received with the LHCP-antenna allows one to determine the sea surface height. Analysing both data sets together results in local sea level that is automatically corrected for land motion, meaning that the GNSS-TG can provide reliable sea-level estimates even in tectonically active regions. Previous results from the GNSS-TG, using carrier phase data, show a Root-Mean-Square (RMS) agreement of less than 5.9 cm with stilling well gauges located 18 km and 33 km away from OSO (Löfgren et al., 2011). This is lower than the RMS agreement between the two stilling well gauges (6.1 cm). Furthermore, significant ocean tidal signals have been derived from a several months long time series. Additionally, preliminary results from analysis of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) from the RHCP antenna show an RMS agreement of 4.5 cm with a linear combination of the previously mentioned stilling well gauges (Larson et al., 2011). We present new sea level results from the GNSS-TG data set, assessing several different analysis strategies. For example, we investigate optimal ways to analyse the carrier phase data (using observations from both antennas) and compare the results to those derived from the SNR analysis (using observations from the RHCP antenna only). Furthermore, the processing results are compared to independently derived sea level observations from co-located pressure sensor gauges.

Trends in selected water-quality characteristics, Flathead River at Flathead, British Columbia, and at Columbia Falls, Montana, water years, 1975-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cary, L.E.

1989-01-01

Data for selected water quality variables were evaluated for trends at two sampling stations--Flathead River at Flathead, British Columbia (Flathead station) and Flathead River at Columbia Falls, Montana (Columbia Falls station). The results were compared between stations. The analyses included data from water years 1975-86 at the Flathead station and water years 1979-86 at the Columbia Falls station. The seasonal Kendall test was applied to adjusted concentrations for variables related to discharge and to unadjusted concentrations for the remaining variables. Slope estimates were made for variables with significant trends unless data were reported as less than the detection limit. At the Flathead station, concentrations of dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen (total and dissolved), total organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus increased during the study period. Concentrations of total nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and dissolved iron decreased during the same period. At the Columbia Falls station, concentrations increased for calcium and magnesium and decreased for sulfate and dissolved phosphorus. No trends were detected for 10 other variables tested at each station. Data for the Flathead station were reanalyzed for water years 1979-86. Trends in the data increased for magnesium and dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and decreased for dissolved iron. Magnesium was the only variable that displayed a trend (increasing) at both stations. The increasing trends that were detected probably will not adversely affect the water quality of the Flathead River in the near future. (USGS)

A comparison of methods to estimate vertical land motion trends from GNSS and altimetry at tide gauge stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinherenbrink, Marcel; Riva, Riccardo; Frederikse, Thomas

2018-03-01

Tide gauge (TG) records are affected by vertical land motion (VLM), causing them to observe relative instead of geocentric sea level. VLM can be estimated from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) time series, but only a few TGs are equipped with a GNSS receiver. Hence, (multiple) neighboring GNSS stations can be used to estimate VLM at the TG. This study compares eight approaches to estimate VLM trends at 570 TG stations using GNSS by taking into account all GNSS trends with an uncertainty smaller than 1 mm yr-1 within 50 km. The range between the methods is comparable with the formal uncertainties of the GNSS trends. Taking the median of the surrounding GNSS trends shows the best agreement with differenced altimetry-tide gauge (ALT-TG) trends. An attempt is also made to improve VLM trends from ALT-TG time series. Only using highly correlated along-track altimetry and TG time series reduces the SD of ALT-TG time series by up to 10 %. As a result, there are spatially coherent changes in the trends, but the reduction in the root mean square (RMS) of differences between ALT-TG and GNSS trends is insignificant. However, setting correlation thresholds also acts like a filter to remove problematic TG time series. This results in sets of ALT-TG VLM trends at 344-663 TG locations, depending on the correlation threshold. Compared to other studies, we decrease the RMS of differences between GNSS and ALT-TG trends (from 1.47 to 1.22 mm yr-1), while we increase the number of locations (from 109 to 155), Depending on the methods the mean of differences between ALT-TG and GNSS trends vary between 0.1 and 0.2 mm yr-1. We reduce the mean of the differences by taking into account the effect of elastic deformation due to present-day mass redistribution. At varying ALT-TG correlation thresholds, we provide new sets of trends for 759 to 939 different TG stations. If both GNSS and ALT-TG trend estimates are available, we recommend using the GNSS trend estimates because residual ocean signals might correlate over long distances. However, if large discrepancies ( > 3 mm yr-1) between the two methods are present, local VLM differences between the TG and the GNSS station are likely the culprit and therefore it is better to take the ALT-TG trend estimate. GNSS estimates for which only a single GNSS station and no ALT-TG estimate are available might still require some inspection before they are used in sea level studies.

Suspended-sediment data in the Salt River basin, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berkas, Wayne R.

1983-01-01

Suspended-sediment data collected at six stations in the Salt River basin during 1980-82 are presented. The estimated average annual suspended-sediment load is 1,390,000 tons per year from a geomorphic examination, and 1,330,000 tons per year from periodic sampling at Salt River near Monroe City, Mo. The suspended-sediment load from the major tributaries of the Salt River during 1981 was 1,610,000 tons, which is larger than the estimated values due to above-normal rainfall and runoff. (USGS)

USGS Arctic Ocean Carbon Cruise 2012: Field Activity L-01-12-AR to collect carbon data in the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Wynn, Jonathan; Knorr, Paul O.; Onac, Bogdan; Lisle, John T.; McMullen, Katherine Y.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Byrne, Robert H.; Liu, Xuewu

2014-01-01

During the cruise, underway continuous and discrete water samples were collected, and discrete water samples were collected at stations to document the carbonate chemistry of the Arctic waters and quantify the saturation state of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate. These data are critical for providing baseline information in areas where no data have existed prior and will also be used to test existing models and predict future trends.

SOME NEW PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR THE IMPERIAL VALLEY 1979 AFTERSHOCKS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brady, A. Gerald; ,

1983-01-01

This paper describes some of the features of the latest processing improvements that the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently applying to strong-motion accelerograms from the national network of permanent stations. At the same time it introduces the application of this processing to the set of Imperial Valley aftershocks recorded following the main shock of October 15, 1979. Earlier processing of the 22 main shock recordings provided corrected accelerations, velocity and displacement, response spectra, and Fourier spectra.

Evaluation of GPM IMERG Early, Late, and Final rainfall estimates using WegenerNet gauge data in southeastern Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O, Sungmin; Foelsche, Ulrich; Kirchengast, Gottfried; Fuchsberger, Juergen; Tan, Jackson; Petersen, Walter A.

2017-12-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) products provide quasi-global (60° N-60° S) precipitation estimates, beginning March 2014, from the combined use of passive microwave (PMW) and infrared (IR) satellites comprising the GPM constellation. The IMERG products are available in the form of near-real-time data, i.e., IMERG Early and Late, and in the form of post-real-time research data, i.e., IMERG Final, after monthly rain gauge analysis is received and taken into account. In this study, IMERG version 3 Early, Late, and Final (IMERG-E,IMERG-L, and IMERG-F) half-hourly rainfall estimates are compared with gauge-based gridded rainfall data from the WegenerNet Feldbach region (WEGN) high-density climate station network in southeastern Austria. The comparison is conducted over two IMERG 0.1° × 0.1° grid cells, entirely covered by 40 and 39 WEGN stations each, using data from the extended summer season (April-October) for the first two years of the GPM mission. The entire data are divided into two rainfall intensity ranges (low and high) and two seasons (warm and hot), and we evaluate the performance of IMERG, using both statistical and graphical methods. Results show that IMERG-F rainfall estimates are in the best overall agreement with the WEGN data, followed by IMERG-L and IMERG-E estimates, particularly for the hot season. We also illustrate, through rainfall event cases, how insufficient PMW sources and errors in motion vectors can lead to wide discrepancies in the IMERG estimates. Finally, by applying the method of Villarini and Krajewski (2007), we find that IMERG-F half-hourly rainfall estimates can be regarded as a 25 min gauge accumulation, with an offset of +40 min relative to its nominal time.

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

Joe, Paul; Scott, Bill; Doyle, Chris

Abstract—An innovative monitoring network was implemented to support the operational and science programs for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. It consisted of in situ weather stations on custom-designed platforms. The sensors included an HMP45C for temperature, humidity and pressure, a tipping bucket rain gauge, an acoustic snow depth sensor, a Pluvio 1 precipitation gauge and an anemometer placed at gauge height and at 10 m height. Modifications to commercial automated precipitation gauges were necessary for the heavy snowfall conditions. Advanced or emerging technologies were deployed to support scientific and nowcasting studies into precipitation intensity, typing, visibility and wind. The sensorsmore » included an FD12P visibility and precipitation sensor, a precipitation occurrence sensing system (POSS) present weather sensor, a Hotplate precipitation sensor and a Parsivel disdrometer. Data were collected at 1 min sampling intervals. A Doppler weather radar was deployed in a valley location and provided critical detailed low-level data. An X-band dual-polarized radar was deployed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor Vancouver and Cypress Mountain. Three remote sensing stations for vertical profiling were established. At the base of Whistler Mountain, a micro-rain radar, a 22-channel radiometer, a ceilometer, a Parsivel and a POSS were installed. At the base of Cypress Mountain, a micro-rain radar, a ceilometer, a low cost rain sensor (LCR by ATTEX) and a POSS were installed. At Squamish, a wind profiler and a POSS were installed. Weather sensors were mounted on the Whistler Village Gondola and on the Peak to Peak gondola. Sites were established along the Whistler Mountain slope and at other key locations. The combination of sites and instruments formed a comprehensive network to provide observations appropriate for nowcasting in winter complex terrain and investigate precipitation, visibility and wind processes. The contribution provides a detailed description of the network, their sensors, the innovations and some examples.« less

Extrapolating regional probability of drying of headwater streams using discrete observations and gauging networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaufort, Aurélien; Lamouroux, Nicolas; Pella, Hervé; Datry, Thibault; Sauquet, Eric

2018-05-01

Headwater streams represent a substantial proportion of river systems and many of them have intermittent flows due to their upstream position in the network. These intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams have recently seen a marked increase in interest, especially to assess the impact of drying on aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this paper is to quantify how discrete (in space and time) field observations of flow intermittence help to extrapolate over time the daily probability of drying (defined at the regional scale). Two empirical models based on linear or logistic regressions have been developed to predict the daily probability of intermittence at the regional scale across France. Explanatory variables were derived from available daily discharge and groundwater-level data of a dense gauging/piezometer network, and models were calibrated using discrete series of field observations of flow intermittence. The robustness of the models was tested using an independent, dense regional dataset of intermittence observations and observations of the year 2017 excluded from the calibration. The resulting models were used to extrapolate the daily regional probability of drying in France: (i) over the period 2011-2017 to identify the regions most affected by flow intermittence; (ii) over the period 1989-2017, using a reduced input dataset, to analyse temporal variability of flow intermittence at the national level. The two empirical regression models performed equally well between 2011 and 2017. The accuracy of predictions depended on the number of continuous gauging/piezometer stations and intermittence observations available to calibrate the regressions. Regions with the highest performance were located in sedimentary plains, where the monitoring network was dense and where the regional probability of drying was the highest. Conversely, the worst performances were obtained in mountainous regions. Finally, temporal projections (1989-2016) suggested the highest probabilities of intermittence (> 35 %) in 1989-1991, 2003 and 2005. A high density of intermittence observations improved the information provided by gauging stations and piezometers to extrapolate the temporal variability of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams.

Re-Evaluation of the 1921 Peak Discharge at Skagit River near Concrete, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastin, M.C.

2007-01-01

The peak discharge record at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging station at Skagit River near Concrete, Washington, is a key record that has come under intense scrutiny by the scientific and lay person communities in the last 4 years. A peak discharge of 240,000 cubic feet per second for the flood on December 13, 1921, was determined in 1923 by USGS hydrologist James Stewart by means of a slope-area measurement. USGS then determined the peak discharges of three other large floods on the Skagit River (1897, 1909, and 1917) by extending the stage-discharge rating through the 1921 flood measurement. The 1921 estimate of peak discharge was recalculated by Flynn and Benson of the USGS after a channel roughness verification was completed based on the 1949 flood on the Skagit River. The 1949 recalculation indicated that the peak discharge probably was 6.2 percent lower than Stewart's original estimate but the USGS did not officially change the peak discharge from Stewart's estimate because it was not more than a 10-percent change (which is the USGS guideline for revising peak flows) and the estimate already had error bands of 15 percent. All these flood peaks are now being used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine the 100-year flood discharge for the Skagit River Flood Study so any method to confirm or improve the 1921 peak discharge estimate is warranted. During the last 4 years, two floods have occurred on the Skagit River (2003, 2006) that has enabled the USGS to collect additional data, do further analysis, and yet again re-evaluate the 1921 peak discharge estimate. Since 1949, an island/bar in the study reach has reforested itself. This has complicated the flow hydraulics and made the most recent recalculation of the 1921 flood based on channel roughness verification that used 2003 and 2006 flood data less reliable. However, this recent recalculation did indicate that the original peak-discharge calculation by Stewart may be high, and it added to a body of evidence that indicates a revision in the 1921 peak discharge estimate is appropriate. The USGS has determined that a lower peak-discharge estimate (5.0 percent lower) similar to the 1949 estimates is most appropriate based on (1) a recalculation of the 1921 flood using a channel roughness verification from the 1949 flood data, (2) a recalculation of the 1921 flood using a channel roughness verification from 2003 and 2006 flood data, and (3) straight-line extension of the stage-discharge relation at the gage based on current-meter discharge measurements. Given the significance of the 1921 flood peak, revising the estimate is appropriate even though it is less than the 10-percent guideline established by the USGS for revision. Revising the peak is warranted because all work subsequent to 1921 point to the 1921 peak being lower than originally published.

Evaluation of the Hydrolab HL4 water-quality sonde and sensors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snazelle, Teri T.

2017-12-18

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility evaluated three Hydrolab HL4 multiparameter water-quality sondes by OTT Hydromet. The sondes were equipped with temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity sensors. The sensors were evaluated for compliance with the USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (NFM) criteria for continuous water-quality monitors and to verify the validity of the manufacturer’s technical specifications. The conductivity sensors were evaluated for the accuracy of the specific conductance (SC) values (conductance at 25 degrees Celsius [oC]), that were calculated by using the vendor default method, Hydrolab Fresh. The HL4’s communication protocols and operating temperature range along with accuracy of the water-quality sensors were tested in a controlled laboratory setting May 1–19, 2016. To evaluate the sonde’s performance in a surface-water field application, an HL4 equipped with temperature, conductivity, pH, DO, and turbidity sensors was deployed June 20–July 22, 2016, at USGS water-monitoring site 02492620, Pearl River at National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) Station, Mississippi, located near Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, and compared to the adjacent well-maintained EXO2 site sonde.The three HL4 sondes met the USGS temperature testing criteria and the manufacturer’s technical specifications for temperature based upon the median room temperature difference between the measured and standard temperatures, but two of the three sondes exceeded the allowable difference criteria at the temperature extremes of approximately 5 and 40 ºC. Two sondes met the USGS criteria for SC. One of the sondes failed the criteria for SC when evaluated in a 100,000-microsiemens-per-centimeter (μS/cm) standard at room temperature, and also failed in a 10,000-μS/cm standard at 5, 15, and 40 ºC. All three sondes met the USGS criteria for pH and DO at room temperature, but one sonde exceeded the allowable difference criteria when tested in pH 5.00 buffer and at 40 ºC. The USGS criteria and the technical specifications for turbidity were met by one sonde in standards ranging from 10 to 3,000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU). A second sonde met the USGS criteria and the technical specifications except in the 3,000-NTU standard, and the third sonde exceeded the USGS calibration criteria in the 10- and 20-NTU standards and the technical specifications in the 20-NTU standard.Results of the field test showed acceptable performance and revealed that differences in data sample processing between sonde manufacturers may result in variances between the reported measurements when comparing one sonde to another. These variances in data would be more pronounced in dynamic site conditions. The lack of a wiper or other sensor-cleaning device on the DO sensor could prove problematic, and could limit the use of the HL4 to profiling applications or at sites with limited biofouling.

Evaluation of DFIR and Bush Gauge Snowfall Measurements at Boreal Forest Sites in Saskatchewan/Canada and Valdai/Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, D.; Smith, C.

2013-12-01

Snowfall is important to cold region climate and hydrology including Canada. Large uncertainties and biases exist in gauge-measured precipitation datasets and products. These uncertainties affect important decision-making, water resources assessments, climate change analyses, and calibrations of remote sensing algorithms and land surface models. Efforts have been made at both the national and international levels to quantity the errors/biases in precipitation measurements, such as the WMO Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment (WMO-SPICE). Both the DFIR (double fence intercomparison reference) and the bush shielded gauge have been used in the past as a reference measurement for solid precipitation and they both have been selected as the references for the current SPICE project. Previous analyses of the DFIR vs. the bush (manual Tretyakov) gauge data collected at the Valdai station in Russia suggest DFIR undercatch of snowfall by up to 10% for high wind conditions. A regression relationship between the 2 systems was derived and used for the last WMO gauge intercomparison. Given the importance of the DFIR as the reference for the WMO SPICE project, it is necessary to re-examine and update the DFIR and bush gauge relationship. As part of Canada's contribution to the WMO SPICE project, a test site has been set up by EC/ASTD/WSDT in the southern Canadian Boreal forest to compare the DFIR and bush gauges. This site, called the Caribou Creek, has been installed within a modified young Jack Pine forest stand - north of Prince Albert in Saskatchewan. This study compiles and analyzes recent DFIR and bush gauge data from both the Valdai and Caribou Creek sites. This presentation summarizes the results of data analyses, and evaluates the performance of both references for snowfall observations in the northern regions. The methods and results of this research will directly support the WMO SPICE project and contribute to cold region hydrology and climate change research.

Flood-inundation maps for the Saddle River from Rochelle Park to Lodi, New Jersey, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoppe, Heidi L.; Watson, Kara M.

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 2.75-mile reach of the Saddle River from 0.2 mile upstream from the Interstate 80 bridge in Rochelle Park to 1.5 miles downstream from the U.S. Route 46 bridge in Lodi, New Jersey, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the USGS streamgage at Saddle River at Lodi, New Jersey (station 01391500). Current conditions for estimating near real-time areas of inundation using USGS streamgage information may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=01391500. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts flood hydrographs at many places that are often collocated with USGS streamgages. NWS-forecasted peak-stage information may be used in conjunction with the maps developed in this study to show predicted areas of flood inundation. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model. The model was calibrated using the most current stage-discharge relations at the Saddle River at Lodi, New Jersey streamgage and documented high-water marks from recent floods. The hydraulic model was then used to determine 11 water-surface profiles for flood stages at the Saddle River streamgage at 1-ft intervals referenced to the streamgage datum, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), and ranging from bankfull, 0.5 ft below NWS Action Stage, to the extent of the stage-discharge rating, which is approximately 1 ft higher than the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. Action Stage is the stage which when reached by a rising stream the NWS or a partner needs to take some type of mitigation action in preparation for possible significant hydrologic activity. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system 3-meter (9.84-ft) digital elevation model (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The availability of these maps, along with Internet information regarding current stage from USGS streamgages and forecasted stream stages from the NWS, provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Results of qualification tests on water-level sensing instruments, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olive, T.E.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey 's Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility at the Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, conducts qualification tests on water level sensing instruments. Instrument systems, which meet or exceed the Survey 's minimum performance requirements, are placed on the Survey 's Qualified Products List. The qualification tests conducted in 1987 added two instrument systems to the Survey 's Qualified Products List. One system met requirements for use at a daily-discharge station , and the other system met requirements for a special-case station. The report is prepared for users of hydrologic instruments. The report provides a list of instrument features, describes the instrument systems, summarizes test procedures, and presents test results for the two instrument systems that met the Survey 's minimum performance standards for the 1987 round of qualification tests. (USGS)

Stratton Sagebrush Hydrology Study Area: An annotated bibliography of research conducted 1968-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burgess, Leah M.; Schoenecker, Kathryn A.

2004-01-01

This annotated bibliography provides an overview of research projects conducted on the Stratton Sagebrush Hydrology Study Area (Stratton) since its designation as such in 1967. Sources include the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station records storage room, Laramie, Wyoming, the USGS and USFS online reference libraries, and scientific journal databases at the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University. This annotated bibliography summarizes publications from research conducted at Stratton during the prime of its tenure as a research lab from 1968 to 1990. In addition, an appendix is included that catalogues all data on file at the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station in Laramie, Wyoming. Each file folder was searched and its contents recorded here for the researcher seeking original data sets, charts, photographs and records.

Effect of treated effluent diversion on Yahara River flow, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, K.B.

1966-01-01

Before December 1958 the treated sewage effluent from the Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan area was discharged into the Yahara River at the north end of Lake Waubesa, which is upstream from the USGS gaging station on the Yahara River near McFarland, Wis. Since December 1958 the effluent has been diverted southward from the sewage treatment plant into Badfish Creek and enters the lower reach of Yahara River, thus byrpassing the gaging station. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the effect that this diversion seems to have on the flow of the Yahara River near McFarland. Indirectly, it also demonstrates the effect on streamflow of withdrawing ground water for use in the Madison metropolitan area since the treated effluent is primarily the major portion of the used ground water.

United States National seismograph network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masse, R.P.; Filson, J.R.; Murphy, A.

1989-01-01

The USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) has planned and is developing a broadband digital seismograph network for the United States. The network will consist of approximately 150 seismograph stations distributed across the contiguous 48 states and across Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Data transmission will be via two-way satellite telemetry from the network sites to a central recording facility at the NEIC in Golden, Colorado. The design goal for the network is the on-scale recording by at least five well-distributed stations of any seismic event of magnitude 2.5 or greater in all areas of the United States except possibly part of Alaska. All event data from the network will be distributed to the scientific community on compact disc with read-only memory (CD-ROM). ?? 1989.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

1984-01-01

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

IRIS/USGS Plans for Upgrading the Global Seismograph Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Jon; Hutt, Charles R.

1989-01-01

PREFACE This report has been prepared to provide information to organizations that may be asked to participate in a program to upgrade the global seismographic network. In most cases, the organizations that will be offered new instrumentation by the U.S. Geological Survey currently operate stations in the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) or the Global Digital Seismograph Network (GDSN). The deployment of the WWSSN in the 1960's and the subsequent equipping of some WWSSN stations with digital equipment and borehole seismometers during the 1970's has been a remarkably successful program that generated the high- quality data needed to fuel an unprecedented period of progress in earthquake and tectonic research. The success of the WWSSN can be attributed to the importance of the data, to the strong commitment by participating organizations to international scientific cooperation, to the dedication and skill of the station operators, and to the resourcefulness of the staff supporting the network. Benefits have been widespread. The community of scientists world-wide has benefited from unrestricted access to a standardized base of calibrated data, and the participating stations have benefited from the donation of modern observatory instruments that have been useful for local earthquake studies and for the training of scientists and engineers. Now, an exciting opportunity has arisen to deploy a new generation of seismograph systems to replace the outdated equipment at many of the WWSSN and GDSN stations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is cooperating with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) in a program to upgrade the global seismograph network. The equipment development phase is nearly complete with a prototype of the new broadband seismograph system currently undergoing final testing at the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory. Deployment of the new equipment is expected to begin in early 1990. As this report will demonstrate, the IRIS broadband seismograph system combines the very latest data acquisition and computer technology to produce seismic data with unprecedented bandwidth and dynamic range. Moreover, the system has been designed so that the high-quality digital data are accessible for local display and analysis. The functional design of the new system, which uses off-the-shelf modules and a standard computer bus, will make it much easier than it has been in the past to modify and upgrade the data acquisition system as improvements in technology become available. With adequate support for the program, the new IRIS seismograph system need never become obsolete. We want you to be aware of our plans and the possibility that you may be asked to participate in this ,program. The schedule for upgrading WWSSN and GDSN stations depends on the level of funding earmarked for the program by our National Science Foundation. We hope to deploy at least ten new GSN data systems each year. If you have any questions concerning this program, please contact the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87115-5000. This report was revised in February 1992 in order to update information concerning the current program and instrumentation. The amp in Figure 1 was revised in June 1993, April 1994, December 1994, and September 1996 to reflect updated siting information. In September 1996 a composite photo of standard and optional components of the IRIS-2 GSN system hardware was added as a separate page between Figures 9 and 10.

A UK portrait of wind-induced undercatch in rainfall measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Michael; Quinn, Paul; O'Donnell, Greg; Colli, Matteo; Dutton, Mark; Black, Andrew; Wilkinson, Mark; Kilsby, Chris; Stagnaro, Mattia; Lanza, Luca; O'Connell, Enda

2017-04-01

Rainfall is vital to life; civilisation depends upon it. Changing local and regional rainfall regimes toward more intense storm events (e.g. in the UK), increases the existing challenge of accurately measuring and modelling rainfall. Data from rain gauges, often considered to provide the most accurate practicable measure of precipitation at a point in space in time, play a critical role. They are used for, inter alia, flood forecasting and flood risk management; radar calibration and numerical weather prediction models; urban planning and drainage; and water resource management and hydrological modelling. Despite the key importance of these measurements, they remain susceptible to fundamental sources of systematic error which are often not considered when rainfall data are used. Inaccuracies in measurements are compounded in modelling applications by producing potentially misleading or incorrect results; it is therefore of great importance to understand and present uncertainty in observations. Standard practice is to mount rain gauges above the ground surface. This configuration obstructs the prevailing wind which causes an acceleration of airflow above the orifice. Precipitation is deflected away from the orifice and lands 'downstream' of the area represented by the gauge measurement, reducing its collection efficiency (CE). This phenomenon is commonly referred to as 'wind-induced undercatch'. The physical shape of a gauge bears a significant impact on its CE. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate how different shapes of precipitation gauge are affected by the wind. CFD modelling is supported by high-resolution field measurements at several exposed 'Hydro-Met' research stations in the UK. These sites are occupied by rain gauges which are scrutinised in the CFD analyses. The reference measurements at all sites are made within a WMO reference pit, where the rain gauge is mounted with its orifice at ground level and surrounded by an appropriate grid structure. 'Undercatch' exhibited within UK storms, not captured by operational gauge networks in the UK, is quantified and presented in this study. Results from CFD modelling and the field studies show that gauge shape and mounting height significantly affect the extent of the undercatch. 'Aerodynamic' gauges following a 'champagne flute' or a 'funnel' profile were demonstrated by both to have significant advantages over conventional gauge shapes, in terms of improving the CE. This study presents the latest analyses, and proposes the possible extent of rainfall underestimation within the UK, with particular reference to its hydrology.

Mercury in U.S. coal—Priorities for new U.S. Geological Survey studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolker, Allan

2016-05-09

In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced emissions standards, known as Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), for a range of toxic constituents from coal-fired utility power stations and other combustion sources. This report presents the findings of an expert panel convened in September 2014 to assess the role of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in new coal investigations that would be useful to stakeholders under MATS. Panel input is provided as summaries of responses to a questionnaire distributed to participants. The panel suggests that the USGS continue its work on trace elements in coal and include more information about delivered coals and boiler feed coals, in comparison to previous USGS compilations that emphasized sampling representative of coals in the ground. To be useful under multipollutant regulatory standards, investigation of a range of constituents in addition to mercury would be necessary. These include other toxic metals proposed for regulation, such as arsenic, nickel, cadmium, and chromium, as well as the halogens chlorine and fluorine, which upon emission form harmful acid gases. Halogen determinations are also important because they influence mercury speciation in flue gas, which allows the effectiveness of mercury controls to be assessed and predicted. The panel suggests that the Illinois Basin and the Powder River Basin should have the highest priority for new coal quality investigations in the near term by the USGS, on the basis of current economic conditions and overall economic importance, respectively. As a starting point for new investigations, brief summaries of the distribution of mercury in each coal basin, and their potential for further investigation, are presented.

Continuous Groundwater Monitoring Collocated at USGS Streamgages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantz, J. E.; Eddy-Miller, C.; Caldwell, R.; Wheeer, J.; Barlow, J.

2012-12-01

USGS Office of Groundwater funded a 2-year pilot study collocating groundwater wells for monitoring water level and temperature at several existing continuous streamgages in Montana and Wyoming, while U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funded enhancement to streamgages in Mississippi. To increase spatial relevance with in a given watershed, study sites were selected where near-stream groundwater was in connection with an appreciable aquifer, and where logistics and cost of well installations were considered representative. After each well installation and surveying, groundwater level and temperature were easily either radio-transmitted or hardwired to existing data acquisition system located in streamgaging shelter. Since USGS field personnel regularly visit streamgages during routine streamflow measurements and streamgage maintenance, the close proximity of observation wells resulted in minimum extra time to verify electronically transmitted measurements. After field protocol was tuned, stream and nearby groundwater information were concurrently acquired at streamgages and transmitted to satellite from seven pilot-study sites extending over nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of the central US from October 2009 until October 2011, for evaluating the scientific and engineering add-on value of the enhanced streamgage design. Examination of the four-parameter transmission from the seven pilot study groundwater gaging stations reveals an internally consistent, dynamic data suite of continuous groundwater elevation and temperature in tandem with ongoing stream stage and temperature data. Qualitatively, the graphical information provides appreciation of seasonal trends in stream exchanges with shallow groundwater, as well as thermal issues of concern for topics ranging from ice hazards to suitability of fish refusia, while quantitatively this information provides a means for estimating flux exchanges through the streambed via heat-based inverse-type groundwater modeling. In June USGS Fact Sheet 2012-3054 was released online, summarizing the results of the pilot project.

Regional Hydraulic Geometry Curves of the Northern Cascade Mountains, Chelan and King Counties, Washington State, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasperi, J. T.; McClung, J. M.; Hanson, D. L.

2006-12-01

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service has developed regional hydraulic geometry curves relating drainage area to bankfull top width, mean depth and cross-sectional area for the east and west sides of the northern Cascade Mountains in Chelan and King Counties, Washington. NRCS surveyed 10 channel reaches with drainage areas from 1 to 1000 square miles within the Wenatchee River drainage of Chelan County and 10 channel reaches with drainage areas of 1 to 100 square miles within the Cedar and Green River drainages of King County. Selection criteria for stream reaches required a minimum of 20 years of USGS stream gage discharge records, unregulated flows and safe access. Survey data were collected with a Sokkia Total Station during low flow conditions from August 2004 to September 2005. NRCS measured a channel cross-section at each of the USGS stream gage sites and two or three additional cross-sections up and downstream. The authors also collected samples of bed material for gradation analysis and estimation of Manning's roughness coefficient, n. Bankfull elevations were estimated based on visual identification of field indicators and USGS flood discharges for the 50% exceedance probability event. Field data were evaluated with the Ohio DNR Reference Reach spreadsheet to determine bankfull top width, mean depth and cross-sectional area. We applied a simple linear regression to the data following USGS statistical methods to evaluate the closeness of fit between drainage area and bankfull channel dimensions. The resulting R2 values of 0.83 to 0.93 for the eastern Cascade data of Chelan County and 0.71 to 0.88 for the western Cascade data of King County indicate a close association between drainage area and bankfull channel dimensions for these two sets of data.

The Hurricane-Flood-Landslide Continuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Negri, Andrew J.; Burkardt, Nina; Golden, Joseph H.; Halverson, Jeffrey B.; Huffman, George J.; Larsen, Matthew C.; McGinley, John A.; Updike, Randall G.; Verdin, James P.; Wieczorek, Gerald F.

2005-01-01

In August 2004, representatives from NOAA, NASA, the USGS, and other government agencies convened in San Juan, Puerto Rim for a workshop to discuss a proposed research project called the Hurricane-Flood-Landslide Continuum (HFLC). The essence of the HFLC is to develop and integrate tools across disciplines to enable the issuance of regional guidance products for floods and landslides associated with major tropical rain systems, with sufficient lead time that local emergency managers can protect vulnerable populations and infrastructure. All three lead agencies are independently developing precipitation-flood-debris flow forecasting technologies, and all have a history of work on natural hazards both domestically and overseas. NOM has the capability to provide tracking and prediction of storm rainfall, trajectory and landfall and is developing flood probability and magnTtude capabilities. The USGS has the capability to evaluate the ambient stability of natural and man-made landforms, to assess landslide susceptibilities for those landforms, and to establish probabilities for initiation of landslides and debris flows. Additionally, the USGS has well-developed operational capacity for real-time monitoring and reporting of streamflow across distributed networks of automated gaging stations (http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/). NASA has the capability to provide sophisticated algorithms for satellite remote sensing of precipitation, land use, and in the future, soil moisture. The Workshop sought to initiate discussion among three agencies regarding their specific and highly complimentary capabilities. The fundamental goal of the Workshop was to establish a framework that will leverage the strengths of each agency. Once a prototype system is developed for example, in relatively data-rich Puerto Rim, it could be adapted for use in data-poor, low-infrastructure regions such as the Dominican Republic or Haiti. This paper provides an overview of the Workshop s goals, presentations and recommendations with respect to the development of the HFLC.

Flood-inundation maps for the West Branch Delaware River, Delhi, New York, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coon, William F.; Breaker, Brian K.

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5-mile reach of the West Branch Delaware River through the Village and part of the Town of Delhi, New York, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Village of Delhi, the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Delaware County Planning Department. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ and the Federal Flood Inundation Mapper Web site at http://wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) referenced to the USGS streamgage at West Branch Delaware River upstream from Delhi, N.Y. (station number 01421900). In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional step-backwater model that had been used to produce the flood insurance rate maps for the most recent flood insurance study for the Town and Village of Delhi. This hydraulic model was used to compute 10 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from 7 ft or near bankfull to 16 ft, which exceeds the stages that correspond to both the estimated 0.2-percent annual-exceedance-probability flood (500-year recurrence interval flood) and the maximum recorded peak flow. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system (GIS) digital elevation model, which was derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data with a 1.2-ft (0.61-ft root mean squared error) vertical accuracy and 3.3-ft (1-meter) horizontal resolution, to delineate the area flooded at each water level. A map that was produced using this method to delineate the inundated area for the flood that occurred on August 28, 2011, agreed well with highwater marks that had been located in the field using a global positioning system. The availability of the 10 flood-inundation maps on the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site, along with Internet information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage, will provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood-response activities, such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for post-flood recovery efforts.

Development of Innovative Technology to Expand Precipitation Observations in Satellite Precipitation Validation in Under-developed Data-sparse Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucera, P. A.; Steinson, M.

2016-12-01

Accurate and reliable real-time monitoring and dissemination of observations of precipitation and surface weather conditions in general is critical for a variety of research studies and applications. Surface precipitation observations provide important reference information for evaluating satellite (e.g., GPM) precipitation estimates. High quality surface observations of precipitation, temperature, moisture, and winds are important for applications such as agriculture, water resource monitoring, health, and hazardous weather early warning systems. In many regions of the World, surface weather station and precipitation gauge networks are sparsely located and/or of poor quality. Existing stations have often been sited incorrectly, not well-maintained, and have limited communications established at the site for real-time monitoring. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), with support from USAID, has started an initiative to develop and deploy low-cost weather instrumentation including tipping bucket and weighing-type precipitation gauges in sparsely observed regions of the world. The goal is to improve the number of observations (temporally and spatially) for the evaluation of satellite precipitation estimates in data-sparse regions and to improve the quality of applications for environmental monitoring and early warning alert systems on a regional to global scale. One important aspect of this initiative is to make the data open to the community. The weather station instrumentation have been developed using innovative new technologies such as 3D printers, Raspberry Pi computing systems, and wireless communications. An initial pilot project have been implemented in the country of Zambia. This effort could be expanded to other data sparse regions around the globe. The presentation will provide an overview and demonstration of 3D printed weather station development and initial evaluation of observed precipitation datasets.

Validation of the H-SAF precipitation product H03 over Greece using rain gauge data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feidas, H.; Porcu, F.; Puca, S.; Rinollo, A.; Lagouvardos, C.; Kotroni, V.

2018-01-01

This paper presents an extensive validation of the combined infrared/microwave H-SAF (EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management) precipitation product H03, for a 1-year period, using gauge observations from a relatively dense network of 233 stations over Greece. First, the quality of the interpolated data used to validate the precipitation product is assessed and a quality index is constructed based on parameters such as the density of the station network and the orography. Then, a validation analysis is conducted based on comparisons of satellite (H03) with interpolated rain gauge data to produce continuous and multi-categorical statistics at monthly and annual timescales by taking into account the different geophysical characteristics of the terrain (land, coast, sea, elevation). Finally, the impact of the quality of interpolated data on the validation statistics is examined in terms of different configurations of the interpolation model and the rain gauge network characteristics used in the interpolation. The possibility of using a quality index of the interpolated data as a filter in the validation procedure is also investigated. The continuous validation statistics show yearly root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) corresponding to the 225 and 105 % of the mean rain rate, respectively. Mean error (ME) indicates a slight overall tendency for underestimation of the rain gauge rates, which takes large values for the high rain rates. In general, the H03 algorithm cannot retrieve very well the light (< 1 mm/h) and the convective type (>10 mm/h) precipitation. The poor correlation between satellite and gauge data points to algorithm problems in co-locating precipitation patterns. Seasonal comparison shows that retrieval errors are lower for cold months than in the summer months of the year. The multi-categorical statistics indicate that the H03 algorithm is able to discriminate efficiently the rain from the no rain events although a large number of rain events are missed. The most prominent feature is the very high false alarm ratio (FAR) (more than 70 %), the relatively low probability of detection (POD) (less than 40 %), and the overestimation of the rainy pixels. Although the different geophysical features of the terrain (land, coast, sea, elevation) and the quality of the interpolated data have an effect on the validation statistics, this, in general, is not significant and seems to be more distinct in the categorical than in the continuous statistics.

Modelling daily dissolved oxygen concentration using least square support vector machine, multivariate adaptive regression splines and M5 model tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heddam, Salim; Kisi, Ozgur

2018-04-01

In the present study, three types of artificial intelligence techniques, least square support vector machine (LSSVM), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and M5 model tree (M5T) are applied for modeling daily dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration using several water quality variables as inputs. The DO concentration and water quality variables data from three stations operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) were used for developing the three models. The water quality data selected consisted of daily measured of water temperature (TE, °C), pH (std. unit), specific conductance (SC, μS/cm) and discharge (DI cfs), are used as inputs to the LSSVM, MARS and M5T models. The three models were applied for each station separately and compared to each other. According to the results obtained, it was found that: (i) the DO concentration could be successfully estimated using the three models and (ii) the best model among all others differs from one station to another.

An analysis of the magnitude and frequency of floods on Oahu, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakahara, R.H.

1980-01-01

An analysis of available peak-flow data for the island of Oahu, Hawaii, was made by using multiple regression techniques which related flood-frequency data to basin and climatic characteristics for 74 gaging stations on Oahu. In the analysis, several different groupings of stations were investigated, including divisions by geographic location and size of drainage area. The grouping consisting of two leeward divisions and one windward division produced the best results. Drainage basins ranged in area from 0.03 to 45.7 square miles. Equations relating flood magnitudes of selected frequencies to basin characteristics were developed for the three divisions of Oahu. These equations can be used to estimate the magnitude and frequency of floods for any site, gaged or ungaged, for any desired recurrence interval from 2 to 100 years. Data on basin characteristics, flood magnitudes for various recurrence intervals from individual station-frequency curves, and computed flood magnitudes by use of the regression equation are tabulated to provide the needed data. (USGS)

Long-period sea-level variations in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zerbini, Susanna; Raicich, Fabio; Bruni, Sara; del Conte, Sara; Errico, Maddalena; Prati, Claudio; Santi, Efisio

2016-04-01

Since the beginning of its long-lasting lifetime, the Wegener initiative has devoted careful consideration to studying sea-level variations/changes across the Mediterranean Sea. Our study focuses on several long-period sea-level time series (from end of 1800 to 2012) acquired in the Mediterranean by tide gauge stations. In general, the analysis and interpretation of these data sets can provide an important contribution to research on climate change and its impacts. We have analyzed the centennial sea-level time series of six fairly well documented tide gauges. They are: Marseille, in France, Alicante in Spain, Genoa, Trieste, Venice and Marina di Ravenna (formerly Porto Corsini), in Italy. The data of the Italian stations of Marina di Ravenna and Venice clearly indicate that land subsidence is responsible for most of the observed rate of relative sea level rise. It is well known that, in the two areas, subsidence is caused by both natural processes and human activities. For these two stations, using levelling data of benchmarks at, and/or close to, the tide gauges, and for the recent years, also GPS and InSAR height time series, modelling of the long-period non-linear behavior of subsidence was successfully accomplished. After removing the land vertical motions, the estimate of the linear long-period sea-level rise at all six stations yielded remarkably consistent values, between +1,2 and +1,3 mm/yr, with associated errors ranging from ±0,2 to ±0,3 mm/yr (95% confidence interval), which also account for the statistical autocorrelation of the time series. These trends in the Mediterranean area are lower than the global mean rate of 1,7±0,2 mm/yr (1901-2010) presented by the IPCC in its 5th Assessment Report; however, they are in full agreement with a global mean sea-level rise estimate, over the period 1901-1990, recently published by Hay et al. (2015, doi:10.1038/nature14093) and obtained using probabilistic techniques that combine sea-level records with physics-based and model-derived geometries of the contributing processes. An EOF analysis (Empirical Orthogonal Functions) has also been carried out on the six sea-level time series to identify the dominant modes of variability.

Determination of Soil Erosion Risk in the Mustafakemalpasa River Basin, Turkey, Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, Geographic Information System, and Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozsoy, Gokhan; Aksoy, Ertugrul; Dirim, M. Sabri; Tumsavas, Zeynal

2012-10-01

Sediment transport from steep slopes and agricultural lands into the Uluabat Lake (a RAMSAR site) by the Mustafakemalpasa (MKP) River is a serious problem within the river basin. Predictive erosion models are useful tools for evaluating soil erosion and establishing soil erosion management plans. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) function is a commonly used erosion model for this purpose in Turkey and the rest of the world. This research integrates the RUSLE within a geographic information system environment to investigate the spatial distribution of annual soil loss potential in the MKP River Basin. The rainfall erosivity factor was developed from local annual precipitation data using a modified Fournier index: The topographic factor was developed from a digital elevation model; the K factor was determined from a combination of the soil map and the geological map; and the land cover factor was generated from Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) images. According to the model, the total soil loss potential of the MKP River Basin from erosion by water was 11,296,063 Mg year-1 with an average soil loss of 11.2 Mg year-1. The RUSLE produces only local erosion values and cannot be used to estimate the sediment yield for a watershed. To estimate the sediment yield, sediment-delivery ratio equations were used and compared with the sediment-monitoring reports of the Dolluk stream gauging station on the MKP River, which collected data for >41 years (1964-2005). This station observes the overall efficiency of the sediment yield coming from the Orhaneli and Emet Rivers. The measured sediment in the Emet and Orhaneli sub-basins is 1,082,010 Mg year-1 and was estimated to be 1,640,947 Mg year-1 for the same two sub-basins. The measured sediment yield of the gauge station is 127.6 Mg km-2 year-1 but was estimated to be 170.2 Mg km-2 year-1. The close match between the sediment amounts estimated using the RUSLE-geographic information system (GIS) combination and the measured values from the Dolluk sediment gauge station shows that the potential soil erosion risk of the MKP River Basin can be estimated correctly and reliably using the RUSLE function generated in a GIS environment.

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center: Advancing wildlife and ecosystem health

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moede Rogall, Gail; Sleeman, Jonathan M.

2017-01-11

In 1975, the Federal government responded to the need for establishing national expertise in wildlife health by creating the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), a facility within the Department of the Interior; the NWHC is the only national center dedicated to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention. Its mission is to provide national leadership to safeguard wildlife and ecosystem health through active partnerships and exceptional science. Comparisons are often made between the NWHC, which strives to protect the health of our Nation’s wildlife, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which strive to protect public health. The NWHC, a science center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with specialized laboratories, works to safeguard the Nation’s wildlife from diseases by studying the causes and drivers of these threats, and by developing strategies to prevent and manage them. In addition to the main campus, located in Madison, Wisconsin, the NWHC also operates the Honolulu Field Station that addresses wildlife health issues in Hawaii and the Pacific Region.

Suspended- and bedload-sediment transport in the Snake and Clearwater rivers in the vicinity of Lewiston, Idaho, August 1976 through July 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Michael L.; Seitz, Harold R.

1979-01-01

correct for sampler efficiency. An analysis of the middle Snake River streamflow record was made during 1977. The streamflow rating for the Snake River near Anatone, Washington, gage was found to be in error at high stages. The streamflow record for water years 1974 and 1975 was revised and published with 1976 water-year data (Water Resources Data for Idaho, Water Year 1976). The revised Snake River near Anatone streamflow rating was used to recompute the sediment-discharge rating curve (fig. 3). This study program is funded by the USACE through a cooperative agreement with the USGS. All field work, laboratory analysis, and compilation of data are being conducted by the USGS. Data collection is scheduled to terminate at the end of the 1979 runoff season. A reanalysis of all data collected since the start of the program will correct all provisional records since 1972, including the 1974, 1975, and 1976 years for the Snake River near Anatone station.

Hydrologic Conditions in Kansas, water year 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

May, Madison R.

2016-03-31

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, maintains a long-term network of hydrologic monitoring sites in Kansas. In 2015, the network included about 200 real-time streamgages (hereafter referred to as “gages”), 12 real-time reservoir-level monitoring stations, and 30 groundwater-level monitoring wells. These data and associated analyses provide a unique overview of hydrologic conditions and help improve the understanding of Kansas’s water resources.Real-time data are verified by the USGS throughout the year with regular measurements of streamflow, lake levels, and groundwater levels. These data are used in protecting life and property; and managing water resources for agricultural, industrial, public supply, ecological, and recreational purposes. Yearly hydrologic conditions are characterized by comparing statistical analyses of current and historical water year (WY) data for the period of record. A WY is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30 and is designated by the year in which it ends.

View of STS-129 MS3 Foreman during EVA2

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-21

S129-E-007789 (21 Nov. 2009) --- Astronaut Mike Foreman, STS-129 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, eight-minute spacewalk, Foreman and astronaut Randy Bresnik (out of frame), mission specialist, installed a Grappling Adaptor to On-Orbit Railing Assembly, or GATOR, on the Columbus laboratory. GATOR contains a ship-tracking antenna system and a HAM radio antenna. They relocated a floating potential measurement unit that gauges electric charges that build up on the station, deployed a Payload Attach System on the space-facing side of the Starboard 3 truss segment and installed a wireless video system that allows spacewalkers to transmit video to the station and relay it to Earth.

Validation of the CHIRPS Satellite Rainfall Estimates over Eastern of Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinku, T.; Funk, C. C.; Tadesse, T.; Ceccato, P.

2017-12-01

Long and temporally consistent rainfall time series are essential in climate analyses and applications. Rainfall data from station observations are inadequate over many parts of the world due to sparse or non-existent observation networks, or limited reporting of gauge observations. As a result, satellite rainfall estimates have been used as an alternative or as a supplement to station observations. However, many satellite-based rainfall products with long time series suffer from coarse spatial and temporal resolutions and inhomogeneities caused by variations in satellite inputs. There are some satellite rainfall products with reasonably consistent time series, but they are often limited to specific geographic areas. The Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRP) and CHIRP combined with station observations (CHIRPS) are recently produced satellite-based rainfall products with relatively high spatial and temporal resolutions and quasi-global coverage. In this study, CHIRP and CHIRPS were evaluated over East Africa at daily, dekadal (10-day) and monthly time scales. The evaluation was done by comparing the satellite products with rain gauge data from about 1200 stations. The is unprecedented number of validation stations for this region covering. The results provide a unique region-wide understanding of how satellite products perform over different climatic/geographic (low lands, mountainous regions, and coastal) regions. The CHIRP and CHIRPS products were also compared with two similar satellite rainfall products: the African Rainfall Climatology version 2 (ARC2) and the latest release of the Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite data (TAMSAT). The results show that both CHIRP and CHIRPS products are significantly better than ARC2 with higher skill and low or no bias. These products were also found to be slightly better than the latest version of the TAMSAT product. A comparison was also done between the latest release of the TAMSAT product (TAMSAT3) and the earlier version(TAMSAT2), which has shown that the latest version is a substantial improvement over the previous one, particularly with regards to the bias statistics.

GARS O'Higgins as a core station for geodesy in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klügel, Thomas; Diedrich, Erhard; Falk, Reinhard; Hessels, Uwe; Höppner, Kathrin; Kühmstedt, Elke; Metzig, Robert; Plötz, Christian; Reinhold, Andreas; Schüler, Torben; Wojdziak, Reiner

2014-05-01

The German Antarctic Receiving Station GARS O'Higgins at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is a dual purpose facility for Earth observation since more than 20 years. It serves as a satellite ground station for payload data downlink and telecommanding of remote sensing satellites as well as a geodetic observatory for global reference frames and global change. Both applications use the same 9m diameter radio telescope. For space geodesy and astrometry the radio telescope significantly improves the coverage on the southern hemisphere and plays an essential role within the global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) network. In particular the determination of the Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) and the sky coverage of the International Celectial Reference Frame (ICRF) benefit from the location at high southern latitude. Further geodetic instrumentation includes different permanent GNSS receivers (since 1995), two SAR corner reflectors (since 2013) and in the past a PRARE system (1996 - 2004). In addition absolute gravity measurements were performed in 1997 and 2011. All geodetic reference points are tied together by a local survey network. The various geodetic instrumentation and the long time series at O'Higgins allow a reliable determination of crustal motions. VLBI station velocities, continuous GNSS time series and absolute gravity measurements consistently document an uplift rate of about 5 mm/a. A pressure gauge and a radar tide gauge being refererenced to space by a GNSS antenna on top allow the measurement of sea level changes independently from crustal motions, and the determination of the ellipsoidal height of the sea surface, which is, the geoid height plus the mean dynamic topography. The outstanding location on the Antarctic continent makes GARS O'Higgins also in future attractive for polar orbiting satellite missions and an essential station for the global VLBI network. Future plans envisage a development towards an observatory for environmentally relevant research.

Resource Assessment for Afghanistan and Alleviation of Terrorism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shroder, J. F.

2002-05-01

Mineral and water resources in Afghanistan may be the best means by which redevelopment of the country can be used to alleviate future terrorism. Remote-sensing analysis of snow, ice, resources, and topography in Afghanistan, and development of digital elevation models with ASTER imagery and previously classified, large scale topographic maps from the Department of Defense enable better assessment and forecasting resources in the country. Adequate resource assessment and planning is viewed as critical to alleviation of one cause of the problems associated with the fertilization of terrorism in Afghanistan. Long-term diminution of meltwater resources in Afghanistan is exemplified by the disastrous and famine-inducing droughts of the present time and three decades prior, as well as by the early Landsat assessment of glacier resources sponsored by USGS and now brought up-to-date with current imagery. Extensive cold-war projects undertaken by both the USSR and USA generated plentiful essential mineral, hydrocarbon, hydrogeological, and hydrological data, including an extensive stream gauging and vital irrigation network now adversly affected or destroyed entirely by decades of war. Analysis, measurement, prediction, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of critical resource projects are regarded as most critical elements in the war on terrorism in this portion of the world. The GLIMS (Global Land Ice Measurements from Space) Project, initially sponsored by USGS, has established our group as the Regional Center for Afghanistan and Pakistan, in which the above concepts serve as guiding research precepts.

Evaluating the catching performance of aerodynamic rain gauges through field comparisons and CFD modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Michael; Colli, Matteo; Stagnaro, Mattia; Lanza, Luca; Quinn, Paul; Dutton, Mark; O'Donnell, Greg; Wilkinson, Mark; Black, Andrew; O'Connell, Enda

2016-04-01

Accurate rainfall measurement is a fundamental requirement in a broad range of applications including flood risk and water resource management. The most widely used method of measuring rainfall is the rain gauge, which is often also considered to be the most accurate. In the context of hydrological modelling, measurements from rain gauges are interpolated to produce an areal representation, which forms an important input to drive hydrological models and calibrate rainfall radars. In each stage of this process another layer of uncertainty is introduced. The initial measurement errors are propagated through the chain, compounding the overall uncertainty. This study looks at the fundamental source of error, in the rainfall measurement itself; and specifically addresses the largest of these, the systematic 'wind-induced' error. Snowfall is outside the scope. The shape of a precipitation gauge significantly affects its collection efficiency (CE), with respect to a reference measurement. This is due to the airflow around the gauge, which causes a deflection in the trajectories of the raindrops near the gauge orifice. Computational Fluid-Dynamic (CFD) simulations are used to evaluate the time-averaged airflows realized around the EML ARG100, EML SBS500 and EML Kalyx-RG rain gauges, when impacted by wind. These gauges have a similar aerodynamic profile - a shape comparable to that of a champagne flute - and they are used globally. The funnel diameter of each gauge, respectively, is 252mm, 254mm and 127mm. The SBS500 is used by the UK Met Office and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. Terms of comparison are provided by the results obtained for standard rain gauge shapes manufactured by Casella and OTT which, respectively, have a uniform and a tapered cylindrical shape. The simulations were executed for five different wind speeds; 2, 5, 7, 10 and 18 ms-1. Results indicate that aerodynamic gauges have a different impact on the time-averaged airflow patterns observed in the vicinity of the collector, compared to the standard gauge shapes. Both the air velocity and the turbulent kinetic energy fields present structures that may improve the interception of particles by the aerodynamic gauge collector. To provide empirical validation, a field-based experimental campaign was undertaken at four UK research stations to compare the results of aerodynamic and conventional gauges, mounted in juxtaposition. The reference measurement is recorded using a rain gauge pit, as specified by the WMO. The results appear to demonstrate how the effect of the wind on rainfall measurements is influenced by the gauge shape and the mounting height. Significant undercatch is observed compared to the reference measurement. Aerodynamic gauges mounted on the ground catch more rainfall than juxtaposed straight-sided gauges, in most instances. This appears to provide some preliminary validation of the CFD model. The indication that an aerodynamic profile improves the gauge catching capability could be confirmed by tracking the hydrometeor trajectories with a Lagrangian method, based on the available set of airflows; and investigating time-dependent aerodynamic features by means of dedicated CFD simulations. Furthermore, wind-tunnel tests could be carried out to provide more robust physical validation of the CFD model.

Synergetic Combination of Radar Information and Gauge Measurements - with the Conflict between Two Types of Data Being Removed via Displacement and Downscaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, J.; Bardossy, A.

2017-12-01

Rain gauges are the foundation in hydrology to collect rainfall data, however, gauge measurements alone are limited at representing the complete rainfall distribution. On the other hand, the reliability of radar data is often limited because of the errors in the radar signal (e.g. clutter, variation of the vertical reflectivity profile, beam blockage, attenuation, etc). Thus, merging radar information and gauge rainfall measurements is in an area of active research. The merging method proposed here is to use the radar data in its [0, 1] format (p-value). The actual precipitation values come from the gauge measurements. At each measurement location, two types of data are available, the radar p-value and the gauge measurement in mm. It happens very frequently that there exists a contradiction between these two types of data. A very likely reason is the influence of the unknown process between the radar measurement height and the surface onto which the hydrometeors fall. A method for quantification of the impact of the unknown process is proposed to fix the conflict, but only to a certain degree. Another possible source that can explain the discrepancy between these two types of data is discretization, i.e., the spatial variability cannot be identified by coarse discretization. Thus, downscaling is also considered to further remove the conflict. Based on the p-value from the radar data and the precipitation from the gauge measurements, a distribution function can be built up. The ultimate goal is to simulate the precipitation field for nowcasting purpose. The conditions to be fulfilled by the simulated field is as the following: honoring the measurements at the gauge locations; sharing a similar pattern with the radar image; preserving the inherent covariance structure. The simulation approach employed here is random mixing. The study domain is located in Reutlingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany (Latitude 48.49N, Longitude 9.20E). The radar data are obtained from a C-band radar (Radar Tuerkheim) whereas the gauge measurements come from stations with 1-min time resolution.

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Campbell, Jean P.

2010-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgage stations; 10 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate instantaneous (15-minute) loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2003 (October 1, 2002, to September 30, 2003). Water-quality samples were also collected at 37 sampling stations in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area by the Providence Water Supply Board during WY 2003 as part of a long-term sampling program. Water-quality data are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2003. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed about 31 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2003. For the same time period, annual mean streamflows1 measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.44 to 20 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,200,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 1,900,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2003; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 10,000 to 61,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 15,000 to 100,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the Providence Water Supply Board, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 21.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.002 mg/L as N, median nitrate concentration was 0.02 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.06 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 38 and 9 CFU/100 mL (colony forming units per 100 milliliters), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 140 kg/d (67 kg/d/mi2), 15 g/d (6.5 g/d/mi2), 140 g/d (62 g/d/mi2), 340 g/d (180 g/d/mi2), and 2,200 million colony forming units per day (CFU x 106/d) (1,200 CFU x 106/d/mi2) and 940 CFU x 106/d (490 CFU x 106/d/mi2), respectively. 1The arithmetic mean of the individual daily mean discharges for the year noted or for the designated period.

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.; Campbell, Jean P.

2010-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Providence Water Supply Board, Rhode Island's largest drinking-water supplier. Streamflow was measured or estimated by the USGS following standard methods at 23 streamgage stations; 10 of these stations were also equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance. Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate instantaneous (15-minute) loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2004 (October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004). Water-quality samples were also collected at 37 sampling stations in the Scituate Reservoir drainage area by the Providence Water Supply Board during WY 2004 as part of a long-term sampling program. Water-quality data are summarized by using values of central tendency and are used, in combination with measured (or estimated) streamflows, to calculate loads and yields (loads per unit area) of selected water-quality constituents for WY 2004. The largest tributary to the reservoir (the Ponaganset River, which was monitored by the USGS) contributed about 27 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to the reservoir during WY 2004. For the same time period, annual mean1 streamflows measured (or estimated) for the other monitoring stations in this study ranged from about 0.42 to 19 ft3/s. Together, tributary streams (equipped with instrumentation capable of continuously monitoring specific conductance) transported about 1,100,000 kilograms (kg) of sodium and 1,700,000 kg of chloride to the Scituate Reservoir during WY 2004; sodium and chloride yields for the tributaries ranged from 12,000 to 61,000 kilograms per square mile (kg/mi2) and from 17,000 to 100,000 kg/mi2, respectively. At the stations where water-quality samples were collected by the Providence Water Supply Board, the median of the median chloride concentrations was 24.8 milligrams per liter (mg/L), median nitrite concentration was 0.001 mg/L as N, median nitrate concentration was 0.03 mg/L as N, median orthophosphate concentration was 0.07 mg/L as P, and median concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were 33 and 23 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), respectively. The medians of the median daily loads (and yields) of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total coliform and E. coli bacteria were 160 kg/d (81 kg/d/mi2), 9.1 g/d (5.2 g/d/mi2), 280 g/d (110 g/d/mi2), 760 g/d (340 g/d/mi2), and 4,700 million colony forming units per day (CFU x 106/d) (1,700 CFU x 106/d/mi2) and 1,900 CFU x 106/d (520 CFU x 106/d/mi2), respectively. 1The arithmetic mean of the individual daily mean discharges for the year noted or for the designated period

Observations and modeling of seismic background noise

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Jon R.

1993-01-01

The preparation of this report had two purposes. One was to present a catalog of seismic background noise spectra obtained from a worldwide network of seismograph stations. The other purpose was to refine and document models of seismic background noise that have been in use for several years. The second objective was, in fact, the principal reason that this study was initiated and influenced the procedures used in collecting and processing the data.With a single exception, all of the data used in this study were extracted from the digital data archive at the U.S. Geological Survey's Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL). This archive dates from 1972 when ASL first began deploying digital seismograph systems and collecting and distributing digital data under the sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). There have been many changes and additions to the global seismograph networks during the past twenty years, but perhaps none as significant as the current deployment of very broadband seismographs by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) under the scientific direction of the IRIS consortium. The new data acquisition systems have extended the bandwidth and resolution of seismic recording, and they utilize high-density recording media that permit the continuous recording of broadband data. The data improvements and continuous recording greatly benefit and simplify surveys of seismic background noise.Although there are many other sources of digital data, the ASL archive data were used almost exclusively because of accessibility and because the data systems and their calibration are well documented for the most part. Fortunately, the ASL archive contains high-quality data from other stations in addition to those deployed by the USGS. Included are data from UCSD IRIS/IDA stations, the Regional Seismic Test Network (RSTN) deployed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the TERRAscope network deployed by the California Institute of Technology in cooperation with other institutions.A map showing the approximate locations of the stations used in this study is provided in Figure 1. One might hope for a better distribution of stations in the southern hemisphere, especially Africa and South America, in order to look for regional variations in seismic noise (apart from the major differences between continental, coastal and island sites). Unfortunately, anyone looking for subtle regional variations in seismic noise is probably going to be disappointed by the spectral data presented in this report because much of the station data appear to be dominated by local disturbances caused by instrumental, environmental, cultural, or surf noise. Better instruments and better instrument siting, or a well-funded field program, will be needed before a global isoseismal noise map can be produced. However, by assembling a composite of background noise from a large network of stations, many of the local station variables are masked, and it is possible to create generalized spectral plots of Earth noise for hypothetical quiet and noisy station sites.

Field Testing, Installation, and Calibration of a new Data Acquisition System for the USGS-Stanford-Berkley Ultra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic (ULFEM) Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creasy, N.; Gardner, J.; Spritzer, J. M.; Keneally, I.; Glen, J. M.; McPhee, D.; Klemperer, S. L.

2013-12-01

Since 2006, Stanford University, USGS, and UC Berkeley collaboratively maintain five permanent stations, to measure electric and magnetic data from 0.01 to 40Hz. Each station consists of three orthogonal coil magnetometers and two orthogonal 100m electrodes. The acquisition of ULFEM data helps study possible correlations between electromagnetic fields and seismic events related to the San Andreas Fault system. The current data acquisition system uses a Quanterra Q330 analog-to-digital converter. In 2010, we began development of a new 24-bit digitizing system known as the ULFEM 2010 digitizer in order to replace the Q330. The design of the new recorder was to be more economical and better tailored to the ULFEM network by providing power, calibration, and improved protection from lightning. However, the prototype had many problems, including a daily phase shift, amplifying error, and a time delay of 15 seconds (Bowden, et al., AGU, 2010). Currently, comparative testing of an improved prototype, ULFEM 2013, and the Q330 is taking place at the Jasper Ridge ULFEM station. The ULFEM 2013 contains eight channels that record input from three coil magnetometers, four electrodes, and temperature. Testing is ongoing and involves comparing the coil magnetometer and electrode signals processed by the Q330 and ULFEM 2013 digitizer. Data from the two systems will be compared in the time and frequency domains, and analyses will include calculating error and cross correlations. The ULFEM 2013 digitizer provides power to the magnetometer sensors as well as a calibration coil system (CCS). Every 24 hours, the CCS sends a calibration signal to calibration induction coils fitted to each of the three orthogonal magnetometers with the aim of testing the sensors' sensitivity and accuracy. The CCS produces a frequency sweep of 0.08, 0.51, 5, and 10Hz, creating a field nearly ten times greater than the Earth's field. The CCS consists of open source hardware and an amplifying frequency generator. Another ongoing effort to calibrate the ULFEM stations uses ground motion produced by distant earthquakes. Because of our stations' relatively close proximity (approximately 70km apart), teleseismic earthquakes at epicentral distances produce near-identical long-period seismic arrivals at each ULFEM station. The ground motion generated by the surface waves of distant earthquakes causes displacement of the induction coils, inducing magnetic anomalies in the recorded data. Because the ground motion has nearly the same characteristics at each station, the magnetic anomalies observed should have similar amplitudes regardless of the station (though modulated by the local conductivity structure at each site). To identify these coseismic signals, magnetic data were compared against seismic data from each station. Magnetic signals are clearly visible due to passage of Love and Rayleigh waves from teleseismic earthquakes of magnitude >7.4 and their relative amplitudes provide additional confirmation of the stability of our coils and recording system prior to the installation of the CCS.