10 CFR 904.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Hoover Power Plant Act (43 U.S.C. 619). (d) Central Arizona Project shall mean those works as described... amended. (e) Colorado River Dam Fund or Fund shall mean that special fund established by section 2 of the..., the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, and the Hoover Power Plant Act. (f) Contract shall mean...

10 CFR 904.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Hoover Power Plant Act (43 U.S.C. 619). (d) Central Arizona Project shall mean those works as described... amended. (e) Colorado River Dam Fund or Fund shall mean that special fund established by section 2 of the..., the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, and the Hoover Power Plant Act. (f) Contract shall mean...

10 CFR 904.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Hoover Power Plant Act (43 U.S.C. 619). (d) Central Arizona Project shall mean those works as described... amended. (e) Colorado River Dam Fund or Fund shall mean that special fund established by section 2 of the..., the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, and the Hoover Power Plant Act. (f) Contract shall mean...

10 CFR 904.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Hoover Power Plant Act (43 U.S.C. 619). (d) Central Arizona Project shall mean those works as described... amended. (e) Colorado River Dam Fund or Fund shall mean that special fund established by section 2 of the..., the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, and the Hoover Power Plant Act. (f) Contract shall mean...

Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion: Chapter 26 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruhlman, Jana; Gass, Leila; Middleton, Barry

2012-01-01

Situated between ecoregions of distinctly different topographies and climates, the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion represents a large area of approximately 192,869 km2 (74,467 mi2) that stretches across northern Arizona, central and northwestern New Mexico, and parts of southwestern Colorado; in addition, a small part extends into southeastern Nevada (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). Forested, mountainous terrain borders the ecoregion on the northeast (Southern Rockies Ecoregion) and southwest (Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion). Warmer and drier climates exist to the south (Chihuahuan Deserts Ecoregion) and west (Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion). The semiarid grasslands of the western Great Plains are to the east (Southwestern Tablelands Ecoregion), and the tablelands of the Colorado Plateau in Utah and western Colorado lie to the north (Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion). The Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion occupies a significant portion of the southern half of the Colorado Plateau.

Middle Jurassic Topawa group, Baboquivari Mountains, south-central Arizona: Volcanic and sedimentary record of deep basins within the Jurassic magmatic arc

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haxel, G.B.; Wright, J.E.; Riggs, N.R.; Tosdal, R.M.; May, D.J.

2005-01-01

Among supracrustal sequences of the Jurassic magmatic arc of the southwestern Cordillera, the Middle Jurassic Topawa Group, Baboquivari Mountains, south-central Arizona, is remarkable for its lithologic diversity and substantial stratigraphic thickness, ???8 km. The Topawa Group comprises four units (in order of decreasing age): (1) Ali Molina Formation-largely pyroclastic rhyolite with interlayered eolian and fluvial arenite, and overlying conglomerate and sandstone; (2) Pitoikam Formation-conglomerate, sedimentary breccia, and sandstone overlain by interbedded silt- stone and sandstone; (3) Mulberry Wash Formation-rhyolite lava flows, flow breccias, and mass-flow breccias, with intercalated intraformational conglomerate, sedimentary breccia, and sandstone, plus sparse within-plate alkali basalt and comendite in the upper part; and (4) Tinaja Spring Porphyry-intrusive rhyolite. The Mulberry Wash alkali basalt and comendite are genetically unrelated to the dominant calcalkaline rhyolite. U-Pb isotopic analyses of zircon from volcanic and intrusive rocks indicate the Topawa Group, despite its considerable thickness, represents only several million years of Middle Jurassic time, between approximately 170 and 165 Ma. Sedimentary rocks of the Topawa Group record mixing of detritus from a minimum of three sources: a dominant local source of porphyritic silicic volcanic and subvolcanic rocks, identical or similar to those of the Topawa Group itself; Meso- proterozoic or Cambrian conglomerates in central or southeast Arizona, which contributed well-rounded, highly durable, polycyclic quartzite pebbles; and eolian sand fields, related to Middle Jurassic ergs that lay to the north of the magmatic arc and are now preserved on the Colorado Plateau. As the Topawa Group evidently represents only a relatively short interval of time, it does not record long-term evolution of the Jurassic magmatic arc, but rather represents a Middle Jurassic "stratigraphic snapshot" of the arc. This particular view of the arc has been preserved primarily because the Topawa Group accumulated in deep intra-arc basins. These nonmarine basins were fundamentally tectonic and extensional, rather than volcano-tectonic, in origin. Evidence from the Topawa Group supports two previous paleogeographic inferences: the Middle Jurassic magmatic arc in southern Arizona was relatively low standing, and externally derived sediment was introduced into the arc from the continent (northeast) side, without appreciable travel along the arc. We speculate that because the Topawa Group intra-arc basins were deep and rapidly subsiding, they became the locus of a major (though probably intermittent) fluvial system, which flowed into the low-standing magmatic arc from its northeast flank. ?? 2005 Geological Society of America.

Bedrock morphology and structure, upper Santa Cruz Basin, south-central Arizona, with transient electromagnetic survey data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, Mark W.; Page, William R.

2016-10-31

The upper Santa Cruz Basin is an important groundwater basin containing the regional aquifer for the city of Nogales, Arizona. This report provides data and interpretations of data aimed at better understanding the bedrock morphology and structure of the upper Santa Cruz Basin study area which encompasses the Rio Rico and Nogales 1:24,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles. Data used in this report include the Arizona Aeromagnetic and Gravity Maps and Data referred to here as the 1996 Patagonia Aeromagnetic survey, Bouguer gravity anomaly data, and conductivity-depth transforms (CDTs) from the 1998 Santa Cruz transient electromagnetic survey (whose data are included in appendixes 1 and 2 of this report).Analyses based on magnetic gradients worked well to identify the range-front faults along the Mt. Benedict horst block, the location of possibly fault-controlled canyons to the west of Mt. Benedict, the edges of buried lava flows, and numerous other concealed faults and contacts. Applying the 1996 Patagonia aeromagnetic survey data using the horizontal gradient method produced results that were most closely correlated with the observed geology.The 1996 Patagonia aeromagnetic survey was used to estimate depth to bedrock in the upper Santa Cruz Basin study area. Three different depth estimation methods were applied to the data: Euler deconvolution, horizontal gradient magnitude, and analytic signal. The final depth to bedrock map was produced by choosing the maximum depth from each of the three methods at a given location and combining all maximum depths. In locations of rocks with a known reversed natural remanent magnetic field, gravity based depth estimates from Gettings and Houser (1997) were used.The depth to bedrock map was supported by modeling aeromagnetic anomaly data along six profiles. These cross sectional models demonstrated that by using the depth to bedrock map generated in this study, known and concealed faults, measured and estimated magnetic susceptibilities of rocks found in the study area, and estimated natural remanent magnetic intensities and directions, reasonable geologic models can be built. This indicates that the depth to bedrock map is reason-able and geologically possible.Finally, CDTs derived from the 1998 Santa Cruz Basin transient electromagnetic survey were used to help identify basin structure and some physical properties of the basin fill in the study area. The CDTs also helped to confirm depth to bedrock estimates in the Santa Cruz Basin, in particular a region of elevated bedrock in the area of Potrero Canyon, and a deep basin in the location of the Arizona State Highway 82 microbasin. The CDTs identified many concealed faults in the study area and possibly indicate deep water-saturated clay-rich sediments in the west-central portion of the study area. These sediments grade to more sand-rich saturated sediments to the south with relatively thick, possibly unsaturated, sediments at the surface. Also, the CDTs may indicate deep saturated clay-rich sediments in the Highway 82 microbasin and in the Mount Benedict horst block from Proto Canyon south to the international border.

Multiple resource evaluations on the Beaver Creek watershed: An Annotated Bibliography (1956-1996)

Treesearch

M. B. Baker; P. F. Ffolliott

1998-01-01

The Beaver Creek experimental watershed, located in north-central Arizona, was established in 1956 in response to public concerns that the flow of streams and the amount of livestock forage on watersheds in the Salt-Verde River Basins were being reduced by increasing densities of ponderosa pine saplings and pinyon-juniper trees. Natural resource responses to the...

Using InSAR Remote Sensing Technology to Analyze 3 Basin Aquifer Recharge Areas in Phoenix, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smilovsky, D.; Rucker, M. L.

2016-12-01

Land subsidence due to pumping-induced groundwater decline has been well documented in alluviual basins in southern Arizona. Beginning in 2002, satellite-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) began to document post-1992 subsidence across these basins. Several basin aquifer recharge projects using water delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) also began in the early 2000s. Reversal of land subsidence (elastic rebound) associated with recharge is evident in InSAR results across these basins. Projects with rebound documented using InSAR include the Tonopah Desert Recharge Project (permitted 150,000 [ac-ft/yr] starting in 2006) located 40 miles west of Phoenix, and the Hieroglyphic Mountains Recharge Project (permitted 35,000 ac-ft/yr starting in 2003) located several miles north of McMicken Dam in the West Salt River Valley. The Superstition Mountains Recharge Project (ultimate permitting of 85,000 ac-ft/yr, completed in 2011), located at Queen Creek in the East Salt River Valley, has also begun to develop a clear InSAR signature feature. Groundwater level index wells up to several miles downstream from these recharge facilities have indicated groundwater level recoveries of about 70 to 200 feet in the time corresponding to the InSAR studies. Resulting elastic rebound of ground surface elevations due to reduction of effective stresses in the compressible basin alluvium is a function of the effective stress change, the basin alluvium elastic moduli, and the thickness of the effected compressible basin alluvium. The areas and magnitudes of effective stress unloading are indicated from the rebound documented using InSAR. The volumes of aquifer recharge are anticipated to be related to the volumes of InSAR-derived rebound. It is also anticipated that estimates of large-scale horizontal hydraulic conductivity may be approximately verified by areas of ground surface rebound, and gradients driving groundwater flow may be inferred from magnitudes of rebound. These concepts are tested using documented recharge volumes, water level records at index wells, and concurrent InSAR results at the Tonopah and Hieroglyphic Mountains Recharge Projects, and basin alluvium moduli derived from subsidence studies associated with rehabilitation of McMicken Dam.

Maps Showing Ground-Water Conditions in the San Simon Wash Area, Papago Indian Reservation, Arizona - 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hollet, Kenneth J.

1981-01-01

INTRODUCTION The San Simon Wash area includes about 2,300 mi2 in the Papago Indian Reservation in south-central Arizona and is characterized by low mountains separated by broad alluvial basins. Most of the basins and mountains trend north and slightly northwest. The basins are underlain by a thick sequence of basin-fill deposits. The mountains are composed of crystalline and consolidated sedimentary rocks, and thin alluvial deposits are present in the narrow mountain valleys and on pediments. The climate is semiarid, and the precipitation pattern is characterized by two distinct types of storms--local summer thunderstorms and regional winter storms. In most of the area the average annual precipitation ranges from 5 to 10 in.; in the Baboquivari Mountains, however, the average annual precipitation is 20 in. (Sellers and Hill, 1974, p. 7). Owing to the small amount of precipitation and the abundant sunshine, the evaporation rate is about 8 to 10 times the average rainfall (Heindl and others, 1962). Storm runoff occurs mainly as sheetflow and floods of short duration. Although some runoff is diverted to catchment tanks for use by livestock, runoff is not known to be diverted for irrigation or public-supply uses. Ground-water development has been slight compared with that in many areas in Arizona. In 1979 about 2,700 acre-ft of ground water was withdrawn, of which 2,200 acre-ft was used for irrigation at Papago Farms, and 500 acre-ft was used for public and livestock supplies. The hydrologic data on which these maps are based are available, for the most part, in computer-printout form and may be consulted at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 99 East Virginia, Phoenix, and at U.S. Geological Survey offices in: Federal Building, 301 West Congress Street, Tucson, and Valley Center, Suite 1880, Phoenix. Material from which copies can be made at private expense is available at the Tucson and Phoenix offices of the U.S. Geological Survey.

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

Treesearch

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

2005-01-01

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

Land subsidence and earth fissures in south-central and southern Arizona, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Brian D.

2016-05-01

Land subsidence due to groundwater overdraft has been an ongoing problem in south-central and southern Arizona (USA) since the 1940s. The first earth fissure attributed to excessive groundwater withdrawal was discovered in the early 1950s near Picacho. In some areas of the state, groundwater-level declines of more than 150 m have resulted in extensive land subsidence and earth fissuring. Land subsidence in excess of 5.7 m has been documented in both western metropolitan Phoenix and Eloy. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has been monitoring land subsidence since 2002 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and since 1998 using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The ADWR InSAR program has identified more than 25 individual land subsidence features that cover an area of more than 7,300 km2. Using InSAR data in conjunction with groundwater-level datasets, ADWR is able to monitor land subsidence areas as well as identify areas that may require additional monitoring. One area of particular concern is the Willcox groundwater basin in southeastern Arizona, which is the focus of this paper. The area is experiencing rapid groundwater declines, as much as 32.1 m during 2005-2014 (the largest land subsidence rate in Arizona State—up to 12 cm/year), and a large number of earth fissures. The declining groundwater levels in Arizona are a challenge for both future groundwater availability and mitigating land subsidence associated with these declines. ADWR's InSAR program will continue to be a critical tool for monitoring land subsidence due to excessive groundwater withdrawal.

Floods of November 1978 to March 1979 in Arizona and west-central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aldridge, Byron Neil; Hales, T.A.

1984-01-01

Severe flooding occurred in parts of the Little Colorado and Gila River basins as a result of a storm that occurred December 17-20, 1978. The central highlands received 3 to 10 inches of precipitation that was augmented by snowmelt to altitudes of 10,000 feet. The storm was preceded by extremely large amounts of rainfall and runoff in November and was followed by other periods of high runoff in January and March 1979. In some areas flood peaks in November, January, or March were higher than the peak of December 1978. At Winslow, the discharge of the Little Colorado River in December 1978 was the highest since at least 1952. The discharge of the Gila River above the San Francisco River was probably the highest since at least 1891, and in the Safford Valley, the peak was the highest since 1916. The Agua Fria River below Waddell Dam had the highest discharge since 1919. The flood of December 1978 caused 12 deaths and caused damage that was probably in excess of $150 million in Arizona and west-central New Mexico. Damage was estimated to be $51.8 million in Maricopa County, Arizona. Floods caused extensive agricultural damage along the Gila River in Virden Valley in New Mexico and in Duncan, York, and Safford Valleys in Arizona. Duncan, Arizona, was flooded with as much as 7 feet of water. The flood crest on the Gila River in December 1978 moved from Redrock, New Mexico, to Duncan, Arizona, in about 6 hours, which is more rapid than during other recent floods but is comparable to the travel-time recorded in 1941. Travel-time in the reach varies with discharge and is about 14 hours for discharges of 10,000 cubic feet per second and 5 hours for discharges of more than 40,000 cubic feet per second. Water-conservation reservoirs on the Gila, Salt, Verde, and Agua Fria Rivers and a flood-control reservoir on the Gila River had a major influence on the magnitude of floods downstream from the reservoirs. All runoff from the Gila River basin upstream from Coolidge Dam, Arizona, during the floods of November 1978 to January 1979 was stored in San Carlos Reservoir, and major flooding was averted along the Gila River between Coolidge Dam and Salt River. Minor flooding occurred along the Gila River downstream from San Pedro River. Floods in central and western Maricopa Count, Arizona, were caused by the release of water from full reservoirs on the Salt, Verde, and Agua Fria Rivers, but peak discharges and duration of the floods were much less than would have occurred if the reservoirs had not been in place. Flow continued in the Salt River through Phoenix until May 1979. Floodwater was stored in the flood-control reservoir above Painted Rock Dam on the Gila River in order to prevent major damage along the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Water was released from Painted Rock Dam until January 1980. The prolonged flows and reduction in ground-water pumping caused ground-water levels to rise appreciably in many areas.

Database compilation for the geologic map of the San Francisco volcanic field, north-central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bard, Joseph A.; Ramsey, David W.; Wolfe, Edward W.; Ulrich, George E.; Newhall, Christopher G.; Moore, Richard B.; Bailey, Norman G.; Holm, Richard F.

2016-01-08

The orignial geologic maps were prepared under the Geothermal Research Program of the U.S. Geological Survey as a basis for interpreting the history of magmatic activity in the volcanic field. The San Francisco field, which is largely Pleistocene in age, is in northern Arizona, just north of the broad transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range province. It is one of several dominantly basaltic volcanic fields of the late Cenozoic age situated near the margin of the Colorado Plateau. The volcanic field contains rocks ranging in composition from basalt to rhyolite—the products of eruption through Precambrian basement rocks and approximately a kilometer of overlying, nearly horizontal, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. About 500 km3 of erupted rocks cover about 5,000 km2 of predominantly Permian and locally preserved Triassic sedimentary rocks that form the erosionally stripped surface of the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona.

Regional implications of new chronostratigraphic and paleogeographic data from the Early Permian Darwin Basin, east-central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Calvin H.; Stone, Paul; Magginetti, Robert T.

2015-01-01

The Darwin Basin developed in response to episodic subsidence of the western margin of the Cordilleran continental shelf from Late Pennsylvanian (Gzhelian) to Early Permian (late Artinskian) time. Subsidence of the basin was initiated in response to continental truncation farther to the west and was later augmented by thrust emplacement of the Last Chance allochthon. This deep-water basin was filled by voluminous fine-grained siliciclastic turbidites and coarse-grained limestone-gravity-flow deposits. Most of this sediment was derived from the Bird Spring carbonate shelf and cratonal platform to the northeast or east, but some came from an offshore tectonic ridge (Conglomerate Mesa Uplift) to the west that formed at the toe of the Last Chance allochthon. At one point in the late Artinskian the influx of extrabasinal sediment was temporarily cut off, resulting in deposition of a unique black limestone that allows precise correlation throughout the basin. Deep-water sedimentation in the Darwin Basin ended by Kungurian time when complex shallow-water to continental sedimentary facies spread across the region. Major expansion of the Darwin Basin occurred soon after the middle Sakmarian emplacement of the Last Chance allochthon. This tectonic event was approximately coeval with deformation in northeastern Nevada that formed the deep-water Dry Mountain Trough. We herein interpret the two basins to have been structurally continuous. Deposition of the unique black limestone is interpreted to mark a eustatic sea level rise that also can be recognized in Lower Permian sections in east-central Nevada and central Arizona.

Seismic architecture and lithofacies of turbidites in Lake Mead (Arizona and Nevada, U.S.A.), an analogue for topographically complex basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twichell, D.C.; Cross, V.A.; Hanson, A.D.; Buck, B.J.; Zybala, J.G.; Rudin, M.J.

2005-01-01

Turbidites, which have accumulated in Lake Mead since completion of the Hoover Dam in 1935, have been mapped using high-resolution seismic and coring techniques. This lake is an exceptional natural laboratory for studying fine-grained turbidite systems in complex topographic settings. The lake comprises four relatively broad basins separated by narrow canyons, and turbidity currents run the full length of the lake. The mean grain size of turbidites is mostly coarse silt, and the sand content decreases from 11-30% in beds in the easternmost basin nearest the source to 3-14% in the central basins to 1-2% in the most distal basin. Regionally, the seismic amplitude mimics the core results and decreases away from the source. The facies and morphology of the sediment surface varies between basins and suggests a regional progression from higher-energy and possibly channelized flows in the easternmost basin to unchannelized flows in the central two basins to unchannelized flows that are ponded by the Hoover Dam in the westernmost basin. At the local scale, turbidites are nearly flat-lying in the central two basins, but here the morphology of the basin walls strongly affects the distribution of facies. One of the two basins is relatively narrow, and in sinuous sections reflection amplitude increases toward the outsides of meanders. Where a narrow canyon debouches into a broad basin, reflection amplitude decreases radially away from the canyon mouth and forms a fan-like deposit. The fine-grained nature of the turbidites in the most distal basin and the fact that reflections drape the underlying pre-impoundment surface suggest ponding here. The progression from ponding in the most distal basin to possibly channelized flows in the most proximal basin shows in plan view a progression similar to the stratigraphic progression documented in several minibasins in the Gulf of Mexico. Copyright ?? 2005, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology).

Geologic interpretation of gravity data from the Date Creek basin and adjacent areas, west-central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Otton, James K.; Wynn, Jeffrey C.

1978-01-01

A gravity survey of the Date Creek Basin and adjacent areas was conducted in June 1977 to provide information for the interpretation of basin geology. A comparison of facies relations in the locally uraniferous Chapin Wash Formation and the position of the Anderson mine gravity anomaly in the Date Creek Basin suggested that a relationship between gravity lows and the development of thick lacustrine sections in the region might exist. A second-order residual gravity map derived from the complete Bouguer gravity map for the survey area (derived from survey data and pre-existing U.S. Department of Defense data) shows an excellent correspondence between gravity lows and sediment-filled basins and suggests considerable variation in basin-fill thickness. Using the Anderson mine anomaly as a model, gravity data and facies relations suggest that the southeastern flank of the Aguila Valley gravity low and the gravity low at the western end of the Hassayampa Plain are likely areas for finding thick sections of tuffaceous lacustrine rocks.

Maps of estimated nitrate and arsenic concentrations in basin-fill aquifers of the southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beisner, Kimberly R.; Anning, David W.; Paul, Angela P.; McKinney, Tim S.; Huntington, Jena M.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.

2012-01-01

Human-health concerns and economic considerations associated with meeting drinking-water standards motivated a study of the vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to nitrate contamination and arsenic enrichment in the southwestern United States. Statistical models were developed by using the random forest classifier algorithm to predict concentrations of nitrate and arsenic across a model grid representing about 190,600 square miles of basin-fill aquifers in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The statistical models, referred to as classifiers, reflect natural and human-related factors that affect aquifer vulnerability to contamination and relate nitrate and arsenic concentrations to explanatory variables representing local- and basin-scale measures of source and aquifer susceptibility conditions. Geochemical variables were not used in concentration predictions because they were not available for the entire study area. The models were calibrated to assess model accuracy on the basis of measured values.Only 2 percent of the area underlain by basin-fill aquifers in the study area was predicted to equal or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standard for nitrate as N (10 milligrams per liter), whereas 43 percent of the area was predicted to equal or exceed the standard for arsenic (10 micrograms per liter). Areas predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for nitrate include basins in central Arizona near Phoenix; the San Joaquin Valley, the Santa Ana Inland, and San Jacinto Basins of California; and the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Much of the area predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for arsenic is within a belt of basins along the western portion of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province that includes almost all of Nevada and parts of California and Arizona. Predicted nitrate and arsenic concentrations are substantially lower than the drinking-water standards in much of the study area-about 93 percent of the area underlain by basin-fill aquifers was less than one-half the standard for nitrate as N (5.0 milligrams per liter), and 50 percent was less than one-half the standard for arsenic (5.0 micrograms per liter). The predicted concentrations and the improved understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of southwestern basin-fill aquifers to nitrate contamination and arsenic enrichment can be used by water managers as a qualitative tool to assess and protect the quality of groundwater resources in the Southwest.

The San Pedro Basin: A Case Study of US and Mexican Strategies to Connect Science to Societal Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, R. L.; Goodrich, D. C.; Browning-Aiken, A.; Richter, H.; Varady, R.; Shuttleworth, W. J.

2007-05-01

The San Pedro River originates in northern Sonora near the town of Cananea and spans the U.S. - Mexico border into southeastern Arizona. The San Pedro Basin and perennial portions of its river support one of the most ecological diverse regions in the world. The regional groundwater aquifer which largely supports perennial flow and the associated riparian ecosystem is the primary water source for a number of communities, and for the Cananea copper mine in Sonora, which produces roughly two to three percent of the world's copper, and Ft. Huachuca, a major military installation in Arizona and the largest employer of southern Arizona. This presentation will discuss strategies and efforts over the past decade on both sides of the border to link hydrological, ecological and social sciences to aid elected officials and decision-makers in managing the basin, its growing population, and the water it so vitally depends upon. The disparate legal, cultural, economic and scientific environments, as well as the unequal degrees of decentralization and regional autonomy on the two sides of the border have resulted in distinct concerns and approaches to water resource management and varying rates of success. In the Sonoran portion of the basin water quality is the primary concern and in Arizona, water quantity is the major concern. The paper will report on sustained binational efforts and constraints encountered by researchers at the University of Arizona's NSF-funded SAHRA project and several NOAA-supported efforts in the basin region.

Aerial Transient Electromagnetic Surveys of Alluvial Aquifers in Rural Watersheds of Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pool, D. R.; Callegary, J. B.; Groom, R. W.

2006-12-01

Development in rural areas of Arizona has led the State of Arizona (Arizona Department of Water Resources), in cooperation with the Arizona Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, to sponsor investigations of the hydrogeologic framework of several alluvial-basin aquifers. An efficient method for mapping the aquifer extent and lithology was needed due to sparse subsurface information. Aerial Transient Electro-Magnetic (ATEM) methods were selected because they can be used to quickly survey large areas and with a great depth of investigation. Both helicopter and fixed-wing ATEM methods are available. A fixed-wing method (GEOTEM) was selected because of the potential for a depth of investigation of 300 m or more and because previous surveys indicated the method is useful in alluvial basins in southeastern Arizona. About 2,900 km of data along flight lines were surveyed across five alluvial basins, including the Middle San Pedro and Willcox Basins in southeastern Arizona, and Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Basins in northwestern Arizona. Data initially were analyzed by the contractor (FUGRO Airborne Surveys) to produce conductivity-depth-transforms, which approximate the general subsurface electrical-property distribution along profiles. Physically based two-dimensional physical models of the profile data were then developed by PetRos- Eikon by using EMIGMA software. Hydrologically important lithologies can have different electrical properties. Several types of crystalline and sedimentary rocks generally are poor aquifers that have low porosity and high electrical resistivity. Good alluvial aquifers of sand and gravel generally have an intermediate electrical resistivity. Poor aquifer materials, such as silt and clay, and areas of poor quality water have low electrical resistivity values. Several types of control data were available to constrain the models including drill logs, electrical logs, water levels , and water quality information from wells; and gravity, seismic, direct-current resistivity, and transient-electromagnetic information from ground-based geophysical surveys. Results of the surveys will be used along with available subsurface information to describe the spatial extent of the alluvial aquifers and the general lithologic distribution within the alluvial aquifers.

Seismic Reflection Imaging of the Tucson Basin and Subsurface Relations Between the Catalina Detachment System and the Santa Rita Fault, SE Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F. T.; Johnson, R. A.

2003-12-01

Industry seismic reflection data collected in SE Arizona in the 1970's imaged the structure of the Tucson basin, the low-angle Catalina detachment fault, and the Santa Rita fault. Recent reprocessing of these data, including detailed near-surface statics compensation and modern event-migration techniques, have served to better focus the subsurface images. The Tucson basin occupies an area of approximately 2600 km2 and is bounded to the northeast by the Catalina-Rincon metamorphic core complex and to the south by the Santa Rita Mountains. The basin is characterized by an apparent half-graben structure down dropped along the eastern side and filled with up to 3700 m of Oligocene to recent volcanic and sedimentary rocks. In the northern portion of the basin, the gently-dipping ( ˜30 degrees) Catalina detachment fault is imaged from the western flank of the core complex dipping to the southwest beneath the Tucson basin. The detachment surface is evident to several seconds two-way-time in the seismic data and is characterized by broad corrugations parallel to extension with wavelengths of tens of kilometers. In the southern portion of the basin, the Santa Rita fault is imaged at the northwest side of the Santa Rita Mountains and dips ˜20 degrees to the northwest beneath the Tucson basin. Large, rotated hanging-wall blocks are also imaged above both the Catalina detachment and Santa Rita faults. While the Catalina detachment fault is no longer active, geomorphic analysis of fault scarps along the western flank of the Santa Rita Mountains supports recent (60-100 ka) movement on the Santa Rita fault. Preliminary results indicate that the Santa Rita fault terminates against the Catalina detachment fault beneath the central basin, suggesting that the recent movement observed on this fault may be, in part, a reactivation of the older fault surface.

Simulated effects of groundwater pumping and artificial recharge on surface-water resources and riparian vegetation in the Verde Valley sub-basin, Central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Pool, Donald R.

2010-01-01

In the Verde Valley sub-basin, groundwater use has increased in recent decades. Residents and stakeholders in the area have established several groups to help in planning for sustainability of water and other resources of the area. One of the issues of concern is the effect of groundwater pumping in the sub-basin on surface water and on groundwater-dependent riparian vegetation. The Northern Arizona Regional Groundwater-Flow Model by Pool and others (in press) is the most comprehensive and up-to-date tool available to understand the effects of groundwater pumping in the sub-basin. Using a procedure by Leake and others (2008), this model was modified and used to calculate effects of groundwater pumping on surface-water flow and evapotranspiration for areas in the sub-basin. This report presents results for the upper two model layers for pumping durations of 10 and 50 years. Results are in the form of maps that indicate the fraction of the well pumping rate that can be accounted for as the combined effect of reduced surface-water flow and evapotranspiration. In general, the highest and most rapid responses to pumping were computed to occur near surface-water features simulated in the modified model, but results are not uniform along these features. The results are intended to indicate general patterns of model-computed response over large areas. For site-specific projects, improved results may require detailed studies of the local hydrologic conditions and a refinement of the modified model in the area of interest.

Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion: Chapter 21 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stier, Michael P.

2012-01-01

The Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion covers approximately 129,617 km2 (50,045 mi2) within southern and eastern Utah, western Colorado, and the extreme northern part of Arizona (fig. 1). The terrain of this ecoregion is characterized by broad plateaus, ancient volcanoes, and deeply dissected canyons (Booth and others, 1999; fig. 2). The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Wyoming Basin and Southern Rockies Ecoregions in Colorado and on the northwest by the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion in northern and central Utah. To the south, the ecoregion borders the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion, which has a higher elevation and more grasslands than the Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997).

Report list Arizona's oil, gas potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rauzi, S.L.

2001-01-01

This article is a summary of Arizona geological survey circular 29, which addresses the petroleum geology of Arizona, USA. Eight areas have been identified with fair to excellent oil and gas potential, and some Tertiary basins have evidence of source or reservoir rocks. The following are considered here: production history, lands status and services, regulation and permitting, petroleum geology, hydrocarbon indications, and areas with hydrocarbon potential and their petroleum geology and characteristics. The full report contains detailed figures of each of these basin areas, a descriptive tabulation of seeps and petroliferous rocks and extensive references.

The quality of our Nation's waters: Water quality in basin-fill aquifers of the southwestern United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, 1993-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.; Paul, Angela P.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Anning, David W.

2015-01-01

The Southwest Principal Aquifers consist of many basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Demands for irrigation and drinking water have substantially increased groundwater withdrawals and irrigation return flow to some of these aquifers. These changes have increased the movement of contaminants from geologic and human sources to depths used to supply drinking water in several basin-fill aquifers in the Southwest.

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Paradox Basin Province, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whidden, Katherine J.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 560 million barrels of undiscovered oil, 12,701 billion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 490 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Paradox Basin of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Miocene calc-alkaline magmatism, calderas, and crustal extension in the Kofa and Castle Dome Mountains, southwestern Arizona

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

Grubensky, M.J.; Bagby, W.C.

1990-11-10

Two widespread lower Miocene rhyolite ash flow tuffs in the Kofa and Castle Dome Mountains of southwestern Arizona are products of caldera-forming eruptions. These closely erupted tuffs, the tuff of Yaqui Tanks and the tuff of Ten Ewe Mountain, are approximately 22 Ma in age and their eruptions culminate a 1- to 2-m.y.-long burst of calc-alkaline volcanic activity centered on the northern Castle Dome Mountains. Exotic blocks of Proterozoic and Mesozoic crystalline rocks up to 20 m across are present in exposures of the tuff of Yaqui Tanks exposed in the central Castle Dome Mountains and the southern Kofa Mountains.more » A single, thick cooling unit of the tuff of Ten Ewe Mountain that includes thick lenses of mesobreccia marks the location of the younger caldera that extends from Palm Canyon in the western Kofa Mountains eastward more than 7 km along strike to the central part of the range. Large residual Bouguer gravity anomalies, one beneath each inferred caldera, are interpreted as batholithic rocks or low-density caldera fill. Caldera-related volcanism in the Kofa region occurred during a transition in extensional tectonic regimes: From a regime of east-west trending uplifts and basins to a regime manifest primarily by northwest striking normal faults. A narrow corridor of folding and strike-slip faulting formed during volcanism in the southern Kofa Mountains. Upper Oligocene or lower Miocene coarse sedimentary rocks along the southern flank of the Chocolate Mountains anticlinorium in the southern Castle Dome Mountains mark the periphery of a basin similar to other early and middle Tertiary basins exposed in southern California. The volcanic section of the Kofa region was dissected by high-angle normal faults related to northeast-southwest oriented crustal extension typical of the southern Basin and Range province.« less

Geology and ground-water resources of the San Carlos Indian Reservation, Gila, Graham, and Pinal counties, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, J.G.

1989-01-01

The San Carlos Indian Reservation includes about 2,900 sq mi in east- central Arizona. Relatively impermeable pre-Tertiary rocks are exposed in about 23% of the reservation and underlie water-bearing Tertiary and quaternary basin fill and Quaternary stream alluvium in much of the southern part of the reservation. About 9,000 members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe live on the reservation and rely on groundwater to meet public supply, irrigation, and other needs. Basin fill is widespread in the valley of the San Carlos and Gila Rivers and consists of fine sand, silt, limestone, clay, and pyroclastic volcanics that may attain a total maximum thickness of more than 3,200 ft in the reservation. Quaternary stream alluvium overlies the basin fill along many streams and washes. Stream alluvium consists of poorly sorted, unconsolidated, gravelly, muddy, sand; and sandy gravel and reaches a maximum thickness of 100 ft along the San Carlos and Gila Rivers. The volume of recoverable water stored in the basin fill to a depth of 1,200 ft is estimated to be about 20 million acre-ft. The volume of recoverable water stored in the stream alluvium on the reservation is estimated to be more than 100,000 acre-ft. The stream alluvium along the San Carlos River supplies most of the water used for drinking. Water throughout much of the reservation is suitable for most uses except for that in the alluvium along the Gila River, which contains large concentrations of dissolved solids. (USGS)

Predicted nitrate and arsenic concentrations in basin-fill aquifers of the Southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, David W.; Paul, Angela P.; McKinney, Tim S.; Huntington, Jena M.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.

2012-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifer systems across the United States. The Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to groundwater contamination by synthesizing baseline knowledge of groundwater-quality conditions in 16 basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. The improved understanding of aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability to contamination is assisting in the development of tools that water managers can use to assess and protect the quality of groundwater resources.Human-health concerns and economic considerations associated with meeting drinking-water standards motivated a study of the vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to nitrate con­tamination and arsenic enrichment in the southwestern United States. Statistical models were developed by using the random forest classifier algorithm to predict concentrations of nitrate and arsenic across a model grid that represents about 190,600 square miles of basin-fill aquifers in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The statistical models, referred to as classifiers, reflect natural and human-related factors that affect aquifer vulnerability to contamina­tion and relate nitrate and arsenic concentrations to explana­tory variables representing local- and basin-scale measures of source, aquifer susceptibility, and geochemical conditions. The classifiers were unbiased and fit the observed data well, and misclassifications were primarily due to statistical sampling error in the training datasets.The classifiers were designed to predict concentrations to be in one of six classes for nitrate, and one of seven classes for arsenic. Each classification scheme allowed for identification of areas with concentrations that were equal to or exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standard. Whereas 2.4 percent of the area underlain by basin-fill aquifers in the study area was predicted to equal or exceed this standard for nitrate (10 milligrams per liter as N; mg/L), 42.7 percent was predicted to equal or exceed the standard for arsenic (10 micrograms per liter; μg/L). Areas predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for nitrate include basins in central Arizona near Phoenix; the San Joaquin, Inland, and San Jacinto basins of California; and the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Much of the area predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for arsenic is within a belt of basins along the western portion of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province in Nevada, California, and Arizona. Predicted nitrate and arsenic concentrations are substantially lower than the drinking-water standards in much of the study area—about 93.0 percent of the area underlain by basin-fill aquifers was less than one-half the standard for nitrate (5.0 mg/L), and 50.2 percent was less than one-half the standard for arsenic (5.0 μg/L).

Stratigraphy of the Morrison and related formations, Colorado Plateau region, a preliminary report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craig, Lawrence C.; ,

1955-01-01

Three subdivisions of the Jurassic rocks of the Colorado Plateau region are: the Glen Canyon group, mainly eolian and fluvial sedimentary rocks; the San Rafael group, marine and marginal marine sedimentary rocks; and the Morrison formation, fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. In central and eastern Colorado the Morrison formation has not been differ- entiated into members. In eastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and in part of western Colorado, the Morrison may be divided into a lower part and an upper part; each part has two members which are di1Ierentiated on a lithologic basis. Where differentiated, the lower part of the Morrison consists either of the Salt Wash member or the Recapture member or both; these are equivalent in age and inter tongue and intergrade over a broad area in the vicinity of the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. The Salt Wash member is present in eastern Utah and parts of western Colorado, north- eastern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico. It was formed as a large alluvial plain or 'fan' by an aggrading system of braided streams diverging to the north and east from an apex in south-central Utah. The major source area of the Salt Wash was to the southwest of south-central Utah, probably in west-central Arizona and southeastern California. The member was derived mainly from sedimentary rocks. The Salt Wash deposits grade from predomi- nantly coarse texture at the apex of the 'fan' to predominantly flne texture at the margin of the 'fan'. The Salt Wash member has been arbitrarily divided into four facies: a con- glomera tic sandstone facies, a sandstone and mudstone facies, a claystone and lenticular sandstone facies, and a claystone and limestone facies. The Recapture member of the Morrison formation is present in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and small areas of southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado near the Four Corners. It was formed as a large alluvial plain or 'fan' by an aggrading system of braided streams. The Recap- ture deposits grade from predominantly coarse texture sedimentary rocks to predominantly fine texture and have been arbitrarily divided into three facies: a conglomeratic sandstone facies, a sandstone facies, and a claystone and sandstone facies. The distribution of the facies indicates that the major source area of the Recapture was south of Gallup, N. Mex., probably in west-central New Mexico. The Recapture was derived from an area of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and sedimentary rocks. The upper part of the Morrison formation consists of the Westwater Canyon member and the Brushy Basin member. The Westwater Canyon member forms the lower portion of the upper part of the Morrison in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and places in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorade near the Four Corners, and it intertongues and intergrades northward into the Brushy Basin member. The Westwater Canyon member was formed as a large alluvial plain or 'fan' by an aggrading system of braided streams. The Westwater deposits grade from predominantly coarse-textured sedimentary rocks to somewhat finer textured sedimentary rocks, and have been arbitrarily divided into two facies: a conglomeratic sandstone facies and a sandstone facies. The distribution of the facies indicates that the major source area of the Westwater was south of Gallup, N. Mex., probably in west-central New Mexico. The Westwater was derived from an area of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and sedimentary rocks. The similarity of the distribution and composition of the Westwater to the Recapture indicates that the Westwater represents essentially a continuation of deposition on the Recapture 'fan'; the Westwater contains, however, considerably coarser materials. Whereas the S

Methods for estimating magnitude and frequency of 1-, 3-, 7-, 15-, and 30-day flood-duration flows in Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Paretti, Nicholas V.; Veilleux, Andrea G.

2014-01-01

Regression equations, which allow predictions of n-day flood-duration flows for selected annual exceedance probabilities at ungaged sites, were developed using generalized least-squares regression and flood-duration flow frequency estimates at 56 streamgaging stations within a single, relatively uniform physiographic region in the central part of Arizona, between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Province, called the Transition Zone. Drainage area explained most of the variation in the n-day flood-duration annual exceedance probabilities, but mean annual precipitation and mean elevation were also significant variables in the regression models. Standard error of prediction for the regression equations varies from 28 to 53 percent and generally decreases with increasing n-day duration. Outside the Transition Zone there are insufficient streamgaging stations to develop regression equations, but flood-duration flow frequency estimates are presented at select streamgaging stations.

Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of groundwater storage for the Hualapai Valley, Detrital Valley, and Sacramento Valley basins, Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Beard, L. Sue; Kennedy, Jeffrey; Anning, Dave W.

2013-01-01

We have investigated the hydrogeology of the Hualapai Valley, Detrital Valley, and Sacramento Valley basins of Mohave County in northwestern Arizona to develop a better understanding of groundwater storage within the basin fill aquifers. In our investigation we used geologic maps, well-log data, and geophysical surveys to delineate the sedimentary textures and lithology of the basin fill. We used gravity data to construct a basin geometry model that defines smaller subbasins within the larger basins, and airborne transient-electromagnetic modeled results along with well-log lithology data to infer the subsurface distribution of basin fill within the subbasins. Hydrogeologic units (HGUs) are delineated within the subbasins on the basis of the inferred lithology of saturated basin fill. We used the extent and size of HGUs to estimate groundwater storage to depths of 400 meters (m) below land surface (bls). The basin geometry model for the Hualapai Valley basin consists of three subbasins: the Kingman, Hualapai, and southern Gregg subbasins. In the Kingman subbasin, which is estimated to be 1,200 m deep, saturated basin fill consists of a mixture of fine- to coarse-grained sedimentary deposits. The Hualapai subbasin, which is the largest of the subbasins, contains a thick halite body from about 400 m to about 4,300 m bls. Saturated basin fill overlying the salt body consists predominately of fine-grained older playa deposits. In the southern Gregg subbasin, which is estimated to be 1,400 m deep, saturated basin fill is interpreted to consist primarily of fine- to coarse-grained sedimentary deposits. Groundwater storage to 400 m bls in the Hualapai Valley basin is estimated to be 14.1 cubic kilometers (km3). The basin geometry model for the Detrital Valley basin consists of three subbasins: northern Detrital, central Detrital, and southern Detrital subbasins. The northern and central Detrital subbasins are characterized by a predominance of playa evaporite and fine-grained clastic deposits; evaporite deposits in the northern Detrital subbasin include halite. The northern Detrital subbasin is estimated to be 600 m deep and the middle Detrital subbasin is estimated to be 700 m deep. The southern Detrital subbasin, which is estimated to be 1,500 m deep, is characterized by a mixture of fine- to coarse-grained basin fill deposits. Groundwater storage to 400 m bls in the Detrital Valley basin is estimated to be 9.8 km3. The basin geometry model for the Sacramento Valley basin consists of three subbasins: the Chloride, Golden Valley, and Dutch Flat subbasins. The Chloride subbasin, which is estimated to be 900 m deep, is characterized by fine- to coarse-grained basin fill deposits. In the Golden Valley subbasin, which is elongated north-south, and is estimated to be 1,300 m deep, basin fill includes fine-grained sedimentary deposits overlain by coarse-grained sedimentary deposits in much of the subbasin. The Dutch Flat subbasin is estimated to be 2,600 m deep, and well-log lithologic data suggest that the basin fill consists of interlayers of gravel, sand, and clay. Groundwater storage to 400 m bls in the Sacramento Valley basin is estimated to be 35.1 km3.

Applying Water-Level Difference Control to Central Arizona Project

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) has been supplying Colorado River water to Central Arizona for roughly 25 years. The CAP canal is operated remotely with a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System. Gate position changes are made either manually or through the use of automatic control...

Plan of study for the regional aquifer-system analysis of the San Juan structural basin, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welder, G.E.

1986-01-01

The San Juan structural basin is an 18,000 sq mi area that contains several extensive aquifers. The basin includes three surface drainage basins and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Surface water in the area is fully appropriated, and the steadily increasing demand for groundwater has resulted in water supply concerns. Competition is great between mining and electric power companies, municipalities, and Indian communities for the limited groundwater supplies. This report outlines a 4-year plan for a study of the regional aquifer system in the San Juan structural basin. The purposes of the study are to define and understand the aquifer system; to assess the effects of groundwater use on the aquifers and streams; and to determine the availability and quality of groundwater in the basin. (Author 's abstract)

Water withdrawals for irrigation, municipal, mining, thermoelectric-power, and drainage uses in Arizona outside of active management areas, 1991-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tadayon, Saeid

2005-01-01

Economic development in Arizona is largely influenced by access to adequate water supplies owing to the State's predominantly semiarid to arid climate. Water demand is met by pumping ground water from aquifers or by con-veying surface water through a system of reservoirs and canals. Water-withdrawal data provide important information on how water demand affects the State's water resources. Information on water withdrawals also can help planners and managers assess the effectiveness of water-management policies, regulations, and conservation activities. This report includes water-withdrawal data for irrigation, municipal, mining, thermoelectric-power, and drainage uses for 1991-2000, and describes the methods used to collect, compile, and estimate the data. Data are reported for the Arizona Department of Water Resources ground-water basins outside of Active Management Areas. Because of the climate, ground water and surface water are used to irrigate nearly all agricultural fields in Arizona. Irrigation accounted for the largest use of water in the study area during 1991-2000. The amount of water withdrawn for irrigation varies greatly from year to year for some of the basins, primarily because of differences in the consumptive water requirement for different crops and because of changes in irrigated acreage. The population of Arizona increased about 35 percent from 1991 to 2000-from about 3.79 million in 1991 to about 5.13 million in 2000. Correspondingly, water withdrawal for municipal use increased steadily in most of the basins during 1991-2000. Ground-water withdrawals for mining did not show any consistent trends during 1991-2000. Increases and decreases in withdrawals for mining were most likely due to variations in mineral production. Mineral prices and competition from mining in other States and foreign countries probably result in annual increases or decreases in mineral production in Arizona. Between 1991 and 2000, ground-water withdrawals for thermoelectric-power generation generally increased owing to an increase in production of electricity. Ground-water withdrawals for drainage of agricultural lands in the Lower Gila and Yuma Basins varied irregularly from year to year. Annual total water withdrawals are not presented in this report because for some years irrigation values for some of the basins are reported as 'less than 1,000 acre-feet,' and municipal and mining values for some of the basins are reported as 'less than 300 acre-feet.'

Southern Rockies Ecoregion: Chapter 8 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drummond, Mark A.

2012-01-01

The Southern Rockies Ecoregion is a high-elevation mountainous ecoregion that covers approximately 138,854 km2 (53,612 mi2), including much of central Colorado and parts of southern Wyoming and northern New Mexico (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). It abuts six other ecoregions: the Wyoming Basin and Colorado Plateaus Ecoregions on the north and west, the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion on the south, and the Northwestern Great Plains, Western High Plains, and Southwestern Tablelands Ecoregions on the east (fig. 1). The ecoregion receives most of its annual precipitation (25–100 cm) as snowfall, which provides a significant amount of high-elevation snowpack that is an important water source for surrounding ecoregions. The Southern Rockies Ecoregion has a steep elevation gradient from low foothills to high peaks, with several hundred summits higher than 3,660 m (12,000 ft). As a southern extension of the larger RockyMountain system, it is composed primarily of seven main north-south trending mountain ranges that are separated by four large intermontane basins. A fifth basin, the San Luis Valley, is outside the ecoregion, forming a northern finger of the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion that lies mostly to the south. To the east, late Tertiary sand and gravel deposits that were eroded from the relatively young Rocky Mountains were carried eastward by streams, forming the nearby Western High Plains Ecoregion and its underlying Ogallala aquifer.

Quaternary stratigraphy and tectonics, and late prehistoric agriculture of the Safford Basin (Gila and San Simon river valleys), Graham County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houser, Brenda B.; Pearthree, Phillip A.; Homburg, Jeffry A.; Thrasher, Lawrence C.

2004-01-01

This guidebook accompanied the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Cell of the Friends of the Pleistocene (FOP) and the 2002 Fall Field Trip of the Arizona Geological Society. The meeting and field trip were held in the Safford Basin, southeastern Arizona. The Friends of the Pleistocene is an informal gathering of Quaternary geologists, geomorphologists, and pedologists who meet annually for a field conference. The first part of the guidebook consists of road logs with descriptions of stops covering the three days of the field trip. An overview of the geology of the Safford Basin is given in Stop 1-1. The second part of the guidebook consists of four short papers that discuss adjacent areas or that expand upon the road log descriptions of the field trip stops. The first paper by Reid and Buffler is a summary of upper Cenozoic depositional facies in the Duncan Basin, the first basin to the east of the Safford Basin. The next three papers expand upon (1) the soil study of the gridded field agricultural complex (Stop 2-3, Homburg and Sandor), (2) the vertebrate fossils of the San Simon Valley in the southeastern part of the Safford Basin (Stop 3-1, Thrasher), and (3) paleoIndian irrigation systems and settlements in Lefthand Canyon at the foot of the Pinaleno Mountains (Stop 3-2, Neely and Homburg).

Hydrogeologic Framework of the Upper Santa Cruz Basin (Arizona and Sonora) using Well Logs, Geologic Mapping, Gravity, Magnetics, and Electromagnetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callegary, J. B.; Page, W. R.; Megdal, S.; Gray, F.; Scott, C. A.; Berry, M.; Rangel, M.; Oroz Ramos, L.; Menges, C. M.; Jones, A.

2011-12-01

In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act which provides a framework for study of aquifers shared by the United States and Mexico. The aquifer of the Upper Santa Cruz Basin was chosen as one of four priority aquifers for several reasons, including water scarcity, a population greater than 300,000, groundwater as the sole source of water for human use, and a riparian corridor that is of regional significance for migratory birds and other animals. Several new mines are also being proposed for this area which may affect water quality and availability. To date, a number of studies have been carried out by a binational team composed of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Mexican National Water Commission, and the Universities of Arizona and Sonora. Construction of a cross-border hydrogeologic framework model of the basin between Amado, Arizona and its southern boundary in Sonora is currently a high priority. The relatively narrow Santa Cruz valley is a structural basin that did not experience the same degree of late Cenozoic lateral extension and consequent deepening as found in other basin-and-range alluvial basins, such as the Tucson basin, where basin depth exceeds 3000 meters. This implies that storage may be much less than that found in other basin-and-range aquifers. To investigate the geometry of the basin and facies changes within the alluvium, a database of over one thousand well logs has been developed, geologic mapping and transient electromagnetic (TEM) surveys have been carried out, and information from previous electromagnetic, magnetic, and gravity studies is being incorporated into the hydrogeologic framework. Initial geophysical surveys and analyses have focused on the portion of the basin west of Nogales, Arizona, because it supplies approximately 50% of that city's water. Previous gravity and magnetic modeling indicate that this area is a narrow, fault-controlled half graben. Preliminary modeling of airborne and ground-based transient electromagnetic surveys corroborates earlier conclusions from the gravity modeling that depth to bedrock is greater than 500 meters in some locations. Results from other portions of the study area including Mexico are still being evaluated and incorporated into the three-dimensional hydrologic framework which will ultimately be used to construct a groundwater flow model.

A comparison of estimates of basin-scale soil-moisture evapotranspiration and estimates of riparian groundwater evapotranspiration with implications for water budgets in the Verde Valley, Central Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred; Wiele, Stephen M.; Pool, Donald R.

2015-01-01

Population growth in the Verde Valley in Arizona has led to efforts to better understand water availability in the watershed. Evapotranspiration (ET) is a substantial component of the water budget and a critical factor in estimating groundwater recharge in the area. In this study, four estimates of ET are compared and discussed with applications to the Verde Valley. Higher potential ET (PET) rates from the soil-water balance (SWB) recharge model resulted in an average annual ET volume about 17% greater than for ET from the basin characteristics (BCM) recharge model. Annual BCM PET volume, however, was greater by about a factor of 2 or more than SWB actual ET (AET) estimates, which are used in the SWB model to estimate groundwater recharge. ET also was estimated using a method that combines MODIS-EVI remote sensing data and geospatial information and by the MODFLOW-EVT ET package as part of a regional groundwater-flow model that includes the study area. Annual ET volumes were about same for upper-bound MODIS-EVI ET for perennial streams as for the MODFLOW ET estimates, with the small differences between the two methods having minimal impact on annual or longer groundwater budgets for the study area.

Earth Observations taken by Expedition 41 crewmember.

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-06

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

Maps Showing Ground-Water Conditions in the Bill Williams Area, Mohave, Yavapai, and Yuma Counties, Arizona--1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanger, H.W.; Littin, G.R.

1982-01-01

INTRODUCTION The Bill Williams area includes about 3,200 mi 2 in Mohave, Yavapai, and Yuma Counties in west-central Arizona. The west half of the area is in the Basin and Range lowlands water province, and the east half is in the Central high-lands water province (see index map). The Basin and Range lowlands province generally is characterized by high mountains separated by broad valleys filled with deposits that commonly store large amounts of ground water. The Central highlands province consists mostly of rugged mountain masses made up of igneous, metamorphic, and well-consolidated sedimentary rocks that contain little space for the storage of ground water except where highly fractured or faulted. A few small valleys between the mountains contain varying thicknesses of water.-bearing deposits. The area is drained by the Bill Williams River and its major tributaries-the Big Sandy River and the Santa Maria River. Many reaches of the Big Sandy and Santa Maria Rivers and their major tributaries are perennial; the flow is sustained by ground-water discharge (Brown and others, 1978, sheet 2). In the Bill Williams area most of the water used is from ground water, although a small amount of surface water also may be diverted. About 18,000 acre-ft of ground water was withdrawn in 1979 (U.S. Geological Survey, 1981). About 17,000 acre-ft was used for the irrigation of 5,200 acres, and the rest was used for domestic, stock, and public supplies. Most of the irrigated land is in Skull Valley and along lower Kirkland Creek and the Bill Williams River. Only selected wells are shown on the maps in areas of high well density. The hydrologic data on which these maps are based are available, for the most part, in computer-printout form and may be consulted at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 99 East Virginia, Phoenix, and at U.S. Geological Survey offices in: Federal Building, 301 West Congress Street, Tucson, and Valley Center, Suite 1880, Phoenix. Material from which copies can be made at private expense is available at the Tucson and Phoenix offices of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Use of Microgravity to Assess the Effects of El Nino on Ground-Water Storage in Southern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, John T.C.; Pool, Donald R.

1998-01-01

The availability of ground water is of extreme importance in areas, such as southern Arizona, where it is the main supply for agricultural, industrial, or domestic purposes. Where ground-water use exceeds recharge, monitoring is critical for managing water supplies. Typically, monitoring has been done by measuring water levels in wells; however, this technique only partially describes ground-water conditions in a basin. A new application of geophysical technology is enabling U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists to measure changes in the amount of water in an aquifer using a network of microgravity stations. This technique enables a direct measurement of ground-water depletion and recharge. In Tucson, Arizona, residents have relied solely upon ground water for most of their needs since the 19th century. Water levels in some wells in the Tucson area have declined more than 200 ft in the past 50 years. Similar drops in water levels have occurred elsewhere in Arizona. In response to the overdrafting of ground water, the State of Arizona passed legislation designed to attain 'safe yield,' which is defined as a balance between ground-water withdrawals and annual recharge of aquifers. To monitor progress in complying with the legislation, ground-water withdrawals are measured and estimated, and annual recharge is estimated. The Tucson Basin and Avra Valley are two ground-water basins that form the Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA), which by State statute must attain 'safe yield' by the year 2025.

Water availability and use pilot; methods development for a regional assessment of groundwater availability, southwest alluvial basins, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Cordova, Jeffrey T.; Leake, Stanley A.; Thomas, Blakemore E.; Callegary, James B.

2011-01-01

Executive Summary: Arizona is located in an arid to semiarid region in the southwestern United States and is one of the fastest growing States in the country. Population in Arizona surpassed 6.5 million people in 2008, an increase of 140 percent since 1980, when the last regional U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) groundwater study was done as part of the Regional Aquifer System Analysis (RASA) program. The alluvial basins of Arizona are part of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province and cover more than 73,000 mi2, 65 percent of the State's total land area. More than 85 percent of the State's population resides within this area, accounting for more than 95 percent of the State's groundwater use. Groundwater supplies in the area are expected to undergo further stress as an increasing population vies with the State's important agricultural sector for access to these limited resources. To provide updated information to stakeholders addressing issues surrounding limited groundwater supplies and projected increases in groundwater use, the USGS Groundwater Resources Program instituted the Southwest Alluvial Basins Groundwater Availability and Use Pilot Program to evaluate the availability of groundwater resources in the alluvial basins of Arizona. The principal products of this evaluation of groundwater resources are updated groundwater budget information for the study area and a proof-of-concept groundwater-flow model incorporating several interconnected groundwater basins. This effort builds on previous research on the assessment and mapping of groundwater conditions in the alluvial basins of Arizona, also supported by the USGS Groundwater Resources Program. Regional Groundwater Budget: The Southwest Alluvial Basins-Regional Aquifer System Analysis (SWAB-RASA) study produced semiquantitative groundwater budgets for each of the alluvial basins in the SWAB-RASA study area. The pilot program documented in this report developed new quantitative estimates of groundwater budget components using recent (2000-2007) data and methods of data analysis. Estimates of inflow components, including mountain-front recharge, incidental recharge from irrigation of agriculture, managed recharge from recharge facilities, interbasin underflow from upgradient basins, and streamflow losses, are quantified for recent time periods. Mountain-front recharge is the greatest inflow component to the groundwater system and was estimated using two methods: a basin characteristic model and new precipitation information used in a previously developed regression equation. Annual mountain-front recharge for the study area for 1940-2007 estimated by the two methods is 730,000 acre-ft for the basin characteristic model and 643,000 acre-ft for the regression equation, representing 1.5 percent and 1.3 percent of precipitation, respectively. Outflow components, including groundwater withdrawals, evapotranspiration, and interbasin flow to downgradient basins, are also presented for recent time periods. Groundwater withdrawals accounted for the largest share of the water budget, with nearly 2.4 million acre-ft per year withdrawn from the study area in recent years. Evapotranspiration from groundwater was estimated at nearly 1.3 million acre-ft per year for the study area using a newly developed method incorporating vegetation indices from satellite images and land cover information. For water-budget components with temporal variation that could be assessed from available data, estimates for intervening time periods since before development were also developed. An estimate of aquifer storage change, representing both gains to and losses from the groundwater system since before development, was derived for the most developed basins in the study area using available estimates of groundwater-level changes and storage coefficients. An overall storage loss of 74.5 million acre-ft was estimated for these basins within the study area. Demonstration

Arsenic in ground-water under oxidizing conditions, south-west United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, F.N.

1989-01-01

Concentrations of dissolved arsenic in ground-water in alluvial basins of Arizona commonly exceed 50 ??g L-1 and reach values as large as 1,300 ??g L-1. Arsenic speciation analyses show that arsenic occurs in the fully oxidized state of plus 5 (As+5), most likely in the form of HAsO4???2, under existing oxidizing and pH conditions. Arsenic in source areas presumably is oxidized to soluble As before transport into the basin or, if after transport, before burial. Probable sources of arsenic are the sulphide and arsenide deposits in the mineralized areas of the mountains surrounding the basins. Arsenic content of alluvial material ranged from 2 to 88 ppm. Occurrence and removal of arsenic in ground-water are related to the pH and the redox condition of the ground-water, the oxidation state of arsenic, and sorption or exchange. Within basins, dissolved arsenic correlates (P<0.01) with dissolved molybdenum, selenium, vanadium, and fluoride and with pH, suggesting sorption of negative ions. The sorption hypothesis is further supported by enrichment of teachable arsenic in the basin-fill sediments by about tenfold relative to the crustal abundance and by as much as a thousandfold relative to concentrations found in ground-water. Silicate hydrolysis reactions, as defined within the alluvial basins, under closed conditions cause increases in pH basinward and would promote desorption. Within the region, large concentrations of arsenic are commonly associated with the central parts of basins whose chemistries evolve under closed conditions. Arsenic does not correlate with dissolved iron (r = 0.09) but may be partly controlled by iron in the solid phase. High solid-phase arsenic contents were found in red clay beds. Large concentrations of arsenic also were found in water associated with red clay beds. Basins that contain the larger concentrations are bounded primarily by basalt and andesite, suggesting that the iron content as well as the arsenic content of the basin fill may play a role in the occurrence of arsenic in ground-water. Under oxidizing conditions in Arizona, arsenic in ground-water appears to be controlled in part by sorption or desorption of HAsO4???2 on active ferric oxyhydroxide surfaces. ?? 1989 Sciences and Technology Letters.

Field trip guide to selected studies of the Southwest Mineral and Environmental Investigations Project in southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houser, B.B.; Gettings, M.E.; Bultman, M.W.; Gray, Floyd; Caruthers, K.R.; Hirschberg, D.M.

1999-01-01

The Southwest Mineral and Environmental Investigations Project is designed to address issues raised by rapid urban development in the basins of the southwestern U.S. These issues require objective geoscientific data that can be used by land managers and stakeholders to develop informed land and water use strategies. The project integrates new and existing geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data, and imagery to provide three-dimensional visualizations of the basins of southeastern Arizona. Emphasis is on developing better knowledge of the aquifer systems of both the basins and the ranges, on acquiring background and baseline information, and on determining the distribution of metals related to mineralization and the fate of these metals in surface and subsurface environments. The products of the project will be used in resolving issues of water quality and quantity, in understanding environmental impacts such as riparian ecosystem maintenace, and in evaluating mineral resources beneath and within the basins. The field trip highlights three topics and areas (figs. 1 and 2): (1) geology and geophysics of the upper San Pedro and upper Santa Cruz basins (M.E. Gettings, M. W. Bultman, and B.B. Houser), (2) geology, geophysics, and mineral resource potential of the San Rafael basin (M.W. Bultman), and (3) hydrology and aqueous geochemistry of the Red Mountain and Sonoita Creek drainage system (Floyd Gray). The trip guide, which begins and ends in Tucson, Arizona, also includes commentary on the cultural and mining history of the area.

Gravity data from the San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Winester, Daniel

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geodetic Survey has collected relative and absolute gravity data at 321 stations in the San Pedro River Basin of southeastern Arizona since 2000. Data are of three types: observed gravity values and associated free-air, simple Bouguer, and complete Bouguer anomaly values, useful for subsurface-density modeling; high-precision relative-gravity surveys repeated over time, useful for aquifer-storage-change monitoring; and absolute-gravity values, useful as base stations for relative-gravity surveys and for monitoring gravity change over time. The data are compiled, without interpretation, in three spreadsheet files. Gravity values, GPS locations, and driving directions for absolute-gravity base stations are presented as National Geodetic Survey site descriptions.

Monitoring radionuclide and suspended-sediment transport in the Little Colorado River basin, Arizona and New Mexico, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, John R.; Fisk, Gregory G.

1992-01-01

From July 1988 through September 1991, radionuclide and suspended-sediment transport were monitored in ephemeral streams in the semiarid Little Colorado River basin of Arizona and New Mexico, USA, where in-stream gross-alpha plus gross-beta activities have exceeded Arizona's Maximum Allowable Limit through releases from natural weathering processes and from uranium-mining operations in the Church Rock Mining District, Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico. Water samples were collected at a network of nine continuous-record streamgauges equipped with microprocessor-based satellite telemetry and automatic water-sampling systems, and six partial-record streamgauges equipped with passive water samplers. Analytical results from these samples were used to calculate transport of selected suspended and dissolved radionuclides in the uranium-238 and thorium-232 decay series.

Earth Observations

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-09

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

Late Neogene deformation of the Chocolate Mountains Anticlinorium: Implications for deposition of the Bouse Formation and early evolution of the Lower Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beard, Sue; Haxel, Gordon B.; Dorsey, Rebecca J.; McDougall, Kristin A.; Jacobsen, Carl E.

2016-01-01

Deformation related to late Neogene dextral shear can explain a shift from an estuarine to lacustrine depositional environment in the southern Bouse Formation north of Yuma, Arizona. We infer that late Neogene deformation in the Chocolate Mountain Anticlinorium (CMA) created a barrier that blocked an estuary inlet, and that pre-existing and possibly active structures subsequently controlled the local course of the lower Colorado River. Structural patterns summarized below suggest that the CMA absorbed transpressional strain caused by left-stepping segments of dextral faults of the San Andreas fault system and/or the eastern California shear zone and Gulf of California shear zone. For this hypothesis to be correct, about 200-250 m of post-6 Ma, pre- ~5.3 Ma uplift along the CMA crest would be required to cut off a marine inlet. The 220-km-long CMA, cored by the early Paleogene Orocopia Schist subduction complex, extends from the Orocopia Mountains (Calif.) southeastward through the Chocolate Mountains (parallel to the southern San Andreas fault). Where Highway 78 crosses the Chocolate Mountains (Fig. 1), the CMA turns eastward through the Black Mountain-Picacho area (Calif.) and Trigo Mountains (Ariz.) into southwest Arizona. It separates southernmost Bouse Formation outcrops of the Blythe basin from subsurface Bouse outcrops to the south in the Yuma area. South of Blythe basin the CMA is transected by the lower Colorado River along a circuitous path. Here we focus on the geology of an area between the central Chocolate Mountains and the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. Specific landmarks include the southeast Chocolate Mountains, Midway Mountains, Peter Kane Mountain, Black Mountain, Picacho Peak, and Gavilan Hills. For simplicity, we refer to this as the eastern Chocolate Mountains.

Disentangling the role of hybridization in the evolution of the endangered Arizona cliffrose (Purshia subintegra; Rosaceae): A molecular and morphological analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Travis, S.E.; Baggs, J.E.; Maschinski, J.

2008-01-01

Hybridization may threaten the conservation status of rare species through genetic assimilation and may confound the ability to distinguish among taxa. We studied these issues in an endangered shrub, Purshia subintegra (Rosaceae), known from four populations growing on limestone outcrops in central Arizona (USA). Using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and the Bayesian clustering algorithm implemented in STRUCTURE, we identified three distinct genetic lineages among Arizona Purshia subintegra and P. stansburiana. An initial split divided San Carlos Basin P. subintegra (considered P. pinkavae by Schaack) from northern P. stansburiana populations (FST = 0.394). A subsequent split separated northern P. stansburiana from two P. subintegra populations at Horseshoe Lake and Burro Creek (FST = 0.207), which comprised a nearly perfect admixture of the two lineages identified in the initial analysis. In the Verde River Valley P. subintegra is sympatric with P. stansburiana and exhibited an average 27% P. stansburiana genes for 5 of 6 stands analyzed, indicating ongoing hybridization and backcrossing with P. subintegra. Individuals carrying >90% P. subintegra markers are identifiable 68% of the time based on morphology, with leaf lobing, leaf size, and leaf length acting as the most reliable indicators of taxonomic status. However, the genetic and morphological distance correlation among individuals was low (r = 0.17, P = 0.0002), indicating that morphology cannot always accurately predict genetic admixture or taxonomy. Overall, our study confirmed the genetic distinctiveness of the San Carlos Basin population, an ancient natural hybrid origin of P. subintegra, and the presence of a hybrid swarm in the Verde Valley, whose conservation value may lie in its heightened genetic diversity. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Transient Electromagnetic Study of the Geologic Framework, Upper San Pedro Basin, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultman, M. W.; Gray, F.; Flemming, J. B.; Callegary, J.; Kleinkopf, M. D.

2006-12-01

The San Pedro River flows north from near Cananea, Mexico into the U.S. and ends at its confluence with the Gila River in Arizona. The river supports a riparian habitat that is important for its biological diversity and is the most significant flyway for migrating birds in southwest North America. Nearby communities in Arizona and Mexico are pumping groundwater from basin fill in the San Pedro valley and there is much concern about the effects of this pumping on the baseflow of the San Pedro River. Local, State, and National agencies have been studying this issue from a wide variety of perspectives. To help address the problem, the U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken an integrative research effort utilizing geologic mapping, multiple geophysical techniques, and multi-spectral imaging to better understand the geology, geometry, structure and basin fill sediments in the San Pedro basin in Mexico. An existing aeromagnetic survey coupled with a natural source audio frequency magnetotelluric study indicates that the basin is less than 1km deep in most places and contains at least two sub-basins. These sub-basins are separated by a subsurface bedrock high that is well below the present water table. Also, several vertical electrical soundings, acquired by Grupo Mexico in the region, indicate that the central portion of the basin may contain several, potentially thick, sequences of clay. The transient electromagnetic (TEM) survey was designed to provide more information on the nature of the basin fill sediments and to provide a better estimate of the depth of the bedrock structural high. The TEM data was acquired with a Zonge ZeroTEM instrument at 104 locations with 150m per side square loops using approximately 3.6 amps of current at a base frequency of 16 Hz. The locations of the TEM stations, generally spaced 0.5km apart, were designed to obtain a conductivity-depth profile along approximately 30km of the San Pedro River in Mexico and at three locations perpendicular to the river. At each station location one reading was taken in the center of the loop and two were taken outside the loop at a distance of 150m from the loop center. The data was inverted for subsurface resistivity layers using EMIGMA software with most inversions being constrained to depths of 500m or less. The outside readings are used to give an indication if there are three-dimensional geologic effects present that may influence the one-dimensional inversion routine. The results indicate that the central portion of the basin along the path of the San Pedro River contains two to three clay sequences that are over 100m thick in some locations. The clay sequences diminish in the basin margins to the east and west of the river. The bedrock structural high between the two sub-basins is not shallower than about 250m and likely does not significantly influence groundwater flow. The location and thickness of the clay sediments appear to be the important factor in the basin groundwater hydrology in the upper 300m of the basin fill. The TEM data also indicates that the basin bedrock geometry may be much more complicated than two simple sub-basins separated by a bedrock high.

Ground-water conditions in Avra Valley, Pima and Pinal Counties, Arizona -1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuff, Melinda K.; Anderson, S.R.

1987-01-01

Avra Valley is a north-trending alluvial basin about 15 mi west of Tucson in Pima and Pinal Counties in south-central Arizona. The valley includes about 520 sq mi of which about 100 sq mi is in the San Xavier Indian Reservation. The basin is bounded on the east by the Tortolita, Tucson, and Sierrita Mountains and on the west by the Picacho, Silverbell, and Roskruge Mountains. The climate of the valley is semiarid, the average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 in., and the average annual lake evaporation ranges from 58 to 62 in. Two major ephemeral streams--Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash--drain the area. Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash and their tributaries provide a source of recharge to an extensive alluvial aquifer that underlies the valley floor. Since 1940, the amount of groundwater pumped from the aquifer has been greater than the amount of natural recharge from infiltration and underflow. Overdraft of the aquifer resulted in substantial water level declines throughout the valley. Until 1969, use of groundwater in Avra Valley was for irrigation. Since 1969, the city of Tucson has pumped and transported groundwater for municipal use in the adjacent Tucson basin from lands that were purchased and retired from agriculture. The purpose of this report is to describe groundwater conditions in Avra Valley as of 1985. A brief discussion of the geohydrologic setting and history of groundwater development are given to define aquifer characteristics, changes in groundwater levels, and groundwater pumpage since 1940. (Lantz-PTT)

Chapter 1: Central Arizona Highlands

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott

1999-01-01

The Central Arizona Highlands are a distinct biogeographic, climatic, and physiographic province that forms a diverse ecotone between the larger Colorado Plateau to the north and the Sonoran Desert ecoregions to the south (figure 1). The Highlands coincide approximately with the Arizona Transition Zone identified by ecologists, geologists and others. This region is one...

Tertiary basin development and tectonic implications, Whipple detachment system, Colorado River extensional corridor, California and Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielson, J. E.; Beratan, K. K.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on geologic mapping, stratigraphic and structural observations, and radiometric dating of Miocene deposits of the Whipple detachment system, Colorado River extensional corridor of California and Arizona. From these data, four regions are distinguished in the study area that correspond to four Miocene depositional basins. It is shown that these basins developed in about the same positions, relative to each other and to volcanic sources, as they occupy at present. They formed in the early Miocene from a segmentation of the upper crust into blocks bounded by high-angle faults that trended both parallel and perpendicular to the direction of extension and which were terminated at middle crustal depths by a low-angle detachment fault.

Electrical-analog analysis of ground-water depletion in central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, T.W.

1968-01-01

The Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz River basin are the two largest agricultural areas in Arizona. The extensive use of ground water for irrigation has resulted in the need for a thorough appraisal of the present and future ground-water resources. The ground-water reservoir provides 80 percent (3.2 million acre-feet) of the total annual water supply. The amount of water pumped greatly exceeds the rate at which the ground-water supply is being replenished and has resulted in water-level declines of as much as 20 feet per year in some places. The depletion problem is of economic importance because ground water will become more expensive as pumping lifts increase and well yields decrease. The use of electrical-analog modeling techniques has made it possible to predict future ground-water levels under conditions of continued withdrawal in excess of the rate of replenishment. The electrical system is a representation of the hydrologic system: resistors and capacitors represent transmissibility and storage coefficients. The analogy between the two systems is accepted when the data obtained from the model closely match the field data in this instance, measured water-level change since 1923. The prediction of future water-table conditions is accomplished by a simple extension of the pumping trends to determine the resultant effect on the regional water levels. The results of this study indicate the probable depths to water in central Arizona in 1974 and 1984 if the aquifer characteristics are accurately modeled and if withdrawal of ground water continues at the same rate and under the tame areal distribution as existed between 1958 and 1964. The greatest depths to water in 1984 will be more than 700 feet near Stanfield and more than 650 feet in Deer Valley and northeast of Gilbert. South of Eloy and northwest of Litchfield Park, a static water level of more than 550 feet is predicted. The total water-level decline in the 20-year period 1964-84 at the deepest points of the major cones of depression will range from 150 to 300 feet, and the average decline in the entire central Arizona area will be about 100 feet.

Reassessment of Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic basin sediments of Arizona: Implications for tectonic growth of southern Laurentia and global tectonic configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doe, Michael Frederick

Proterozoic crustal provinces that underlie much of the United States record prolonged southward growth of the North American craton (Laurentia) between ca. 1.8 and 1.0 Ga. Exposures throughout central Arizona's Tonto Basin represent multiple generations of sedimentary basins formed during Proterozoic accretion. Metasedimentary rocks sampled across Tonto Basin resulted have identified remnants of a previously undated but potentially widespread Mesoproterozoic basin called the Yankee Joe Basin. Sediments of Yankee Joe Basin are particularly interesting because they have depositional age's ca. 200 m.y. younger than previously thought and because they are rich in detrital zircons with ages between 1.6-1.48 Ga, a time period not widely represented in the igneous record of Laurentia. Metasedimentary rocks with similar age and provenance are found in northern New Mexico and in the lower parts of the Belt Supergroup in northern Idaho, Montana, and Canada. Zircon ages and Hf isotopic characteristics suggest the distinctive 1.6-1.48 Ga grains might have been derived from non-Laurentian sources, most likely one or more formerly adjacent cratons such as north Australia. Circa 1.48-1.43 Ga units in the Yankee Joe Basin rest disconformably on Paleoproterozoic quartzite, and all were deformed together during northwest-directed foreland-style thrusting. This event was previously interpreted to represent the ca. 1.66-1.60 Ga Mazatzal orogeny. However, new findings challenge this view and suggest a major deformation event occurred ca. 1.47-1.45 Ga, possibly representing the Picuris orogeny as recently described in northern New Mexico. Regional thrust faulting during the Mesoproterozoic might have unroofed and removed significant portions of the Yankee Joe section, potentially shedding detritus north from the thrust front into the upper parts of the Belt-Purcell basin. Detrital zircon ages and hafnium isotope compositions provide a critical test of sediment provenance and depositional age and were used to reassess sedimentary age and sources multiple Proterozoic unconformity-bound metasedimentary successions exposed across Arizona. These successions represent a series of ca. 1.75 to 1.3 Ga basins that span the Proterozoic accretionary provinces of southwestern Laurentia, representing key elements in the tectonic evolution of the continental margin. The ca. 1.75 Ga Vishnu Schist contains a bimodal detrital zircon age distribution with prominent Archean (2.5 Ga) and Early Paleoproterozoic (1.8 Ga) populations and minor juvenile 1.75 Ga input. The predominance of 3.3-1.8 Ga detrital zircon ages and initial epsilon Hf (epsilonHf) values of +4 to -13 in both detrital grains of the Vishnu Schist and xenocrystic grains in plutons from cross-cutting plutons suggests the Vishnu Schist was derived primarily from recycling of the Mojave and other older basement provinces, possibly including one or more outboard cratons. In contrast, the ca. 1.74-1.72 Ga Jerome and ca. 1.72 Ga Alder successions of central Arizona, show a marked shift to strongly unimodal detrital zircon age distributions with initial epsilonHf values ranging from +13 to -5, generally more positive and near-juvenile. Cross-cutting ca. 1.74-1.72 Ga plutons that intrude these rocks also have largely juvenile Hf isotopic signatures. The prominent ca. 1.73 Ga age peaks and relatively juvenile epsilonHf values of detrital grains and plutons are consistent with first-cycle sediment derived from local arc systems formed during progressive assembly of the Yavapai province with the older Mojave province. The ca.1.66-1.63 Ga Mazatzal succession is more compositionally mature and contains broader unimodal detrital zircon age spectra, interpreted to represent increasing regional crustal recycling following the culmination of the Yavapai orogeny. In the northern Tonto Basin, detrital zircon age populations from similar looking quartzite and shale successions were used to develop new regional correlations. First, the Houdon Quartzite of the Alder Group was correlated to the Pine Creek Conglomerate. Second, the Mazatzal Group that unconformably overlies the Alder Group, was found to be deposited ca. 1631 +/- 22 Ma, consistent with the White Ledges Formation and the quartzite succession at Four Peaks. Third, a new detrial zircon population collected from the upper part of the argillaceous section in the core of the Four Peaks synform yield ages between 1591-1560 Ma suggesting this section is correlative to the Yankee Joe Formation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR TRAINING FOR THE CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is designed to bring about 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water per year to Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties in Arizona. CAP carries water from Lake Havasu down to Tucson. The CAP canal system is a 336-mile long system of aqueducts, tunnels, pumping pla...

Diversity of Frankia populations in root nodules of geographically isolated Arizona alder trees in central Arizona (United States)

Treesearch

Allana K. Welsh; Jeffrey O. Dawson; Gerald J. Gottfried; Dittmar Hahn

2009-01-01

The diversity of uncultured Frankia populations in root nodules of Alnus oblongifolia trees geographically isolated on mountaintops of central Arizona was analyzed by comparative sequence analyses of nifH gene fragments. Sequences were retrieved from Frankia populations in nodules of four trees from each of...

APPLYING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES CONCEPT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE UPPER SAN PEDRO BASIN, ARIZONA

EPA Science Inventory

The Upper San Pedro River flows intermittently north from Sonora, Mexico into southeastern Arizona and is one of the last few large unimpounded rivers in the American Southwest. The remaining perennial reaches support a desert riparian ecosystem that is a rare remnant of what ...

Summary of the geology and resources of uranium in the San Juan Basin and adjacent region, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ridgley, Jennie L.; Green, M.W.; Pierson, C.T.; Finch, W.I.; Lupe, R.D.

1978-01-01

The San Juan Basin and adjacent region lie predominantly in the southeastern part of the uranium-rich Colorado Plateau of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Underlying the province are rocks of the Precambrian basement complex composed mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks; a thickness of about 3,600 meters of generally horizontal Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks; and a variety of Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic igneous rocks. Sedimentary rocks of the sequence are commonly eroded and well exposed near the present basin margins where Tertiary tectonic activity has uplifted, folded, and faulted the sequence into its present geologic configuration of basins, platforms, monoclines, and other related structural features. Sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age in the southern part of the San Juan Basin contain the largest uranium deposits in the United States, and offer the promise of additional uranium deposits. Elsewhere in the basin and the adjacent Colorado Plateau, reserves and resources of uranium are known primarily in Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous strata. Only scattered occurrences of uranium are known in Paleozoic

Extreme Landfalling Atmospheric River Events in Arizona: Possible Future Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, I.; Dominguez, F.

2016-12-01

Changing climate could impact the frequency and intensity of extreme atmospheric river events. This can have important consequences for regions like the Southwestern United Sates that rely upon AR-related precipitation for meeting their water demand and are prone to AR-related flooding. This study investigates the effects of climate change on extreme AR events in the Salt and Verde river basins in Central Arizona using a pseudo global warming method (PGW). First, the five most extreme events that affected the region were selected. High-resolution control simulations of these events using the Weather Research and Forecasting model realistically captured the magnitude and spatial distribution of precipitation. Subsequently, following the PGW approach, the WRF initial and lateral boundary conditions were perturbed. The perturbation signals were obtained from an ensemble of 9 General Circulation Models for two warming scenarios - Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5. Several simulations were conducted changing the temperature and relative humidity fields. PGW simulations reveal that while the overall dynamics of the storms did not change significantly, there was marked strengthening of associated Integrated Vertical Transport (IVT) plumes. There was a general increase in the precipitation over the basins due to increased moisture availability, but heterogeneous spatial changes. Additionally, no significant changes in the strength of the pre-cold frontal low-level jet in the future simulations were observed.

A review of the regional geophysics of the Arizona Transition Zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hendricks, J.D.; Plescia, J.B.

1991-01-01

A review of existing geophysical information and new data presented in this special section indicate that major changes in crustal properties between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau occur in, or directly adjacent to, the region defined as the Arizona Transition Zone. Although this region was designated on a physiographic basis, studies indicate that it is also the geophysical transition between adjoining provinces. A relatively shallow asthenosphere beneath the Basin and Range and Transition Zone contrasted with a thick lithosphere beneath the Colorado Plateau would be one explanation that would satisfy these geophysical observations. -from Authors

Forest products cluster development in central Arizona—implications for landscape-scale forest restoration

Treesearch

David Nicholls

2014-01-01

Since 2004, close to 50,000 ac of hazardous fuels have been mechanically treated in east-central Arizona as part of the USDA Forest Service's first 10-year stewardship project on national forest lands. The need for coordinated wood products and biomass utilization in Arizona is likely to increase as broad-scale restoration treatments across Arizona's national...

Spatial evaluation of precipitation in two large watersheds in north-central Arizona

Treesearch

Boris Poff; Assefa Desta; Aregai Tecle

2004-01-01

The USDA Forest Service established the Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed Pilot Project in north-central Arizona in 1957 and operated it until 1982. After the Forest Service discontinued the project in 1982, Northern Arizona University's School of Forestry continued to monitor and do research in two of the largest watersheds, known as Woods Canyon and Bar M....

NOGA Online: a USGS resource for energy GIS data and services

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biewick, Laura; Gunther, Greg L.

2003-01-01

The PowerPoint presentation in this report was given at the BLM Resource Management Tools Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, April, 2003. Some diagrams that appeared in the original presentation have been updated in this report. It informs that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Central Energy Resources Team (CERT) in Denver, Colorado, is providing National Oil and Gas Assessment (NOGA) results online at http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga/. Available at this site are recently completed assessments of the potential for undiscovered oil and natural gas resources of five priority provinces (Montana Thrust Belt, Powder River Basin, San Juan Basin, Southwestern Wyoming, Uinta-Piceance) to meet the requirements of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 2000 (EPCA 2000). High demand for current assessment results and for the entirely digital, 1995 NOGA results for other provinces, prompted CERT to develop an internet map application using ArcIMS to deliver geologic data to the public. CERT continues to work on assessing oil and natural gas resources of priority basins in the United States; assessment results and GIS layers are made available at this site on an ongoing basis.

Hydrogeologic uncertainties and policy implications: The Water Consumer Protection Act of Tucson, Arizona, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, L. G.; Matlock, W. G.; Jacobs, K. L.

The 1995 Water Consumer Protection Act of Tucson, Arizona, USA (hereafter known as the Act) was passed following complaints from Tucson Water customers receiving treated Central Arizona Project (CAP) water. Consequences of the Act demonstrate the uncertainties and difficulties that arise when the public is asked to vote on a highly technical issue. The recharge requirements of the Act neglect hydrogeological uncertainties because of confusion between "infiltration" and "recharge." Thus, the Act implies that infiltration in stream channels along the Central Wellfield will promote recharge in the Central Wellfield. In fact, permeability differences between channel alluvium and underlying basin-fill deposits may lead to subjacent outflow. Additionally, even if recharge of Colorado River water occurs in the Central Wellfield, groundwater will become gradually salinized. The Act's restrictions on the use of CAP water affect the four regulatory mechanisms in Arizona's 1980 Groundwater Code as they relate to the Tucson Active Management Area: (a) supply augmentation; (b) requirements for groundwater withdrawals and permitting; (c) Management Plan requirements, particularly mandatory conservation and water-quality issues; and (d) the requirement that all new subdivisions use renewable water supplies in lieu of groundwater. Political fallout includes disruption of normal governmental activities because of the demands in implementing the Act. Résumé La loi de 1995 sur la protection des consommateurs d'eau de Tucson (Arizona, États-Unis) a été promulguée à la suite des réclamations des consommateurs d'eau de Tucson alimentés en eau traitée à partir à la station centrale d'Arizona (CAP). Les conséquences de cette loi montrent les incertitudes et les difficultés qui apparaissent lorsque le public est appeléà voter sur un problème très technique. Les exigences de la loi en matière de recharge négligent les incertitudes hydrogéologiques du fait de la confusion entre "infiltration" et "recharge". C'est ainsi que la loi laisse entendre que l'infiltration à partir des lits de rivières le long du champ captant central favorise la recharge de cette zone. En réalité, les différences de perméabilité entre les alluvions du lit et les dépôts sous-jacents remplissant le bassin peuvent provoquer un écoulement sous-jacent. En outre, même si une recharge par l'eau de la rivière Colorado se produit dans cette zone, la nappe sera progressivement salifiée. Les restrictions imposées par la loi quant à l'utilisation de l'eau de la station centrale d'Arizona affectent les quatre outils réglementaires du Code des eaux souterraines de l'Arizona de 1980, en ce qu'ils concernent la zone de gestion active de Tucson: (a) l'augmentation de l'approvisionnement (b) les conditions requises pour les prélèvements d'eau souterraine et les autorisations; (c) les conditions requises pour le plan de gestion, en particulier la pérennité du concessionnaire et les résultats en matière de qualité de l'eau et (d) la condition que tous les nouveaux districts aient recours à des ressources en eau renouvelables à la place de l'eau souterraine. Les demandes concernant la mise en oeuvre de la loi ont conduit jusqu'à l'arrêt des activités normales des instances politiques. Resumen El Acta de Protección de los Usuarios de Agua de Tucson, Arizona (EE.UU.) de 1995 (el Acta) se aprobó a raíz de las quejas de los usuarios de agua de Tucson que recibían agua tratada por el Proyecto de Arizona Central (CAP). Las consecuencias del Acta demuestran las incertidumbres y dificultades que se producen cuando se le pide al público que vote sobre temas muy técnicos. Los requerimientos de recarga del Acta desprecian incertidumbres hidrogeológicas al confundir entre "infiltración" y "recarga". Así, el Acta dice que la infiltración en los canales de los arroyos a lo largo del Campo de Producción Central aumentará la recarga a dicho campo. De hecho, la diferencia de permeabilidad entre el canal aluvial y los depósitos de relleno subyacentes puede provocar descarga subyacente. Además, incluso si el Río Colorado recargase este Campo Central, el agua subterránea se salinizaría progresivamente. Las restricciones del Acta sobre el uso del agua del CAP afectan los cuatro mecanismos legales del Código de Aguas Subterráneas de Arizona de 1980 relacionados con el Área de Gestión Activa de Tucson: (a) aumento del suministro; (b) requisitos y permisos para la extracción de aguas subterráneas (c) necesidades del Plan de Gestión, particularmente la conservación obligatoria y temas de calidad de aguas; y (d) la obligación de que todas las nuevas subdivisiones usen agua con suministro renovable en lugar de subterránea. Como problemas adicionales se incluye la perturbación de las actividades políticas normales como consecuencia de las demandas para aprobar y poner en marcha el Acta.

Gravity change from 2014 to 2015, Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.

2016-09-13

Relative-gravity data and absolute-gravity data were collected at 68 stations in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona, in May–June 2015 for the purpose of estimating aquifer-storage change. Similar data from 2014 and a description of the survey network were published in U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1086. Data collection and network adjustment results are presented in this report, which is accompanied by a supporting Web Data Release (http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7SQ8XHX). Station positions are presented from a Global Positioning System campaign to determine station elevation.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rystrom, Victoria Louise

2003-01-01

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

Station Magnitude Bias - Its Determination, Causes, and Effects

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-29

TSK Tsukuba, Honshu, Japan TUC (W) Tucson, Arizona TUL (W) Tulsa, Oklahoma TVO Taravao, French Polynesia UBO* Uinta Basin , Utah VAH Vaihoa...8217 structures such as the western US, and lowest in stable regions such as shields and deep ocean basins . High attenuation further appears to be well

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, H.M.; McCarthy, J.

1994-01-01

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

Defining boundaries across borders: a case study extending a major land resource area into Mexico

Treesearch

Rebecca MacEwen; Roy S. Mann; Philip Heilman; Jeffry J. Stone; Alicia Melgoza Castillo; D. Phillip Guertin

2005-01-01

Geographic information science (GIS) and field work were applied to extend Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 41, Southeastern Arizona Basin and Range, from Arizona and New Mexico into Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. The result of this analysis is a tentative boundary line that delineates MLRA 41 for both the United States and Mexico based on elevation, soils, temperature,...

75 FR 7303 - Drake Cement, LLC-Acquisition Exemption-Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-18

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Finance Docket No. 35350] Drake Cement, LLC--Acquisition Exemption--Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad, LLC Drake Cement, LLC (DC), a..., Drake Switching Company, LLC --Operation Exemption-- Drake Cement, LLC. DC certifies that the projected...

Geochemistry of ground water in alluvial basins of Arizona and adjacent parts of Nevada, New Mexico, and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Frederick N.

1991-01-01

Chemical and isotope analyses of ground water from 28 basins in the Basin and Range physiographic province of Arizona and parts of adjacent States were used to evaluate ground-water quality, determine processes that control ground-water chemistry, provide independent insight into the hydrologic flow system, and develop information transfer. The area is characterized by north- to northwest-trending mountains separated by alluvial basins that form a regional topography of alternating mountains and valleys. On the basis of ground-water divides or zones of minimal basin interconnection, the area was divided into 72 basins, each representing an individual aquifer system. These systems are joined in a dendritic pattern and collectively constitute the major water resource in the region. Geochemical models were developed to identify reactions and mass transfer responsible for the chemical evolution of the ground water. On the basis of mineralogy and chemistry of the two major rock associations of the area, a felsic model and a mafic model were developed to illustrate geologic, climatic, and physiographic effects on ground-water chemistry. Two distinct hydrochemical processes were identified: (1) reactions of meteoric water with minerals and gases in recharge areas and (2) reactions of ground water as it moves down the hydraulic gradient. Reactions occurring in recharge and downgradient areas can be described by a 13-component system. Major reactions are the dissolution and precipitation of calcite and dolomite, the weathering of feldspars and ferromagnesian minerals, the formation of montmorillonite, iron oxyhydroxides, and probably silica, and, in some basins, ion exchange. The geochemical modeling demonstrated that relatively few phases are required to derive the ground-water chemistry; 14 phases-12 mineral and 2 gas-consistently account for the chemical evolution in each basin. The final phases were selected through analysis of X-ray diffraction and fluorescence data, aqueous speciation and saturation data, and mass-balance and isotopic constraints and through chemical models developed from mineral combinations among the 27 phases that were considered realistic in these geologically and mineralogically complex basins. X-ray diffraction of basin-fill sediments confirm the presence of the postulated minerals and their weathering sequences. High partial pressures of soil CO2 and large concentrations of dissolved CO2 in recharge areas, and the rapid depletion of CO2 downgradient, accompanied by high weathering rates of the silicates which also decrease downgradient, indicate that carbonic acid is the impetus in the weathering process. Reactions in the soil zone and the unsaturated zone are influential and, in some instances, are as important as the mineralogy of the source rock in determining ground-water compositions. The basins can be divided geochemically into two general categories-closed systems, which evolve under closed hydrologic conditions, and open systems, which are open to CO2 and other constituents along the flow path. The ground-water chemistry of the unconfined aquifers in the eastern part of the study area and of the aquifers underlying the flood plain along the Colorado River generally evolves under open conditions. The ground-water chemistry of most basins in the central and western parts and of the confined aquifers in the eastern part evolves under closed conditions. The factors that determine whether a basin is an open or closed system are the amount of and the spatial and seasonal distribution of annual precipitation and the presence or absence of fine-grained confining units. The basins along the Colorado River are unique among basins in the region. Virtually all ground water underlying the flood plain originated as seepage or overbank flow from the Colorado River. Initial deuterium content of about -120 per mil is indicative of precipitation from the central part of Colorado. Using chemical m

Evaluation of the importance of clay confining units on groundwaterflow in alluvial basins using solute and isotope tracers: the case of Middle San Pedro Basin in southeastern Arizona (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, Candice B.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Eastoe, Chris; Dickinson, Jesse; Meixner, Thomas

2014-01-01

As groundwater becomes an increasingly important water resource worldwide, it is essential to understand how local geology affects groundwater quality, flowpaths and residence times. This study utilized multiple tracers to improve conceptual and numerical models of groundwater flow in the Middle San Pedro Basin in southeastern Arizona (USA) by determining recharge areas, compartmentalization of water sources, flowpaths and residence times. Ninety-five groundwater and surface-water samples were analyzed for major ion chemistry (water type and Ca/Sr ratios) and stable (18O, 2H, 13C) and radiogenic (3H, 14C) isotopes, and resulting data were used in conjunction with hydrogeologic information (e.g. hydraulic head and hydrostratigraphy). Results show that recent recharge (<60 years) has occurred within mountain systems along the basin margins and in shallow floodplain aquifers adjacent to the San Pedro River. Groundwater in the lower basin fill aquifer (semi confined) was recharged at high elevation in the fractured bedrock and has been extensively modified by water-rock reactions (increasing F and Sr, decreasing 14C) over long timescales (up to 35,000 years BP). Distinct solute and isotope geochemistries between the lower and upper basin fill aquifers show the importance of a clay confining unit on groundwater flow in the basin, which minimizes vertical groundwater movement.

Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 10 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruhlman, Jana; Gass, Leila; Middleton, Barry

2012-01-01

As the name suggests, the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion includes much of the mountainous regions of these two states, plus a very small part in the Guadalupe Mountains of northwestern Texas. Several isolated areas of higher terrain in Arizona and New Mexico are also included in the ecoregion, which occupies approximately 108,432 km2 (41,866 mi2) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is bounded on the south by the Sonoran Basin and Range, Madrean Archipelago, and Chihuahuan Deserts Ecoregions; to the north, the ecoregion is both bounded and surrounded by the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion (fig. 1). The ecoregion encompasses the largest contiguous ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest in the United States (Strom and Fulé, 2007), which stretches from Williams, Arizona, along the Mogollon Rim, Arizona, into southwestern New Mexico, north and west of Silver City, New Mexico.

76 FR 548 - Central Arizona Project-Rate Order No. WAPA-153

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

... Transmission Formula Rates. SUMMARY: This action is to extend the existing Central Arizona Project (CAP) formula rates through December 31, 2012. The existing Transmission Service Formula Rate Schedules CAP-FT2, CAP-NFT2, and CAP- NITS2 expire on December 31, 2010. These Transmission Service Rate Schedules...

Application of Canal Automation at the Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District (CAIDD) began delivering water to users in 1987. Although designed for automatic control, the system was run manually until a homemade SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system was developed by a district employee. In 2002, problem...

75 FR 53332 - San Carlos Irrigation Project, Arizona

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-31

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation San Carlos Irrigation Project, Arizona AGENCY..., as amended, on the rehabilitation of San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP) water delivery facilities... convey irrigation water from the Gila River and Central Arizona Project (CAP) to agricultural lands in...

Detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in House Finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus) from Arizona.

PubMed

Staley, Molly; Bonneaud, Camille; McGraw, Kevin J; Vleck, Carol M; Hill, Geoffrey E

2018-03-01

In 1994, an endemic poultry pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), was identified as the causative agent of a novel disease in house finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus). After an initial outbreak in Maryland, MG spread rapidly throughout eastern North American populations of house finches. Subsequently, MG spread slowly through the northern interior of North America and then into the Pacific Northwest, finally reaching California in 2006. Until 2009, there were no reports of MG in the southwestern United States east of California. In August 2011, after reports of house finches displaying conjunctivitis characteristic of MG infection in Arizona, we trapped house finches at bird feeders in central Arizona (Tempe) and southern Arizona (Tucson and Green Valley) to assay for MG infection. Upon capture, we noted whether birds exhibited conjunctivitis, and we collected choanal swabs to test for the presence of MG DNA using PCR. We detected MG in finches captured from Green Valley (in ∼12% of birds captured), but not in finches from Tucson or Tempe. Based on resampling of house finches at these sites in July 2014, we suggest that central Arizona finches likely remain unexposed to MG. We also suggest that low urban connectivity between arid habitats of southern and central Arizona or a reduction in the prevalence of MG after its initial arrival in Arizona may be limiting the spread of MG from south to north in Arizona. In addition, the observed conjunctivitis-like signs in house finches that were negative for MG by PCR may be caused primarily by avian pox virus.

Ordovician chitinozoan zones of Great Basin

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

Hutter, T.J.

Within the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin of the western US, Ordovician chitinozoans have been recovered in two major lithic facies; the western eugeosynclinal facies and the eastern miogeosynclinal facies. Chitinozoans recovered from these facies range in age from Arenig to Ashgill. Extensive collections from this area make possible the establishment of chitinozoan faunal interval zones from the Ordovician of this area. Selected species of biostratigraphic value include, in chronostratigraphic order, Lagenochitina ovoidea Benoit and Taugourdeau, 1961, Conochitina langei Combaz and Peniguel, 1972, Conochitinia poumoti Combaz and Penique, Desmochitina cf. nodosa Eisenack, 1931, Conochitina maclartii Combaz andmore » Peniguel, 1972, Conochitina robusta Eisenack, 1959, Angochitina capitallata Eisenack, 1937, Sphaerochitina lepta Jenkins. 1970, and Ancyrochitina merga Jenkins, 1970. In many cases, these zones can be divided into additional sub-zones using chitinozoans and acritarchs. In all cases, these chitinozoan faunal zones are contrasted with established American graptolite zones of the area, as well as correlated with British standard graptolite zones. The composition of these faunas of the western US Great Basin is similar to that of the Marathon region of west Texas and the Basin Ranges of Arizona and New Mexico, to which direct comparisons have been made. There also appears to be a great similarity with the microfaunas and microfloras of the Ordovician of the Canning basin of western Australia. The Ordovician chitinozoan faunal interval zones established for the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin of the western US also appear to be applicable to the Marathon region of west Texas and the Basin Ranges of Arizona and New Mexico.« less

Ecology of pinon-juniper vegetation in the Southwest and Great Basin

Treesearch

Rex D. Pieper

2008-01-01

Pinon-juniper vegetation is conspicuous in foothills surrounding most mountain ranges in the Great Basin and the Southwest. Utah has the largest percentage of pinon-juniper vegetation, followed by New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Although pinon-juniper stands may appear to be similar, the vegetation component varies. The most abundant junipers are Juniperus...

Geometry, structure, and concealed lithology of the San Rafael Basin, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, Mark W.

1999-01-01

The contiguous United States has been well explored for exposed conventional mineral deposits. Therefore, it is likely that many economically viable and strategically significant conventional undiscovered mineral deposits will be found in bedrock concealed beneath basin sediments. Mineral resource assessments must incorporate an understanding of the geometry, structure, and concealed lithology of basins in order to be accurate. This report presents an analysis of the basin geometry and structure of the San Rafael basin in southeastern Arizona. In addition, a new methodology for inferring concealed lithology is presented and applied in the San Rafael basin. Gravity data is used to model the geometry of the basin using recent models of sediment density vs. depth developed in the region. This modeling indicates that the basin has a maximum depth of approximately 1.05 km plus or minus 0.10 km. In the southern portion, the basin can be modeled as an asymmetric graben faulted on the western margin. The northern portion of the basin is structurally more complex and may have high angle faults on the western, northern, and eastern margin. Near-ground closely spaced Earth’s total intensity magnetic field data is used to locate concealed faults within the basin. This data is also used to infer lithology concealed by shallow basin sediments. Airborne Earth’s total intensity magnetic field data is used to help infer concealed lithology in deep portions of the basin. The product of integrating all data and interpretations is a map which presents the geometry of the basin, faults and contacts concealed by basin sediments, and an estimate of the bedrock lithology concealed by basin sediment. Based on basin geometry and concealed lithology, the San Rafael basin has a high potential for concealed mineral deposits on its western and northern margin. In particular, a newly discovered magnetic anomaly in the northern portion of the basin can be modeled as a granitic intrusion with highly altered margins and may represent a potential mineral resource target. Based on the permeability and porosity of upper basin fill found in nearby basins, the San Rafael basin may contain an aquifer up to 300 meters thick over a substantial area of the basin.

Effects of natural and human factors on groundwater quality of basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States-conceptual models for selected contaminants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bexfield, Laura M.; Thiros, Susan A.; Anning, David W.; Huntington, Jena M.; McKinney, Tim S.

2011-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, the Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the factors that affect water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the Southwestern United States. The SWPA study area includes four principal aquifers of the United States: the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; the Rio Grande aquifer system in New Mexico and Colorado; and the California Coastal Basin and Central Valley aquifer systems in California. Similarities in the hydrogeology, land- and water-use practices, and water-quality issues for alluvial basins within the study area allow for regional analysis through synthesis of the baseline knowledge of groundwater-quality conditions in basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. Resulting improvements in the understanding of the sources, movement, and fate of contaminants are assisting in the development of tools used to assess aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability.This report synthesizes previously published information about the groundwater systems and water quality of 15 information-rich basin-fill aquifers (SWPA case-study basins) into conceptual models of the primary natural and human factors commonly affecting groundwater quality with respect to selected contaminants, thereby helping to build a regional understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to those contaminants. Four relatively common contaminants (dissolved solids, nitrate, arsenic, and uranium) and two contaminant classes (volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticide compounds) were investigated for sources and controls affecting their occurrence and distribution above specified levels of concern in groundwater of the case-study basins. Conceptual models of factors that are important to aquifer vulnerability with respect to those contaminants and contaminant classes were subsequently formed. The conceptual models are intended in part to provide a foundation for subsequent development of regional-scale statistical models that relate specific constituent concentrations or occurrence in groundwater to natural and human factors.

A model to forecast short-term snowmelt runoff using synoptic observations of streamflow, temperature, and precipitation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tangborn, Wendell V.

1980-01-01

Snowmelt runoff is forecast with a statistical model that utilizes daily values of stream discharge, gaged precipitation, and maximum and minimum observations of air temperature. Synoptic observations of these variables are made at existing low- and medium-altitude weather stations, thus eliminating the difficulties and expense of new, high-altitude installations. Four model development steps are used to demonstrate the influence on prediction accuracy of basin storage, a preforecast test season, air temperature (to estimate ablation), and a prediction based on storage. Daily ablation is determined by a technique that employs both mean temperature and a radiative index. Radiation (both long- and short-wave components) is approximated by using the range in daily temperature, which is shown to be closely related to mean cloud cover. A technique based on the relationship between prediction error and prediction season weather utilizes short-term forecasts of precipitation and temperature to improve the final prediction. Verification of the model is accomplished by a split sampling technique for the 1960–1977 period. Short- term (5–15 days) predictions of runoff throughout the main snowmelt season are demonstrated for mountain drainages in western Washington, south-central Arizona, western Montana, and central California. The coefficient of prediction (Cp) based on actual, short-term predictions for 18 years is for Thunder Creek (Washington), 0.69; for South Fork Flathead River (Montana), 0.45; for the Black River (Arizona), 0.80; and for the Kings River (California), 0.80.

History of watershed research in the Central Arizona Highlands

Treesearch

Malchus B. Baker

1999-01-01

The Central Arizona Highlands have been the focus of a wide range of research efforts designed to learn more about the effects of natural and human induced disturbances on the functioning, processes, and components of the region's ecosystems. The watershed research spearheaded by the USDA Forest Service and its cooperators continues to lead to a comprehensive...

The importance of environment vs. disturbance in the vegetation mosaic of central Arizona

Treesearch

Cynthia D. Huebner; John L. Vankat

2003-01-01

The vegetation of central Arizona is a mosaic of four vegetation types: chaparral, chaparral grassland, woodland, and woodland grassland. We analysed ten environmental variables, three disturbance variables, and five disturbance indicators to answer the question: What is the relative importance of environment and disturbance in explaining the vegetation pattern of our...

Possible effects of groundwater pumping on surface water in the Verde Valley, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Haney, Jeanmarie

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, has applied a groundwater model to simulate effects of groundwater pumping and artificial recharge on surface water in the Verde Valley sub-basin of Arizona. Results are in two sets of maps that show effects of locations of pumping or recharge on streamflow. These maps will help managers make decisions that will meet water needs and minimize environmental impacts.

Chapter 2: Beginning of water studies in the Central Arizona Highlands

Treesearch

Gerald J. Gottfried; Leonard F. DeBano; Malchus B. Baker

1999-01-01

Water has been recognized as an important resource in central Arizona and has affected populations occupying the Salt River Valley for centuries. Water related activities have been documented since about 200 before the common era, when Hohokam Indians settled the Valley and constructed canals to irrigate their fields. Europeans began to settle in the Phoenix area in...

Ground-water field trip, Tucson to Nogales, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coates, D.R.; Halpenny, L.C.

1954-01-01

A field excursion following the route described herein was conducted as a part of the curriculum of the 6th Ground Water Short Course, which was held by the Geological Survey at the University of Arizona in April 1954. The route log and descriptive text were designed to provide a general background of the ground-water situation in the Upper Santa Cruz Basin, a few of the geologic features that affect the occurrence of ground water, and some of the historical highlights of the region. 

Spatial Digital Database for the Geology of the San Pedro River Basin in Cochise, Gila, Graham, Pima, and Pinal Counties, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bolm, Karen S.

2002-01-01

The map area is located in southeastern Arizona. This report describes the map units, the methods used to convert the geologic map data into a digital format, and the ArcInfo GIS file structures and relationships; and it explains how to download the digital files from the U.S. Geological Survey public access World Wide Web site on the Internet. See figures 2 and 3 for page-size versions of the map compilation.

Water management policy for the Albuquerque Basin: What can we learn from Tucson?

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

McGuckin, M.

1995-12-31

Albuquerque long believed itself to be a uniquely gifted city, an enchanted exotic anomaly, a desert metropolis with plentiful water stored in the deep alluvial sand and gravel sloughed off the Sandia Mountains. That is, until 1992, when the US Geological Survey`s report entitled Geohydrologic Framework and Hydrologic Conditions in the Albuquerque Basin in Central New Mexico revealed a fault, or rather several, in their water plan. The aquifer is not all of a piece. Instead of a veritable lake underfoot, there is a series of ponds or isolated cells of water. Tucson and Albuquerque have long been, in amore » sense, sister cities; they share similar physical situations, but with one major difference: in Tucson it has always been understood there wasn`t much water, not in the upland Sonoran Desert. The author outlines the recent history of water management policy in Tucson with possible lessons for Albuquerque. There are some very important differences between the two cities. The first is that in Tucson, water is, for the most part, a local issue. What Albuquerque decides to do with their water affects every community along the Rio Grande, but in addition, by rippling through the economy what they decide to do impacts every community in the state. And secondly, Tucson is the terminus of the Central Arizona Project (CAP).« less

Geologic map of Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys and surrounding areas, northwest Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beard, L. Sue; Kennedy, Jeffrey; Truini, Margot; Felger, Tracey

2011-01-01

A 1:250,000-scale geologic map and report covering the Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento valleys in northwest Arizona is presented for the purpose of improving understanding of the geology and geohydrology of the basins beneath those valleys. The map was compiled from existing geologic mapping, augmented by digital photogeologic reconnaissance mapping. The most recent geologic map for the area, and the only digital one, is the 1:1,000,000-scale Geologic Map of Arizona. The larger scale map presented here includes significantly more detailed geology than the Geologic Map of Arizona in terms of accuracy of geologic unit contacts, number of faults, fault type, fault location, and details of Neogene and Quaternary deposits. Many sources were used to compile the geology; the accompanying geodatabase includes a source field in the polygon feature class that lists source references for polygon features. The citations for the source field are included in the reference section.

A review of the regional geophysics of the Arizona Transition Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, J. D.; Plescia, J. B.

1991-01-01

A review of existing geophysical information and new data presented in this special section indicate that major changes in crustal properties between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau occur in, or directly adjacent to, the region defined as the Arizona Transition Zone. Although this region was designated on a physiographic basis, studies indicate that it is also the geophysical transition between adjoining provinces. The Transition Zone displays anomalous crustal and upper mantle seismic properties, shallow Curie isotherms, high heat flow, and steep down-to-the-plateau Bouguer gravity gradients. Seismic and gravity studies suggest that the change in crustal thickness, from thin crust in the Basin and Range to thick crust in the Colorado Plateau, may occur as a series of steps rather than a planar surface. Anomalous P wave velocities, high heat flow, shallow Curie isotherms, and results of gravity modeling suggest that the upper mantle is heterogeneous in this region. A relatively shallow asthenosphere beneath the Basin and Range and Transition Zone contrasted with a thick lithosphere beneath the Colorado Plateau would be one explanation that would satisfy these geophysical observations.

An interpretation of the 1996 aeromagnetic data for the Santa Cruz basin, Tumacacori Mountains, Santa Rita Mountains, and Patagonia Mountains, south-central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gettings, Mark E.

2002-01-01

High resolution aeromagnetic survey data flown at 250 m above the terrain and 250 m line spacing over the Santa Cruz Valley and the surrounding Tumacacori, Patagonia, and Santa Rita Mountains has been interpreted by correlation of the magnetic anomaly field and various derivative maps with geologic maps. Measurements of in-situ magnetic properties of several of the map units determined whether or not mapped lithologies were responsible for observed anomalies. Correlation of the magnetic anomaly field with mapped geology shows that numerous map units of volcanic and intrusive rocks from Jurassic Middle Tertiary in age are reversely polarized, some of which have not been previously reported. Trends derived from the magnetic anomaly data correlate closely with structures from major tectonic events in the geologic history of the area including Triassic-Jurassic crustal accretion and magmatism, Laramide magmatism and tectonism, northeast-southwest Mid-Tertiary extension, and east-west Basin and Range extension. Application of two textural measures to the magnetic anomaly data, number of peaks and troughs per km (a measure of roughness) and Euclidean length per km (a measure of amplitude), delineated areas of consistent magnetic anomaly texture. These measures were successful at the delineation of areas of consistent magnetic lithology both on the surface and in the subsurface beneath basin fill. Several areas of basement prospective for mineral resources beneath basin fill were identified.

40 CFR 52.121 - Classification of regions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Intrastate (Mohave, Yuma) I III III III III Central Arizona Intrastate (Gila, Pinal) I IA III III III Southeast Arizona Intrastate (Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Santa Cruz) I IA III III III [45 FR 67345, Oct. 10...

40 CFR 52.121 - Classification of regions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Intrastate (Mohave, Yuma) I III III III III Central Arizona Intrastate (Gila, Pinal) I IA III III III Southeast Arizona Intrastate (Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Santa Cruz) I IA III III III [45 FR 67345, Oct. 10...

Debris Flows and Record Floods from Extreme Mesoscale Convective Thunderstorms over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magirl, Christopher S.; Shoemaker, Craig; Webb, Robert H.; Schaffner, Mike; Griffiths, Peter G.; Pytlak, Erik

2007-01-01

Ample geologic evidence indicates early Holocene and Pleistocene debris flows from the south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, but few records document historical events. On July 31, 2006, an unusual set of atmospheric conditions aligned to produce record floods and an unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalinas. During the week prior to the event, an upper-level area of low pressure centered near Albuquerque, New Mexico generated widespread heavy rainfall in southern Arizona. After midnight on July 31, a strong complex of thunderstorms developed over central Arizona in a deformation zone that formed on the back side of the upper-level low. High atmospheric moisture (2.00' of precipitable water) coupled with cooling aloft spawned a mesoscale thunderstorm complex that moved southeast into the Tucson basin. A 15-20 knot low-level southwesterly wind developed with a significant upslope component over the south face of the Santa Catalina Mountains advecting moist and unstable air into the merging storms. National Weather Service radar indicated that a swath of 3-6' of rainfall occurred over the lower and middle elevations of the southern Santa Catalina Mountains. This intense rain falling on saturated soil triggered over 250 hillslope failures and debris flows throughout the mountain range. Sabino Canyon, a heavily used recreation area administered by the U.S. Forest Service, was the epicenter of mass wasting, where at least 18 debris flows removed structures, destroyed the roadway in multiple locations, and closed public access for months. The debris flows were followed by streamflow floods which eclipsed the record discharge in the 75-year gaging record of Sabino Creek. In five canyons adjacent to Sabino Canyon, debris flows approached or excited the mountain front, compromising floow conveyance structures and flooding some homes.

Water-Rights Settlements and Reclamation in Central Arizona as a Cross-Cultural Experience: A Reexamination of Native Water Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsui, Kenichi

2011-01-01

As of December 2010, the US Congress had enacted more than twenty major community-specific Native water-rights settlements, and the state of Arizona had more of these settlements (eight) than any other US state. This unique situation has invited voluminous studies on Arizona's Native water-rights settlements. Although these studies have clarified…

The case for simultaneous deformation, metamorphism and plutonism: an example from Proterozoic rocks in central Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlstrom, K. E.; Williams, M. L.

1995-01-01

The syntectonic 1.70 Ga Crazy Basin Monzogranite provides an example of the complex spatial and temporal interactions between metamorphism, deformation, and plutonism. Synchronous plutonism and deformation is indicated by syn-shortening dikes, sills, and veins; parallel magmatic and solid state fabrics; fabrics in xenoliths; and a foliation triple point. Synchronous plutonism and metamorphism is indicated by a systematic increase from 400 °C to 630 °C towards the pluton at a constant pressure of 300 MPa (3 kb). Temperatures are consistent with a conductive cooling model in which a 700 °C pluton was emplaced into country rocks undergoing greenschist facies regional metamorphism. Synchronous deformation and metamorphism is indicated by porphyroblast inclusion geometries that document the synmetamorphic development of the S2 cleavage. The pluton was emplaced adjacent to the Shylock shear zone during progressive shortening. Emplacement of granite as NE-trending sheets was facilitated by temporal partitioning of transpressional convergence into strike-slip and dip-slip components. At the scale of the pluton's aureole and on the relatively rapid time scale of 10 3-10 6 y, regional deformation and metamorphism were punctuated by thermal softening and increased diffusion rates. Data suggests that accretion of Proterozoic arcs in Arizona involved diachronous pluton-enhanced deformation and associated high temperature-low pressure regional metamorphism.

Volcanic facies architecture of an intra-arc strike-slip basin, Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busby, Cathy J.; Bassett, Kari N.

2007-09-01

The three-dimensional arrangement of volcanic deposits in strike-slip basins is not only the product of volcanic processes, but also of tectonic processes. We use a strike-slip basin within the Jurassic arc of southern Arizona (Santa Rita Glance Conglomerate) to construct a facies model for a strike-slip basin dominated by volcanism. This model is applicable to releasing-bend strike-slip basins, bounded on one side by a curved and dipping strike-slip fault, and on the other by curved normal faults. Numerous, very deep unconformities are formed during localized uplift in the basin as it passes through smaller restraining bends along the strike-slip fault. In our facies model, the basin fill thins and volcanism decreases markedly away from the master strike-slip fault (“deep” end), where subsidence is greatest, toward the basin-bounding normal faults (“shallow” end). Talus cone-alluvial fan deposits are largely restricted to the master fault-proximal (deep) end of the basin. Volcanic centers are sited along the master fault and along splays of it within the master fault-proximal (deep) end of the basin. To a lesser degree, volcanic centers also form along the curved faults that form structural highs between sub-basins and those that bound the distal ends of the basin. Abundant volcanism along the master fault and its splays kept the deep (master fault-proximal) end of the basin overfilled, so that it could not provide accommodation for reworked tuffs and extrabasinally-sourced ignimbrites that dominate the shallow (underfilled) end of the basin. This pattern of basin fill contrasts markedly with that of nonvolcanic strike-slip basins on transform margins, where clastic sedimentation commonly cannot keep pace with subsidence in the master fault-proximal end. Volcanic and subvolcanic rocks in the strike-slip basin largely record polygenetic (explosive and effusive) small-volume eruptions from many vents in the complexly faulted basin, referred to here as multi-vent complexes. Multi-vent complexes like these reflect proximity to a continuously active fault zone, where numerous strands of the fault frequently plumb small batches of magma to the surface. Releasing-bend extension promotes small, multivent styles of volcanism in preference to caldera collapse, which is more likely to form at releasing step-overs along a strike-slip fault.

McCauley Sinks: A compound breccia pipe in evaporite karst, Holbrook Basin, Arizona, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neal, J.T.; Johnson, K.S.

2002-01-01

The McCauley Sinks, in the Holbrook basin of northeastern Arizona, are comprised of some 50 individual sinkholes within a 3-km-wide depression. The sinks are grouped in a semi-concentric pattern of three nested rings. The outer ring is an apparent tension zone containing ring fractures. The two inner rings are semi-circular chains of large sinkholes, ranging up to 100 m across and 50 m deep. Several sub-basins within the larger depression show local downwarping and possible incipient sinkholes. Permian Kaibab Formation limestone is the principal surface lithology; the limestone here is less than 15 m thick and is near its easternmost limit. Although surface rillenkarren are present, and the sinks are seen in the Kaibab limestone outcrops, the Kaibab is mainly a passive rock unit that has collapsed into solution cavities developed in underlying salt beds. Beneath the Kaibab is Coconino Sandstone, which overlies the Permian Schnebly Hill Formation, the unit containing the evaporite rocks-principally halite in the Corduroy Member. Evaporite karst in this part of the Holbrook basin is quite different from the eastern part, probably because of the westward disappearance of the Holbrook anticline, a structure that has major joint systems that help channel water down to the salt beds farther to the east. Also, the McCauley Sinks are near the western limits of the evaporites. The structure at McCauley Sinks suggests a compound breccia pipe, with multiple sinks contributing to the inward-dipping major depression. The Richards Lake depression, 5 km southeast of McCauley Sinks, is similar in form and size but contains only a single, central sinkhole. An apparent difference in hydrogeology at McCauley Sinks is their proximity to the adjacent, deeply incised, Chevelon Canyon drainage, but the hydrologic connections are unknown. The 3-km-wide McCauley Sinks karst depression, along with five other nearby depressions, provide substantial hydrologic catchment. Because of widespread piping into karst features and jointed bedrock at shallow depth, runoff water does not pond easily at the surface. There appears to be a greater recharge efficiency here than in alluvial areas; thus concern exists for groundwater users downgradient from the karst area. Accordingly, sinkholes and open fissures should not be used for waste disposal.

Floods of November 1978 to March 1979 in Arizona and west-central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aldridge, B.N.; Hales, T.A.

1983-01-01

Widespread rainfall of 3 to 9 inches in the mountains area of Arizona and West-Central New Mexico during December 17-20, 1978, caused maximum known discharges on the Gila River in New Mexico and on several streams in Arizona. At Phoenix, the Salt River was the highest since 1920 but was only slightly higher than the flood in March 1978. The Agua Fria River was the highest since 1919. The floods caused 12 deaths and more than $150 million in damage. Damage of $51.8 million occurred in Maricopa County, Arizona. Ten counties in Arizona and three counties in New Mexico wer declared disaster areas. Unusually high volumes of runoff occurred on the Salt, Verde, and Agua Fria Rivers upstream from reservoirs. Overflow from the reservoir systems caused flooding downstream. Storage in the reservoirs on the Salt and Verde River reduced the peak discharge of the Salt River at Phoenix from a potential of about 234,000 cubic feet per second to 126,00 cubic feet per second and greatly reduced the duration of the flood. (USGS)

Characterization of hydraulic conductivity of the alluvium and basin fill, Pinal Creek Basin near Globe, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angeroth, Cory E.

2002-01-01

Acidic waters containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals have contaminated the regional aquifer in the Pinal Creek Basin, which is in Gila County, Arizona, about 100 kilometers east of Phoenix. The aquifer is made up of two geologic units: unconsolidated stream alluvium and consolidated basin fill. To better understand how contaminants are transported through these units, a better understanding of the distribution of hydraulic conductivity and processes that affect it within the aquifer is needed. Slug tests were done in September 1997 and October 1998 on 9 wells finished in the basin fill and 14 wells finished in the stream alluvium. Data from the tests were analyzed by using either the Bouwer and Rice (1976) method, or by using an extension to the method developed by Springer and Gellhar (1991). Both methods are applicable for unconfined aquifers and partially penetrating wells. The results of the analyses show wide variability within and between the two geologic units. Hydraulic conductivity estimates ranged from 0.5 to 250 meters per day for the basin fill and from 3 to 200 meters per day for the stream alluvium. Results of the slug tests also show a correlation coefficient of 0.83 between the hydraulic conductivity and the pH of the ground water. The areas of highest hydraulic conductivity coincide with the areas of lowest pH, and the areas of lowest hydraulic conductivity coincide with the areas of highest pH, suggesting that the acidic water is increasing the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer by dissolution of carbonate minerals.

Hydrogeology of the Point Lookout Sandstone in the San Juan structural basin, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craigg, Steven D.; Dam, W.L.; Kernodle, J.M.; Thorn, C.R.; Levings, G.W.

1990-01-01

This report is one in a series resulting from the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) study of the San Juan structural basin that began in October 1984. Previous reports in the series describe the hydrogeology of the Dakota Sandstone (Craigg and others, 1989), Morrison Formation (Dam and others, 1990), Gallup Sandstone (Kernodle and others, 1989), Menefee Formation (Levings and others, 1990), and Cliff House Sandstone (Thorn and others, 1990), in the San Juan structural basin. The purposes of the RASA (Welder, 1986) are to: (1) Define and evaluate the aquifer system; (2) assess the effects of past, present, and potential ground-water use on aquifers and streams; and (3) determine the availability and quality of ground water. This report summarizes information on the geology and the occurrence and quality of water in the Point Lookout Sandstone, one of the primary water-bearing units in the regional aquifer system. Data used in this report were collected during the study or were derived from existing records in the U.S. Geological Survey's computerized National Water Information System (NWIS) data base, the Petroleum Information Corporation's database, and the Dwight's ENERGYDATA Inc. BRIN data base. Although all data available for the Point Lookout Sandstone were considered in formulating the discussions in the text, not all those data could be plotted on the illustrations. The San Juan structural basin is in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah and has an area of about 21,600 square miles (fig. 1). The structural basin is about 140 miles wide and about 200 miles long. The study area is that part of the structural basin that contains rocks of Triassic or younger age and, therefore, is less areally extensive than the structural basin. Triassic through Tertiary sedimentary rocks are emphasized in this study because the major aquifers in the basin are present in these rocks. The study area is about 140 miles wide (about the same as the structural basin), 180 miles long, and has an area of about 19,400 square miles. Altitudes in the study area range from about 4,500 feet in San Juan County, Utah, to about 11,000 feet in Cibola County, New Mexico. Annual precipitation in the high mountainous areas along the north and east margins of the basin is as much as 45 inches, whereas annual precipitation in the lower altitude, central basin is generally less than 8 inches. Mean annual precipitation in the study area is about 12 inches.Data obtained from documents published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980 and 1985, were used to estimate the population of the study area. The population of the study area in 1970 was estimated to be about 134,000. The population rose to about 194,000 in 1980, 212,000 in 1982, 221,000 in 1984, and then fell to about 210,000 in 1985. The economy of the basin is supported by exploration and development of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium resources; urban enterprise, farming "and ranching; tourism; and recreation. The rise and fall in population were related to changes in the economic strength of the mining, petroleum, and natural-gas industries, and support services. Uranium mining and milling activities grew rapidly until the late 1970's when most uranium-mining activity ended in the study area. Likewise, the oil and gas industry prospered until about 1983 and then declined rapidly, also affecting many jobs in support industries.

Hydrogeology of the Cliff House Sandstone in the San Juan structural basin, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorn, Conde R.; Levings, G.W.; Craigg, S.D.; Dam, W.L.; Kernodle, J.M.

1990-01-01

This report is one in a series resulting from the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) study of the San Juan structural basin that began in October 1984. Previous reports in the series describe the hydrogeology of the Dakota Sandstone (Craigg and others, 1989), Point Lookout Sandstone (Craigg and others, 1990), Morrison Formation (Dam and others, 1990), Gallup Sandstone (Kernodle and others, 1989), and Menefee Formation (Levings and others, 1990) in the San Juan structural basin. The purposes of the RASA (Welder, 1986) are to: (1) Define and evaluate the aquifer system; (2) assess the effects of past, present, and potential ground-water use on aquifers and streams; and (3) determine the availability and quality of ground water. This report summarizes information on the geology and the occurrence and quality of water in the Cliff House Sandstone, one of the primary water-bearing units in the regional aquifer system. Data used in this report were collected during the study or were derived from existing records in the U.S. Geological Survey's computerized National Water Information System (NWIS) data base, the Petroleum Information Corporation's data base, and the Dwight's ENERGYDATA Inc. BRIN data base. Although all data available for the Cliff House Sandstone were considered in formulating the discussions in the text, not all those data could be plotted on the illustrations. The San Juan structural basin is in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah and has an area of about 21,600 square miles (fig. 1). The structural basin is about 140 miles wide and about 200 miles long. The study area is that part of the structural basin that contains rocks of Triassic or younger age and, therefore, is less extensive than the structural basin. Triassic through Tertiary sedimentary rocks are emphasized in this study because the major aquifers in the basin are present in these rocks. The study area is about 140 miles wide (about the same as the structural basin), 180 miles long, and has an area of about 19,400 square miles. Altitudes in the study area range from about 4,500 feet in San Juan County, Utah, to about 11,000 feet in Cibola County, New Mexico. Annual precipitation in the high mountainous areas along the north and east margins of the basin is as much as 45 inches, whereas annual precipitation in the lower altitude, central basin is generally less than 8 inches. Mean annual precipitation in the study area is about 12 inches. Data obtained from documents published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980 and 1985, were used to estimate the population of the study area. The population of the study area in 1970 was estimated to be about 134,000. The population rose to about 194,000 in 1980, 212,000 in 1982, 221,000 in 1984, and then fell to about 210,000 in 1985. The economy of the basin is supported by exploration and development of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium resources; urban enterprise, farming and ranching; tourism; and recreation. The rise and fall in population were related to changes in the economic strength of the mining, petroleum, and natural-gas industries, and support services. Uranium mining and milling activities grew rapidly until the late 1970's when most uranium-mining activity ended in the study area. Likewise, the oil and gas industry prospered until about 1983 and then declined rapidly, also affecting many jobs in support industries.

Backyard Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elser, Monica; Musheno, Birgit; Saltz, Charlene

2003-01-01

Describes the Ecology Explorers, the community education component of Arizona State University's Central Arizona Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research project, which offers teacher internship programs that link university researchers, K-12 teachers, and students in studying urban ecology. Explains that student neighborhoods are dynamic ecosystems…

Discovery of multi-ring basins - Gestalt perception in planetary science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, W. K.

1981-01-01

Early selenographers resolved individual structural components of multi-ring basin systems but missed the underlying large-scale multi-ring basin patterns. The recognition of multi-ring basins as a general class of planetary features can be divided into five steps. Gilbert (1893) took a first step in recognizing radial 'sculpture' around the Imbrium basin system. Several writers through the 1940's rediscovered the radial sculpture and extended this concept by describing concentric rings around several circular maria. Some reminiscences are given about the fourth step - discovery of the Orientale basin and other basin systems by rectified lunar photography at the University of Arizona in 1961-62. Multi-ring basins remained a lunar phenomenon until the fifth step - discovery of similar systems of features on other planets, such as Mars (1972), Mercury (1974), and possibly Callisto and Ganymede (1979). This sequence is an example of gestalt recognition whose implications for scientific research are discussed.

Distributed Hydrologic Modeling of Semiarid Basins in Arizona: A Platform for Land Cover and Climate Change Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, G. A.; Vivoni, E. R.

2011-12-01

Watershed management is challenged by rising concerns over climate change and its potential to interact with land cover alterations to impact regional water supplies and hydrologic processes. The inability to conduct experimental manipulations that address climate and land cover change at watershed scales limits the capacity of water managers to make decisions to protect future supplies. As a result, spatially-explicit, physically-based models possess value for predicting the possible consequences on watershed hydrology. In this study, we apply a distributed watershed model, the Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS), to the Beaver Creek basin in Arizona. This sub-basin of the Verde River is representative of the regional topography, land cover, soils distribution and availability of hydrologic data in forested regions of northern Arizona. As such, it can serve as a demonstration study in the broader region to illustrate the utility of distributed models for change assessment studies. Through a model application to summertime conditions, we compare the hydrologic response from three sources of meteorological input: (1) an available network of ground-based stations, (2) weather radar rainfall estimates, and (3) the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). Comparisons focus on analysis of spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation, soil moisture, runoff generation, evapotranspiration and recharge from the root zone at high resolution for an assessment of sustainable water supplies for agricultural and domestic purposes. We also present a preliminary analysis of the impact of vegetation change arising from historical treatments in the Beaver Creek to inform the hydrologic consequences in the form of soil moisture and evapotranspiration patterns with differing degrees of proposed forest thinning. Our results are discussed in the context of improved hydrologic predictions for sustainability and decision-making under the uncertainties induced by combined climate and land cover change.

Using High Resolution Satellite Precipitation fields to Assess the Impacts of Climate Change on the Santa Cruz and San Pedro River Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robles-Morua, A.; Vivoni, E.; Rivera-Fernandez, E. R.; Dominguez, F.; Meixner, T.

2013-05-01

Hydrologic modeling using high spatiotemporal resolution satellite precipitation products in the southwestern United States and northwest Mexico is important given the sparse nature of available rain gauges. In addition, the bimodal distribution of annual precipitation also presents a challenge as differential climate impacts during the winter and summer seasons are not currently well understood. In this work, we focus on hydrological comparisons using rainfall forcing from a satellite-based product, downscaled GCM precipitation estimates and available ground observations. The simulations are being conducted in the Santa Cruz and San Pedro river basins along the Arizona-Sonora border at high spatiotemporal resolutions (~100 m and ~1 hour). We use a distributed hydrologic model, known as the TIN-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS), to generate simulated hydrological fields under historical (1991-2000) and climate change (2031-2040) scenarios obtained from an application of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. Using the distributed model, we transform the meteorological scenarios at 10-km, hourly resolution into predictions of the annual water budget, seasonal land surface fluxes and individual hydrographs of flood and recharge events. We compare the model outputs and rainfall fields of the WRF products against the forcing from the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) and available ground observations from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and Arizona Meteorological Network (AZMET). For this contribution, we selected two full years in the historical period and in the future scenario that represent wet and dry conditions for each decade. Given the size of the two basins, we rely on a high performance computing platform and a parallel domain discretization with higher resolutions maintained at experimental catchments in each river basin. Model simulations utilize best-available data across the Arizona-Sonora border on topography, land cover and soils obtained from analysis of remotely-sensed imagery and government databases. In addition, for the historical period, we build confidence in the model simulations through comparisons with streamflow estimates in the region. The model comparisons during the historical and future periods will yield a first-of-its-kind assessment on the impacts of climate change on the hydrology of two large semiarid river basins of the southwestern United States

Preliminary geologic map of the Mesquite Quadrangle, Clark and Lincoln Counties, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Van S.

1996-01-01

Original geologic data mapped by the author in 1995 and 1996 with emphasis on structures in Miocene basin-fill deposits of the Muddy Creek Formation that may control availability and quality of groundwater.

Geohydrology and water resources of the Papago Farms--Great Plain area, Papago Indian Reservation, Arizona, and the upper Rio Sonoyta area, Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hollett, Kenneth J.

1985-01-01

The Papago Farms-Great Plain and upper Rio Sonoyta study area includes about 490 square miles in south-central Arizona and north-central Sonora, Mexico. The area is characterized by a broad, deep, sediment-filled basin bounded by low, jagged fault-block mountains. The climate is arid to semiarid. The climate and abundant ground water provide favorable conditions for irrigated agriculture. Annual precipitation averages 5 to 8 inches per year on the desert floor. Runoff, which occurs as intermittent streamflow and sheetflow, is too short lived and too laden with suspended sediment to be a reliable source for irrigation or public supply. Nearly all the water used to irrigate more than 5,000 cultivated acres in the study area is withdrawn from the unconsolidated to partly consolidated basin fill. The ground water occurs in the deposits under unconfined (water-table) conditions with a saturated thickness that ranges from zero along the mountain fronts to more than 8,000 feet in the center of the basin. The amount of recoverable ground water in storage to a depth of 400 feet below the 1978-80 water table is estimated to be about 10 million acre-feet. Depths to water range from about 500 feet near the southern boundary of the study area to about 150 feet in the center of the study area. Ground water enters the area principally as underflow beneath the San Simon and Chukut Kuk Washes and as recharge along the mountain fronts. On the basis of model results, annual inflow to the ground-water system is estimated to be about 4,390 acre-feet. Ground water moves through the study area along paths that encircle a virtually impermeable unit in the basin center, termed 'the lakebed-clay deposits,' and moves westward to an outflow point beneath the Rio Sonoyta south of Cerro La Nariz. Rates of water movement range from less than I foot per year in clays to about 160 feet per year in well-sorted, coarse stream-channel deposits. Transmissivities along the basin margins range from 10,000 to 40,000 feet squared per day, whereas transmissivities in the basin-center lakebed-clay deposits are estimated to be less than 100 feet squared per day. Most Wells that are located along the basin margin and tap more than 300 feet of saturated basin fill in the upper1,000 feet of the aquifer should yield from 500 to 3,000 gallons per minute to properly constructed and developed wells. Specific capacities should range from 10 to 50 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The water in the aquifer is moderate to poor in chemical quality for irrigation and public-supply use. The ground water is mainly a sodium bicarbonate type with dissolved-solids concentrations that range from about 250 to 5,000 milligrams per liter and average about 530 milligrams per liter. The poorest quality water is associated with the basin-center lakebed-clay deposits. In most of the basin, the water contains fluoride concentrations that exceed the maximum contaminant levels acceptable for drinking water. Waters from the basin-center lakebed-clay deposits are also anomalously high in dissolved arsenic and unacceptable for public supply. High concentrations of sodium and bicarbonate in the ground water of the study area present potential hazards to most crops, and the use of this type of water requires careful farm-management practices. In 1981 outflow resulting from withdrawals of water from the aquifer was about 23,2'00 acre-feet. Storage is being depleted at a rate of about 19,000 acre-feet per year. On the basis of a mathematical simulation of the groundwater system and withdrawal rates in 1981, storage depletion and drawdown of the water table were projected to 1991. Water-level declines in 199t were estimated to be as much as 20 feet at Papago Farms and more than 40 feet in the area south of the basin-center lakebed-clay deposits. The estimated amount of depletion in 1991 of ground water stored in the upper 400 feet of the aquifer is less than 3.0 percent of the total amou

The impacts of climatologically-driven megadrought, past and future, on semi-arid watersheds and the water resource system they support in central Arizona, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, K. W.; Ellis, A. W.

2017-12-01

The sustainability of water resource systems in the western United States has previously been brought into question by drought concerns and how it will be influenced by future climate change. Although decadal droughts are observed in instrumental records, the data are typically too short and the droughts too few to render the range of hydroclimatic variability that might impact modern water resource systems in the future. Natural modes of variability are not well represented in climate models, which limits the applicability of their downscaled projections in a region of interest since drought risk would be understated. Paleoclimate data have provided evidence of megadroughts from centuries ago whose hydrologic manifestations of climate variability could readily reoccur again in the future. These can be applied to research into watershed hydrologic response and resource system resilience - past, present, and future. A 645-year tree ring reconstruction of stream flow for the Salt and Verde River watersheds in central Arizona has revealed several drought periods, some more severe than seen in the 129-year instrumental record, including a late 16th century megadrought which affected large portions of the United States. This research study translated the tree ring record into net basin water supply which drives a reservoir operations simulation model to assess how the resource system performs under such severe drought. Regional climate change scenarios were developed from the observation that watershed climate sensitivity has been twice the global warming response. These were applied to the watersheds' temperature sensitivities and precipitation elasticities (reported at AGU2014) to obtain detailed renditions of hydrologic response should megadrought reoccur in a future climate. This provided one of the first rigorous projections of surface water supply under future climate change that amplifies the impact of megadrought arising from modes of climate variability often seen in the western United States. The implications to a large reservoir system serving 40% of water demand in the metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona area is reported which enables decision making for future adaptation planning.

Cenozoic stratigraphy and geologic history of the Tucson Basin, Pima County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, S.R.

1987-01-01

This report was prepared as part of a geohydrologic study of the Tucson basin conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the city of Tucson. Geologic data from more than 500 water supply and test wells were analyzed to define characteristics of the basin sediments that may affect the potential for land subsidence induced by groundwater withdrawal. The Tucson basin is a structural depression within the Basin and Range physiographic province. The basin is 1,000 sq mi in units area and trends north to northwest. Three Cenozoic stratigraphic unit--the Pantano Formation of Oligocene age, the Tinaja beds (informal usage) of Miocene and Pliocene age, and the Fort Lowell Formation of Pleistocene age--fill the basin. The Tinaja beds include lower, middle, and upper unconformable units. A thin veneer of stream alluvium of late Quaternary age overlies the Fort Lowell Formation. The Pantano Formation and the lower Tinaja beds accumulated during a time of widespread continental sedimentation, volcanism, plutonism, uplift, and complex faulting and tilting of rock units that began during the Oligocene and continued until the middle Miocene. Overlying sediments of the middle and upper Tinaja beds were deposited in response to two subsequent episodes of post-12-million-year block faulting, the latter of which was accompanied by renewed uplift. The Fort Lowell Formation accumulated during the Quaternary development of modern through-flowing the maturation of the drainage. The composite Cenozoic stratigraphic section of the Tucson basin is at least 20,000 ft thick. The steeply tilted to flat-lying section is composed of indurated to unconsolidated clastic sediments, evaporites, and volcanic rocks that are lithologically and structurally complex. The lithology and structures of the section was greatly affected by the uplift and exhumation of adjacent metamorphic core-complex rocks. Similar Cenozoic geologic relations have been identified in other parts of southern Arizona. (Author 's abstract)

Lessons for Integrated Water Resources Management from the San Pedro HELP Basin on the U.S.-Mexico Border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browning, A.; Goodrich, D.; Varady, R.; Richter, H.

2007-12-01

The San Pedro Basin sits within an intermountain ecotone with the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts to the west and east and the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Madre Mountain habitats to the north and south. The headwaters of the basin originate in northern Sonora and flow north into southeast Arizona. As the region's only remaining perennial stream, the San Pedro River serves as an international flyway for over 400 bird species. It is one of the western hemisphere's most ecologically diverse areas with some 20 different biotic communities, and "possesses one of the richest assemblages of land mammal species in the world." Large mining, military, and municipal entities are major users of the same groundwater resources that maintain perennial flow in the San Pedro. This presentation describes empirical evidence of the positive impacts on watershed management of scientists and policy researchers working closely with water managers and elected officials in a functioning HELP basin. We posit that when hydrologists help watershed groups understand the processes controlling water quality and quantity, and when managers and stakeholders connect these processes to social, economic and legal issues then transboundary cooperation in policymaking and water management is most effective. The distinctive physical and socioeconomic characteristics of the basin as well as differences in institutional regulations, water law issues, and their local implementations in Arizona and Sonora are discussed. We illustrate how stakeholders and scientific researchers in both countries strive to balance ecosystem needs with human demands to create new, integrated basin management. Finally, we describe how the accomplishments of the San Pedro collaborative process, including the use of environmental-conflict-resolution tools, have contributed to the UNESCO HELP (Hydrology for the Environment, Life, and Policy) agenda.

Geophysical constraints on the Virgin River Depression, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Glen, J.M.; Jachens, R.C.; Dixon, G.L.; Katzer, T.C.; Morin, R.L.

2000-01-01

Gravity and aeromagnetic data provide insights into the subsurface lithology and structure of the Virgin River Depression (VRD) of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. The gravity data indicate that the Quaternary and Tertiary sedimentary deposits hide a complex pre-Cenozoic surface. A north-northwest-trending basement ridge separates the Mesquite and Mormon basins, as evidenced by seismic-reflection, gravity, and aeromagnetic data. The Mesquite basin is very deep, reaching depths of 8?10 km. The Mormon basin reaches thicknesses of 5 km. Its northern margin is very steep and may be characterized by right steps, although this interpretation could change with additional gravity stations. Most of the young (Quaternary), small-displacement faults trend within 10? of due north and occur within the deeper parts of the Mesquite basin north of the Virgin River. South of the Virgin River, only a few, young, small-displacement faults are mapped; the trend of these faults is more northeasterly and parallels the basement topography and is distinct from that of the faults to the north. The Virgin River appears to follow the margin of the basin as it emerges from the plateau. The high-resolution aeromagnetic data outline the extent of shallow volcanic rocks in the Mesquite basin. The north-northwest alignment of volcanic rocks east of Toquop Wash appear to be structurally controlled because of faults imaged on seismic-reflection profiles and because the alignment is nearly perpendicular to the direction of Cenozoic extension. More buried volcanics likely exist to the north and east of the high-resolution aeromagnetic survey. Broader aeromagnetic anomalies beneath pre-Cenozoic basement in the Mormon Mountains and Tule Springs Hills reflect either Precambrian basement or Tertiary intrusions. These rocks are probably barriers to groundwater flow, except where fractured.

Hydrogeology of the Mogollon Highlands, central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, John T.C.; Steinkampf, William C.; Flynn, Marilyn E.

2005-01-01

The Mogollon Highlands, 4,855 square miles of rugged, mountainous terrain at the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in central Arizona, is characterized by a bedrock-dominated hydrologic system that results in an incompletely integrated regional ground-water system, flashy streamflow, and various local water-bearing zones that are sensitive to drought. Increased demand on the water resources of the area as a result of recreational activities and population growth have made necessary an increased understanding of the hydrogeology of the region. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the geology and hydrology of the region in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Water Resources under the auspices of the Arizona Rural Watershed Initiative, a program launched in 1998 to assist rural areas in dealing with water-resources issues. The study involved the analysis of geologic maps, surface-water and ground-water flow, and water and rock chemical data and spatial relationships to characterize the hydrogeologic framework. The study area includes the southwestern corner of the Colorado Plateau and the Mogollon Rim, which is the eroded edge of the plateau. A 3,000- to 4,000-foot sequence of early to late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks forms the generally south-facing scarp of the Mogollon Rim. The area adjacent to the edge of the Mogollon Rim is an erosional landscape of rolling, step-like terrain exposing Proterozoic metamorphic and granitic rocks. Farther south, the Sierra Ancha and Mazatzal Mountain ranges, which are composed of various Proterozoic rocks, flank an alluvial basin filled with late Cenozoic sediments and volcanic flows. Eight streams with perennial to intermittent to ephemeral flow drain upland regions of the Mogollon Rim and flow into the Salt River on the southern boundary or the Verde River on the western boundary. Ground-water flow paths generally are controlled by large-scale fracture systems or by karst features in carbonate rocks. Stream channels are also largely controlled by structural features, such as regional joint or fault systems. Precipitation, which shows considerable variability in amount and intensity, recharges the ground-water system along the crest of the Mogollon Rim and to a lesser extent along the crests and flanks of the rim and the Mazatzal Mountains and Sierra Ancha. Flashy runoff in the mainly bedrock stream channels is typical. Springs are distributed throughout the region, typically discharging at or above the contact of variably permeable formations along the face of the Mogollon Rim with a scattering of low-discharge springs in the Proterozoic rocks below the rim. The surface of the Colorado Plateau is the primary recharge area for the C aquifer in which ground-water flows north toward the Little Colorado River and south toward the Mogollon Highlands. Within the study area, flow from the C aquifer primarily discharges from large, stable springs in the upper East Verde River, Tonto Creek, and Canyon Creek Basins along the top of the Mogollon Rim and to the west as base flow in West Clear Creek. On the basis of chemical evidence and the distribution and flow characteristics of springs and perennial streams, the C aquifer is also the source of water for the limestone aquifer that discharges from carbonate rocks near the base of the Mogollon Rim. Vertical flow from the C aquifer, the base of which is in the Schnebly Hill Formation, recharges the limestone aquifer that discharges mainly at Fossil Springs in the western part of the study area and as base flow in Cibecue Creek on the eastern edge of the study area. Local, generally shallow aquifers of variable productivity occur in plateau and mesa-capping basalts in the sedimentary rocks of the Schnebly Hill and Supai Formations, in fractured zones of the Proterozoic Payson granite, and in the alluvium of the lower Tonto Creek Basin. Where time series data exist, such water-bearing zones are shown to be sensitive to short-

A reconstruction of Proterozoic rocks in north-central New Mexico: Tectonic implications from the Proterozoic to the Cenozoic

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

Daniel, C.G.; Karlstrom, K.E.

1993-04-01

Distinctive lithostratigraphic markers, metamorphic isobaric surfaces, major ductile thrusts and overturned folds in Early Proterozoic rocks from 4 isolated uplifts in north-central NM provide relatively firm piercing points for restoration of over 50 km of right lateral strike-slip movement along a network of N-S trending faults. In addition, the authors speculate that the Uncompahgre Group in the Needle Mts. of southern Colorado is correlative with the Hondo Group in northern NM; suggesting over 150 km of right-lateral strike slip offset has occurred across a network of N-S trending faults that includes the Picuris-Pecos fault, the Borrego fault, the Nacimiento faultmore » and others. The tectonic implications of this reconstruction span geologic time from the Proterozoic to the Cenozoic. The restoration of slip provides new insights into the structure of the Proterozoic basement in NM. Volcanogenic basement (1.74--1.72 Ga) and overlying sedimentary cover (Hondo Group) are imbricated in an originally EW- to NW-trending ductile foreland thrust and fold belt that formed near the southern margin of 1.74--1.72 basement. The authors propose that the volcanogenic basement rocks correlate with rocks of the Yavapi Province in Arizona and that the Hondo Group correlates with foreland rocks of the Tonto Basin Supergroup. Rocks south of this belt are 1.65 Ga or younger and are interpreted to belong to a separate crustal province which correlates with the Mazatzal Province in Arizona. Proterozoic ductile fault geometries suggest that the Mazatzal Province was thrust northward and resulted in imbrication of Yavapi Province basement and its siliciclastic over sequence.« less

Observed Hydrologic Impacts of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers in the Salt and Verde River Basins of Arizona, United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demaria, Eleonora M. C.; Dominguez, Francina; Hu, Huancui; von Glinski, Gerd; Robles, Marcos; Skindlov, Jonathan; Walter, James

2017-12-01

Atmospheric rivers (ARs), narrow atmospheric water vapor corridors, can contribute substantially to winter precipitation in the semiarid Southwest U.S., where natural ecosystems and humans compete for over-allocated water resources. We investigate the hydrologic impacts of 122 ARs that occurred in the Salt and Verde river basins in northeastern Arizona during the cold seasons from 1979 to 2009. We focus on the relationship between precipitation, snow water equivalent (SWE), soil moisture, and extreme flooding. During the cold season (October through March) ARs contribute an average of 25%/29% of total seasonal precipitation for the Salt/Verde river basins, respectively. However, they contribute disproportionately to total heavy precipitation and account for 64%/72% of extreme total daily precipitation (exceeding the 98th percentile). Excess precipitation during AR occurrences contributes to snow accumulation; on the other hand, warmer than normal temperatures during AR landfallings are linked to rain-on-snow processes, an increase in the basins' area contributing to runoff generation, and higher melting lines. Although not all AR events are linked to extreme flooding in the basins, they do account for larger runoff coefficients. On average, ARs generate 43% of the annual maximum flows for the period studied, with 25% of the events exceeding the 10 year return period. Our analysis shows that the devastating 1993 flooding event in the region was caused by AR events. These results illustrate the importance of AR activity on the hydrology of inland semiarid regions: ARs are critical for water resources, but they can also lead to extreme flooding that affects infrastructure and human activities.

Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project (CAVSARP) Site, Tucson, Arizona: Floodwater and Soil Moisture Investigations with Extraterrestrial Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rucker, D. F.; Dohm, J. M.; Ferre, T. P. A.; Ip, Felipe; Baker, V. R.; Davies, A. G.; Castano, R.; Chien, S.; Doggett, T. C.

2004-01-01

Planetary geologists, geomorphologists, and hydrologists have hypothesized that Mars is a dynamic, water-enriched planet since the Mariner and Viking missions based on geologic, geomorphic, and topographic information. Recent acquisition of Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer information has added further credence to this hypothesis. A unique investigation is underway to work towards being able to successfully map the extent and depth of water on Mars. Researchers from the University of Arizona and members of the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) have been compiling multiple layers of information in time and space at the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project (CAVSARP) site, Tucson, Arizona, for eventual comparative analysis. This information has been acquired from a variety of observational/scientific platforms in controlled conditions. CAVSARP facility:

Geology and total petroleum systems of the Paradox Basin, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whidden, Katherine J.; Lillis, Paul G.; Anna, Lawrence O.; Pearson, Krystal M.; Dubiel, Russell F.

2014-01-01

The most studied source intervals are the Pennsylvanian black shales that were deposited during relative high stands in an otherwise evaporitic basin. These black shales are the source for most of the discovered hydrocarbons in the Paradox Basin. A second oil type can be traced to either a Mississippian or Permian source rock to the west, and therefore requires long-distance migration to explain its presence in the basin. Upper Cretaceous continental to nearshore-marine sandstones are interbedded with coal beds that have recognized coalbed methane potential. Precambrian and Devonian TPSs are considered hypothetical, as both are known to have organic-rich intervals, but no discovered hydrocarbons have been definitively typed back to either of these units.

Crustal extension and transform faulting in the southern Basin Range Province. [California, Arizona, and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liggett, M. A. (Principal Investigator); Childs, J. F.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Field reconnaissance and study of geologic literature guided by analysis of ERTS-1 MSS imagery have led to a hypothesis of tectonic control of Miocene volcanism, plutonism, and related mineralization in part of the Basin Range Province of southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The easterly trending right-lateral Las Vegas Shear Zone separates two volcanic provinces believed to represent areas of major east-west crustal extension. One volcanic province is aligned along the Colorado River south of the eastern termination of the Las Vegas Shear Zone; the second province is located north of the western termination of the shear zone in southern Nye County, Nevada. Geochronologic, geophysical, and structural evidence suggests that the Las Vegas Shear Zone may have formed in response to crustal extension in the two volcanic provinces in a manner similar to the formation of a ridge-ridge transform fault, as recognized in ocean floor tectonics.

National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project: Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Eastern Great Basin Province, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

Introduction The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geologically based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Eastern Great Basin Province of eastern Nevada, western Utah, southeastern Idaho, and northwestern Arizona. This assessment is based on geologic principles and uses the total petroleum system concept. The geologic elements of a total petroleum system include hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). The USGS used this geologic framework to define one total petroleum system and three assessment units. All three assessment units were quantitatively assessed for undiscovered oil and gas resources.

Geometeorological data collected by the USGS Desert Winds Project at Gold Spring, Great Basin desert, northeastern Arizona, 1979-1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helm, P.J.; Breed, C.S.; Tigges, R.K.; Garcia, P.A.

1995-01-01

The primary purpose of the Desert Winds Project (DWP) is to obtain high-resolution meteorological data and related surface geological and vegetation data for natural (e.g., uncultivated) desert sites where wind is or has been a major erosive or depositional force. The objectives are twofold: (1) to provide the detailed field measurements needed to carry out quantitative studies of wind as an agent of surface geologic change; and (2) to establish a baseline for defining the 'normal' range of climatic conditions that can be expected to occur on a decadal time scale, in areas considered representative of the major American deserts. The Gold Spring locality was selected to represent that part of the Great Basin Desert that extends into northeastern Arizona. The long-term goal for acquiring and analyzing the Desert Winds Project data is to use them to address problems of land resource degradation by wind, whether resulting from climatic variation aridification) or human activities (desertification), or both (see techinfo.doc).

Verde River hydrology [Chapter 3

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Alvin L. Medina

2012-01-01

The Central Arizona Highlands are a distinct biogeographic, climatic, and physiographic province that forms a diverse ecotone between the more extensive Colorado Plateau to the north and the Sonoran Desert ecoregions to the south (Ffolliott 1999). The Highlands coincide closely to the Arizona Transition Zone identified by ecologists, geologists, and others (Karlstrom...

The Role of Ground Truth in Improved Identification of Mining Explosion Signals Utilization of Calibration Explosions and Acoustic Signals

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

and the Porphyry Copper District (PCD) of east central Arizona and south west New Mexico were used in gathering ground truth ranging from mine records...previous studies of large coal cast blasting operations in Wyoming that trigger the IMS (Hedlin et al. 2000), the porphyry copper region of Arizona and...local mines producing the sources. Close cooperation has been developed with the Phelps Dodge mines in Morenci, Arizona and Tyrone, New Mexico where in

Flooding and Atmospheric Rivers across the Western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villarini, G.; Barth, N. A.; White, K. D.

2017-12-01

Flood frequency analysis across the western United States is complicated by annual peak flow records that frequently contain flows generated from distinctly different flood generating mechanisms. Among the different flood agents, atmospheric rivers (ARs) are responsible for large, regional scale floods. USGS streamgaging stations in the central Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, the central and southern California coast, and central Arizona show a mixture of 30-70% AR-generated flood peaks among the complete period of record. Bulletin17B and its proposed update (Draft Bulletin 17C) continue to recognize difficulties in determining flood frequency estimates among streamflow records that contain flood peaks coming from different flood-generating mechanisms, as is the case in the western United States. They recommend developing separate frequency curves when the hydrometeorologic mechanisms that generated the annual peak flows can be separated into distinct subpopulations. Yet challenges arise when trying to consistently quantify the physical (hydrometeorologic) processes that generated the observed flows, and even more when trying to account for them in flood frequency estimation. This study provides a general statistical framework to perform a process-driven flood frequency analysis using a weighted mixed population approach, highlighting the role that ARs play on the flood peak distribution.

Accounting for Atmospheric Rivers in the Flood Frequency Estimation in the Western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth, N. A.; Villarini, G.; White, K. D.

2016-12-01

The Bulletin 17B framework assumes that the observed annual peak flow data included in a flood frequency analysis are a "representative time sample of random homogeneous events." However, flood frequency analysis over the western United States is complicated by annual peak flow records that frequently contain flows generated from distinctly different flood generating mechanisms. Among the different flood generating mechanisms, atmospheric rivers (ARs) are responsible for large, regional scale floods. USGS streamgaging stations in the central Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, the central and southern California coast, and central Arizona show a mixture of 30-70% AR-generated flood peaks among the complete period of record. It is relatively common for the annual peaks fitted to the log-Pearson Type III distribution in these regions to show sharp breaks in the slope or a curve that reverses direction, pointing to the presence of different flood generating mechanisms. Following the recommendation by B17B to develop separate frequency curves when different flood agents can be identified, we will perform flood frequency analyses accounting for the role played by ARs. We will compare and contrast the results obtained by treating all annual maximum discharge values as generated from a single population against those from a mixed population analyses.

Preliminary Results From the CAUGHT Experiment: Investigation of the North Central Andes Subsurface Using Receiver Functions and Ambient Noise Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, J. C.; Ward, K. M.; Porter, R. C.; Beck, S. L.; Zandt, G.; Wagner, L. S.; Minaya, E.; Tavera, H.

2011-12-01

Jamie Ryan, Kevin M. Ward, Ryan Porter, Susan Beck, George Zandt, Lara Wagner, Estela Minaya, and Hernando Tavera The University of Arizona The University of North Carolina San Calixto Observatorio, La Paz, Bolivia IGP, Lima, Peru In order to investigate the interplay between crustal shortening, lithospheric removal, and surface uplift we have deployed 50 broadband seismometers in northwestern Bolivia and southern Peru as part of the interdisciplinary Central Andean Uplift and Geodynamics of High Topography (CAUGHT) project. The morphotectonic units of the central Andes from west to east, consist of the Western Cordillera, the active volcanic arc, the Altiplano, an internally drained basin (~4 km elevation), the Eastern Cordillera, the high peaks (~6 km elevation) of an older fold and thrust belt, the Subandean zone, the lower elevation active fold and thrust belt, and the foreland Beni basin. Between northwestern Bolivia and southern Peru, the Altiplano pinches out north of Lake Titicaca as the Andes narrow northward. The CAUGHT seismic instruments were deployed between 13° to 18° S latitudes to investigate the crust and mantle lithosphere of the central Andes in this transitional zone. In northwest Bolivia, perpendicular to the strike of the Andes, there is a total of 275 km of documented upper crustal shortening (15° to 17°S) (McQuarrie et al, 2008). Associated with the shortening is crustal thickening and possibly lithospheric removal as the thickening lithospheric root becomes unstable. An important first order study is to compare upper crustal shortening estimates with present day crustal thickness. To estimate crustal thickness, we have calculated receiver functions using an iterative deconvolution method and used common conversion point stacking along the same profile as the geologically based shortening estimates. In our preliminary results, we observed a strong P to S conversion corresponding to the Moho at approximately 60-65 km depth underneath the Altiplano and portions of the Eastern Cordillera, and at approximately 40 under the sub-Andes and westernmost edge of the Beni basin. Unlike previous studies farther south, we do not see an increased crustal thickness beneath the Eastern Cordillera. The CAUGHT station coverage is also ideal for Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) to investigate the seismic shear wave velocities in the upper crust (<30 km depth). ANT will be used to estimate the depth of basins in the northern Altiplano, and aid in constraining the upper crustal shear wave velocities for improved migration of receiver functions to depth. McQuarrie, N., Barnes, J., and Ehlers, T.A., 2008, Geometric, kinematic and erosional history of the central Andean Plateau (15-17°S), northern Bolivia: Tectonics, v. 27, TC3007, doi:10.1029/2006TC002054.

Geologic map of the northern White Hills, Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, Keith A.; Priest, Susan S.; Lundstrom, Scott C.; Block, Debra L.

2017-07-10

IntroductionThe northern White Hills map area lies within the Kingman Uplift, a regional structural high in which Tertiary rocks lie directly on Proterozoic rocks as a result of Cretaceous orogenic uplift and erosional stripping of Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata. The Miocene Salt Spring Fault forms the major structural boundary in the map area. This low-angle normal fault separates a footwall (lower plate) of Proterozoic gneisses on the east and south from a hanging wall (upper plate) of faulted middle Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks and their Proterozoic substrate. The fault is part of the South Virgin–White Hills Detachment Fault, which records significant tectonic extension that decreases from north to south. Along most of its trace, the Salt Spring Fault dips gently westward, but it also has north-dipping segments along salients. A dissected, domelike landscape on the eroded footwall, which contains antiformal salients and synformal reentrants, extends through the map area from Salt Spring Bay southward to the Golden Rule Peak area. The “Lost Basin Range” represents an upthrown block of the footwall, raised on the steeper Lost Basin Range Fault.The Salt Spring Fault, as well as the normal faults that segment its hanging wall, deform rocks that are about 16 to 10 Ma, and younger deposits overlie the faults. Rhyodacitic welded tuff about 15 Ma underlies a succession of geochemically intermediate to progressively more mafic lavas (including alkali basalt) that range from about 14.7 to 8 Ma, interfingered with sedimentary rocks and breccias in the western part of the map area. Upper Miocene strata record further filling of the extension-formed continental basins. Basins that are still present in the modern landscape reflect the youngest stages of extensional-basin formation, expressed as the downfaulted Detrital Valley and Hualapai Wash basins in the western and eastern parts of the map area, respectively, as well as the north-centrally located, northward-sagged Temple Basin. Pliocene fluvial and piedmont alluvial fan deposits record postextensional basin incision, refilling, and reincision driven by the inception and evolution of the westward-flowing Colorado River, centered north of the map area.

Geology and ground-water resources of the northern part of the Ranegras Plain area, Yuma County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Metzger, Donald George

1951-01-01

The Ranegras Plain area is part of the Basin and Range province in west-central Arizona. The report discusses rocks of pre-Cambrian, pre-Cambrian (?), Paleozoic (?), Mesozoic (?), Cretaceous (?), Cretaceous and Tertiary, Tertiary (?), Quaternary (?), and Quaternary age. All the Paleozoic (?) and Cretaceous (?) rocks and parts of the Mesozoic (?),Cretaceous and Tertiary, and Tertiary (?) rocks have been mapped as a unit because they are so intensely faulted that detailed mapping was not practical. Rocks older than Quaternary form the mountain ranges bordering the Ranegras Plain. Quaternary alluvium underlies the broad, gently sloping valley floor to depths of generally a few hundred feet, locally more. Well logs indicate that the underlying Tertiary (?) alluvium exceeds 1,100 feet in thickness. The structure of the area is controlled by faulting typical of the Basin and Range province, but the major faults are covered by alluvium and are inferred from topographic features. Ground water occurs in Quaternary and Tertiary (?) alluvium and the best aquifers are in sand and gravel of the Quaternary alluvium. Ground-water movement is, in general, to the northwest. Recharge to the aquifers is predominantly from stream flow resulting from heavy rains. There is also minor or unevaluated recharge from underflow from Butler Valley to the east, andsince 1948seepage from irrigation. Discharge is by pumping and by natural processes of underflow and evapotranspiration. In addition to small domestic and stock wells, only two irrigation wells, in the vicinity of Utting, are in use. No accurate data on pumpage are available. The safe yield from the ground-water reservoir may be less than 5,000 acre-feet and probably does not exceed 10,000 to 15,000 acre-feet per year. The quality of ground water ranges from permissible to unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The fluoride content is generally too high for the water to be considered satisfactory for use by young children.

Paleontological analysis of a lacustrine carbonaceous uranium deposit at the Anderson mine, Date Creek basin, west-central Arizona (U.S.A.)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Otton, J.K.; Bradbury, J.P.; Forester, R.M.; Hanley, J.H.

1990-01-01

The Tertiary sedimentary sequence of the Date Creek basin area of Arizona is composed principally of intertonguing alluvial-fan and lacustrine deposits. The lacustrine rocks contain large intermediate- to, locally, high-grade uranium deposits that form one of the largest uranium resources in the United States (an estimated 670,000 tons of U3O8 at an average grade of 0.023% is indicated by drilling to date). At the Anderson mine, about 50,000 tons of U3O8 occurs in lacustrine carbonaceous siltstones and mudstones (using a cutoff grade of 0.01%). The Anderson mine constitutes a new class of ore deposit, a lacustrine carbonaceous uranium deposit. Floral and faunal remains at the Anderson mine played a critical role in creating and documenting conditions necessary for uranium mineralization. Organic-rich, uraniferous rocks at the Anderson mine contain plant remains and ostracodes having remarkably detailed preservation of internal features because of infilling by opaline silica. This preservation suggests that the alkaline lake waters in the mine area contained high concentrations of dissolved silica and that silicification occurred rapidly, before compaction or cementation of the enclosing sediment. Uranium coprecipitated with the silica. Thinly laminated, dark-colored, siliceous beds contain centric diatoms preserved with carbonaceous material suggesting that lake waters at the mine were locally deep and anoxic. These alkaline, silica-charged waters and a stagnant, anoxic environment in parts of the lake were necessary conditions for the precipitation of large amounts of uranium in the lake-bottom sediments. Sediments at the Anderson mine contain plant remains and pollen that were derived from diverse vegetative zones suggesting about 1500 m of relief in the area at the time of deposition. The pollen suggests that the valley floor was semiarid and subtropical, whereas nearby mountains supported temperate deciduous forests. ?? 1990.

Biomass distribution and productivity of Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma woodlands of north-central Arizona

Treesearch

Charles C. Grier; Katherine J. Elliott; Deborah G. McCullough

1992-01-01

Above-ground biomass distribution, leaf area, above-ground net primary productivity and foliage characteristics were determined for 90- and 350-year-old Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona. These ecosystems have low biomass, leaf area and primary productivity compared with forests in wetter...

Developing a Strong Bond between Education and Local Businesses in Rural Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, William A.

This paper describes a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located at the Central Arizona College. Schools are responsible for assisting economic development in the small business and business community since industry spends $22 billion per year in retraining high school graduates and dropouts in basic education. In Pinal County, Arizona,…

Dwarf Mistletoe of Ponderosa Pine in the Southwest (FIDL)

Treesearch

Paul C. Lightle; Melvyn J. Weiss

1974-01-01

Southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobuim vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum) occurs essentially throughout the range of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum) from northern Mexico through western Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico into Colorado and central Utah. In Arizona and New Mexico it is present on more than one-third of the commercial forest acreage and is...

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, Spring 1981 to Spring 1982

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1982-01-01

The withdrawal of ground water was about 5.4 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1981, which is about 800,000 acre-feet more than the amount withdrawn in 1980. Most of the increase in 1981 was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. Through 1981, slightly more than 189 million acre-feet of ground water had been withdrawn from the ground-water reservoirs in Arizona. The report contains two small-scale maps that show ground-water pumpage by areas and the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1982, and change in water level in selected wells from 1977 to 1982. A brief text summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (USGS)

Preliminary report of investigations of springs in the Mogollon Rim region Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feth, J.H.

1954-01-01

The Geological Survey has made a reconnaissance of springs in the Mogollon Rim region in central Arizona. This region is the source of much of the water in the Gila, Salt, and Verde Rivers. The region has not previously been systematically studied with respect to the occurrence of ground water. The Mogollon Rim is an escarpment that extends about 200 miles in a northwest direction from near Clifton and Morenci in southeastern Arizona and gradually disappears north of Prescott. Lumbering, ranching, and in local areas copper mining are the principal industries. Main lines of drainage extend north on the plateau, north of the rim, and south or southwest below the rim. For convenience in discussion and because of structural differences, the region has been separated into western, central, and eastern divisions. Pre-Cambrian to Recent rocks crop out. Pre-Cambrian formations and those of Paleozoic age constitute the thickest sections. Recent basalt flows cap the plateau portion, except in the central part of the region. Large areas in valleys below the rim are occupied by lake-bed deposits. The valleys are aligned northwest, suggesting the possibility that a structural trough extends almost the full length of the rim southwest of the scarp. In some areas, erosion has caused recession of the escarpment for distances of a few miles to 10 or 15 miles from the major rim faults. The origin of late deposits of sodium Sulfate in the Verde basin has not been adequately, explained. As the salts are concentrated near mineralized districts on the southwest side of the basin, a possible genetic relationship between the two should be considered. Pre-Cambrian granite and basalt of probable Tertiary and Quaternary age are the igneous rocks most widely exposed in the region. Diabase dikes and sills are prominent in some areas; they were intruded probably during Late Cambrian time. A thickness of 2,000 feet of volcanic rocks of probable Cretaceous and Tertiary age is exposed in one area along the rim, but these rocks as yet have not been studied in detail. A hypothetical relationship is advanced to explain the coincidence in estimated volumes of rock erupted in the San Franciscan volcanic field and the volumes displaced by subsidence of the Verde basin. Fold structures are relatively uncommon in the region and are of small extent except the Holbrook dome northwest of Snowflake. High-angle faults, for the most part normal, are the most prominent structures identified. Faults parallel to the rim have been mapped in several areas. The inferred relations are shown on three diagrammatic sections. These faults are thought to account for the presence of two rims in the eastern division, and perhaps as many as three near Payson. Major orogeny in the region is believed to have occurred four times, as follows: (1) In the pre-Cambrian; (2) in Miocene(?) time southwest of the Mogollon escarpment; (3) in Pliocene (?) time at least in the Flagstaff area, and; (4) at or near the beginning of Quaternary time. The Laramide structures, prominent elsewhere on the plateau, are reflected only weakly in the rim region, so far as is known. Studies of perennial base flow of major streams draining southward from the rim indicate a sustained yield of about 175 cfs (cubic feet per second) measured at existing gaging stations. Runoff records and partial seepage runs show a loss of water between the upper reaches of the streams and the storage reservoirs. There is a general tendency for the water to become progressively more highly mineralized with increasing distance from headwater springs. Natural lakes, ponds, swamps, and cienagas are common in the eastern and western divisions of the rim. They lose considerable water, and some are fully desiccated each summer. They are of little use in their present condition, but might be developed as natural water catches from which recharge co

Hydrogeology of the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone in the San Juan structural basin, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dam, William L.; Kernodle, J.M.; Thorn, C.R.; Levings, G.W.; Craigg, S.D.

1990-01-01

This report is one in a series resulting from the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer System Analysis (RASA) study of the San Juan structural basin that began in October 1984. The purposes of the study (Welder, 1986) are to: (1) Define and evaluate the aquifer system; (2) assess the effects of past, present, and potential ground-water use on aquifers and streams, and (3) determine the availability and quality of ground water. Previous reports in this series describe the hydrogeology of the Dakota Sandstone (Craigg and others, 1989), Gallup Sandstone (Kernodle and others, 1989), Morrison Formation (Dam and others, 1990), Point Lookout Sandstone (Craigg and others, 1990), Kirtland Shale and Fruitland Formation (Kernodle and others, 1990), Menefee Formation (Levings and others, 1990), Cliff House Sandstone (Thorn and others, 1990), and Ojo Alamo Sandstone (Thorn and others, 1990) in the San Juan structural basin. This report summarizes information on the geology and the occurrence and quality of water in the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone, one of the primary water-bearing units in the regional aquifer system. Data used in this report were collected during the RASA study or derived from existing records in the U.S. Geological Survey's computerized National Water Information System (NWIS) data base, the Petroleum Information Corporation's data base, and the Dwight's ENERGYDATA Inc. BRIN database. Although all data available for the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone were considered in formulating the discussions in the text, not all those data could be plotted on the illustrations. The San Juan structural basin in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah has an area of about 21,600 square miles (fig. 1). The structural basin is about 140 miles wide and about 200 miles long. The study area is that part of the structural basin that contains rocks of Triassic and younger age; therefore, the study area is less extensive than the structural basin. Triassic through Tertiary sedimentary rocks are emphasized in this study because these units are the major aquifers in the basin. The study area is about 140 miles wide (about the same as the structural basin), 180 miles long, and has an area of about 19,400 square miles. Altitudes in the study area range from about 4,500 feet in southeastern Utah, to about 11,000 feet in the southeastern part of the basin. The area-weighted mean altitude is about 6,700 feet. Annual precipitation in the high mountainous areas along the north and east margins of the basin is as much as 45 inches, whereas annual precipitation in the lower altitude, central basin is generally less than 8 inches. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches. Data obtained from documents published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1980 and 1985) were used to calculate the population of the study area. The population in 1970 was calculated to be about 134,000. The population increased to about 194,000 in 1980,212,000 in 1982,221,000 in 1984, and then declined to about 210,000 in 1985. The economy of the basin is supported by exploration and development of natural gas, petroleum, coal, and uranium resources; urban enterprise; farming and ranching tourism, and recreation. The rise and fall in population were related to changes in the economic strength of the minerals, oil, and gas industries, and support services. Uranium-mining and -milling activities underwent rapid growth until the late 1970's when most uranium-mining activity came to an abrupt end. Likewise, the oil and gas industry prospered until about 1983 and then declined rapidly.

Potential for aquifer compaction, land subsidence, and earth fissures in Avra Valley, Pima and Pinal counties, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, S.R.

1987-01-01

Avra Valley is a large north-trending alluvial basin about 15 mi west of Tucson in Pima and Pinal Counties, Arizona. The climate of Avra Valley is semiarid, and the average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 in. Two major ephemeral streams, the Santa Cruz River and Brawley Wash, drain the area. These streams and their tributaries provide a source of recharge to an extensive alluvial aquifer that underlies the valley floor. The aquifer consists of interbedded gravel, sand, silt, and clay and contains a vast quantity of groundwater. The physiography, fertile soil, and mild climate of Avra Valley make it an ideal environment for agriculture and urban development. Although the aquifer is replenished by natural recharge and underflow, rates of recharge and underflow have not kept pace with the rate of pumping. Pumping has exceeded recharge for several decades, resulting in a lowering of groundwater levels throughout most of the valley. In places, water level declines have resulted in small amounts of aquifer compaction and land subsidence. Earth fissures, some of which may be the result of localized differential subsidence, also have been observed in the valley. Geohydrologic characteristics of Avra Valley that may contribute to potential aquifer compaction, land subsidence, and earth fissures are described. The quantitative evaluation of potential land subsidence in this report is presented as an interim land- and water-use planning tool pending acquisition and study of additional data. Because of data limitations, the evaluation is made on the assumption that future rates of compaction and subsidence in Avra Valley will be similar to those in the Eloy-Picacho area. The evaluation also assumes that water level declines in the aquifer will continue. Several factors that may reduce groundwater withdrawals, and thus the potential for compaction and subsidence in Avra Valley, were not evaluated. These factors include the enactment of the 1980 Arizona Ground-Water Management Act, the planned importation of Colorado River water by the Central Arizona Project, the increased reuse and reclamation of effluent, and the probable long-term decrease in pumping by agricultural and some industrial users. (Lantz-PTT)

Chemical and Isotopic Tracers of Natural Gas and Formation Waters in Fractured Shales, Feb 24-25, 2011

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation by J.McIntosh, M.Schlegal, and B.Bates from the University of Arizona compares the chemical and isotope formation in fractured shales with shallow drift aquifers, coalbeds and other deep geologic formations, based on the Illinois basin.

NWS Water Resource Services Branch Division

Science.gov Websites

and Service Reports Waterloo, Iowa Stakeholder Report August 10, 2017 Greenville, North Carolina Stakeholder Report June 21, 2017 Maricopa County, Arizona Stakeholder Report April 19, 2017 Austin, Texas Stakeholder Report February 8, 2017 Final Russian River Basin Partner Report, January 2016 Flash Flood

Geophysical Tools for an Improved Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model of the Big Chino Sub-basin, Central Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macy, J. P.; Kennedy, J.

2017-12-01

Water users and managers who rely on the Verde River system and its aquifers for water supplies have an intrinsic interest in developing the best possible tools for assessing the effects of groundwater withdrawals. Past, present, and future groundwater withdrawals from the Big Chino sub-basin will affect groundwater levels in the Big Chino area and groundwater discharge at the headwaters of the Verde River, specifically at the Upper Verde Springs, which is believed to be a major discharge zone of groundwater from the sub-basin. The amount and timing of reduced discharge as base flow is a function of connections between hydrogeologic (aquifer) units, aquifer storage properties and transmissivity, and proximity of withdrawal locations to discharge areas. To better define the aquifer units and aquifer storage properties, the United States Geological Survey, Cities of Prescott and Prescott Valley, and Salt River Project have initiated an ongoing geophysical study using controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) and repeat microgravity methods. CSAMT, a high-energy electromagnetic method sensitive to lithologic variations between rock and sediment types, is useful for defining aquifers at depths of up to 600 meters. Visual display of CSAMT profiles using Google Earth is useful for understanding and visualizing the relation between geophysics and Big Chino Sub-basin hydrogeology. Initial results from repeat microgravity surveys, which measure changes in subsurface mass (and therefore aquifer storage) over time, reveal spatial variation in the relation between aquifer storage changes and groundwater level changes. This variation reflects different confining conditions and multiple aquifer systems in different parts of the aquifer. Information about confining conditions and multiple aquifers could improve numerical groundwater models and predictions of future groundwater-level and base-flow depletion.

Streamflow in the upper Santa Cruz River basin, Santa Cruz and Pima Counties, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Condes de la Torre, Alberto

1970-01-01

Streamflow records obtained in the upper Santa Cruz River basin of southern Arizona, United States, and northern Sonora, Mexico, have been analyzed to aid in the appraisal of the surface-water resources of the area. Records are available for 15 sites, and the length of record ranges from 60 years for the gaging station on the Santa .Cruz River at Tucson to 6 years for Pantano Wash near Vail. The analysis provides information on flow duration, low-flow frequency magnitude, flood-volume frequency and magnitude, and storage requirements to maintain selected draft rates. Flood-peak information collected from the gaging stations has been projected on a regional basis from which estimates of flood magnitude and frequency may be made for any site in the basin. Most streams in the 3,503-square-mile basin are ephemeral. Ground water sustains low flows only at Santa Cruz River near Nogales, Sonoita Creek near Patagonia, and Pantano Wash near Vail. Elsewhere, flow occurs only in direct response to precipitation. The median number of days per year in which there is no flow ranges from 4 at Sonoita Creek near Patagonia to 335 at Rillito Creek near Tomson. The streamflow is extremely variable from year to year, and annual flows have a coefficient of variation close to or exceeding unity at most stations. Although the amount of flow in the basin is small most of the time, the area is subject to floods. Most floods result from high-intensity precipitation caused by thunderstorms during the period ,July to September. Occasionally, when snowfall at the lower altitudes is followed by rain, winter floods produce large volumes of flow.

Hydrogeologic framework and characterization of the Truxton Aquifer on the Hualapai Reservation, Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bills, Donald J.; Macy, Jamie P.

2016-12-30

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, developed this study to determine an estimate of groundwater in storage in the Truxton aquifer on the Hualapai Reservation in northwestern Arizona. For this study, the Truxton aquifer is defined as the unconfined, saturated groundwater in the unconsolidated to semiconsolidated older and younger basin-fill deposits of the Truxton basin overlying bedrock. The physical characteristics of the Truxton aquifer have not been well characterized in the past. In particular, the depth to impermeable granite bedrock and thickness of the basin are known in only a few locations where water wells have penetrated into the granite. Increasing water demands on the Truxton aquifer by both tribal and nontribal water users have led to concern about the long-term sustainability of this water resource. The Hualapai Tribe currently projects an increase of their water needs from about 300 acre-feet (acre-ft) per year to about 780 acre-ft per year by 2050 to support the community of Peach Springs, Arizona, and the southern part of the reservation. This study aimed to quantitatively develop better knowledge of aquifer characteristics, including aquifer storage and capacity, using (1) surface resistivity data collected along transects and (2) analysis of existing geologic, borehole, precipitation, water use, and water-level data.The surface resistivity surveys indicated that the depth to granite along the survey lines varied from less than 100 feet (ft) to more than 1,300 ft below land surface on the Hualapai Reservation. The top of the granite bedrock is consistent with the erosional character of the Truxton basin and exhibits deep paleochannels filled with basin-fill deposits consistent with the results of surface resistivity surveys and borehole logs from wells. The estimated average saturated thickness of the Truxton aquifer on the Hualapai Reservation is about 330 ft (with an estimated range of 260 to 390 ft), based on both resistivity results and the depth to water in wells. The saturated thickness might be greater in parts of the Truxton aquifer where paleochannels are incised into the granite underlying the basin-fill sediments. The estimated groundwater storage of the Truxton aquifer on the Hualapai Reservation ranges from 420,000 to 940,000 acre-ft and does not include groundwater storage in the aquifer outside the Hualapai Reservation boundary. In addition, the calculation of total storage in the Truxton aquifer does not determine nor indicate the availability and sustainability of that groundwater as a long-term resource. These results compared well with studies done on alluvial-basin aquifers in areas adjacent to this study. The part of the Truxton aquifer on the Hualapai Reservation represents about 20 percent of the entire aquifer.

From the greenhouse to the field: Cultivation requirements of Arizona cliffrose (Purshia subintegra)

Treesearch

Joanne E. Baggs; Joyce Maschinski

2001-01-01

Central to the conservation of the federally endangered Purshia subintegra (Arizona cliffrose) is development of an understanding of its cultivation requirements. This knowledge will enable us to augment declining or threatened populations as well as preserve genotypes impacted by human activities. We studied seed and stem cutting propagation of P. subintegra. The...

Stripcut-thinning of ponderosa pine stands: An Arizona case study

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott; Malchus Baker

2001-01-01

Growth and structural changes in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stands were studied over a 25-year posttreatment period to determine the impacts of a combined stripcut-thinning treatment. Trees on one-third of a watershed in north-central Arizona had been removed in clear-cut strips. Trees in the "leave" strips were thinned. Number of...

Potential for travertine formation: Fossil Creek, Arizona

Treesearch

John Malusa; Steven T. Overby; Roderic A. Parnell

2003-01-01

Chemical analyses of water emanating from Fossil Springs in Central Arizona were conducted to predict changes in travertine deposition related to changes in stream discharge caused by diversion for hydroelectric power generation. During spring of 1996, water was sampled at 15 locations during normal seepage flow in a 6.7 km reach below Fossil Springs and at full...

Economic Engines: Rural Colleges Adapt to the Needs of a Changing Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Corey

2010-01-01

With Arizona's mining industry in decline and its construction and housing market racked by economic upheaval, workers in rural regions across the state are enrolling in community colleges at a record clip. At Central Arizona College (CAC), administrators have reported 16 percent to 20 percent growth each semester for three years running. Georgia…

Implementing Educational Language Policy in Arizona: Legal, Historical and Current Practices in SEI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arias, M. Beatriz, Ed.; Faltis, Christian, Ed.

2012-01-01

This volume is a unique contribution to the study of language policy and education for English Learners because it focuses on the decade long implementation of "English Only" in Arizona. How this policy influences teacher preparation and classroom practice is the central topic of this volume. Scholars and researchers present their latest…

A reconnaissance of small mammal communities in Garland and Government prairies, Arizona

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; Carol L. Chambers

2011-01-01

Small mammals play key ecological roles in grassland ecosystems, yet little is known regarding small mammal communities in large (>50 km2), high-elevation prairies embedded in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in north central Arizona. To provide information on community composition and habitat relationships, we live-trapped small mammals on 6 transects in 2...

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2004-01-01

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

78 FR 41954 - TA-W-82,634, Prudential Global Business Technology Solutions Central Security Services Dresher...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... Business Technology Solutions Central Security Services Iselin, New Jersey; TA-W-82,634B, Prudential Global Business Technology Solutions Central Security Services Plymouth, Minnesota; TA- W-82,634C, Prudential Global Business Technology Solutions Central Security Services Scottsdale, Arizona; TA-W-82,634D...

Jaguar taxonomy and genetic diversity for southern Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Culver, Melanie; Hein, Alexander Ochoa

2016-06-28

Executive SummaryThe jaguar is the largest Neotropical felid and the only extant representative of the genus Panthera in the Americas. In recorded history, the jaguars range has extended from the Southern United States, throughout Mexico, to Central and South America, and they occupy a wide variety of habitats. A previous jaguar genetic study found high historical levels of gene flow among jaguar populations over broad areas but did not include any samples of jaguar from the States of Arizona, United States, or Sonora, Mexico. Arizona and Sonora have been part of the historical distribution of jaguars; however, poaching and habitat fragmentation have limited their distribution until they were declared extinct in the United States and endangered in Sonora. Therefore, a need was apparent to have this northernmost (Arizona/Sonora) jaguar population included in an overall jaguar molecular taxonomy and genetic diversity analyses. In this study, we used molecular genetic markers to examine diversity and taxonomy for jaguars in the Northwestern Jaguar Recovery Unit (NJRU; Sonora, Sinaloa, and Jalisco, Mexico; and southern Arizona and New Mexico, United States) relative to jaguars in other parts of the jaguar range (Central and South America). The objectives of this study were to:Collect opportunistic jaguar samples (hide, blood, hair, saliva, and scat), from historical and current individuals, that originated in NJRU areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora;Use these samples to assess molecular taxonomy of NJRU jaguars compared to data from a previous study of jaguars rangewide; andDevelop suggestions for conservation of NJRU jaguars based on the results.

Investigation of the structure and lithology of bedrock concealed by basin fill, using ground-based magnetic-field-profile data acquired in the San Rafael Basin, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, Mark W.

2013-01-01

Data on the Earth’s total-intensity magnetic field acquired near ground level and at measurement intervals as small as 1 m include information on the spatial distribution of nearsurface magnetic dipoles that in many cases are unique to a specific lithology. Such spatial information is expressed in the texture (physical appearance or characteristics) of the data at scales of hundreds of meters to kilometers. These magnetic textures are characterized by several descriptive statistics, their power spectrum, and their multifractal spectrum. On the basis of a graphical comparison and textural characterization, ground-based magnetic-field profile data can be used to estimate bedrock lithology concealed by as much as 100 m of basin fill in some cases, information that is especially important in assessing and exploring for concealed mineral deposits. I demonstrate that multifractal spectra of ground-based magnetic-field-profile data can be used to differentiate exposed lithologies and that the shape and position of the multifractal spectrum of the ground-based magnetic-field-profile of concealed lithologies can be matched to the upward-continued multifractal spectrum of an exposed lithology to help distinguish the concealed lithology. In addition, ground-based magnetic-field-profile data also detect minute differences in the magnetic susceptibility of rocks over small horizontal and vertical distances and so can be used for precise modeling of bedrock geometry and structure, even when that bedrock is concealed by 100 m or more of nonmagnetic basin fill. Such data contain valuable geologic information on the bedrock concealed by basin fill that may not be so visible in aeromagnetic data, including areas of hydrothermal alteration, faults, and other bedrock structures. Interpretation of these data in the San Rafael Basin, southeastern Arizona, has yielded results for estimating concealed lithologies, concealed structural geology, and a concealed potential mineral-resource target.

A study of uranium favorability of Cenozoic sedimentary rocks, Basin and Range Province, Arizona: Part I, General geology and chronology of pre-late Miocene Cenozoic sedimentary rocks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scarborough, Robert Bryan; Wilt, Jan Carol

1979-01-01

This study focuses attention on Cenozoic sedimentary rocks in the Basin and Range Province of Arizona. The known occurrences of uranium and anomalous radioactivity in these rocks are associated with sediments that accumulated in a low energy environment characterized by fine-grained clastics, including important tuffaceous materials, and carbonate rocks. Most uranium occurrences, in these rocks appear to be stratabound. Emphasis was placed on those sedimentary materials that pre-date the late Cenozoic Basin and Range disturbance. They are deformed and crop out on pedimented range blocks and along the province interface with the Transition Zone. Three tentative age groups are recognized: Group I - Oligocene, pre-22 m.y., Group II - early Miocene - 22 m.y. - 16 m.y., and Group III - middle Miocene - 16 m.y. to 13--10 m.y. Regionally, these three groups contain both coarse to fine-grained red clastics and low energy lighter colored 'lacustrine' phases. Each of the three groups has been the object of uranium exploration. Group II, the early Miocene strata, embraces the Anderson Mine - Artillery region host rocks and also the New River - Cave Creek early Miocene beds-along the boundary with the Transition Zone. These three groups of rocks have been tectonically deformed to the extent that original basins of deposition cannot yet be reconstructed. However, they were considerably more extensive in size than the late Cenozoic basins the origin of which deformed the former. Group II rocks are judged to be of prime interest because of: (1) the development and preservation of organic matter in varying lithologies, (2) apparent contemporaneity with silicic volcanic centers, (3) influence of Precambrian crystalline rocks, and (4) relative outcrop continuity near the stable Transition Zone. The Transition Zone, especially along its boundary with the Basin and Range Province, needs additional geologic investigation, especially as regards the depositional continuity of Group II sediment s.

Epizootiology of arenaviral infections in the white-throated woodrat (Muridae: Sigmodontinae) and other woodrats in Arizona.

PubMed

Abbott, Ken D; Milazzo, Mary L; Keith, Josh; Bradley, Robert D; Fulhorst, Charles F

2004-12-01

The purpose of this study was to extend and refine our knowledge of the geographical distribution and natural host relationships of the arenaviruses associated with woodrats indigenous to Arizona. Antibody to a Tacaribe serocomplex virus was found in 112 of 1,250 white-throated woodrats, five of 208 Mexican woodrats, one of 114 Stephen's woodrats, and none of 862 other rodents captured at 51 sites in 10 counties in Arizona. Of the 112 antibody-positive white-throated woodrats, 109 (97.3%) were captured within extensive, dense patches of prickly pear cactus and cane cholla in three counties in mid-central Arizona. Analysis of the serological and zoographical data suggested that white-throated woodrats usually become infected early in life and that the distribution of antibody-positive white-throated woodrats in Arizona is not linked to a specific biome.

Regional groundwater-flow model of the Redwall-Muav, Coconino, and alluvial basin aquifer systems of northern and central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, D.R.; Blasch, Kyle W.; Callegary, James B.; Leake, Stanley A.; Graser, Leslie F.

2011-01-01

A numerical flow model (MODFLOW) of the groundwater flow system in the primary aquifers in northern Arizona was developed to simulate interactions between the aquifers, perennial streams, and springs for predevelopment and transient conditions during 1910 through 2005. Simulated aquifers include the Redwall-Muav, Coconino, and basin-fill aquifers. Perennial stream reaches and springs that derive base flow from the aquifers were simulated, including the Colorado River, Little Colorado River, Salt River, Verde River, and perennial reaches of tributary streams. Simulated major springs include Blue Spring, Del Rio Springs, Havasu Springs, Verde River headwater springs, several springs that discharge adjacent to major Verde River tributaries, and many springs that discharge to the Colorado River. Estimates of aquifer hydraulic properties and groundwater budgets were developed from published reports and groundwater-flow models. Spatial extents of aquifers and confining units were developed from geologic data, geophysical models, a groundwater-flow model for the Prescott Active Management Area, drill logs, geologic logs, and geophysical logs. Spatial and temporal distributions of natural recharge were developed by using a water-balance model that estimates recharge from direct infiltration. Additional natural recharge from ephemeral channel infiltration was simulated in alluvial basins. Recharge at wastewater treatment facilities and incidental recharge at agricultural fields and golf courses were also simulated. Estimates of predevelopment rates of groundwater discharge to streams, springs, and evapotranspiration by phreatophytes were derived from previous reports and on the basis of streamflow records at gages. Annual estimates of groundwater withdrawals for agriculture, municipal, industrial, and domestic uses were developed from several sources, including reported withdrawals for nonexempt wells, estimated crop requirements for agricultural wells, and estimated per capita water use for exempt wells. Accuracy of the simulated groundwater-flow system was evaluated by using observational control from water levels in wells, estimates of base flow from streamflow records, and estimates of spring discharge. Major results from the simulations include the importance of variations in recharge rates throughout the study area and recharge along ephemeral and losing stream reaches in alluvial basins. Insights about the groundwater-flow systems in individual basins include the hydrologic influence of geologic structures in some areas and that stream-aquifer interactions along the lower part of the Little Colorado River are an effective control on water level distributions throughout the Little Colorado River Plateau basin. Better information on several aspects of the groundwater flow system are needed to reduce uncertainty of the simulated system. Many areas lack documentation of the response of the groundwater system to changes in withdrawals and recharge. Data needed to define groundwater flow between vertically adjacent water-bearing units is lacking in many areas. Distributions of recharge along losing stream reaches are poorly defined. Extents of aquifers and alluvial lithologies are poorly defined in parts of the Big Chino and Verde Valley sub-basins. Aquifer storage properties are poorly defined throughout most of the study area. Little data exist to define the hydrologic importance of geologic structures such as faults and fractures. Discharge of regional groundwater flow to the Verde River is difficult to identify in the Verde Valley sub-basin because of unknown contributions from deep percolation of excess surface water irrigation.

Chapter 1. Introduction

Treesearch

Paul R. Fish; Suzanne K. Fish

2006-01-01

The Malpai Borderlands study area is in those portions of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that have been biogeographically described as the Madrean Archipelago (DeBano and others 1994: 580). The area covers approximately 1,600 square miles of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province south of the Rocky Mountains and north of the Sierra Madre...

Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.: blackbrush

Treesearch

Burton K. Pendleton

2008-01-01

Blackbrush - Coleogyne ramosissima Torr. - grows in the transition zone between warm and cold deserts of southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, northern Arizona, and southwestern Colorado. It is found at elevations of 760 to 1,980 m. Ranging from 0.3 to 1.2 m in height, blackbrush forms almost monotypic stands in the lower Mojave-Great Basin ecotone,...

Risk-based residential HLB/ACP survey for California, Texas and Arizona

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The recent discoveries of HLB in the Los Angeles Basin and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas underscore the imminent danger of HLB spread in these two States and the urgent need for highly sensitive survey methods for early detection of new residential infections of HLB combined with rapid intervention...

Evolution of Surface Water Conditions in the Gulf of California During the Past 2000 years: Implications for the North American Monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, J. A.; Bukry, D.; Addison, J. A.; McGann, M.; Schwartz, V.; McGeehin, J. P.; McClymont, E.

2015-12-01

High-resolution analyses of diatoms, silicoflagellates, biogenic silica, and alkenones in laminated sediment cores from the Guaymas Basin (central Gulf of California) reveal pronounced changes in surface water conditions over the past 2000 years. Prior to ~AD 1200, surface waters in the western Guaymas Basin (boxcore MD02-2517c2 at 27.4850° N, 112.0743°W, water depth 887 m) were characterized by high biologic productivity with alternating assemblages of productive diatoms (Thalassionema nitzschioides, Fragilariopsis doliolus) and silicoflagellates (Octactis pulchra, Dictyocha stapedia). Beginning at ~ AD 1200 productivity declined abruptly in two steps (at ~AD 1200 and ~1500) that were marked by increases in the relative abundance of tropical diatoms and silicoflagellates. In contrast, eastern Guaymas Basin Kasten Core BAM80 E-17 (27.920° N, 111.610°W, 620 m of water depth), was dominated by high biosiliceous productivity during the past 2000 years with increases corresponding to solar minima, arguing that an intensification of winter northwest winds drove coastal upwelling. In both Guaymas Basin records silicoflagellate assemblages suggest surface-water cooling during Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; ~AD 800-1200) relative to the intervals before and after. Together, these records support a cooler La Niña-like MCA followed by a warmer El Niño-like Little Ice Age, similar to results obtained from the Santa Barbara Basin to the north. During La Niñas, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) occupies a more northerly position in the eastern tropical Pacific, facilitating summertime surges of Pacific tropical moisture up the Gulf and higher monsoonal precipitation in the southwestern US. A modeling study by Song Feng et al. (2008, JGR) of the broader MCA (AD 800-1300) utilizes La Niña-like Pacific sea surface temperatures to argues for an intensified North American Monsoon during the MCA. Limited terrestrial proxy records from Arizona and New Mexico are supportive.

The Paleogene California River: Evidence of Mojave-Uinta paleodrainage from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, S.J.; Dickinson, W.R.; Gehrels, G.E.; Spencer, J.E.; Lawton, T.F.; Carroll, A.R.

2010-01-01

U-Pb age spectra of detrital zircons in samples from the Paleogene Colton Formation in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah and the Late Cretaceous McCoy Mountains Formation of southwestern Arizona (United States) are statistically indistinguishable. This finding refutes previous inferences that arkosic detritus of the Colton was derived from cratonic basement exposed by Laramide tectonism, and instead establishes the Cordilleran magmatic arc (which also provided sediment to the McCoy Mountains Formation) as the primary source. Given the existence of a north-south-trending drainage divide in eastern Nevada and the north-northeast direction of Laramide paleoflow throughout Arizona and southern Utah, we infer that a large river system headed in the arc of the Mojave region flowed northeast ~700 km to the Uinta Basin. Named after its source area, this Paleogene California River would have been equal in scale but opposite in direction to the modern Green River-Colorado River system, and the timing and causes of the subsequent drainage reversal are important constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Cordillera and the Colorado Plateau. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

Simulating Streamflow Using Bias-corrected Multiple Satellite Rainfall Products in the Tekeze Basin, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abitew, T. A.; Roy, T.; Serrat-Capdevila, A.; van Griensven, A.; Bauwens, W.; Valdes, J. B.

2016-12-01

The Tekeze Basin supports one of Africans largest Arch Dam located in northern Ethiopian has vital role in hydropower generation. However, little has been done on the hydrology of the basin due to limited in situ hydroclimatological data. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to simulate streamflow upstream of the Tekeze Dam using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) forced by bias-corrected multiple satellite rainfall products (CMORPH, TMPA and PERSIANN-CCS). This talk will present the potential as well as skills of bias-corrected satellite rainfall products for streamflow prediction in in Tropical Africa. Additionally, the SWAT model results will also be compared with previous conceptual Hydrological models (HyMOD and HBV) from SERVIR Streamflow forecasting in African Basin project (http://www.swaat.arizona.edu/index.html).

Geology and ground-water resources of the Douglas basin, Arizona, with a section on chemical quality of the ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coates, Donald Robert; Cushman, R.L.; Hatchett, James Lawrence

1955-01-01

year period 1947-51, inclusive. Most irrigation wells in the Douglas basin are less than 200 feet in depth and usually produce less than 400 gpm (gallons per minute). The average specific capacity of the wells is about 12 gpm per foot of drawdown. Although water in some parts of the basin is artesian, all irrigation wells must be pumped. Ground water in the basin is generally of excellent to good quality for irrigation use, In small areas along the southern part of Whitewater Draw and east of Douglas the ground water is high in dissolved-solids content. Although most of the water is hard, it is generally satisfactory for domestic use. In many areas the fluoride content is more than 1.5 ppm (parts per million).

Elastic expansion of the lithosphere caused by groundwater withdrawal in south-central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, T.L.

1979-01-01

Relative crustal uplift observed from 1948-1949 to 1967 in the Lower Santa Cruz River Basin in south-central Arizona is attributed at least in part to elastic expansion of the lithosphere induced by the removal, and subsequent loss by evapo transpiration, of 4.35 ?? 1013 kg of groundwater from alluvium. The area of unloading is approximately 8070 km2. Uplift, relative to an apparently stable area west of the unloaded area, was observed in two areas near Casa Grande and Florence where crystalline bedrock is either close to the land surface or crops out through alluvium from which groundwater was withdrawn. The magnitudes of uplift were approximately 6.3 and 7.5 cm respectively. The observations are based on first-order leveling. The observations are significant at three standard deviations for random surveying errors, and are not believed to be affected by systematic errors. However, the 7.5-cm uplift observed at Florence may be from 1 to 2 cm in excess of the actual uplift because of the possibility of subsidence of a tie point due to groundwater pumping during the leveling in 1948-1949. Uplift is attributed to groundwater withdrawal on three bases. First, the observed uplift is consistent with a theoretical evaluation of elastic expansion based on linear elasticity theory. For the observed distribution of unloading and uplift and a Poisson's ratio of 0.25, a Young's modulus for the lithosphere of approximately 0.68 Mbar is implied. This value is comparable to values of the lithosphere reported elsewhere. Second, the magnitude of uplift compares favorably with the magnitude of elastic depression caused by the formation of Lake Mead, Arizona-Nevada, 430 km northwest of the study area, when allowance is made for the different magnitudes and areal distributions of surface (un)loading. And third, in the area near Casa Grande, a reversal in the sense of bedrock displacement form subsidence of tectonic origin to uplift approximately coincided with the beginning of large groundwater overdraft. The uplift from 1948 to 1967 near Casa Grande was preceded from 1905 to 1948 by 7-8 cm of tectonic subsidence; no precise data for the area near Florence are available before 1948. ?? 1979.

Changes in snag populations in northern Arizona mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests, 1997-2002

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; Scott C. Vojta

2005-01-01

Snags (standing dead trees) are important components of forests that contribute to ecological processes and provide habitat for many life forms. We monitored dynamics of snag populations on 1-ha plots in southwestern mixed-conifer (n = 53 plots) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa, n = 60 plots) forests in north-central Arizona from 1997 to 2002. Of...

Survival and sprouting responses of Chihuahua Pine after the Rodeo-Chediski Fire on the Mogollon Rim, Arizona

Treesearch

Kenneth H. Baumgartner; Peter Z. Fule

2007-01-01

Chihuahua pines (Pinus leiophylla Schiede and Deppe var. chihuahuana Engelmann) were surveyed on 11 study plots on the Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona to compare characteristics of trees that sprouted from the base or root collar after the Rodeo-Chediski fire with those of trees that did not sprout. The differences in trees...

Effects of three mulch treatments on initial postfire erosion in north-central Arizona

Treesearch

George H. Riechers; Jan L. Beyers; Peter R. Robichaud; Karen Jennings; Erin Kreutz; Jeff Moll

2008-01-01

Mulching after wildfires is a common treatment designed to protect bare ground from raindrop impact and reduce subsequent erosion. We tested the effectiveness of three mulching methods on the Indian Fire near Prescott, Arizona, USA. The first method felled all fire-killed trees, chipped the logs and limbs, and spread the chips across the hillslope with a mobile...

Coarse woody debris assay in northern Arizona mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; Scott C. Vojta

2010-01-01

Coarse woody debris (CWD) provides important ecosystem services in forests and affects fire behavior, yet information on amounts and types of CWD typically is limited. To provide such information, we sampled logs and stumps in mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in north-central Arizona. Spatial variability was prominent for all CWD parameters....

Enhancing drought resilience with conjunctive use and managed aquifer recharge in California and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Reedy, Robert C.; Faunt, Claudia; Pool, Donald R.; Uhlman, Kristine;

2016-01-01

Projected longer‐term droughts and intense floods underscore the need to store more water to manage climate extremes. Here we show how depleted aquifers have been used to store water by substituting surface water use for groundwater pumpage (conjunctive use, CU) or recharging groundwater with surface water (Managed Aquifer Recharge, MAR). Unique multi‐decadal monitoring from thousands of wells and regional modeling datasets for the California Central Valley and central Arizona were used to assess CU and MAR. In addition to natural reservoir capacity related to deep water tables, historical groundwater depletion further expanded aquifer storage by ~44 km3 in the Central Valley and by ~100 km3 in Arizona, similar to or exceeding current surface reservoir capacity by up to three times. Local river water and imported surface water, transported through 100s of km of canals, is substituted for groundwater (≤15 km3/yr, CU) or is used to recharge groundwater (MAR, ≤1.5 km3/yr) during wet years shifting to mostly groundwater pumpage during droughts. In the Central Valley, CU and MAR locally reversed historically declining water‐level trends, which contrasts with simulated net regional groundwater depletion. In Arizona, CU and MAR also reversed historically declining groundwater level trends in Active Management Areas. These rising trends contrast with current declining trends in irrigated areas that lack access to surface water to support CU or MAR. Use of depleted aquifers as reservoirs could expand with winter flood irrigation or capturing flood discharges to the Pacific (0 – 1.6 km3/yr, 2000–2014) with additional infrastructure in California. Because flexibility and expanded portfolio options translate to resilience, CU and MAR enhance drought resilience through multi‐year storage, complementing shorter term surface reservoir storage, and facilitating water markets.

Application of hydrologic tools and monitoring to support managed aquifer recharge decision making in the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lacher, Laurel J.; Turner, Dale S.; Gungle, Bruce W.; Bushman, Brooke M.; Richter, Holly E.

2014-01-01

The San Pedro River originates in Sonora, Mexico, and flows north through Arizona, USA, to its confluence with the Gila River. The 92-km Upper San Pedro River is characterized by interrupted perennial flow, and serves as a vital wildlife corridor through this semiarid to arid region. Over the past century, groundwater pumping in this bi-national basin has depleted baseflows in the river. In 2007, the United States Geological Survey published the most recent groundwater model of the basin. This model served as the basis for predictive simulations, including maps of stream flow capture due to pumping and of stream flow restoration due to managed aquifer recharge. Simulation results show that ramping up near-stream recharge, as needed, to compensate for downward pumping-related stress on the water table, could sustain baseflows in the Upper San Pedro River at or above 2003 levels until the year 2100 with less than 4.7 million cubic meters per year (MCM/yr). Wet-dry mapping of the river over a period of 15 years developed a body of empirical evidence which, when combined with the simulation tools, provided powerful technical support to decision makers struggling to manage aquifer recharge to support baseflows in the river while also accommodating the economic needs of the basin.

Wide Angle Movie

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This brief movie illustrates the passage of the Moon through the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft's wide-angle camera field of view as the spacecraft passed by the Moon on the way to its closest approach with Earth on August 17, 1999. From beginning to end of the sequence, 25 wide-angle images (with a spatial image scale of about 14 miles per pixel (about 23 kilometers)were taken over the course of 7 and 1/2 minutes through a series of narrow and broadband spectral filters and polarizers, ranging from the violet to the near-infrared regions of the spectrum, to calibrate the spectral response of the wide-angle camera. The exposure times range from 5 milliseconds to 1.5 seconds. Two of the exposures were smeared and have been discarded and replaced with nearby images to make a smooth movie sequence. All images were scaled so that the brightness of Crisium basin, the dark circular region in the upper right, is approximately the same in every image. The imaging data were processed and released by the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPS)at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, AZ.

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/Cassini Imaging Team/University of Arizona

Cassini, launched in 1997, is a joint mission of NASA, the European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.

78 FR 54394 - Determination of Attainment for the West Central Pinal Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-04

...] Determination of Attainment for the West Central Pinal Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine Particle Standard... Central Pinal nonattainment area in Arizona has attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM 2.5 ) National... NAAQS \\2\\ for [[Page 54395

Evaluating Impacts of Land Use/Land Cover Change on Water Resources in Semiarid Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, B. R.; Faunt, C. C.; Pool, D. R.; Reedy, R. C.

2017-12-01

Land use/land cover (LU/LC) changes play an integral role in water resources by controlling the partitioning of water at the land surface. Here we evaluate impacts of changing LU/LC on water resources in response to climate variation and change and land use change related to agriculture using data from semiarid regions in the southwestern U.S. Land cover changes in response to climate can amplify or dampen climate impacts on water resources. Changes from wet Pleistocene to much drier Holocene climate resulted in expansion of perennial vegetation, amplifying climate change impacts on water resources by reducing groundwater recharge as shown in soil profiles in the southwestern U.S.. In contrast, vegetation response to climate extremes, including droughts and floods, dampen impacts of these extremes on water resources, as shown by water budget monitoring in the Mojave Desert. Agriculture often involves changes from native perennial vegetation to annual crops increasing groundwater recharge in many semiarid regions. Irrigation based on conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater increases water resource availability, as shown in the Central Valley of California and in southern Arizona. Surface water irrigation in these regions is enhanced by water transported from more humid settings through extensive pipelines. These projects have reversed long-term declining groundwater trends in some regions. While irrigation design has often focused on increased efficiency, "more crop per drop", optimal water resource management may benefit more from inefficient (e.g. flood irrigation) surface-water irrigation combined with efficient (e.g. subsurface drip) irrigation to maximize groundwater recharge, as seen in parts of the Central Valley. Flood irrigation of perennial crops, such as almonds and vineyards, during winter is being considered in the Central Valley to enhance groundwater recharge. Managed aquifer recharge can be considered a special case of conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater use where spreading basins focus recharge in southern California and Arizona. This overview highlights the importance of changes in LU/LC in controlling water budgets in semiarid regions. Understanding these controls should allow us to better manage water resources.

The Impact of Forest Thinning on the Reliability of Water Supply in Central Arizona

PubMed Central

Simonit, Silvio; Connors, John P.; Yoo, James; Kinzig, Ann; Perrings, Charles

2015-01-01

Economic growth in Central Arizona, as in other semiarid systems characterized by low and variable rainfall, has historically depended on the effectiveness of strategies to manage water supply risks. Traditionally, the management of supply risks includes three elements: hard infrastructures, landscape management within the watershed, and a supporting set of institutions of which water markets are frequently the most important. In this paper we model the interactions between these elements. A forest restoration initiative in Central Arizona (the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, or 4FRI) will result in thinning of ponderosa pine forests in the upper watershed, with potential implications for both sedimentation rates and water delivery to reservoirs. Specifically, we model the net effect of ponderosa pine forest thinning across the Salt and Verde River watersheds on the reliability and cost of water supply to the Phoenix metropolitan area. We conclude that the sediment impacts of forest thinning (up to 50% of canopy cover) are unlikely to compromise the reliability of the reservoir system while thinning has the potential to increase annual water supply by 8%. This represents an estimated net present value of surface water storage of $104 million, considering both water consumption and hydropower generation. PMID:25835003

Sedimentation and subsidence patterns in the central and north basins of Lake Baikal from seismic stratigraphy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, T.C.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Golmshtok, A.J.; Weber, E.

1997-01-01

Comparison of sedimentation patterns, basement subsidence, and faulting histories in the north and central basins of Lake Baikal aids in developing an interbasinal seismic stratigraphy that reveals the early synrift evolution of the central portion of the Baikal rift, a major continental rift system. Although there is evidence that the central and northern rift basins evolved at approximately the same time, their sedimentation histories are markedly different. Primary sediment sources for the initial rift phase were from the east flank of the rift; two major deltas developed adjacent to the central basin: the Selenga delta at the south end and the Barguzin delta at the north end. The Barguzin River system, located at the accommodation zone between the central and north basins, also fed into the southern part of the north basin and facilitated the stratigraphic linkage of the two basins. A shift in the regional tectonic environment in the mid Pliocene(?) created a second rift phase distinguished by more rapid subsidence and sediment accumulation in the north basin and by increased subsidence and extensive faulting in the central basin. The Barguzin delta ceased formation and parts of the old delta system were isolated within the north basin and on Academic Ridge. These isolated deltaic deposits provide a model for the development of hydrocarbon plays within ancient rift systems. In this second tectonic phase, the dominant sediment fill in the deeper and more rapidly subsiding north basin shifted from the flexural (eastern) margin to axial transport from the Upper Angara River at the north end of the basin.

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1982 to spring 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1984-01-01

The withdrawal of ground water was slightly less than 4.2 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1982, which is about 1.2 million acre-feet less than the amount withdrawn in 1981. Most of the decrease in 1982 was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. Through 1982, slightly more than 193 million acre-feet of ground water had been withdrawn from the ground-water reservoirs in Arizona. The report contains three small-scale maps that show ground-water pumpage by areas, the status of the ground-water inventory and observation-well program, and the ground-water quality sampling program. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1983, and change in water level in selected wells from 1978 to 1983. A brief text summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (USGS)

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Final Environmental Impact Statement Supersonic Flight Operations in the Valentine Military Operations Area

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-04

Arizona, and the Uinta Basin Seismological Observatory near Vernal, Utah. The seismometer locations at Edwards AFB were on a quartz monzonite outcrop and a...sandstone and limestone section covered the seismometer array area. The array area at the Uinta Basin site consisted of fluviatile, friable, cross...ONuSU"a 00121� SUSCOMIMM oil &MMN OOllTVlCl OqMCA OSM A O&O T U.&L COal .a n od - pNOW I" ""I564-746- Congress of the ’United * atets C P*C•TO

International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Third Thematic Conference: Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology, Colorado Springs, CO, April 16-19, 1984, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

A photogeologic and remote sensing model of porphyry type mineral sytems is considered along with a Landsat application to development of a tectonic model for hydrocarbon exploration of Devonian shales in west-central Virginia, remote sensing and the funnel philosophy, Landsat-based tectonic and metallogenic synthesis of the southwest United States, and an evolving paradigm for computer vision. Attention is given to the neotectonics of the Tibetan plateau deduced from Landsat MSS image interpretation, remote sensing in northern Arizona, the use of an airborne laser system for vegetation inventories and geobotanical prospecting, an evaluation of Thematic Mapper data for hydrocarbon exploration in low-relief basins, and an evaluation of the information content of high spectral resolution imagery. Other topics explored are related to a major source of new radar data for exploration research, the accuracy of geologic maps produced from Landsat data, and an approach for the geometric rectification of radar imagery.

The hidden treasures of long-term paired watershed monitoring in the forests and grasslands of Arizona, USA

Treesearch

B. Poff; D. G. Neary; V. Henderson; A. Tecle

2012-01-01

Beginning in the 1950s, researchers of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service established a series of paired watershed studies throughout north-central and eastern Arizona. A total of nine experimental watershed areas were established in the pinyon-juniper and chaparral woodlands, as well as the ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests. While most...

Chapter 2: A historical perspective on the population decline of the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl in Arizona

Treesearch

R. Roy Johnson; Jean-Luc E. Cartron; Lois T. Haight; Russell B. Duncan; Kenneth J. Kingsley

2000-01-01

The cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) was discovered in the U.S. by Bendire in 1872 in the Tucson area (Coues 1872). During the next five decades, naturalists collected many specimens of this owl and typically described the subspecies as common or fairly common along some streams and rivers of central and southern Arizona...

The influence of parent material on vegetation response 15 years after the Dude Fire, Arizona

Treesearch

Jackson M. Leonard; Alvin L. Medina; Daniel G. Neary; Aregai Tecle

2015-01-01

This study examined the effects of two types of parent material, sandstone and limestone, on the response of vegetation growth after the 1990 Dude Fire in central Arizona. The operating hypothesis of the study was that, given the right conditions, severe wildfire can trigger vegetation type conversion. Overall, three patterns emerged: (1) oak density increased by 413%...

Caribbean basin framework, 3: Southern Central America and Colombian basin

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

Kolarsky, R.A.; Mann, P.

1991-03-01

The authors recognize three basin-forming periods in southern Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, southern Nicaragua) that they attempt to correlate with events in the Colombian basin (Bowland, 1984): (1) Early-Late Cretaceous island arc formation and growth of the Central American island arc and Late Cretaceous formation of the Colombian basin oceanic plateau. During latest Cretaceous time, pelagic carbonate sediments blanketed the Central American island arc in Panama and Costa Rica and elevated blocks on the Colombian basin oceanic plateau; (2) middle Eocene-middle Miocene island arc uplift and erosion. During this interval, influx of distal terrigenous turbidites in most areas ofmore » Panama, Costa Rica, and the Colombian basin marks the uplift and erosion of the Central American island arc. In the Colombian basin, turbidites fill in basement relief and accumulate to thicknesses up to 2 km in the deepest part of the basin. In Costa Rica, sedimentation was concentrated in fore-arc (Terraba) and back-arc (El Limon) basins; (3) late Miocene-Recent accelerated uplift and erosion of segments of the Central American arc. Influx of proximal terrigenous turbidites and alluvial fans in most areas of Panama, Costa Rica, and the Colombian basin marks collision of the Panama arc with the South American continent (late Miocene early Pliocene) and collision of the Cocos Ridge with the Costa Rican arc (late Pleistocene). The Cocos Ridge collision inverted the Terraba and El Limon basins. The Panama arc collision produced northeast-striking left-lateral strike-slip faults and fault-related basins throughout Panama as Panama moved northwest over the Colombian basin.« less

Geology and Geophysical Surveys to Infer the Structure of the Upper San Pedro River Basin, Sonora, Mexico for Use in a Ground-Water-Flow Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pool, D.; Gray, F.; Callegary, J. B.

2005-05-01

Data on geology and geophysics in the San Pedro River Basin in Sonora, Mexico were combined to develop a three-dimensional conceptual model of the alluvial-fill aquifer in the basin that is being used to construct a regional ground-water-flow model. In Mexico, the headwater region of the river encompasses approximately 1,800 square kilometers of an ungaged catchment system. This feeds a 58 kilometer-long series of intermittent and perennial stream reaches in the United States that extend from just north of the international border to the town of St. David, Arizona. The river forms part of a north-south riparian corridor that provides habitat for more than 100 resident and 250 migratory bird species. Ground water in the basin is used extensively on both sides of the border and information on basin structure and composition will help to address questions regarding ground- and surface-water sustainability and planning. Interpretations of bedrock and alluvial-fill geometry indicate that a significant portion of the catchment area in Mexico is underlain by bedrock composed of highly indurated (compacted) Cretaceous sedimentary, volcanic, volcano-sedimentary, and granitic intrusive rocks. Aeromagnetic surveys were used to estimate depth to bedrock underlying alluvial sediments. Satellite photographs, older geologic maps, and recent field observations were used to delineate the boundaries between bedrock and alluvium. About 655 square kilometers, or 36 percent, of the Mexican portion of the river basin is underlain by alluvial fill. In the southern part of the study area, detailed information on thickness and composition of subsurface layers to depths of 500 meters was derived from drill logs. An extensive network of vertical electrical soundings covering much of the central part of the basin allowed for estimates of the location and thickness of clay layers that are confining units within the aquifer system. Across much of the area, the thickness of the silt and confining units was difficult to determine because of problems in distinguishing between these layers and underlying, electrically-conductive Cretaceous siltstone and mudstone. In general, two hydraulically connected sub-basins were identified: one in the southern part of the study area and one in the northern part.

Can the Gila River reduce risk in the Colorado River Basin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, L. C.; Rajagopalan, B.; Lukas, J.; Kanzer, D.

2012-12-01

The Colorado River is the most important source of water in the southwest United States and Northern Mexico, providing water to approximately 35 million people and 4-5 million acres of irrigated lands. To manage the water resources of the basin, estimated to be about 17 million acre-feet (MAF) of undepleted supplies per year, managers use reservoir facilities that can store more than 60 MAF. As the demands on the water resources of the basin approach or exceed the average annual supply, and with average flow projected to decrease due to climate change, smart water management is vital for its sustainability. To quantify the future risk of depleting reservoir storage, Rajagopalan et al. (2009) developed a water-balance model and ran it under scenarios based on historical, paleo-reconstructed and future projections of flows, and different management alternatives. That study did not consider the impact of the Gila River, which enters the Colorado River below all major reservoirs and U.S. diversions. Due to intensive use in Central Arizona, the Gila only has significant inflows to the Colorado in wet years. However, these irregular inflows could beneficially influence system reliability in the US by helping to meet a portion of the 1.5 MAF delivery obligations to Mexico. To help quantify the potential system reliability benefit of the Gila River, we modify the Rajagopalan et al (2009) model to incorporate simulated Gila River inflows. These new data inputs to the water balance model are based on historical flows and tree-ring reconstructions of flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin (at Lee's Ferry), the Lower Colorado River Basin (tributary inflows), and the intermittent flows from the Gila River which are generated using extreme value analysis methods. Incorporating Gila River inflows, although they are highly variable and intermittent, reduces the modeled cumulative risk of reservoir depletion by 4 to 11% by 2057, depending on the demand schedule, reservoir operation guidelines, and climate change scenario assumptions. This potential risk mitigation could be at least partly realized through enhancements to current management practices, possibly in the Gila River, that could improve the water supply reliability for all stakeholders in the Colorado River Basin.

Spatial and seasonal variability of base flow in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, 2007 and 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garner, Bradley D.; Bills, Donald J.

2012-01-01

Synoptic base-flow surveys were conducted on streams in the Verde Valley, central Arizona, in June 2007 and February 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Verde River Basin Partnership, the Town of Clarkdale, and Yavapai County. These surveys, also known as seepage runs, measured streamflow under base-flow conditions at many locations over a short period of time. Surveys were conducted on a segment of the Verde River that flows through the Verde Valley, between USGS streamflow-gaging stations 09504000 and 09506000, a distance of 51 river miles. Data from the surveys were used to investigate the dominant controls on Verde River base flow, spatial variability in gaining and losing reaches, and the effects that human alterations have on base flow in the surface-water system. The most prominent human alterations in the Verde Valley are dozens of surface-water diversions from streams, including gravity-fed ditch diversions along the Verde River.Base flow that entered the Verde River from the tributary streams of Oak Creek, Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek was found to be a major source of base flow in the Verde River. Groundwater discharge directly into the Verde River near these three confluences also was an important contributor of base flow to the Verde River, particularly near the confluence with Beaver Creek. An examination of individual reaches of the Verde River in the Verde Valley found three reaches (largely unaffected by ditch diversions) exhibiting a similar pattern: a small net groundwater discharge in February 2011 (12 cubic feet per second or less) and a small net streamflow loss in June 2007 (11 cubic feet per second or less). Two reaches heavily affected by ditch diversions were difficult to interpret because of the large number of confounding human factors. Possible lower and upper bounds of net groundwater flux were calculated for all reaches, including those heavily affected by ditches.

Geology and ground water of the Luke area, Maricopa County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stulik, Ronald S.; Twenter, F.R.

1964-01-01

Luke Air Force Base, in the Salt River Valley in central Arizona. is within an intermontane basin--the Phoenix basin--in the Basin and Range lowlands province. The Luke area, the subject of this study, extends beyond the limits of the base. Ground-water resources of the Luke area were studied to determine the possibility of developing a water supply of optimum quantity and quality to supplement the base supply. Several wells drilled for this purpose, prior to the study, either produced an inadequate supply of water or produced ware-that had a high dissolved-solids content. The Phoenix basin is filled with unconsolidated to semiconsolidated Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentary rocks that are referred to as valley fill. Although its total thickness is unknown, 2,784 feet of valley fill--primarily consisting of clay, silt, sand, and gravel--has been penetrated. Percentage-distribution maps of fine-grained materials indicate a gross-facies pattern and a selective depositional area of the valley-fill materials. The maps also indicate that the areal distribution of fine-grained materials increases with depth. In general, the better producing wells, regardless of depth, are in areas where tee valley fill is composed of less than 60 percent fine-grained materials. The water table in the area is declining because large quantities of water are withdrawn and recharge is negligible. The decline near Luke Air Force Base during the period 1941-61 was about 150 feet. Ground water was moving generally southwest in the spring of 1961. Locally, changes in the direction of movement indicate diversion toward two major depressions. The dissolved-solids content of the ground water ranged from about 190 to 6,300 ppm. The highest concentration of dissolved solids is in water from the southern part of the area and seems to come from relatively shallow depths; wells in the northern part generally yield water of good quality. After a reconnaissance of the area, the U.S. Geological Survey located and supervised the drilling of two test wells--wells (B-2-1) 9bcb and (B-2-1) 5abc?on Luke Air Force Base. The quantity of water produced by the wells was adequate. The dissolved-solids content of water from the wells was low, and the overall quality of water from well (B-2-1) 5abc was good. When well (B-2-1) 9bcb was perforated between 907 and 977 feet, the water had a fluoride concentration of 4.4 ppm; however, the fluoride concentration decreased to 2.8 ppm when new perforations were cut at a shallower depth, and it was decided that dilution with other base water supplies probably would alleviate any possible fluoride problem.

A simple method for estimating basin-scale groundwater discharge by vegetation in the basin and range province of Arizona using remote sensing information and geographic information systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, F.D.; Callegary, J.B.; Nagler, P.L.; Glenn, E.P.

2012-01-01

Groundwater is a vital water resource in the arid to semi-arid southwestern United States. Accurate accounting of inflows to and outflows from the groundwater system is necessary to effectively manage this shared resource, including the important outflow component of groundwater discharge by vegetation. A simple method for estimating basin-scale groundwater discharge by vegetation is presented that uses remote sensing data from satellites, geographic information systems (GIS) land cover and stream location information, and a regression equation developed within the Southern Arizona study area relating the Enhanced Vegetation Index from the MODIS sensors on the Terra satellite to measured evapotranspiration. Results computed for 16-day composited satellite passes over the study area during the 2000 through 2007 time period demonstrate a sinusoidal pattern of annual groundwater discharge by vegetation with median values ranging from around 0.3 mm per day in the cooler winter months to around 1.5 mm per day during summer. Maximum estimated annual volume of groundwater discharge by vegetation was between 1.4 and 1.9 billion m3 per year with an annual average of 1.6 billion m3. A simplified accounting of the contribution of precipitation to vegetation greenness was developed whereby monthly precipitation data were subtracted from computed vegetation discharge values, resulting in estimates of minimum groundwater discharge by vegetation. Basin-scale estimates of minimum and maximum groundwater discharge by vegetation produced by this simple method are useful bounding values for groundwater budgets and groundwater flow models, and the method may be applicable to other areas with similar vegetation types.

Preliminary report on geophysics of the Verde River headwaters region, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Duval, J.S.; Wirt, Laurie; DeWitt, Ed

2000-01-01

This report summarizes the acquisition, data processing, and preliminary interpretation of a high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric survey near the confluence of the Big and Little Chino basins in the headwaters of the Verde River, Arizona. The goal of the aeromagnetic study is to improve understanding of the geologic framework as it affects groundwater flow, particularly in relation to the occurrence of springs in the upper Verde River headwaters region. Radiometric data were also collected to map surficial rocks and soils, thus aiding geologic mapping of the basin fill. Additional gravity data were collected to enhance existing coverage. Both aeromagnetic and gravity data indicate a large gradient along the Big Chino fault, a fault with Quaternary movement. Filtered aeromagnetic data show other possible faults within the basin fill and areas where volcanic rocks are shallowly buried. Gravity lows associated with Big Chino and Williamson Valleys indicate potentially significant accumulations of low-density basin fill. The absence of a gravity low associated with Little Chino Valley indicates that high-density rocks are shallow. The radiometric maps show higher radioactivity associated with the Tertiary latites and with the sediments derived from them. The surficial materials on the eastern side of the Big Chino Valley are significantly lower in radioactivity and reflect the materials derived from the limestone and basalt east of the valley. The dividing line between the low radioactivity materials to the east and the higher radioactiviy materials to the west coincides approximately with the major drainage system of the valley, locally known as Big Chino Wash. This feature is remarkably straight and is approximately parallel to the Big Chino Fault. The uranium map shows large areas with concentrations greater than 5 ppm eU, and we expect that these areas will have a significantly higher risk potential for indoor radon.

Preliminary groundwater flow model of the basin-fill aquifers in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys, Mohave County, northwestern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Garner, Bradley D.; Truini, Margot

2013-01-01

Preliminary numerical models were developed to simulate groundwater flow in the basin-fill alluvium in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys in northwestern Arizona. The purpose of this exercise was to gather and evaluate available information and data, to test natural‑recharge concepts, and to indicate directions for improving future regional groundwater models of the study area. Both steady-state and transient models were developed with a single layer incorporating vertically averaged hydraulic properties over the model layer. Boundary conditions for the models were constant-head cells along the northern and western edges of the study area, corresponding to the location of the Colorado River, and no-flow boundaries along the bedrock ridges that bound the rest of the study area, except for specified flow where Truxton Wash enters the southern end of Hualapai Valley. Steady-state conditions were simulated for the pre-1935 period, before the construction of Hoover Dam in the northwestern part of the model area. Two recharge scenarios were investigated using the steady-state model—one in which natural aquifer recharge occurs directly in places where water is available from precipitation, and another in which natural aquifer recharge from precipitation occurs in the basin-fill alluvium that drains areas of available water. A transient model with 31 stress periods was constructed to simulate groundwater flow for the period 1935–2010. The transient model incorporates changing Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Mohave water levels and includes time-varying groundwater withdrawals and aquifer recharge. Both the steady-state and transient models were calibrated to available water-level observations in basin-fill alluvium, and simulations approximate observed water-level trends throughout most of the study area.

Wildfire effects on a ponderosa pine ecosystem: An Arizona case study

Treesearch

R. E. Campbell; Jr. Baker; P. F. Ffolliott; F. R. Larson; C. C. Avery

1977-01-01

A wildfire of variable severity swept through 717 acres (290 ha) of ponderosa pine forest in north-central Arizona in May 1972. Where the fire was intense it killed 90% of the small trees and 50% of the sawtimber, burned 2.6 in (6.5 cm) of forest floor to the mineral soil, and induced a water-repellent layer in the sandier soils. The reduced infiltration rates, which...

Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: Chapter 20 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soulard, Christopher E.

2012-01-01

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard (2006), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5288). The Central Basin and Range Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 343,169 km² (132,498 mi2) of land bordered on the west by the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, on the east by the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion, on the north by the Northern Basin and Range and the Snake River Basin Ecoregions, and on the south by the Mojave Basin and Range and the Colorado Plateaus Ecoregions (fig. 1). Most of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion is located in Nevada (65.4 percent) and Utah (25.1 percent), but small segments are also located in Idaho (5.6 percent), California (3.7 percent), and Oregon (0.2 percent). Basin-and-range topography characterizes the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: wide desert valleys are bordered by parallel mountain ranges generally oriented northsouth. There are more than 33 peaks within the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion that have summits higher than 3,000 m (10,000 ft), but valleys in the ecoregion are also high, most having elevations above 1,200 m (4,000 ft) (Grayson, 1993).

Terrestrial Laser Scanning Applications in Paleoseismology (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrowsmith, R.; Haddad, D. E.; Akciz, S. O.; Oldow, J. S.; Mauer, J.; Rhodes, D. D.

2009-12-01

Essential information about past earthquakes includes their locations, ages, and magnitudes. Documentation requires high accuracy three-dimensional measurements. We present three examples of recent earthquake geology research using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS): 1) the stratigraphic record and age of earthquakes along the south-central San Andreas Fault at Bidart, 2) geomorphic modification of surface rupture from the 1992 M7.3 Landers, California earthquake, and 3) negative indications of strong ground motion from precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) in an area of relative low seismicity in central Arizona. Sedimentary structures and earthquake-related features exposed in excavations are documented with mosaic photography, a time consuming process. Even carefully prepared mosaics have geometric errors due to edge matching, camera distortion, and non-planar walls. Instead of using photomosaics, we recently scanned the walls of 1-m wide trenches with short range TLS. We projected the resulting point cloud colored by photography acquired by the scanner to vertical planes representing the walls. With only a small overlap between adjacent co-registered scans, the orthophotos have sufficient resolution and superior geometric accuracy compared to the photomosaics. We have monitored the erosional modifications of a prominent ~1-m high fault scarp that formed in the 1992 Landers earthquake. Our repeated observations include photography and topographic survey. In 2008, we scanned the site and co-registered the scans and the prior surveys to document the geometry of the fault scarp. By subtracting the current topography from surface models based on prior surveys, we measured the erosion along the scarp. The largest changes are in the narrow knick channels that cross the scarp at the lower end of 104 m2 drainage basins. The knickpoints are a few 10s of cm wide, ~1 m deep, and a few m long. Separated abruptly from the knickpoint moving upstream, a ~10 m reach of the channel is incised 10-20 cm. PBRs are balanced on bedrock pedestals and formed in upland drainage basins and pediments. They are often used as negative evidence of earthquake-driven ground motions. TLS data provide detailed 3 dimensional geometry of the boulders from which their sensitivity to ground motions can be computed and for which approximate fragility estimation methods can be calibrated. The TLS data also define the surrounding topography and geomorphic context for the PBRs. Those we studied in the Granite Dells near Prescott Arizona are located near hillslope crests ~33 m above the nearest drainage and on hillslope gradients >17°. None were found on gentle slopes adjacent to channels, suggesting that hillslope crests are conducive to developing precarious rocks.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2000-01-01

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1974-01-01

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

Role of heat and detachment in continental extension as viewed from the eastern basin and range province in Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucchitta, I.

1990-01-01

The Bill Williams River area of west-central Arizona includes not only the Rawhide-Buckskin metamorphic core complex, which is part of the lower Colorado River highly extended terrane (HET), but also the boundary between the extended terranes of the Basin and Range Province and the less deformed Arizona Transition Zone/Colorado Plateau. This provides important constraints on models that address the mechanisms for the mid- to late Tertiary deformation. Three phases of extension are present. The oldest is the extension associated with core-complex tectonism, which characteristically shows a lower plate composed of lineated mylonitic gneiss overlain by a detachment fault that is regionally nearly horizontal but undulates at the local scale. The fault in turn is overlain by an upper plate that includes Precambrian basement rocks, recrystallized Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic(?) metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of greenschist facies, and unaltered to hydrothermally altered syntectonic sedimentary and volcanic rocks of Miocene age. The upper plate is cut by closely spaced faults of modest structural relief that strike northwest and strongly rotate intervening blocks to face southwest. Most of these faults do not penetrate below the detachment fault. Fault spacing increases, and rotation decreases, to the northeast, away from the trace of the detachment. The second phase consists of "classic" Basin-Range high-angle normal faults that strike about north and have wide spacing, high structural relief, and modest rotation of blocks. These faults have no consistent direction of displacement and so produced horst and graben that form the ranges and basins visible today. This phase is locally superposed on Phase I, and also extends in more subdued form into the Transition Zone/Colorado Plateau. The third phase consists of tectonic quiescence and is present everywhere except parts of the Transition Zone that are still active seismically. The first phase occurred in the early and middle Miocene and was accompanied by deposition of syntectonic fluviolacustrine rocks (Suite I); the second (middle to late Miocene) was marked by interior-basin deposits (Suite II); the third (latest Miocene through Quaternary) is characterized by deposits related to through-flowing drainage. The phases grade into each other and thus are likely to be genetically related. Tectonic models must take into account not only the geographic distribution of deformation at any one time but also the time-dependent succession of deformation at any one place. A model proposed in this paper attempts to do this. The model is thermotectonic. A heating event in the lower crust, (basaltic intrusion, asthenospheric upwelling) combined with stretching, causes a sharp thermal front to rise within the crust. Embedded within the front is an "isotherm" that marks the brittle-ductile transition. As the front rises, it leaves behind a trail of shear zones, each marking a locus of preferred failure defined by mechanical or physical properties, or combinations thereof. The highest shear zone, now preserved in fossil form as the "detachment", occurs where the front impinges on the meteoric groundwater, a few km below the topographic surface. The water steepens the thermal gradient at the front, which it stabilizes. A convective hydrothermal circulation system is established, causing alteration and mineralization above the ductile-brittle transition, as well as pore overpressure that results in hydrofracturing (producing monolithologic breccias) and the sliding of gravity-glide sheets. During these events, extension is taking place by brittle failure in the upper plate and ductile deformation below the detachment. Simultaneously, the hottest areas (core complexes) are updomed, promoting drainage reversals and the sliding of breccias and glide sheets. All this occurred only in the hottest areas or "blisters", now marked by the core complexes. Distal areas showed less or no deformati

Volcanism and Tectonics of the Central Deep Basin, Sea of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lelikov, E. P.; Emelyanova, T. A.; Pugachev, A. A.

2018-01-01

The paper presents the results of a study on the geomorphic structure, tectonic setting, and volcanism of the volcanoes and volcanic ridges in the deep Central Basin of the Sea of Japan. The ridges rise 500-600 m above the acoustic basement of the basin. These ridges were formed on fragments of thinned continental crust along deep faults submeridionally crossing the Central Basin and the adjacent continental part of the Primorye. The morphostructures of the basin began to submerge below sea level in the Middle Miocene and reached their contemporary positions in the Pliocene. Volcanism in the Central Basin occurred mostly in the Middle Miocene-Pliocene and formed marginal-sea basaltoids with OIB (ocean island basalt) geochemical signatures indicating the lower-mantle plume origin of these rocks. The OIB signatures of basaltoids tend to be expressed better in the eastern part of the Central Basin, where juvenile oceanic crust has developed. The genesis of this crust is probably related to rising and melting of the Pacific superplume apophyse.

Spectral reflectance and soil morphology characteristics of Santa Rita Experimental Range soils

Treesearch

A. Karim Batchily; Donald F. Post; R. B. Bryant; Donald J. Breckenfeld

2003-01-01

The Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) soils are mostly transported alluvial sediments that occur on the piedmont slope flanking the Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona. The major geomorphic land forms are alluvial fans or fan terraces, but there are also areas of residual soils formed on granite and limestone bedrock, basin floor, stream terraces, and flood plains. The...

Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion: Chapter 28 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruhlman, Jana; Gass, Leila; Middleton, Barry

2012-01-01

The Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997), also known as the “Madrean Sky Islands” or “Sky Islands,” covers an area of approximately 40,536 km2 (15,651 mi2) in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico (fig. 1). The ecoregion is bounded on the west by the Sonoran Basin and Range Ecoregion, on the east by the Chihuahuan Deserts Ecoregion, and on the north by the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion. This area of basin-and-range topography is one of the most biologically diverse in the world (Koprowski, 2005; Skroch, 2008). Although the mountains in the ecoregion bridge the Rocky Mountains to the north and the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico to the south (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997), the lower elevations act as a barrier to species dispersal. Nevertheless, the geographic convergence of these two major continental mountain ranges, as well as of the Chihuahuan Desert to the east and the Sonoran Desert to the west, forms the foundation for ecological interactions found nowhere else on Earth (Skroch, 2008).

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1979 to spring 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1981-01-01

Withdrawal of ground water, about 4.0 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1979, is about 200,000 acre-feet less than the amount withdrawn in 1978. The withdrawals in 1978 and 1979 are the smallest since the mid-1950 's except in 1966. Nearly all the decrease was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. The large amount of water in storage in the surface-water reservoirs, release of water from the reservoirs, floods, and conservation practices contributed to the decrease in ground-water use and caused water-level rises in the Salt River Valley, Gila Bend basin, and Gila River drainage from Painted Rock Dam to Texas Hill. Two small-scale maps show ground-water pumpage by areas and the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1980, and change in water level in selected wells from 1975 to 1980. A brief text summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (USGS)

Inferring time-varying recharge from inverse analysis of long-term water levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Jesse E.; Hanson, R. T.; Ferré, T. P. A.; Leake, S. A.

2004-07-01

Water levels in aquifers typically vary in response to time-varying rates of recharge, suggesting the possibility of inferring time-varying recharge rates on the basis of long-term water level records. Presumably, in the southwestern United States (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, southern California, and southern Utah), rates of mountain front recharge to alluvial aquifers depend on variations in precipitation rates due to known climate cycles such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation index and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. This investigation examined the inverse application of a one-dimensional analytical model for periodic flow described by Lloyd R. Townley in 1995 to estimate periodic recharge variations on the basis of variations in long-term water level records using southwest aquifers as the case study. Time-varying water level records at various locations along the flow line were obtained by simulation of forward models of synthetic basins with applied sinusoidal recharge of either a single period or composite of multiple periods of length similar to known climate cycles. Periodic water level components, reconstructed using singular spectrum analysis (SSA), were used to calibrate the analytical model to estimate each recharge component. The results demonstrated that periodic recharge estimates were most accurate in basins with nearly uniform transmissivity and the accuracy of the recharge estimates depends on monitoring well location. A case study of the San Pedro Basin, Arizona, is presented as an example of calibrating the analytical model to real data.

Summary statistics and trend analysis of water-quality data at sites in the Gila River basin, New Mexico and Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldys, Stanley; Ham, L.K.; Fossum, K.D.

1995-01-01

Summary statistics and temporal trends for 19 water-chemistry constituents and for turbidity were computed for 13 study sites in the Gila River basin, Arizona and New Mexico. A nonparametric technique, the seasonal Kendall tau test for flow-adjusted data, was used to analyze temporal changes in water-chemistry data. For the 19 selected constituents and turbidity, decreasing trends in concentrations outnumbered increasing trends by more than two to one. Decreasing trends in concentrations of constituents were found for 49 data sets at the 13 study sites. Gila River at Calva and Gila River above diversions, at Gillespie Dam (eight each) had the most decreasing trends for individual sites. The largest number of decreasing trends measured for a constituent was six for dissolved lead. The next largest number of decreasing trends for a constituent was for dissolved solids and total manganese (five each). Hardness, dissolved sodium, and dissolved chloride had decreasing trends at four of the study sites. Increasing trends in concen- trations of constituents were found for 24 data sets at the 13 study sites. The largest number of increasing trends measured for a single constituent was for pH (four), dissolved sulfate (three), dissolved chromium (three) and total manganese (three). Increased concentrations of constituents generally were found in three areas in the basin-at Pinal Creek above Inspiration Dam, at sites above reservoirs, and at sites on the main stem of the Gila River from Gillespie Dam to the mouth.

Stratigraphy of the Oliocene Sullivan Buttes Latite constrains transition zone development in Chino Valley, Arizona

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

Ward, S.A.; Riggs, N.R.

The 26.7--23.4 Ma Sullivan Buttes Latite of Chino Valley, Yavapai County, Arizona, erupted during the development of the Transition Zone between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau provinces. Detailed mapping and stratigraphic analysis of a portion of the volcanic field indicate volcanism began with the eruption of a shoshonite lava flow and associated cinder cone. Amphibole latite domes then erupted fallouts, surges, and mass flow breccias and culminated activity with a lava flow. Extrusive units from a biotite oxidized latite center to the east interfinger with the older amphibole lattice volcaniclastics. Sullivan Buttes Latite units erupted onto Precambrian andmore » lower Paleozoic strata and Tertiary gravels; the scarp of upper Paleozoic strata equivalent to the paleo' Mogollon Rim had retreated from the area by the time of emplacement of the oldest Sullivan Buttes Latite unit. Subsequent 15--10 Ma Hickey Formation basalts flowed onto an erosion surface cut into Sullivan Buttes deposits, and the nearby Verde River downcut through younger 4.62 Ma Perkinsville Formation basalt. Both situations demonstrate erosion and degradation post Sullivan Buttes activity. Normal faults offsetting Hickey Formation basalts and all older units constrain Basin and Range structural activity to 15 Ma or younger. These stratigraphic relationships of the Sullivan Buttes Latite in the context of Transition Zone development concur with 65--18 Ma retreat of the upper Paleozoic scarp and below-scarp aggradation, 18--12 Ma Basin and Range faulting, and subsequent degradation.« less

Inferring time‐varying recharge from inverse analysis of long‐term water levels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickinson, Jesse; Hanson, R.T.; Ferré, T.P.A.; Leake, S.A.

2004-01-01

Water levels in aquifers typically vary in response to time‐varying rates of recharge, suggesting the possibility of inferring time‐varying recharge rates on the basis of long‐term water level records. Presumably, in the southwestern United States (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, southern California, and southern Utah), rates of mountain front recharge to alluvial aquifers depend on variations in precipitation rates due to known climate cycles such as the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation index and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. This investigation examined the inverse application of a one‐dimensional analytical model for periodic flow described by Lloyd R. Townley in 1995 to estimate periodic recharge variations on the basis of variations in long‐term water level records using southwest aquifers as the case study. Time‐varying water level records at various locations along the flow line were obtained by simulation of forward models of synthetic basins with applied sinusoidal recharge of either a single period or composite of multiple periods of length similar to known climate cycles. Periodic water level components, reconstructed using singular spectrum analysis (SSA), were used to calibrate the analytical model to estimate each recharge component. The results demonstrated that periodic recharge estimates were most accurate in basins with nearly uniform transmissivity and the accuracy of the recharge estimates depends on monitoring well location. A case study of the San Pedro Basin, Arizona, is presented as an example of calibrating the analytical model to real data.

Ground-Water Flow Model of the Sierra Vista Subwatershed and Sonoran Portions of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Southeastern Arizona, United States, and Northern Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, D.R.; Dickinson, Jesse

2007-01-01

A numerical ground-water model was developed to simulate seasonal and long-term variations in ground-water flow in the Sierra Vista subwatershed, Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico, portions of the Upper San Pedro Basin. This model includes the simulation of details of the groundwater flow system that were not simulated by previous models, such as ground-water flow in the sedimentary rocks that surround and underlie the alluvial basin deposits, withdrawals for dewatering purposes at the Tombstone mine, discharge to springs in the Huachuca Mountains, thick low-permeability intervals of silt and clay that separate the ground-water flow system into deep-confined and shallow-unconfined systems, ephemeral-channel recharge, and seasonal variations in ground-water discharge by wells and evapotranspiration. Steady-state and transient conditions during 1902-2003 were simulated by using a five-layer numerical ground- water flow model representing multiple hydrogeologic units. Hydraulic properties of model layers, streamflow, and evapotranspiration rates were estimated as part of the calibration process by using observed water levels, vertical hydraulic gradients, streamflow, and estimated evapotranspiration rates as constraints. Simulations approximate observed water-level trends throughout most of the model area and streamflow trends at the Charleston streamflow-gaging station on the San Pedro River. Differences in observed and simulated water levels, streamflow, and evapotranspiration could be reduced through simulation of climate-related variations in recharge rates and recharge from flood-flow infiltration.

A Long Pleistocene Paleoclimate Record from Stoneman Lake, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fawcett, P. J.; Anderson, R. S.; Brown, E. T.; Werne, J. P.; Jimenez-Moreno, G.; Toney, J. L.; Garcia, D.; Garrett, H. L.; Dunbar, N. W.

2015-12-01

Long continuous lake sediment cores provide enormous potential for interpreting climate change. In the American Southwest, long records are revolutionizing our understanding of megadroughts, which have occurred in the past and will most certainly occur in the future with rapidly changing climate. One site with the potential to study ancient megadroughts is Stoneman Lake, central Arizona, whose basin is a circular depression formed by a collapse in late Tertiary volcanics. The lake is spring fed, most recently alternating between a marsh and a lake, with water levels having fluctuated by > 3 meters over the last 25 years. Its small closed drainage basin (ca. 2.5 km2) with one small inflowing stream is key to the sensitivity of the record. Two parallel lacustrine sediment cores (70 m and 30 m deep) were recovered in October of 2014. Our preliminary chronology includes 8 AMS dates in the upper 7 m and two distinct tephras at 30.8 m depth and 36.3 m depth. Radiocarbon dates show a 2.7-m-thick Holocene section, and then a low Pleistocene SAR with an age of 11,000 cal yr B.P. at ~2.8 m to an age of 46,500 cal yr B.P. at 4.2 m depth. We estimate that the 70-m deep hole will provide a climate record back to ~1.3 million years ago. Of particular interest are the interglacials that serve as good analogs for future climate including MIS 11 and MIS 19. Initial core description includes MS, bulk density and high-resolution images. Holocene sediments are characterized by massive, dark organic rich silty clays with no distinct lamination. Sediments from the Last Glacial Maximum are well-laminated, light brown silty clays with few organics present. The distinctive laminations probably represent a very deep lake and therefore a wet cold climate, also verified by pollen data. There are several repeated intervals of laminated sediments deeper in the core that may represent older glacial maxima. Future work will include detailed pollen, plant macrofossil and charcoal analysis, scanning XRF, TOC and carbon isotopic analyses as well as compound specific carbon and hydrogen work.

Coalbed methane potential in the Appalachian states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee; an overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, Paul C.

1996-01-01

This report focuses on the coalbed methane (CBM) potential of the central Appalachian basin (Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and Tennessee) and the northern Appalachian basin (Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio). As of April 1996, there were about 800 wells producing CBM in the central and northern Appalachian basin. For the Appalchian basin as a whole (including the Cahaba coal field, Alabama, and excluding the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama), the total CBM production for 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995, is here estimated at 7.77, 21.51, 29.99, and 32 billion cubic feet (Bcf), respectively. These production data compare with 91.38, 104.70, 110.70, and 112.11 Bcf, respectively, for the same years for the Black Warrior Basin, which is the second largest CBM producing basin in the United States. For 1992-1995, 92-95% of central and northern Appalachian CBM production came from southwestern Virginia, which has by far the largest CBM production the Appalachian states, exclusive of Alabama. For 1994, the average daily production of CBM wells in Virginia was 119.6 Mcf/day, which is about two to four times the average daily production rates for many of the CBM wells in the northern Appalachian basin. For 1992-1995, there is a clear increase in the percentage of CBM being produced in the central and northern Appalachian basin as compared with the Black Warrior Basin. In 1992, this percentage was 8% of the combined central and northern Appalachian and Black Warrior Basin CBM production as compared with 22% in 1995. These trends imply that the Appalachian states, except for Alabama and Virginia, are in their infancy with respect to CBM production. Total in place CBM resources in the central and northern Appalachian basin have been variously estimated at 66-76 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), of which an estimated 14.55 Tcf (3.07 Tcf for central Appalachian basin and 11.48 Tcf for northern Appalachian basin) is technically recoverable according to Ricei s (1995) report. This compares with 20 Tcf in place and 2.30 Tcf as technically recoverable CBM for the Black Warrior Basin. These estimates should be considered preliminary because of unknown CBM potential in Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, and eastern Kentucky. The largest potential for CBM development in the central Appalachian basin is in the Pocahontas coal beds, which have total gas values as much as 700 cf/ton, and in the New River coal beds. In the northern Appalachian basin, the greatest CBM potential is in the Middle Pennsylvanian Allegheny coal beds, which have total gas values as much as 252 cf/ton. Rice (1995) estimated a mean estimated ultimate recovery per well of 521 MMcfg for the central Appalachian basin and means of 121 and 216 MMcfg for the anticlinal and synclinal areas, respectively, of the northern Applachian basin. There is potential for CBM development in the Valley coal fields and Richmond basin of Virginia, the bituminous region of southeastern Kentucky, eastern Ohio, northern Tennessee, and the Georges Creek coal field of western Maryland and adjacent parts of Pennsylvania. Moreover, the Anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania, which has the second highest known total gas content for a single coal bed (687 cf/ton) in the central and northern Appalachian basin, should be considered to have a fair to good potential for CBM development where structure, bed continuity, and permeability are favorable. CBM is mainly an undeveloped unconventional fossil-fuel resource in the central and northern Appalachian basin states, except in Virginia, and will probably contribute an increasing part of total Appalachian gas production into the next century as development in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and other Appalachian states continue. The central and northern Appalachian basins are frontier or emerging regions for CBM exploration and development, which will probably extend well into the next century. On the basis of CBM production

Introduction to the special issue on the changing Mojave Desert

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berry, Kristin H.; Murphy, R.W.; Mack, Jeremy S.; Quillman, W.

2006-01-01

The Mojave Desert, which lies between the Great Basin Desert in the north and the Sonoran Desert in the south, covers an estimated 114 478–130 464 km2 of the south-western United States and includes parts of the states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California, with the amount of land mass dependent on the definition (Fig. 1; Rowlands et al., 1982; McNab and Avers, 1994; Bailey, 1995; Groves et al., 2000). This desert is sufficiently diverse to be subdivided into five regions: northern, south-western, central, south-central, and eastern (Rowlands et al., 1982). It is a land of extremes both in topography and climate. Elevations range from below sea level at Death Valley National Park to 3633 m on Mt. Charleston in the Spring Range of Nevada. Temperatures exhibit similar extreme ranges with mean minimum January temperatures of −2.4 °C in Beatty, Nevada and mean maximum July temperatures of 47 °C in Death Valley. Mean annual precipitation varies throughout the regions (42–350 mm), is highest on mountain tops, but overall is low (Rowlands et al., 1982; Rowlands, 1995a). The distribution of precipitation varies from west to east and north to south, with >85% of rain falling in winter in the northern, south-western and south-central regions. In contrast, the central and eastern regions receive a substantial amount of precipitation in both winter and summer. The variability in topographic and climatic features contributes to regional differences in vegetation.

Generalized hydrogeology and ground-water budget for the C Aquifer, Little Colorado River Basin and parts of the Verde and Salt River Basins, Arizona and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Robert J.; Ward, John J.; Bills, Donald J.; Flynn, Marilyn E.

2002-01-01

The C aquifer underlies the Little Colorado River Basin and parts of the Verde and Salt River Basins and is named for the primary water-bearing rock unit of the aquifer, the Coconino Sandstone. The areal extent of this aquifer is more than 27,000 square miles. More than 1,000 well and spring sites were identified in the U.S. Geological Survey database for the C aquifer in Arizona and New Mexico. The C aquifer is the most productive aquifer in the Little Colorado River Basin. The Little Colorado River is the primary surface-water feature in the area, and it has a direct hydraulic connection with the C aquifer in some areas. Spring discharge as base flow from the C aquifer occurs predominantly in the lower 13 miles of the Little Colorado River subsequent to downward leakage into the deeper Redwall-Muav Limestone aquifer. Ground-water mounds or divides exist along the southern and northeastern boundaries of the Little Colorado River Basin. The ground-water divides are significant boundaries of the C aquifer; however, the location and persistence of the divides potentially can be affected by ground-water withdrawals. Ground-water development in the C aquifer has increased steadily since the 1940s because population growth has produced an increased need for agricultural, industrial, and public water supply. Ground-water pumpage from the C aquifer during 1995 was about 140,000 acre-feet. Ground-water budget components for the C aquifer were evaluated using measured or estimated discharge values. The system was assumed to be in a steady-state condition with respect to natural recharge and discharge, and the stability of discharge from major springs during the past several decades supported the steady-state assumption. Downward leakage to the Redwall-Muav Limestone aquifer is a major discharge component for the ground-water budget. Discharge from the C aquifer is estimated to be 319,000 acre-feet per year.

Enhancing drought resilience with conjunctive use and managed aquifer recharge in California and Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Reedy, Robert C.; Faunt, Claudia C.; Pool, Donald; Uhlman, Kristine

2016-03-01

Projected longer-term droughts and intense floods underscore the need to store more water to manage climate extremes. Here we show how depleted aquifers have been used to store water by substituting surface water use for groundwater pumpage (conjunctive use, CU) or recharging groundwater with surface water (managed aquifer recharge, MAR). Unique multi-decadal monitoring from thousands of wells and regional modeling datasets for the California Central Valley and central Arizona were used to assess CU and MAR. In addition to natural reservoir capacity related to deep water tables, historical groundwater depletion further expanded aquifer storage by ˜44 km3 in the Central Valley and by ˜100 km3 in Arizona, similar to or exceeding current surface reservoir capacity by up to three times. Local river water and imported surface water, transported through 100s of km of canals, is substituted for groundwater (≤15 km3 yr-1, CU) or is used to recharge groundwater (MAR, ≤1.5 km3 yr-1) during wet years shifting to mostly groundwater pumpage during droughts. In the Central Valley, CU and MAR locally reversed historically declining water-level trends, which contrasts with simulated net regional groundwater depletion. In Arizona, CU and MAR also reversed historically declining groundwater level trends in active management areas. These rising trends contrast with current declining trends in irrigated areas that lack access to surface water to support CU or MAR. Use of depleted aquifers as reservoirs could expand with winter flood irrigation or capturing flood discharges to the Pacific (0-1.6 km3 yr-1, 2000-2014) with additional infrastructure in California. Because flexibility and expanded portfolio options translate to resilience, CU and MAR enhance drought resilience through multi-year storage, complementing shorter term surface reservoir storage, and facilitating water markets.

Assimilation of Remotely-Sensed Snow information to improve streamflow predictions in the Southwestern US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Burgos, V.; Rajagopal, S.; Martinez Baquero, G. F.; Gupta, H. V.

2009-12-01

Rapidly growing population in the southwestern US is leading to increasing demand and decreasing availability of water, requiring a detailed quantification of hydrological processes. The integration of detailed spatial information of water fluxes from remote sensing platforms, and hydrological models coupled with ground based data is an important step towards this goal. This project is exploring the use of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) estimates to update the snow component of the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC). SWE estimates are obtained by combining SNOTEL data with MODIS Snow Cover Area (SCA) information. Because, cloud cover corrupts the estimates of SCA, a rule-based method is used to clean up the remotely sensed images. The rules include a time interpolation method, and the probability of a pixel for been covered with snow based on the relationships between elevation, temperature, lapse rate, aspect and topographic shading. The approach is used to improve streamflow predictions on two rivers managed by the Salt River Project, a water and energy supplier in central Arizona. This solution will help improve the management of reservoirs in the Salt and Verde River in Phoenix, Arizona (tributaries of the lower Colorado River basin), by incorporating physically based distributed models and remote sensing observations into their Decision Support Tools and planning tools. This research seeks to increase the knowledge base used to manage reservoirs and groundwater resources in a region affected by a long-term drought. It will be applicable and relevant for other water utility companies facing the challenges of climate change and decreasing water resources.

Chitinozoan zones of the western United States (Great basin), and their comparison with those of the Canning basin, western Australia

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

Hutter, T.J.

Within the Basin and Ranges of the Great basin of the western US, Ordovician chitinozoans have been recovered in two major lithic facies; the western eugeosynclinal facies and the eastern miogeosynclinal facies. Chitinozoans recovered from these facies range in age from Arenig to Ashgill. Extensive collections from this area make possible the establishment of chitinozoan faunal interval zones from the Ordovician. These zones are compared with those of other investigators for the Canning basin of Western Australia. Selected species of biostratigraphic value include, in chronostratigraphic order, Lagenochitina ovidea Benoit Taugourdeau 1961, Conochitina langei Combaz Peniguel 1972, Conochitina poumoti Combaz Peniguel,more » Desmochitina cf. nodosa Eisenack 1931 , Conochitina moclartii Combaz Peniguel 1972, Conochitina robusta Eisenack 1959, Angochitina capillata Eisenack 1937, Sphaerochitina lepta Jenkins 1970 and Ancyrochitina merga Jenkins 1970. In many cases these zones can be divided into additional subzones using chitinozoans and acritarchs. In all cases, these chitinozoan faunal zones are contrasted with established American graptolite zones, as well as correlated with British standard graptolite zones. The composition of these faunas of the Western US Great basin and Western Australia Canning basin is similar to that from the Marathon region of west Texas, and the Basin Ranges of Arizona and New Mexico.« less

The central and northern Appalachian Basin-a frontier region for coalbed methane development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, P.C.

1998-01-01

The Appalachian basin is the world's second largest coalbed-methane (CBM) producing basin. It has nearly 4000 wells with 1996 annual production at 147.8 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Cumulative CBM production is close to 0.9 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). The Black Warrior Basin of Alabama in the southern Appalachian basin (including a very minor amount from the Cahaba coal field) accounts for about 75% of this annual production and about 75% of the wells, and the remainder comes from the central and northern Appalachian basin. The Southwest Virginia coal field accounts for about 95% of the production from the central and northern parts of the Appalachian basin. Production data and trends imply that several of the Appalachian basin states, except for Alabama and Virginia, are in their infancy with respect to CBM development. Total in-place CBM resources in the central and northern Appalachian basin have been variously estimated at 66 to 76 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), of which an estimated 14.55 Tcf (~ 20%) is technically recoverable according to a 1995 U.S. Geological Survey assessment. For comparison in the Black Warrior basin of the 20 Tcf in-place CBM resources, 2.30 Tcf (~ 12%) is technically recoverable. Because close to 0.9 Tcf of CBM has already been produced from the Black Warrior basin and the proved reserves are about 0.8 Tcf for 1996 [Energy Information Administration (EIA), 1997]. U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves, 1996 Annual Report. U.S. Department of Energy DOE/EIA-0216(96), 145 pp.], these data imply that the central and northern Appalachian basin could become increasingly important in the Appalachian basin CBM picture as CBM resources are depleted in the southern Appalachian basin (Black Warrior Basin and Cahaba Coal Field). CBM development in the Appalachian states could decrease the eastern U.S.A.'s dependence on coal for electricity. CBM is expected to provide over the next few decades a virtually untapped source of unconventional fossil fuel in the Appalachian states, where the CBM resources are large and the demand for cleaner fossil-fuel energy is high.The central and northern Appalachian basin could become increasingly important in the Appalachian basin coalbed methane (CBM) picture as CBM resources are depleted in the southern Appalachian basin. Total in-place CBM resources in the central and the northern Appalachian basin have been estimated at 66 to 76 Tcf, of which 14.55 Tcf is technically recoverable.

Earth-Fissure Movements Associated with Fluctuations in Ground-Water Levels near the Picacho Mountains, South-Central Arizona, 1980-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, M.C.

1993-01-01

The Picacho earth fissure transects subsiding alluvial sediments near the east periphery of the Picacho basin in south-central Arizona. The basin has undergone land subsidence of as much as 3.8 meters since the 1930's owing to compaction of the aquifer system in response to ground-water-Ievel declines that have exceeded 100 meters. The fissure, which extends generally north-south for 15 kilometers, exhibits horizontal tensile failure and as much as 0.6 meter of normal dip-slip movement at the land surface. The west side of the fissure is down thrown. The fissure was observed as early as 1927 and is the longest earth fissure in Arizona. Vertical and horizontal displacements were monitored along a line normal to the fissure. The survey line extends from a bedrock outcrop in the Picacho Mountains on the east, past an observation well near the fissure, to a point 1,422 meters to the west. From May 1980 to May 1984, the downthrown west side of the fissure subsided 167+-1.8 millimeters and moved 18+-1.5 millimeters westward into the basin. Concurrently, the relatively upthrown east side subsided 148+-1.8 millimeters and moved 14+-1.5 millimeters westward. Dislocation modeling of deformation along the survey line near the fissure indicates that dip-slip movement has occurred along a vertical fault surface that extends from the land surface to a depth of about 300 meters. Slip was 9 millimeters from May to December 1980 and also 9 millimeters from March to November 1981. Continuous measurements were made of horizontal movement across the fissure using a buried invar-wire horizontal extensometer, while water-level fluctuations were continuously monitored in four piezometers nested in two observation wells. The range of horizontal movement was 4.620 millimeters, and the range of water-level fluctuation in the nearest piezometer in the deep alluvium was 9.05 meters. The maximum annual opening of the fissure during the study period was 3.740 millimeters from March to October 1981, while the water level declined 7.59 meters. The fissure closed 1.033 millimeters from October 1981 to March 1982, while the water level recovered 6.94 meters. Opening and closing of the fissure were smooth and were correlated with water-level decline and recovery, respectively, recorded in the nearby piezometers. Pearson correlation coefficients between the water-level fluctuations in the deeper piezometers and horizontal movement ranged from 0.913 to 0.925. The correlogram with water-level decline as ordinate and horizontal strain as abscissa exhibits hysteresis loops for annual cycles of water-level fluctuation as well as near-vertical excursions for shorter cycles of pumping and recovery. Vertical and horizontal displacements also were monitored along a second survey line 1 kilometer north of and nearly parallel to the first survey line. The north line extends from bedrock on the east across three fissures to a point 582 meters to the west but does not cross the Picacho earth fissure. From May 1980 to May 1984, the fissure farthest from the mountain front along this line exhibited 20+-1 millimeters of opening and 33.3+-1.1 millimeters of vertical offset; the west side of the fissure was downthrown. During the same period, the zone between this fissure and the mountain front exhibited compression. The hypothesis of generalized differential compaction is supported by data taken at the study site for several reasons. First, the vertical offset across fissures and the fit of deformation to a dislocation model are consistent with an elastic model of differential vertical movement deep in the alluvium. Second, correlation is high between horizontal movement across the Picacho earth fissure and water-level fluctuations in the deeper local piezometers. Third, correlation is high between horizontal movement across the fissure and compaction farther west in the basin. The hypothesis of rotation of a rigid plate is not supported because (1) fissures sometime

WINCHESTER ROADLESS AREA, ARIZONA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keith, William J.; Kreidler, Terry J.

1984-01-01

The Winchester Roadless Area, located in northwestern Cochise County, Arizona, consists of 22 sq mi of Coronado National Forest in the Winchester Mountains. This study consisted of (1) field checking and modification of the existing geologic maps of the area, (2) field examination of all mines, prospects, and mineralized areas in and adjacent to the Winchester Roadless Area, (3) sampling of bedrock and stream sediments from drainage basins for geochemical analysis; and (4) examination and interpretation of available aeromagnetic and gravity data. Results of geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mining activity and production surveys indicate little promise for the occurrence of metallic and nonmetallic or energy resources in the area. Volcanic rocks cover the area to a thickness of 1000 to 2000 ft and possibly more, thus preventing inspection and evaluation of the underlying rock.

Methods for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in Arizona, developed with unregulated and rural peak-flow data through water year 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paretti, Nicholas V.; Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Turney, Lovina A.; Veilleux, Andrea G.

2014-01-01

The regional regression equations were integrated into the U.S. Geological Survey’s StreamStats program. The StreamStats program is a national map-based web application that allows the public to easily access published flood frequency and basin characteristic statistics. The interactive web application allows a user to select a point within a watershed (gaged or ungaged) and retrieve flood-frequency estimates derived from the current regional regression equations and geographic information system data within the selected basin. StreamStats provides users with an efficient and accurate means for retrieving the most up to date flood frequency and basin characteristic data. StreamStats is intended to provide consistent statistics, minimize user error, and reduce the need for large datasets and costly geographic information system software.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-02-01

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

Floods of October 1977 in southern Arizona and March 1978 in central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aldridge, Byron Neil; Eychaner, James H.

1984-01-01

Major floods occurred in October 1977 and March 1978 in Arizona. As much as 14 inches of rain fell during October 6-9, 1977, over the mountains of southern Arizona and northern Mexico resulting in the highest discharge since at least 1892 on the Santa Cruz River upstream from Tucson. The flood inundated areas as much as 4 miles wide, covered at least 16,000 acres of farmland, and caused $15.2 million in damage. Residential losses occurred at Nogales, Amado, Green Valley, and Sahuarita. Severe erosional damage occurred along the Santa Cruz River, Agua Fria Canyon, Potrero Creek, and many small drainages in the Sonoita Creek basin. The peak discharge in Agua Fria Canyon was the highest since before 1900. Less severe flooding occurred along the San Pedro River and the Gila River downstream from the San Pedro. Widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches and 9 to 14 inches in some areas in the central mountains during February 27 to March 3, 1978, caused the highest discharge since 1920 on the Salt River in Phoenix and resulted in three deaths. Flooding along the Salt and Gila Rivers and several lesser streams caused statewide damage totaling $65.9 million, of which about $37 million occurred in Maricopa County. Nine counties were declared disaster areas. During the flood of March 1978, moderate peak discharges and unusually high volumes of runoff occurred on tributaries to the Salt and Verde Rivers upstream from a system of reservoirs. Flood magnitudes were greater at the main-stem gaging stations than on the tributaries. The peak discharge into Theodore Roosevelt Lake, which was 21 percent full at the start of the flood, was about 155,000 cubic feet per second, the largest known from 1890 to 1978. The reservoirs stored large quantities of water and greatly reduced the magnitude of the flood. The peak discharge of the Salt River was 125,000 cubic feet per second below Granite Reef Dam and 122,000 cubic feet per second at Phoenix. Discharges in excess of 100,000 cubic feet per second occurred for 8 hours. Without the storage provided by the reservoirs, the peak discharge on the Salt River would have been 260,000 cubic feet per second, and the discharge would have exceeded 100,000 cubic feet per second for 66 hours. The Verde River was the principal flood source, but flows at the upstream gaging stations did not indicate the magnitude of the impending flood at Horseshoe Reservoir because large inflow from tributaries immediately upstream from the reservoir caused the river to rise at downstream stations before it rose at upstream stations. About 17 percent of the water entering the reach from Granite Reef Dam to Gillespie Dam went to recharge, temporary ground-water storage, or evapotranspiration losses. All water was stored at Painted Rock Reservoir and released at a low rate that prevented water from reaching the Gila River near Mohawk gaging station.

Pork Meat as a Potential Source of Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae Infection in Humans

PubMed Central

Kritas, Spyridon; Govaris, Alexander; Burriel, Angeliki R.

2014-01-01

Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae was isolated from 13 of 123 slaughtered pigs in central Greece. The samples cultured were feces, ileum tissue, mesenteric lymph nodes, and gallbladder swabs. A total of 74 isolates from 492 samples were identified as Salmonella spp. by use of standard laboratory culture media and two commercial micromethods and by use of a polyvalent slide agglutination test for the detection of O and H antigens. Among them were 19 (25.68%) suspected to be S. enterica subsp. arizonae according to analysis with standard laboratory culture media. Of those, 14 were identified as S. enterica subsp. arizonae by the API 20E (bioMérieux, France) and the Microgen GnA+B-ID (Microgen Bioproducts, Ltd., United Kingdom) identification systems. All the isolates were tested for resistance to 23 antimicrobials. Strains identified as S. enterica subsp. arizonae were resistant to 17 (70.8%) antibiotics. The highest proportions of resistance were observed for sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (71.4%), tetracycline (71.4%), ampicillin (64.3%), and amoxicillin (57.1%). Two isolates were resistant to aztreonam (7.1%) and tigecycline (7.1%), used only for the treatment of humans. Thus, pork meat may play a role in the transmission of antibiotic-resistant S. enterica subsp. arizonae to human consumers. This is the first report of S. enterica subsp. arizonae isolation from pigs. PMID:24335956

Pork meat as a potential source of Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae infection in humans.

PubMed

Evangelopoulou, Grammato; Kritas, Spyridon; Govaris, Alexander; Burriel, Angeliki R

2014-03-01

Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae was isolated from 13 of 123 slaughtered pigs in central Greece. The samples cultured were feces, ileum tissue, mesenteric lymph nodes, and gallbladder swabs. A total of 74 isolates from 492 samples were identified as Salmonella spp. by use of standard laboratory culture media and two commercial micromethods and by use of a polyvalent slide agglutination test for the detection of O and H antigens. Among them were 19 (25.68%) suspected to be S. enterica subsp. arizonae according to analysis with standard laboratory culture media. Of those, 14 were identified as S. enterica subsp. arizonae by the API 20E (bioMérieux, France) and the Microgen GnA+B-ID (Microgen Bioproducts, Ltd., United Kingdom) identification systems. All the isolates were tested for resistance to 23 antimicrobials. Strains identified as S. enterica subsp. arizonae were resistant to 17 (70.8%) antibiotics. The highest proportions of resistance were observed for sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (71.4%), tetracycline (71.4%), ampicillin (64.3%), and amoxicillin (57.1%). Two isolates were resistant to aztreonam (7.1%) and tigecycline (7.1%), used only for the treatment of humans. Thus, pork meat may play a role in the transmission of antibiotic-resistant S. enterica subsp. arizonae to human consumers. This is the first report of S. enterica subsp. arizonae isolation from pigs.

Undocumentedness and public policy: the impact on communities, individuals, and families along the Arizona/Sonora border.

PubMed

McEwen, Marylyn Morris; Boyle, Joyceen S; Hilfinger Messias, DeAnne K

2015-01-01

The focus of this article is the health impact and implications of undocumentedness along the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly the Arizona/Sonora region. We describe the direct and indirect influences of immigration policies on the health of individuals, families, and communities. The Arizona border region maintains close social, cultural, and linguistic ties to Mexico, and the amplified efforts to secure the border have been dramatic on the region and on the people who live there. The 261-mile stretch across the Arizona-Sonora Desert is the most deadly corridor for immigrants crossing into the United States because they are at risk of being killed, kidnapped, and coerced into smuggling drugs or dying in the desert. Gang-related violence is pushing more Central Americans, including unaccompanied minors, to the United States. The impact on individual migrants and their families has been devastating. We examine the health implications of policy and applaud the actions of the Arizona Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nursing to address the health needs of border communities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SACRIFICING THE ECOLOGICAL RESOLUTION OF VEGETATION MAPS AT THE ALTAR OF THEMATIC ACCURACY: ASSESSED MAP ACCURACIES FOR HIERARCHICAL VEGETATION CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN OF THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL GAP ANALYSIS PROJECT (SW REGAP)

EPA Science Inventory

The Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SW ReGAP) improves upon previous GAP projects conducted in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah to provide a
consistent, seamless vegetation map for this large and ecologically diverse geographic region. Nevada's compone...

Quantitative PCR assays for detecting loach minnow (Rhinichthys cobitis) and spikedace (Meda fulgida) in the southwestern United States

Treesearch

Joseph C. Dysthe; Kellie J. Carim; Yvette M. Paroz; Kevin S. McKelvey; Michael K. Young; Michael K. Schwartz

2016-01-01

Loach minnow (Rhinichthys cobitis) and spikedace (Meda fulgida) are legally protected with the status of Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and are endemic to the Gila River basin of Arizona and New Mexico. Efficient and sensitive methods for monitoring these species’ distributions are critical for prioritizing conservation efforts. We developed...

Crustal structure of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona: Application of new long-offset seismic data analysis techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; McCarthy, J.; Kohler, W.M.; Ammon, C.J.; Benz, H.M.; Hole, J.A.; Criley, E.E.

1996-01-01

The Colorado Plateau is a large crustal block in the southwestern United States that has been raised intact nearly 2 km above sea level since Cretaceous marine sediments were deposited on its surface. Controversy exists concerning the thickness of the plateau crust and the source of its buoyancy. Interpretations of seismic data collected on the plateau vary as to whether the crust is closer to 40 or 50 km thick. A thick crust could support the observed topography of the Colorado Plateau isostatically, while a thinner crust would indicate the presence of an underlying low-density mantle. This paper reports results on long-offset seismic data collected during the 1989 segment of the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment that extended from the Transition Zone into the Colorado Plateau in northwest Arizona. We apply two new methods to analyze long-offset data that employ finite difference travel time calculations: (1) a first-arrival time inverter to find upper crustal velocity structure and (2) a forward-modeling technique that allows the direct use of the inverted upper crustal solution in modeling secondary reflected arrivals. We find that the crustal thickness increases from 30 km beneath the metamorphic core complexes in the southern Basin and Range province to about 42 km beneath the northern Transition Zone and southern Colorado Plateau margin. We observe some crustal thinning (to ???37 km thick) and slightly higher lower crustal velocities farther inboard; beneath the Kaibab uplift on the north rim of the Grand Canyon the crust thickens to a maximum of 48 km. We observe a nonuniform crustal thickness beneath the Colorado Plateau that varies by ???15% and corresponds approximately to variations in topography with the thickest crust underlying the highest elevations. Crustal compositions (as inferred from seismic velocities) appear to be the same beneath the Colorado Plateau as those in the Basin and Range province to the southwest, implying that the plateau crust represents an unextended version of the Basin and Range. Some of the variability in crustal structure appears to correspond to preserved lithospheric discontinuities that date back to the Proterozoic Era.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-05-10

ISS013-E-17394 (10 May 2006) --- The central Phoenix Metro Area, Arizona is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area is the largest in the southwestern United States, and is comprised of 21 contiguous incorporated municipalities. Such a collection of discrete political entities forming a larger integrated urban landscape is referred to as a conurbation by urban geographers. This portion of a high resolution (approximately 9 meters/pixel) photograph (upper image) of the central metro region includes the boundary area between three of the municipalities included in the conurbation: the Cities of Phoenix (upper image, left), Tempe (upper image, center and lower right), and Scottsdale (upper image, upper right).

A new oligacanthorhynchid acanthocephalan described from the great horned owl, Bubo virginianus (Strigidae), and red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis (Accipitridae), from central Arizona, U.S.A.

PubMed

Bolette, David P

2007-02-01

Oligacanthorhynchus nickoli n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) is described from the great-horned owl, Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788) (type host), and red-tailed hawk, Buteojamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788), collected in central Arizona. The new species is most similar to Oligacanthorhynchus iheringi and Oligacanthorhynchus minor, but it differs from all congeners primarily by trunk length, proboscis size and armature, egg size, geographical range, and host species. It is distinguished from the 9 Oligacanthorhynchus species occurring in avian hosts from both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Descriptions of juvenile forms of O. nickoli from the intestine of B. jamaicensis are provided from recently ingested cystacanths with everted proboscides.

Paleomagnetism and tectonic rotation of the lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff: Colorado Plateau, Arizona, to Barstow, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, Ray E.; Hillhouse, John W.

1989-01-01

We have determined remanent magnetization directions of the lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff at 41 localities in western Arizona and southeastern California. An unusual northeast and shallow magnetization direction confirms the proposed geologic correlation of isolated outcrops of the tuff from the Colorado Plateau to Barstow, California, a distance of 350 km. The Peach Springs Tuff was apparently emplaced as a single cooling unit about 18 or 19 Ma and is now exposed in 4 tectonic provinces west of the Plateau, including the Transition Zone, Basin and Range, Colorado River extensional corridor, and central Mojave Desert strike-slip zone. As such, the tuff is an ideal stratigraphic and structural marker for paleomagnetic assessment of regional variations in tectonic rotations about vertical axes. From 4 sites on the stable Colorado Plateau, we have determined a reference direction of remanent magnetization (I = 36.4°, D = 33.0°, α95 = 3.4°) that we interpret as a representation of the ambient magnetic field at the time of eruption. A steeper direction of magnetization (I = 54.8°, D = 22.5°, α95 = 2.3°) was observed at Kingman where the tuff is more than 100 m thick, and similar directions were determined at 7 other thick exposures of the Peach Springs Tuff. The steeper component is presumably a later-stage magnetization acquired after prolonged cooling of the ignimbrite. When compared to the Plateau reference direction, tilt-corrected directions from 3 of 6 sites in the central Mojave strike-slip zone show localized rotations up to 13° in the vicinity of strike-slip faults. The other three sites show no significant rotations with respect to the Colorado Plateau. Both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations were measured, and no systematic regional pattern is evident. Our results do not support kinematic models which require consistent rotation of large regions to accommodate the cumulative displacement of major post-middle Miocene strike-slip faults in the central Mojave Desert. Most of our sites in the Transition Zone and Basin and Range province have had no significant rotation, although small counterclockwise rotation in the McCullough and New York Mountains may be related to sinistral shear along en echelon faults southwest of the Lake Mead shear zone. The larger rotations occur in the Colorado River extensional corridor, where 8 of 14 sites show rotations ranging from 37° clockwise to 51° counterclockwise. These rotations occur in allochthonous tilt blocks which have been transported northeastward above the Chemehuevi-Whipple Mountains detachment fault. Upper-plate blocks within 1 km of the exposed detachment unexpectedly show no significant rotation. From this relation, we infer that rotations are accommodated along numerous low-angle faults at higher structural levels above the detachment surface.

Combining Mechanistic Approaches for Studying Eco-Hydro-Geomorphic Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francipane, A.; Ivanov, V.; Akutina, Y.; Noto, V.; Istanbullouglu, E.

2008-12-01

Vegetation interacts with hydrology and geomorphic form and processes of a river basin in profound ways. Despite recent advances in hydrological modeling, the dynamic coupling between these processes is yet to be adequately captured at the basin scale to elucidate key features of process interaction and their role in the organization of vegetation and landscape morphology. In this study, we present a blueprint for integrating a geomorphic component into the physically-based, spatially distributed ecohydrological model, tRIBS- VEGGIE, which reproduces essential water and energy processes over the complex topography of a river basin and links them to the basic plant life regulatory processes. We present a preliminary design of the integrated modeling framework in which hillslope and channel erosion processes at the catchment scale, will be coupled with vegetation-hydrology dynamics. We evaluate the developed framework by applying the integrated model to Lucky Hills basin, a sub-catchment of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (Arizona). The evaluation is carried out by comparing sediment yields at the basin outlet, that follows a detailed verification of simulated land-surface energy partition, biomass dynamics, and soil moisture states.

Similarities and contrasts in tectonic and volcanic style and history along the Colorado plateaus-to-basin and range transition zone in Western Arizona: Geologic framework for tertiary extensional tectonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, R. A.; Mckee, E. H.; Hartman, J. H.; Simmons, A. M.

1985-01-01

The overall temporal and spatial relations between middle Tertiary volcanism and tectonism from the Basin and Range province onto the edge of the Colorado Plateaus province suggest that a single magnetic-tectonic episode affected the entire region more or less simultaneously during this period. The episode followed a post-Laramide (late Eocene through Oligocene) period of 25 million years of relative stability. Middle Tertiary volcanism did not migrate gradually eastward in a simple fashion onto the Colorado Plateau. In fact, late Oligocene volcanism appears to be more voluminous near the Aquarius Mountains than throughout the adjacent Basin and Range province westward to the Colorado River. Any model proposed to explain the cause of extension and detachment faulting in the eastern part of the Basin and Range province must consider that the onset of volcanism appears to have been approximately synchronous from the Colorado River region of the Basin and Range across the transition zone and onto the edge of the Colorado Plateaus.

78 FR 41901 - Determination of Attainment for the West Central Pinal Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, and contingency... for implementation of reasonably available control measures (RACM), reasonable further progress (RFP..., Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, requested that EPA determine whether the West Central Pinal...

Morphologic classes of impact basins on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Charles A.; Tam, Wesley

1993-01-01

An independent survey of 60% of Venus has resulted in the detection of 35 impact basins and associated transitional rings. Contrary to previous studies central peak basins have been identified, as well as peak ring basins. But no unambiguous multi-ring basins have been detected. A new class of crateriform - expanded peak structure - has been noticed, which is transitional in diameter, but apparently not in structure, between central peak and peak ring basins.

Rain Basin Design Implications for Soil Microbial Activity and N-mineralization in a Semi-arid Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, C.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.

2014-12-01

Rain basins have been an increasingly popular Green Infrastructure (GI) solution to the redistribution of water flow caused by urbanization. This study was conducted to examine how different approaches to basin design, specifically mulching (gravel vs. compost and gravel), influence the water availability of rain basins and the effects this has on the soil microbial activity of the basins. Soil microbes are a driving force of biogeochemical process and may impact the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of rain basin GI. In this study we sampled 12 different residential-scale rain basins, differing in design established at Biosphere 2, Arizona in 2013. Soil samples and measurements were collected before and after the onset of the monsoon season in 2014 to determine how the design of basins mediates the transition from dry to wet conditions. Soil abiotic factors were measured, such as moisture content, soil organic matter (SOM) content, texture and pH, and were related to the microbial biomass size within the basins. Field and lab potential N-mineralization and soil respiration were measured to determine how basin design influences microbial activity and N dynamics. We found that pre-monsoon basins with compost had higher moisture contents and that there was a positive correlation between the moisture content and the soil microbial biomass size of the basins. Pre-monsoon data also suggests that N-mineralization rates for basins with compost were higher than those with only gravel. These design influences on basin-scale biogeochemical dynamics and nitrogen retention may have important implications for urban biogeochemistry at neighborhood and watershed scales.

Migration of recharge waters downgradient from the Santa Catalina Mountains into the Tucson basin aquifer, Arizona, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Erin E. B.; Long, Austin; Eastoe, Chris; Bassett, R. L.

Aquifers in the arid alluvial basins of the southwestern U.S. are recharged predominantly by infiltration from streams and playas within the basins and by water entering along the margins of the basins. The Tucson basin of southeastern Arizona is such a basin. The Santa Catalina Mountains form the northern boundary of this basin and receive more than twice as much precipitation (ca. 700mm/year) as does the basin itself (ca. 300mm/year). In this study environmental isotopes were employed to investigate the migration of precipitation basinward through shallow joints and fractures. Water samples were obtained from springs and runoff in the Santa Catalina Mountains and from wells in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) and thermonuclear-bomb-produced tritium enabled qualitative characterization of flow paths and flow velocities. Stable-isotope measurements show no direct altitude effect. Tritium values indicate that although a few springs and wells discharge pre-bomb water, most springs discharge waters from the 1960s or later. Résumé La recharge des aquifères des bassins alluviaux arides du sud-ouest des États-Unis est assurée surtout à partir des lits des cours d'eau et des playas dans les bassins, ainsi que par l'eau entrant à la bordure de ces bassins. Le bassin du Tucson, dans le sud-est de l'Arizona, est l'un de ceux-ci. La chaîne montagneuse de Santa Catalina constitue la limite nord de ce bassin et reçoit plus de deux fois plus de précipitations (environ 700mm/an) que le bassin (environ 300mm/an). Dans cette étude, les isotopes du milieu ont été utilisés pour analyser le déplacement de l'eau de pluie vers le bassin au travers des fissures et des fractures proches de la surface. Des échantillons d'eau ont été prélevés dans les sources et dans l'écoulement de surface de la chaîne montagneuse et dans des puits au pied de la chaîne. Les isotopes stables (δD et δ18O) et le tritium d'origine thermonucléaire permettent de caractériser qualitativement les cheminements de l'eau et leurs vitesses. Les isotopes stables ne mettent pas en évidence un effet d'altitude. Les teneurs en tritium indiquent que quelques sources et certains puits fournissent une eau ancienne, alors que l'eau de la plupart des sources date des années soixante ou est plus récente. Resumen Los acuíferos en las cuencas aluviales áridas del sudoeste de los Estados Unidos de América se recargan principalmente por la infiltración procedentes de los arroyos y playas de las propias cuencas y por entradas a lo largo de los límites de las mismas. La cuenca de Tucson, en el sudeste de Arizona es una de ellas. Las Montañas de Santa Catalina forman el contorno septentrional de esta cuenca y reciben una precipitación de más del doble (700mm/año) que la media de la propia cuenca (unos 300mm/año). En este estudio, se utilizaron isótopos ambientales para investigar la infiltración a través de fracturas y juntas superficiales. Se obtuvieron muestras de manantiales y de la escorrentía en las Montañas de Santa Catalina, así como de pozos ubicados al pie de las mismas. Los isótopos estables (Deuterio y Oxígeno-18) y el Tritio procedente de las bombas termonucleares permitieron la caracterización cualitativa de las líneas de flujo y de las velocidades. Los datos procedentes de la medida de isótopos estables no parecen presentar un efecto de altitud. Los valores de Tritio indican que aunque algunos pozos y manantiales descargan agua previa a los ensayos termonucleares, la mayoría descargan aguas de fecha posterior a 1960.

Time-domain electromagnetic signatures of polymetallic vein deposits in Cottonwood Canyon area, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bultman, Mark W.

2002-01-01

This report tests the usefulness of airborne time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) data on three mineral-resource-related issues: (1) to test whether known mineral deposits at or near the surface display any signal in the TEM data; 2) determine whether TEM data can be used to locate bedrock concealed by basin fill; and (3) if the exposed mineral deposits display a signal in the TEM data, to determine if whether deposits are recognizable at depth in outcropping bedrock or in bedrock concealed beneath basin fill. Because Earth's total-intensity magnetic field data are also acquired with the TEM data, these data are included in the analysis. The Cottonwood Canyon area in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, contains several polymetallic vein deposits, including those of the Tyndall, Salero, and Wrightson mining districts, all of which have had significant mineral production. Polymetallic vein deposits, which generally consist of veins of disseminated metallic minerals, commonly exhibit a response to electrical geophysical methods. Also, on the basis of other studies, the conditions that produced the polymetallic vein mineralization in the region are believed to extend offshore into the bedrock concealed by basin fill. The polymetallic vein deposits of the Cottonwood Canyon area all display a geophysical signature in the TEM data. These deposits occur in bedrock that has, in general, a very low resistivity. The polymetallic vein deposits are associated with high-conductivity regions that extend from deep in the bedrock to the surface. These high-conductivity regions can be quite narrow (100 m) or quite wide (1 km); most are relatively narrow. Every known mineral deposit or prospect is associated with a high-conductivity feature. High-conductivity regions can also occur without an association with known mineral deposits. Airborne TEM data appear to be able to locate the basin fill/bedrock contact beneath basin fill. The basin fill (both dry and saturated) is generally more conductive than the bedrock. The low conductivity of the bedrock ensures that no signal from the bedrock is received from under the basin fill in most places. Therefore, in most areas of basin fill, the bedrock is interpreted to be the bottom of the signal in the conductivity-depth transforms (CDTs). Although the CDTs locate the basin-fill/bedrock contact, on the basis of a comparison with a recent report, they mostly overstate its depth by a factor of at least 2. Because CDTs based on airborne TEM data do not see into bedrock below basin fill, it is impossible to detect mineralization in the bedrock concealed by such fill. Although the geophysical signature of polymetallic vein deposits is seen at depth in outcropping bedrock, the existence of this geophysical signal does not guarantee the occurrence of polymetallic vein deposits.

Characterizing the impact of spatiotemporal variations in stormwater infrastructure on hydrologic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jovanovic, T.; Mejia, A.; Hale, R. L.; Gironas, J. A.

2015-12-01

Urban stormwater infrastructure design has evolved in time, reflecting changes in stormwater policy and regulations, and in engineering design. This evolution makes urban basins heterogeneous socio-ecological-technological systems. We hypothesize that this heterogeneity creates unique impact trajectories in time and impact hotspots in space within and across cities. To explore this, we develop and implement a network hydro-engineering modeling framework based on high-resolution digital elevation and stormwater infrastructure data. The framework also accounts for climatic, soils, land use, and vegetation conditions in an urban basin, thus making it useful to study the impacts of stormwater infrastructure across cities. Here, to evaluate the framework, we apply it to urban basins in the metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Arizona. We use it to estimate different metrics to characterize the storm-event hydrologic response. We estimate both traditional metrics (e.g., peak flow, time to peak, and runoff volume) as well as new metrics (e.g., basin-scale dispersion mechanisms). We also use the dispersion mechanisms to assess the scaling characteristics of urban basins. Ultimately, we find that the proposed framework can be used to understand and characterize the impacts associated with stormwater infrastructure on hydrologic conditions within a basin. Additionally, we find that the scaling approach helps in synthesizing information but it requires further validation using additional urban basins.

Review Report for Flood Control and Recreational Development, Little Colorado River at Holbrook, Arizona. Volume 2. Technical Appendix.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

led by William C. Allen stayed at this place; while George Lake’s group went approximately 4 mi. downstream and across the river, to establish the...Goodwin, Grenville 1942 The Social Organization of the Western Apache, University Of Chicago Press, Chicago. Gumerman, George J. and S. Alan Skinner 1968...A Synthesis of the Prehistory of the Central Little Colorado Valley, Arizona. American Antiquity, Vol. 33, No. 2. Gumerman, George 1969 Th

A high-resolution land-use map; Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Norman, Laura M.; Villarreal, Miguel L.; Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Gil Anaya, Claudia Z.; Diaz Arcos, Israel; Gray, Floyd

2010-01-01

The cities of Nogales, Sonora, and Nogales, Arizona, are located in the Ambos Nogales Watershed, a topographically irregular bowl-shaped area with a northward gradient. Throughout history, residents in both cities have been affected by flooding. Currently, the primary method for regulating this runoff is to build a series of detention basins in Nogales, Sonora. Additionally, the municipality also is considering land-use planning to help mitigate flooding. This paper describes the production of a 10-meter resolution land-use map, derived from 2008 aerial photos of the Nogales, Sonora Watershed for modeling impacts of the detention basin construction and in support of an ?Early Warning Hazard System? for the region.

High Performance Computing-based Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Santa Cruz and San Pedro River Basin at Very High Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robles-Morua, A.; Vivoni, E. R.; Rivera-Fernandez, E. R.; Dominguez, F.; Meixner, T.

2012-12-01

Assessing the impact of climate change on large river basins in the southwestern United States is important given the natural water scarcity in the region. The bimodal distribution of annual precipitation also presents a challenge as differential climate impacts during the winter and summer seasons are not currently well understood. In this work, we focus on the hydrological consequences of climate change in the Santa Cruz and San Pedro river basins along the Arizona-Sonora border at high spatiotemporal resolutions (~100 m and ~1 hour). These river systems support rich ecological communities along riparian corridors that provide habitat to migratory birds and support recreational and economic activities. Determining the climate impacts on riparian communities involves assessing how river flows and groundwater recharge will change with altered temperature and precipitation regimes. In this study, we use a distributed hydrologic model, known as the TIN-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS), to generate simulated hydrological fields under historical (1991-2000) and climate change (2031-2040) scenarios obtained from an application of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. Using the distributed model, we transform the meteorological scenarios from WRF at 10-km, hourly resolution into predictions of the annual water budget, seasonal land surface fluxes and individual hydrographs of flood and recharge events. For this contribution, we selected two full years in the historical period and in the future scenario that represent wet and dry conditions for each decade. Given the size of the two basins, we rely on a high performance computing platform and a parallel domain discretization using sub-basin partitioning with higher resolutions maintained at experimental catchments in each river basin. Model simulations utilize best-available data across the Arizona-Sonora border on topography, land cover and soils obtained from analysis of remotely-sensed imagery and government databases. For the historical period, we build confidence in the model simulations through comparisons with streamflow estimates in the region. We also evaluate the WRF forcing outcomes with respect to meteorological inputs from ground rain gauges and the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). We then analyze the high-resolution spatiotemporal predictions of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, runoff generation and recharge under past conditions and for the climate change scenario. A comparison with the historical period will yield a first-of-its-kind assessment at very high spatiotemporal resolution on the impacts of climate change on the hydrologic response of two large semiarid river basins of the southwestern United States.

Sacaton riparian grasslands of the Sky Islands: Mapping distribution and ecological condition using state-and-transition models in Upper Cienega Creek Watershed

Treesearch

Ron Tiller; Melissa Hughes; Gita Bodner

2013-01-01

Riparian grasslands dominated by Sporobolus wrightii (big sacaton) were once widely distributed in the intermountain basins of the Madrean Archipelago. These alluvial grasslands are still recognized as key resources for watershed function, livestock, and wildlife. The upper Cienega Creek watershed in SE Arizona is thought to harbor some of the region’s most extensive...

Spatial analysis from remotely sensed observations of Congo basin of East African high Land to drain water using gravity for sustainable management of low laying Chad basin of Central Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modu, B.; Herbert, B.

2014-11-01

The Chad basin which covers an area of about 2.4 million kilometer square is one of the largest drainage basins in Africa in the centre of Lake Chad .This basin was formed as a result of rifting and drifting episode, as such it has no outlet to the oceans or seas. It contains large area of desert from the north to the west. The basin covers in part seven countries such as Chad, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Cameroun, Niger, Sudan and Algeria. It is named Chad basin because 43.9% falls in Chad republic. Since its formation, the basin continues to experienced water shortage due to the activities of Dams combination, increase in irrigations and general reduction in rainfall. Chad basin needs an external water source for it to be function at sustainable level, hence needs for exploitation of higher east African river basin called Congo basin; which covers an area of 3.7 million square km lies in an astride the equator in west-central Africa-world second largest river basin after Amazon. The Congo River almost pans around republic of Congo, the democratic republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, western Zambia, northern Angola, part of Cameroun, and Tanzania. The remotely sensed imagery analysis and observation revealed that Congo basin is on the elevation of 275 to 460 meters and the Chad basin is on elevation of 240 meters. This implies that water can be drained from Congo basin via headrace down to the Chad basin for the water sustainability.

Geology of the Northern Part of the Harcuvar Complex, West-Central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bryant, Bruce; Wooden, J.L.

2008-01-01

In west-central Arizona near the northeast margin of the Basin and Range Province, the Rawhide detachment fault separates Tertiary and older rocks lacking significant effects of Tertiary metamorphism from Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic rocks in the Harcuvar metamorphic core complex below. Much of the northern part of the Harcuvar complex in the Buckskin and eastern Harcuvar Mountains is layered granitic gneiss, biotite gneiss, amphibolite, and minor pelitic schist that was probably deformed and metamorphosed in Early Proterozoic time. In the eastern Buckskin Mountains, Early and Middle Proterozoic plutons having U-Pb zircon ages of 1,683?6.4 mega-annum (Ma) and 1,388?2.3 Ma, respectively, intruded the layered gneiss. Small plutons of alkaline gabbro and diorite intruded in Late Jurassic time. A sample of mylonitized diorite from this unit has a U-Pb zircon age of 149?2.8 Ma. In the Early Cretaceous, amphibolite facies regional metamorphism was accompanied by partial melting and formation of migmatite. Zircon from a granitic layer in migmatitic gneiss in the eastern Harcuvar Mountains has a U-Pb age of 110?3.7 Ma. In the Late Cretaceous, sills and plutons of the granite of Tank Pass were emplaced in both the Buckskin and eastern Harcuvar Mountains. In the Buckskin Mountains those intrusions are locally numerous enough to form an injection migmatite. A pluton of this granite crops out over almost half the area of the eastern Harcuvar Mountains. Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks were caught as slices along south-vergent Cretaceous thrusts related to the Maria fold and thrust belt and were metamorphosed beneath a thick sheet of Proterozoic crustal rocks. Inception of volcanism and basin formation in upper-plate rocks indicates that regional extension started at about 26 Ma, in late Oligocene. The Swansea Plutonic Suite, composed of rocks ranging from gabbro to granite, intruded the lower-plate rocks in the Miocene and Oligocene(?). Granite and a gabbro from the suite have a U-Pb zircon age of 21.86?0.60 Ma. Previously published 40Ar/39Ar ages of hornblende suggest that some of the Swansea Suite is Oligocene. The felsic rocks contain numerous inclusions ranging from porphyritic granite to porphyritic granodiorite. A sample from one inclusion has a U-Pb zircon age of 1,409?6.3 Ma. A discordia line for the U-Pb zircon data from the Swansea Plutonic Suite has an upper intercept at 1,408?3.4 Ma. The Swansea Plutonic Suite probably formed by interaction between mantle material and plutonic rocks at least as old as Middle Proterozoic. An irregular layer in the middle crust, which is thickest under and adjacent to the Buckskin Mountains, may be the level where that interaction took place. During extensional deformation these rocks and all the older rocks were displaced southwest from beneath the rocks of the Colorado Plateau transition zone below an area extending 50?80 kilometers northeast of the Buckskin Mountains as far as Bagdad, Arizona, or beyond. At that time the rocks were variably mylonitized, and a northeast-trending lineation formed. Much of the evidence for the complex sequence of structural events preserved in these rocks in the western Harcuvar Mountains has been obliterated in the northern Harcuvar complex by Miocene deformation.

Hydrologic requirements of and consumptive ground-water use by riparian vegetation along the San Pedro River, Arizona. Chapters A-D.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenhouts, James M.; Stromberg, Juliet C.; Scott, Russell L.; authors include Leenhouts, James M.; Lite, Sharon J.; Dixon, Mark; Rychener, Tyler; Makings, Elizabeth; Williams, David G.; Goodrich, David C.; Cable, William L.; Levick, Lainie R.; McGuire, Roberta; Gazal, Rico M.; Yepez, Enrico A.; Ellsworth, Patrick; Huxman, Travis E.

2006-01-01

This study is a coordinated effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), and Arizona State University, with assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Wyoming, and the University of Arizona. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine the water needs of riparian vegetation through the riparian growing season and throughout the SPRNCA to ensure its long-term ecological integrity; to quantify the total water use of riparian vegetation within the SPRNCA; and to determine the source of water used by key riparian plant species within the SPRNCA. To meet these objectives, the study was divided into three elements: (1) a characterization of the status and variability of hydrologic factors within the riparian system (USGS), (2) a riparian biohydrology study to relate spatial and temporal aspects of riparian changes and condition to the hydrologic variables (Arizona State University), and (3) a water-use evapotranspiration (ET) study to quantify annual consumptive ground-water use by riparian transpiration and direct evaporation from the stream channel (USDA ARS) in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Wyoming, and the University of Arizona. Twenty-six sites within the SPRNCA were selected for collection of vegetation data from three primary streamflow regimes (perennial, intermittent-wet, intermittent-dry), which include the principal vegetation communities. Detailed hydrologic-condition data were collected at a subset of 16 of these sites, called the SPRNCA biohydrology sites. Water-use and water-source data were collected at a subset of 5 of the 16 biohydrology sites. Vegetation data also were collected at supplemental sites within the SPRNCA boundary in the Upper San Pedro Basin and in the Lower San Pedro Basin. In addition to information about vegetation and geomorphic conditions, hydrologic data collected at the 16 biohydrology sites were used to delineate 14 reaches that were internally homogenous in terms of streamflow hydrology (spatial intermittence of streamflow) and geomorphology (channel sinuosity and flood-plain width). Although this overall study consisted of three elements, the elements were closely coordinated to derive integrated results. Specifically, the connection between water demand, water availability, and riparian functioning represents a synthesis of the study elements. The effects of intra- and inter-annual as well as spatial variability of hydrologic and riparian factors were observed in each of the three study elements.

Structural Evolution of central part of the Tuzgolu (Salt Lake) Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ada, M.; Cemen, I.; Çaptuğ, A.; Demirci, M.; Engin, C.

2017-12-01

The Tuzgolu Basin in Central Anatolia, Turkey, covers low-relief areas located between the Pontide Mountains to the North and Tauride Mountains to the South. The basin started to form as a rift basin during the Late Maastrichtian. The main Tuzgolu-Aksaray fault zone on the eastern margin of the basin and the northwest trending Yeniceoba and Cihanbeyli fault zones on the western margin of the basin were probably developed during that time. The basin has also experienced westward extension in response to westward escape of the Anatolian plate since Late Miocene. Several geologic studies have been conducted in the Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) Basin and surrounding areas to determine structural and tectono-stratigraphic development of the basin. However, there are still many questions regarding the structural evolution of the basin. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the structural evolution of the central Tuzgolu Basin based on the structural interpretation of available 2-D seismic reflection profiles, well log analysis and construction of structural cross sections. The cross-sections will be based on depth converted seismic lines to determine structural geometry of the faults and folds. A preliminary Petrel project has been prepared using available seismic profiles. Our preliminary structural interpretations suggest that a well-developed rollover anticline was developed with respect to the westward extension in Central Anatolia. The rollover anticline is faulted in its crest area by both down-to-the west and down-to-the east normal faults. The geometry of the main boundary fault at depth still remains in question. We anticipate that this question will be resolved based on depth converted structural cross-sections and their restoration.

7 CFR 1250.510 - Determination of Board Membership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia... Central States)—Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska; Area 6 (Western States)—Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico...

7 CFR 1250.510 - Determination of Board Membership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia... Central States)—Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska; Area 6 (Western States)—Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico...

Simulated effects of ground-water withdrawals and artificial recharge on discharge to streams, springs, and riparian vegetation in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Pool, Donald R.; Leenhouts, James M.

2008-01-01

In the context of ground-water resources, “capture” or “streamflow depletion” refers to withdrawal-induced changes in inflow to or outflow from an aquifer. These concepts are helpful in understanding the effects of long-term development of ground-water resources. For the Upper San Pedro Basin in Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico, a recently developed ground-water flow model is available to help quantify capture of water from the river and riparian system. A common method of analysis is to compute curves of capture and aquifer-storage change for a range of time at select points of interest. This study, however, presents results of a method to show spatial distributions of total change in inflow and outflow from withdrawal or injection for select times of interest. The mapped areal distributions show the effect of a single well in terms of the ratio of the change in boundary flow rate to rate of withdrawal or injection by the well. To the extent that the system responds linearly to ground-water withdrawal or injection, fractional responses in the mapped distributions can be used to quantify response for any withdrawal or injection rate. Capture distributions calculated using the Upper San Pedro model include response to (1) withdrawal in the lower basin-fill aquifer for times of 10 and 50 years following the initiation of pumping from predevelopment conditions and (2) artificial recharge to the water table in the area underlain by the lower basin-fill aquifer after 10 and 50 years. The mapped distributions show that response to withdrawals and injections is greatest near the river/riparian system. Presence of clay layers in the vertical interval between withdrawal locations and the river/riparian system, however, can delay the response.

Radioactivity in the environment; a case study of the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wirt, Laurie

1994-01-01

This report, written for the nontechnical reader, summarizes the results of a study from 1988-91 of the occurrence and transport of selected radionuclides and other chemical constituents in the Puerco and Little Colorado River basins, Arizona and New Mexico. More than two decades of uranium mining and the 1979 failure of an earthen dam containing mine tailings released high levels of radionuclides and other chemical constituents to the Puerco River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. Releases caused public concern that ground water and streamflow downstream from mining were contaminated. Study findings show which radioactive elements are present, how these elements are distributed between water and sediment in the environment, how concentrations of radioactive elements vary naturally within basins, and how levels of radioactivity have changed since the end of mining. Although levels of radioactive elements and other trace elements measured in streamflow commonly exceed drinking-water standards, no evidence was found to indicate that the high concentrations were still related to uraniurn mining. Sediment radioactivity was higher at sample sites on streams that drain the eastern part of the Little Colorado River basin than that of samples from the western part. Radioactivity of suspended sediment measured in this study, therefore, represents natural conditions for the streams sampled rather than an effect of mining. Because ground water beneath the Puerco River channel is shallow, the aquifer is vulnerable to contamination. A narrow zone of ground water beneath the Puerco River containing elevated uranium concentrations was identified during the study. The highest concentrations were nearest the mines and in samples collected in the first few feet beneath the streambed. Natuxal radiation levels in a few areas of the underlying sedimentary aquifer not connected to the Puerco River also exceeded water quality standards. Water testing would enable those residents not using public water supplies to determine if their water is safe to use.

Distribution and abundance of burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia spp.) in Lake Erie, 1997-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krieger, K.A.; Bur, M.T.; Ciborowski, J.J.H.; Barton, D.R.; Schloesser, D.W.

2007-01-01

Burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia limbata and H. rigida) recolonized sediments of the western basin of Lake Erie in the 1990s following decades of pollution abatement. We predicted that Hexageniawould also disperse eastward or expand from existing localized populations and colonize large regions of the other basins. We sampled zoobenthos in parts of the western and central basins yearly from 1997–2005, along the north shore of the eastern basin in 2001–2002, and throughout the lake in 2004. In the island area of the western basin, Hexagenia was present at densities ≤1,278 nymphs/m2and exhibited higher densities in odd years than even years. By contrast, Hexagenia became more widespread in the central basin from 1997–2000 at densities ≤48 nymphs/m2 but was mostly absent from 2001–2005. Nymphs were found along an eastern basin transect at densities ≤382/m2 in 2001 and 2002. During the 2004 lake-wide survey, Hexagenia was found at 63 of 89 stations situated throughout the western basin (≤1,636 nymphs/m2, mean = 195 nymphs/m2, SE = 32, N = 89) but at only 7 of 112 central basin stations, all near the western edge of the basin (≤708 nymphs/m2), and was not found in the eastern basin. Hexagenia was found at 2 of 62 stations (≤91 nymphs/m2) in harbors, marinas, and tributaries along the south shore of the central basin in 2005. Oxygen depletion at the sediment-water interface and cool temperatures in the hypolimnion are probably the primary factors preventing successful establishment throughout much of the central basin. Hexagenia can be a useful indicator of lake quality where its distribution and abundance are limited by anthropogenic causes.

Narrow Angle movie

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This brief three-frame movie of the Moon was made from three Cassini narrow-angle images as the spacecraft passed by the Moon on the way to its closest approach with Earth on August 17, 1999. The purpose of this particular set of images was to calibrate the spectral response of the narrow-angle camera and to test its 'on-chip summing mode' data compression technique in flight. From left to right, they show the Moon in the green, blue and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum in 40, 60 and 80 millisecond exposures, respectively. All three images have been scaled so that the brightness of Crisium basin, the dark circular region in the upper right, is the same in each image. The spatial scale in the blue and ultraviolet images is 1.4 miles per pixel (2.3 kilometers). The original scale in the green image (which was captured in the usual manner and then reduced in size by 2x2 pixel summing within the camera system) was 2.8 miles per pixel (4.6 kilometers). It has been enlarged for display to the same scale as the other two. The imaging data were processed and released by the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPS) at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, AZ.

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/Cassini Imaging Team/University of Arizona

Cassini, launched in 1997, is a joint mission of NASA, the European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency. The mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.

The role of ethnicity and travel on Hepatitis A vaccination coverage and disease incidence in Arizona at the United States–Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Ernst, Kacey C; Erhart, Laura M

2014-01-01

Background: Hepatitis A (HAV) incidence has decreased in the United States, yet regional disparities persist. The role of international travel has become increasingly important in HAV transmission. We compared the relative burden of HAV in border and non-border regions in Arizona and examined the role of travel in sustaining HAV transmission. Methods: HAV vaccination coverage was calculated by age and region, using Arizona State Immunization Information System data. Incidence, demographics, and risk factors of cases reported through Arizona’s infectious disease surveillance system between 2006 and 2011 were analyzed. Results: Hepatitis A incidence was higher in the border region of Arizona. Compared with the rest of Arizona, one-dose coverage in children <15 years was lower in the border region until 2008. Second dose coverage was lower in the border region, particularly among Spanish speakers. International travel among cases was generally high; however, in the border region cases were more likely to visit Mexico or South/Central America (94% vs. 80%, P value = 0.01) and be Hispanic (68% vs. 42%, P value = 0.0003). Conclusions: Rates of HAV continue to be higher in the Arizona border region; the risk appears particularly high among Hispanics with recent travel in the Americas. Border surveillance should be emphasized, along with vaccination of all travelers, to continue to decrease and control HAV. PMID:24603091

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1977 to spring 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1978-01-01

The withdrawal of ground water was about 5.5 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1977. About 4.7 million acre-feet of ground water was used for the irrigation of crops in 1977. The Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz basin are the largest agricultural areas in the State. For 1973-77, ground-water withdrawal in the two areas was about 8.1 and 5.1 million acre-feet, respectively, and, in general, water levels are declining. Other areas in which ground-water withdrawals have caused water-level declines are the Willcox, San Simon, upper Santa Cruz, Avra Valley, Gila Bend, Harquahala Plains, and McMullen Valley areas. Two small-scale maps of Arizona show (1) pumpage of ground water by areas and (2) the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, scale 1:500 ,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1978, and change in water level in selected wells from 1973 to 1978. The brief text that accompanies the maps summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (Woodard-USGS)

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1975 to spring 1976

USGS Publications Warehouse

Babcock, H.M.

1977-01-01

Two small-scale maps of Arizona show (1) pumpage of ground water by areas and (2) the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. A larger map of the State at a scale of 1:500,000 shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1976, and change in water level in selected wells from 1971 to 1976. The brief text that accompanies the maps summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. The withdrawal of ground water in Arizona was about 5.6 million acre-feet in 1975, of which about 4.7 million acre-feet was used for the irrigation of crops. The Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz basin are the largest agricultural areas in the State. For 1971-75, ground-water withdrawal in the two areas was about 8.3 and 4.7 million acre-feet, respectively, and, in general, water levels are declining. Other areas in which ground-water withdrawals have caused large water-level declines are the Willcox, San Simon, upper Santa Cruz, Avra Valley, Gila Bend, Harquahala Plains, and McMullen Valley areas. (Woodard-USGS)

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1976 to spring 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Babcock, H.M.

1977-01-01

Two small-scale maps of Arizona show (1) pumpage of ground water by areas and (2) the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth of water in selected wells in spring 1977, and change in water level in selected wells from 1972 to 1977. The brief text that accompanies the maps summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. The withdrawal of ground water was about 5.5 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1976 of which about 4.7 million acre-feet was used for the irrigation. The Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz basin are the largest agricultural areas in the State. For 1972-76, ground-water withdrawal in the two areas was about 8.2 to 4.9 million acre-feet, respectively, and, in general, water levels are declining. Other areas in which ground-water withdrawals have caused large water-level declines are the Willcox, San Simon, upper Santa Cruz, Avra Valley, Gila Bend, Harquahala Plains, and McMullen Valley areas. (Woodard-USGS)

Conceptual understanding and groundwater quality of selected basin-fill aquifers in the Southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.; Bexfield, Laura M.; Anning, David W.; Huntington, Jena M.

2010-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey has been conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifer systems in the southwestern United States (hereinafter, “Southwest”) since 2005. Part of the NAWQA Program, the objective of the Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is to develop a better understanding of water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the region by synthesizing information from case studies of 15 basins into a common set of important natural and human-related factors found to affect groundwater quality.The synthesis consists of three major components:1. Summary of current knowledge about the groundwater systems, and the status of, changes in, and influential factors affecting quality of groundwater in basin-fill aquifers in 15 basins previously studied by NAWQA (this report).2. Development of a conceptual model of the primary natural and human-related factors commonly affecting groundwater quality, thereby building a regional understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to contaminants.3. Development of statistical models that relate the concentration or occurrence of specific chemical constituents in groundwater to natural and human-related factors linked to the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers to contamination.Basin-fill aquifers occur in about 200,000 mi2 of the 410,000 mi2 SWPA study area and are the primary source of groundwater supply for cities and agricultural communities. Four of the principal aquifers or aquifer systems of the United States are included in the basin-fill aquifers of the study area: (1) the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; (2) the Rio Grande aquifer system in New Mexico and Colorado; (3) the California Coastal Basin aquifers; and (4) the Central Valley aquifer system in California. Because of the generally limited availability of surface-water supplies in the arid to semiarid climate, cultural and economic activities in the Southwest are particularly dependent on supplies of good-quality groundwater. Irrigation and public-supply withdrawals from basin-fill aquifers in the study area account for about one quarter of the total withdrawals from all aquifers in the United States.Many factors influence the quality of groundwater in the 15 case-study basins, but some common factors emerge from the basin summaries presented in this report. These factors include the chemical composition of the recharge water, consolidated rock geology and composition of aquifer materials derived from consolidated rock, and land and water use. The major water-quality issues in many of the developed case-study basins are increased concentrations of dissolved solids, nitrate, and VOCs in groundwater as a result of human activities.The information presented and the citations listed in this report serve as a resource for those interested in the groundwater-flow systems in the NAWQA case-study basins. The summaries of water-development history, hydrogeology, conceptual understanding of the groundwater system under both predevelopment and modern conditions, and effects of natural and human-related factors on groundwater quality presented in the sections on each basin also serve as a foundation for the synthesis and modeling phases of the SWPA regional study.

Geologic map of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5’ quadrangles, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, William R.; Menges, Christopher M.; Gray, Floyd; Berry, Margaret E.; Bultman, Mark W.; Cosca, Michael A.; VanSistine, D. Paco

2016-04-15

The objectives of our mapping were to define the geologic framework for the Nogales area and the upper Santa Cruz basin to support ongoing multidisciplinary projects. This new work will improve understanding of the Nogales Formation to more fully assess its groundwater resource potential. We significantly revised the Miocene Nogales Formation based on geologic mapping combined with new geochronologic, geophysical, and petrographic studies. 

Initiation and Frequency of Debris Flows in Grand Canyon, Arizona

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

illustrations. Ed Holroyd, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado, gave extensive technical help and advice with the GIS software. Steve Sutley, of the...value. Drainage-basin boundaries were drawn by hand on topographic maps, digitized, and entered into a GIS , which calculated drainage areas and centroids...overlying cliffs of more indurated sandstones and limestones. These processes result in rockfalls and rock avalanches that occur in all seasons, and under a

Depths of channels in the area of the San Juan Basin Regional Uranium Study, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, Maurice E.

1979-01-01

During December 1977 and January 1978 about 280 measurements were made of the depths of channels (arroyos) more than 6 feet deep in the San Juan Basin area. More than half of the measurements were made at sites where channel depths had been previously measured Between 1964 and 1969. Some channels in the western part of the basin had Been re-measured in 1969 and in 1971. The principal areas Being dissected by arroyos are near highlands along the margins of the Basin and in uplands in the northeastern part of the Basin. The most severe dissection by arroyos and the deepest arroyos--commonly Between 40 and 60 feet deep--are in the southeastern part of the Basin. Dissection By arroyos is least in the central part of the Basin near the Chaco River where most arroyos are less than 10 feet deep. Elsewhere, moderate dissection predominates with most arroyos Between 12 and 40 feet deep. Comparison of measurements made from 1964-71 with those made in 1977-78 shows that more channels in the western San Juan Basin were filling than were downcutting. Downcutting or filling was generally less than 2 feet. About two-fifths of the sites measured showed less than half a foot of downcutting or filling. Maximum downcutting was 4 feet along the Rio San Jose in the southeastern part of the basin. Maximum filling of 7 feet was along the Chaco River at the Chaco Canyon National Monument. Along ii other streams elsewhere in the western part of the basin, channels were filled 3 to 4.5 feet. The few measurements made in the southeastern San Juan Basin indicate that since 1964 downcutting has predominated over filling. Large floods during the summer of 1977 caused some change in channel depths in the southwestern part of the San Juan Basin. Some of the channels appeared to have been filled during the years prior to the cutting that occurred from the 1977 floods. At other places, flood flows aggraded (filled) channels. The rate of erosion and arroyo formation in the entire San Juan Basin is effected by man. The southeastern part of the basin--having been occupied by man for several centuries--shows the greatest effects of man on the rate of arroyo formation. Recent urban developments, particularly near Gallup, also appear to have affected the rate of erosion and arroyo formation. In contrast, arroyos appear to be aggrading below many earth-fill dams. In general, the effects of the petroleum, coal, and uranium exploration and development on arroyo formation have been minimal because the main trenching of the arroyos predates oil and mining operations. Some modification--degradation or aggradation--of the arroyos and local trenching of new arroyos have taken place in the area of some of the mines. Most of the observed effects from the mining operations on erosion and aggradation relate to the discharge of mine and mill water into the nearby streams.

Sediment Transport in the Bill Williams River and Turbidity in Lake Havasu During and Following Two High Releases from Alamo Dam, Arizona, in 2005 and 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiele, Stephen M.; Hart, Robert J.; Darling, Hugh L.; Hautzinger, Andrew B.

2009-01-01

Discharges higher than are typically released from Alamo Dam in west-central Arizona were planned and released in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 to study the effects of these releases on the Bill Williams River and Lake Havasu, into which the river debouches. Sediment concentrations and water discharges were measured in the Bill Williams River, and turbidity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured in Lake Havasu during and after experimental releases in 2005 and 2006 from Alamo Dam. Data from such releases will support ongoing ecological studies, improve environmentally sensitive management of the river corridor, and support the development of a predictive relationship between the operation of Alamo Dam and downstream flows and their impact on Lake Havasu and the Colorado River. Elevated discharges in the Bill Williams River mobilize more sediment than during more typical dam operation and can generate a turbidity plume in Lake Havasu. The intakes for the Central Arizona Project, which transfers Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, are near the mouth of the Bill Williams River. Measurement of the turbidity and the development of the plume over time consequently were important components of the study. In this report, the measurements of suspended sediment concentration and discharges in the Bill Williams River and of turbidity in Lake Havasu are presented along with calculations of silt and sand loads in the Bill Williams River. Sediment concentrations were varied and likely dependent on a variable supply. Sediment loads were calculated at the mouth of the river and near Planet, about 10 km upstream from the mouth for the 2005 release, and they indicate that a net increase in transport of silt and a net decrease in the transport of sand occurred in the reach between the two sites.

An Analysis of the Hydrology of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, F.; Dracup, J. A.

2002-12-01

Stretching almost 2,000 miles from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico) is very important socially, economically and politically for both Mexico and the U.S. In recent years, the longest drought on record has made water in the Rio Grande Basin scarce. In 2001, for the first time in recorded history, the Rio Grande failed to reach all the way to the Gulf of Mexico -- it stopped 500 feet from the shore. In this study, the authors first assess the relative magnitude and frequency of drought events in the Basin. Using GIS, a spatial analysis of the unimpaired flows and precipitation time series of the Basin is performed. This assessment will provide the basis for a basin simulation model. The authors then perform an extensive analysis of the effects of the El Ni¤o - Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on the hydrology of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. It is anticipated that the results of this research will provide information to water managers that will improve the effectiveness of water resources management policies for the Basin. This research is founded by the NSF fund SAHRA (Science and Technology Center to study and promote the "Sustainability of Water Resources in Semi-Arid Regions" at the University of Arizona).

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2006-01-01

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

Atmospheric Fragmentation of the Gold Basin Meteoroid as Constrained from Cosmogenic Nuclides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welten, K. C.; Hillegonds, D. J.; Jull, A. J. T.; Kring, D. A.

2005-01-01

Since the discovery of the Gold Basin L4 chondrite shower almost ten years ago in the northwestern corner of Arizona, many thousands of L-chondrite specimens have been recovered from an area of approx.22 km long and approx.10 km wide. Concentrations of cosmogenic 14C and 10Be in a number of these samples indicated a terrestrial age of approx.15,000 years and a large pre-atmospheric size [1]. Additional measurements of cosmogenic Be-10, Al-26, Cl-36, and Ca-41 in the metal and stone fractions of fifteen Gold Basin samples constrained the pre-atmospheric radius to 3-5 m [2]. This implies that Gold Basin is by far the largest stone meteorite in the present meteorite collection, providing us with an opportunity to study the fragmentation process of a large chondritic object during atmospheric entry. Knowledge about the fragmentation process provides information about the mechanical strength of large meteoroids, which is important for the evaluation of future hazards of small asteroid impacts on Earth and possible defensive scenarios to avoid those impacts.

Trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River, southeastern Arizona, and regional trends in precipitation and streamflow in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Blakemore E.; Pool, Don R.

2006-01-01

This study was done to improve the understanding of trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona. Annual streamflow of the river at Charleston, Arizona, has decreased by more than 50 percent during the 20th century. The San Pedro River is one of the few remaining free-flowing perennial streams in the arid Southwestern United States, and the riparian forest along the river supports several endangered species and is an important habitat for migratory birds. Trends in seasonal and annual precipitation and streamflow were evaluated for surrounding areas in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico to provide a regional perspective for the trends of the San Pedro River. Seasonal and annual streamflow trends and the relation between precipitation and streamflow in the San Pedro River Basin were evaluated to improve the understanding of the causes of trends. There were few significant trends in seasonal and annual precipitation or streamflow for the regional study area. Precipitation and streamflow records were analyzed for 11 time periods ranging from 1930 to 2002; no significant trends were found in 92 percent of the trend tests for precipitation, and no significant trends were found in 79 percent of the trend tests for streamflow. For the trends in precipitation that were significant, 90 percent were positive and most of those positive trends were in records of winter, spring, or annual precipitation that started during the mid-century drought in 1945-60. For the trends in streamflow that were significant, about half were positive and half were negative. Trends in precipitation in the San Pedro River Basin were similar to regional precipitation trends for spring and fall values and were different for summer and annual values. The largest difference was in annual precipitation, for which no trend tests were significant in the San Pedro River Basin, and 23 percent of the trend tests were significantly positive in the rest of the study area. Streamflow trends for the San Pedro River were different from regional streamflow trends. All seasonal flows for the San Pedro River, except winter flows, had significant decreasing trends, and seasonal flows for most streams in the rest of the study area had either no trend or a significant increasing trend. Two streams adjacent to the San Pedro River Basin (Whitewater Draw and Santa Cruz River), however, had significant decreasing trends in summer streamflow. Factors that caused the decreasing trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River at Charleston were investigated. Possible factors were fluctuations in precipitation and air temperature, changes in watershed characteristics, human activities, or changes in seasonal distribution of bank storage. This study statistically removed or accounted for the variation in streamflow caused by fluctuations in precipitation. Thus, the remaining variation or trend in streamflow was caused by factors other than precipitation. Two methods were used to partition the variation in streamflow and to determine trends in the partitioned variation: (1) regression analysis between precipitation and streamflow using all years in the record and evaluation of time trends in regression residuals, and (2) development of regression equations between precipitation and streamflow for three time periods (early, middle, and late parts of the record) and testing to determine if the three regression equations were significantly different. The methods were applied to monthly values of total flow (average flow) and storm runoff (maximum daily mean flow) for 1913-2002, and to monthly values of low flow (3-day low flow) for 1931-2002. Statistical tests provide strong evidence that factors other than precipitation caused a decrease in streamflow of the San Pedro River. Factors other than precipitation caused significant decreasing trends in streamflows for late spring through early winter and did not cause significant trends f

Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magirl, C.S.; Webb, R.H.; Schaffner, M.; Lyon, S.W.; Griffiths, P.G.; Shoemaker, C.; Unkrich, C.L.; Yatheendradas, S.; Troch, Peter A.; Pytlak, E.; Goodrich, D.C.; Desilets, S.L.E.; Youberg, A.; Pearthree, P.A.

2007-01-01

Heavy rainfall on 27–31 July 2006 led to record flooding and triggered an historically unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented record floods along four watercourses in the Tucson basin, and at least 250 hillslope failures spawned damaging debris flows in an area where less than 10 small debris flows had been documented in the past 25 years. At least 18 debris flows destroyed infrastructure in the heavily used Sabino Canyon Recreation Area (http://wwwpaztcn.wr.usgs.gov/rsch_highlight/articles/20061 l.html). In four adjacent canyons, debris flows reached the heads of alluvial fans at the boundary of the Tucson metropolitan area. While landuse planners in southeastern Arizona evaluate the potential threat of this previously little recognized hazard to residents along the mountain front, an interdisciplinary group of scientists has collaborated to better understand this extreme event.

Mineral exploration potential of ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, W. A. (Principal Investigator); Erskine, M. C., Jr.; Prindle, R. O.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Further analysis of ERTS-1 MSS imagery of Arizona has led to division of the earlier reported three major regional fault/fracture systems into eight subdivisions. These are: System A - N40E to N50E; System B - N50W; System C - N35W; System D - N65E to N75E; System E - N-E; System F - N25W average; System G - N75W average; and System H - close to E-W. Their individual significance to known porphyry coppers and correlation to the Wasatch-Jerome and Front Orogens, the Texas Zone and Basin Range topography is postulated in the report. In this study area of Arizona the ERTS-1 mapped structural trends confirm and greatly extend some concepts of porphyry copper distribution based on prior geologic knowledge of major structural trends.

Mineral exploration potential of ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, W. A. (Principal Investigator); Erskine, M. C., Jr.; Prindle, R. O.

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary analysis of a mosaic composing eight individual ERTS frames (1:1,000,000) extending well beyond the test site has revealed a number of tectonic structural trends that are controlled by regional lineations. So far most of the regional lineations fall into three general directions: east by northeast, northwest, and north-south. From preliminary examination, it appears that the older Precambrian basement predominates in the NE-bearing structural trends, whereas the predominate NW trend is most likely associated with the Texas Structural Zone, and the north-south trend being the Utah-Arizona belt and/or part of the southern Basin and Range Province. One major lineation, made up of many parallel lineations, is noticeable just north of Lake Pleasant which extends for approximately 100 miles in a northern direction out of the target area. This feature corresponds to a Precambrian schist formation shown on the USGS geologic map of Arizona.

Hydrologic Data from the Study of Acidic Contamination in the Miami Wash-Pinal Creek Area, Arizona, Water Years 1997-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konieczki, A.D.; Brown, J.G.; Parker, J.T.C.

2008-01-01

Since 1984, hydrologic data have been collected as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study of the occurrence and movement of acidic contamination in the aquifer and streams of the Pinal Creek drainage basin near Globe, Arizona. Ground-water data from that study are presented for water years 1997 through 2004 and include location, construction information, site plans, water levels, chemical and physical field measurements, and selected chemical analyses of water samples for 31 project wells. Hydrographs of depth to ground water are also included. Surface-water data for four sites are also presented and include selected chemical analyses of water samples. Monthly precipitation data and long-term precipitation statistics are presented for two sites. Chemical analyses of samples collected from the stream and shallow ground water in the perennial reach of Pinal Creek are also included.

Response of the South China Sea to Forcing by Tropical Cyclone Ernie (1996)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

complicated. Wide continental shelves appear in the northwest and southwest of the basin and steep slopes in the central portion, framing a deep, bowl...bottom topography of the SCS basin provides a favorable condition for the formation of anticyclonic eddies in the central SCS during the spring. From...cyclone is produced. This cyclonic wind stress then generates Ekman upwelling in the central basin and the formation of a cold pool. Again, through

Synthesis of late Paleozoic and Mesozoic eolian deposits of the Western Interior of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakey, R.C.; Peterson, F.; Kocurek, G.

1988-01-01

Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic eolian deposits include rock units that were deposited in ergs (eolian sand seas), erg margins and dune fields. They form an important part of Middle Pennsylvanian through Upper Jurassic sedimentary rocks across the Western Interior of the United States. These sedimentary rock units comprise approximately three dozen major eolian-bearing sequences and several smaller ones. Isopach and facies maps and accompanying cross sections indicate that most eolian units display varied geometry and complex facies relations to adjacent non-eolian rocks. Paleozoic erg deposits are widespread from Montana to Arizona and include Pennsylvanian formations (Weber, Tensleep, Casper and Quadrant Sandstones) chiefly in the Northern and Central Rocky Mountains with some deposits (Hermosa and Supai Groups) on the Colorado Plateau. Lower Permian (Wolfcampian) erg deposits (Weber, Tensleep, Casper, Minnelusa, Ingleside, Cedar Mesa, Elephant Canyon, Queantoweap and Esplanade Formations) are more widespread and thicken into the central Colorado Plateau. Middle Permian (Leonardian I) erg deposits (De Chelly and Schnebly Hill Formations) are distributed across the southern Colorado Plateau on the north edge of the Holbrook basin. Leonardian II erg deposits (Coconino and Glorieta Sandstones) are slightly more widespread on the southern Colorado Plateau. Leonardian III erg deposits formed adjacent to the Toroweap-Kaibab sea in Utah and Arizona (Coconino and White Rim Sandstones) and in north-central Colorado (Lyons Sandstone). Recognized Triassic eolian deposits include major erg deposits in the Jelm Formation of central Colorado-Wyoming and smaller eolian deposits in the Rock Point Member of the Wingate Sandstone and upper Dolores Formation, both of the Four Corners region. None of these have as yet received a modern or thorough study. Jurassic deposits of eolian origin extend from the Black Hills to the southern Cordilleran arc terrain. Lower Jurassic intervals include the Jurassic part of the Wingate Sandstone and the Navajo-Aztec-Nugget complex and coeval deposits in the arc terrain to the south and west of the Colorado Plateau. Major Middle Jurassic deposits include the Page Sandstone on the Colorado Plateau and the widespread Entrada Sandstone, Sundance Formation, and coeval deposits. Less extensive eolian deposits occur in the Carmel Formation, Temple Cap Sandstone, Romana Sandstone and Moab Tongue of the Entrada Sandstone, mostly on the central and western Colorado Plateau. Upper Jurassic eolian deposits include the Bluff Sandstone Member and Recapture Member of the Morrison Formation and Junction Creek Sandstone, all of the Four Corners region, and smaller eolian deposits in the Morrison Formation of central Wyoming and apparently coeval Unkpapa Sandstone of the Black Hills. Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic eolian deposits responded to changing climatic, tectonic and eustatic controls that are documented elsewhere in this volume. All of the eolian deposits are intricately interbedded with non-eolian deposits, including units of fluvial, lacustrine and shallow-marine origin, clearly dispelling the myth that eolian sandstones are simple sheet-like bodies. Rather, these units form some of the most complex bodies in the stratigraphic record. ?? 1988.

The Long Pleistocene Paleoclimate Record from Stoneman Lake, Arizona: an Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werne, J. P.; Anderson, R. S.; Fawcett, P. J.; Brown, E. T.; Jimenez-Moreno, G.; Toney, J. L.; Dunbar, N. W.; Stockhecke, M.; Garrett, H.; Garcia, D.

2016-12-01

Long continuous lake sediment core records of Pleistocene paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change are rare in the American Southwest. Such records have the potential to provide long-term perspective on, for instance, the occurrence and duration of past megadroughts, vegetation change during glacial-interglacial transitions, and changes in precipitation sources, among many other aspects of environmental change. One site with the potential to study ancient megadroughts and long-term environmental change is Stoneman Lake, central Arizona, whose basin is a circular depression formed by a collapse in late Tertiary volcanics. The lake is presently spring fed, and has alternated between a marsh and a lake over the last 25 years, fluctuating by > 3 meters. This sensitivity is due to its small closed drainage basin (ca. 2.5 km2) with one small intermittant inflowing stream. We have been analyzing two parallel lacustrine sediment cores (70 m and 30 m deep), which were recovered in October of 2014. Our preliminary chronology is based on 8 AMS dates in the upper 7 m and two distinct tephras at 30.8 m and 36.3 m depth. The Holocene-Pleistocene boundary occurs at 2.8 m ( 11,000 cal yr B.P.) while the lowest finite AMS age at 4.2 m is 45,500 cal yr B.P. The most likely source of the tephra at 30.8 m is from Sugarloaf, San Francisco Volcanic Field, having a preliminary age of 700k. Based on this age, we estimate that the 70-m deep hole will provide a climate record back to 1.3 million years ago. Of particular interest are the interglacials that serve as good analogs for future climate including MIS 11 and MIS 19. In addition to our Geo-Tek analyses (MS, bulk density and high-resolution images) pollen data outlines glacial-interglacial changes since the mid-Pleistocene. Carbon isotopes from glacial-age sediments are more negative, suggesting a dominance of C3 plants, while less negative values during interglacials suggest a greater C4 component. ITRAX Scanning XRF and calculation of selected elemental ratios shows calcium is higher during interglacial periods (Holocene, MIS 5), consistent with great evaporation and lower lake levels. The K:Ti ratio may represent a dust input signal into the lake.

INTEGRATING GEOPHYSICS, GEOLOGY, AND HYDROLOGY TO DETERMINE BEDROCK GEOMETRY CONTROLS ON THE ORIGIN OF ISOLATED MEADOW COMPLEXES WITHIN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN, NEVADA

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian meadow complexes found in mountain ranges of the Central Great Basin physiographic region (western United States) are of interest to researchers as they contain significant biodiversity relative to the surrounding basin areas. These meadow complexes are currently degradi...

Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula. Report of the Annual North Central Association Teacher Education Workshop (38th, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Donald W., Ed.

The theme of the 1985-1986 Teacher Education Workshop, sponsored by the North Central Association Teacher Education Project, was "Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula." Group reports are presented on: (1) "Forces Affecting Parameters of Teacher Education"; (2) "A Window of Analysis for Examining One Major Curriculum Recommendation";…

Introduction [Chapter 1

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; John N. Rinne; Alvin L. Medina; Malchus B. Baker

2012-01-01

The UVR area of north-central Arizona overlaps the Central Highlands and the Plateau Uplands biogeographic provinces. The UVR area occupies about 6,700 km2 (2,600 mi2) of Yavapai and Coconino Counties (fig. 1.1), and its watershed encompasses the northern valley of the Verde River bounded by the escarpment of the Mogollon Rim to the north and northeast and by the Black...

Public involvement and consensus building in the Verde River Watershed in central Arizona

Treesearch

Tom Bonomo

1996-01-01

Currently an organization called the Verde Watershed Association is the central point for consensus building and public involvement in water issues in the Verde River Watershed. The association is the out growth of efforts towards the resolution of watershed issues without passing new laws, initiating regulations, or entering the win-lose arena of litigation. The...

75 FR 6355 - Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Availability of Funds for Three Regions Including the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

... continuation of manufacturing extension service within three discrete geographic areas located in Illinois... discrete geographic areas located in Illinois, Arizona and Central Pennsylvania. The three areas are...

Investigation of the geology and hydrology of the Mogollon Highlands of central Arizona: a project of the Arizona Rural Watershed Initiative

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, John T.C.; Flynn, Marilyn E.

2000-01-01

The Mogollon Highlands of east central Arizona is a region of forested plateau and mountains, deep, sheerwalled canyons, and desert valleys. Known for its scenic beauty and characterized by a generally mild climate, the area, though still sparsely populated, attracts an increasing number of tourists and summer residents. Furthermore, the permanent population is expected to nearly double over the next 50 years. Consequently, there is increased pressure on the water resources of this area for several sometimes conflicting uses. Rational management of water resources is necessary to meet increased domestic requirements while ensuring an adequate supply of water for commercial and agricultural use, for Indian lands, and for preservation of valued environmental elements, including surface waters, riparian woodlands, forest and grassland areas, and wildlife and aquatic habitat. Such management requires an understanding of the relations among different components of the hydrologic system—recharge areas, surface flows, shallow aquifers, deep aquifers, discharge areas, and the regional ground-water flow system—and how each is affected by geology, climate, topography, and human use. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an assessment of the hydrogeology of the Mogollon Highlands in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Water Resources. The study, funded through the State’s Rural Watershed Initiative program, is one of three assessments being conducted by the USGS. Assessments also are underway in the Upper-Middle Verde River watershed and on the Coconino Plateau. Each study has as its objectives: (1) the collection, compilation, and evaluation of all existing geologic, hydrologic, and related data pertaining to the study area and the creation of a data base that is readily accessible to the public and (2) developing an understanding of the hydrogeologic framework, which is the relation between geologic and hydrologic properties, that can be used for water-- resources management purposes and that will support the development of an interpretive and predictive model to estimate the effects of climate and water use on the sustainability of regional water resources. Although the three contiguous areas in north-central Arizona are being studied separately, a single data base is being constructed from which data on each area can be extracted separately.

Detrital-zircon geochronology of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the Hangay Hentey basin, north-central Mongolia: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Mongol Okhotsk Ocean in central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelty, Thomas K.; Yin, An; Dash, Batulzii; Gehrels, George E.; Ribeiro, Angela E.

2008-04-01

Understanding the development of the Central Asian Orogenic System (CAOS), which is the largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogen in the world, is critical to the determination of continental growth mechanisms and geological history of central Asia. A key to unraveling its geological history is to ascertain the origin and tectonic setting of the large flysch complexes that dominate the CAOS. These complexes have been variably interpreted as deep-marine deposits that were accreted onto a long-evolving arc against large continents to form a mega-accretionary complex or sediments trapped in back-arc to fore-arc basins within oceanic island-arc systems far from continents. To differentiate the above models we conducted U-Pb geochronological analyses of detrital-zircon grains from turbidites in the composite Hangay-Hentey basin of central Mongolia. This basin was divided by a Cenozoic fault system into the western and eastern sub-basins: the Hangay Basin in the west and Hentey basin in the east. This study focuses on the Hentey basin and indicates two groups of samples within this basin: (1) a southern group that were deposited after the earliest Carboniferous (˜ 339 Ma to 354 Ma) and a northern group that were deposited after the Cambrian to Neoproterozoic (˜ 504 Ma to 605 Ma). The samples from the northern part of the basin consistently contain Paleoproterozoic and Archean zircon grains that may have been derived from the Tuva-Mongol massif and/or the Siberian craton. In contrast, samples from the southern part of the basin contain only a minor component of early Paleozoic to Neoproterozoic zircon grains, which were derived from the crystalline basement bounding the Hangay-Hentey basin. Integrating all the age results from this study, we suggest that the Hangay-Hentey basin was developed between an island-arc system with a Neoproterozoic basement in the south and an Andean continental-margin arc in the north. The initiation of the southern arc occurred at or after the early Carboniferous, allowing accumulation of a flysch complex in a long-evolving accretionary complex.

An Integrated Geophysical and Geological Investigation of the Transition Zone between the Colorado Plateau, Rio Grande Rift and Basin and Range Provinces: Arizona and New Mexico

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

The thrust faults often contain enough strike- slip motion to be termed oblique faults (Seager and...Chapin cites the presence of left-lateral 160 oblique slip faults at its northern and southern boundaries, that the down- faulted section almost...and Bilodeau (1984) report that strike- slip motion may involve pre-existing faults , possibly faults associated with the Antler orogeny (Coney,

Embankment Criteria and Performance Report: Adobe Dam Gila River Basin, New River and Phoenix City Streams, Arizona.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

Field Control Results 18 - Record Test Results 18 GRAVEL DRAIN MATERIAL, 19 FILTER MATERIAL, 20 ABUTMET INFILL MATERIAL- 20 X. EMBANKMENT ANALYSIS 21 XI...Thirty-three in-situ density tests were conducted in the near surface embankment foundation materials by the sand displacement method . An additional...seven densities were obtained from undisturbed samples by the bulk density method . The results of density tests in the foundation are shown on plate

Comparison of ground-based measurements of natural radiation to airborne radiation survey data on transects from coastal California to the Colorado Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoffer, P. W.; Hernández, L.; Messina, P.; Dearaujo, J.; Li, A.; Hicks, A.; White, L.

2008-12-01

Natural gamma radiation measurements were collected with a hand-held Geiger counter at nearly 400 locations on two general transects across the southwestern United States. The data are used to provide ground-truth comparison to published airborne radiation surveys of the region. The first transect was collected by high school students in the SF-ROCKS program at San Francisco State University in the summer of 2008 starting in San Francisco. Data were collected across the Sierra Nevada Range on I-80, and across Highway 50 in Nevada, and I-70 in Utah. Data were collected in and around Great Basin, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion National Parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. A second transect extends from San José, California to Flagstaff, Arizona and includes the Mojave National Reserve, Death Valley region, and locations throughout the Navajo Reservation region in northern Arizona and western New Mexico. Radiation data (with GPS reference) were collected from all the major sedimentary rock formations and igneous rocks of the Colorado Plateau and from many igneous and metamorphic rocks throughout the Great Basin and southern California deserts. Anomalously high localized levels were noted in selected sedimentary units associated with uranium exploration targets in the Colorado Plateau region, and in caverns and rock fissures where radon gas (and accumulation of derivative fission products) are the inferred sources.

Land-subsidence and ground-water storage monitoring in the Tucson Active Management Area, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Don R.; Winster, Daniel; Cole, K.C.

2000-01-01

The Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA) comprises two basins--Tucson Basin and Avra Valley. The TAMA has been directed by Arizona ground-water law to attain an annual balance between groundwater withdrawals and recharge by the year 2025. This balance is defined by the statute as "safe yield." Current ground-water withdrawals exceed recharge, resulting in conditions of ground-water overdraft, which causes removal of water from ground-water storage and subsidence of the land surface. Depletion of storage and associated land subsidence will not be halted until all discharge from the system, both natural and human induced, is balanced by recharge. The amount of the ground-water overdraft has been difficult to estimate until recently because it could not be directly measured. Overdraft has been estimated using indirect water-budget methods that rely on uncertain estimates of recharge. As a result, the status of the ground-water budget could not be known with great certainty. Gravity methods offer a means to directly measure ground-water overdraft through measurement of changes in the gravitational field of the Earth that are caused by changes in the amount of water stored in the subsurface. Changes in vertical position also affect the measured gravity value and thus subsidence also must be monitored. The combination of periodic observations of gravity and vertical positions provide direct measures of changes in stored ground water and land subsidence.

Chemical, geologic, and hydrologic data from the Little Colorado River basin, Arizona and New Mexico, 1988-91

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisk, Gregory G.; Ferguson, S.A.; Rankin, D.R.; Wirt, Laurie

1994-01-01

In June 1988, The U.S. Geological Survey began a 4-year study of the occurrence and movement of radionuclides and other chemical constituents in ground water and surface water in the Little Colorado River basin in Arizona and New Mexico. Radionuclides and other chemical constituents occur naturally in water, rock, and sediment throughout the region; however, discharge of mine--dewatering effluents released by mining operations increased the quantity of radionuclides and other chemical contaminants. Additionally, in 1979, the failure of a tailings-pond dike resulted in the largest known single release of water contaminated by uranium tailings in the United States. Ground-water data and surface-water data were collected from July 1988 through September 1991. Sixty-nine wells were sampled, and collected data include well- construction information, lithologic logs, water levels and chemical analysis of water samples. The wells include 31 wells drilled by the U.S. Geological Survey, 7 wells drilled by the New Mexico Environment Department, 11 private wells, and 20 temporary drive-point wells; in addition, 1 spring was sampled. Data from nine continual-record and five partial-record stxeamflow-gaging stations include daily mean discharge, daily mean suspended-sediment concentration and discharge, and chemical analysis for discrete water and sediment samples. Precipitation data also were collected at the nine continual-record stations.

Crustal strain accumulation on Southern Basin and Range Province faults modulated by distant plate boundary earthquakes? Evidence from geodesy, seismic imaging, and paleoseismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, R. A.; Shirzaei, M.; Broermann, J.; Spinler, J. C.; Holland, A. A.; Pearthree, P.

2014-12-01

GPS in Arizona reveals a change in the pattern of crustal strain accumulation in 2010 and based on viscoelastic modeling appears to be associated with the distant M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah (EMC) earthquake in Baja California, Mexico. GPS data collected between 1999 and 2009 near the Santa Rita normal fault in SE Arizona reveal a narrow zone of crustal deformation coincident with the fault trace, delineated by W-NW facing Pleistocene fault scarps of heights 1 to 7 m. The apparent deformation zone is also seen in a preliminary InSAR interferogram. Total motion across the zone inferred using an elastic block model constrained by the pre-2010 GPS measurements is ~1 mm/yr in a sense consistent with normal fault motion. However, continuous GPS measurements throughout Arizona reveal pronounced changes in crustal velocity following the EMC earthquake, such that the relative motion across the Santa Rita fault post-2010 is negligible. Paleoseismic evidence indicates that mapped Santa Rita fault scarps were formed by two or more large magnitude (M6.7 to M7.6) surface rupturing normal-faulting earthquakes 60 to 100 kyrs ago. Seismic refraction and reflection data constrained by deep (~800 m) well log data provide evidence of progressive, possibly intermittent, displacement on the fault through time. The rate of strain accumulation observed geodetically prior to 2010, if constant over the past 60 to 100 kyrs, would imply an untenable minimum slip rate deficit of 60 to 100 m since the most recent earthquake. One explanation for the available geodetic, seismic, and paleoseismic evidence is that strain accumulation is modulated by viscoelastic relaxation associated with frequent large magnitude earthquakes in the Salton Trough region, episodically inhibiting the accumulation of elastic strain required to generate large earthquakes on the Santa Rita and possibly other faults in the Southern Basin and Range. An important question is thus for how long the postseismic velocity changes will persist relative to the recurrence interval of large Salton Trough earthquakes. Understanding the influence of far-field postseismic deformation on the southern Arizona strain rate field could have implications for other regions of diffuse intracontinental deformation in proximity to frequently rupturing large magnitude plate boundary faults.

NOAA Photo Library - Meet the Photographers - Lt. Elizabeth Crapo

Science.gov Websites

Operations Public Affairs. She holds a BS in Atmospheric Science form the University of Arizona. She is an Publication of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Central Library NOAA Privacy

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

Measurements of aquifer-storage change and specific yield using gravity surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, D.R.; Eychaner, J.H.

1995-01-01

Pinal Creek is an intermittent stream that drains a 200-square-mile alluvial basin in central Arizona. Large changes in water levels and aquifer storage occur in an alluvial aquifer near the stream in response to periodic recharge and ground-water withdrawals. Outflow components of the ground-water budget and hydraulic properties of the alluvium are well-defined by field measurements; however, data are insufficient to adequately describe recharge, aquifer-storage change, and specific-yield values. An investigation was begun to assess the utility of temporal-gravity surveys to directly measure aquifer-storage change and estimate values of specific yield.The temporal-gravity surveys measured changes in the differences in gravity between two reference stations on bedrock and six stations at wells; changes are caused by variations in aquifer storage. Specific yield was estimated by dividing storage change by water-level change. Four surveys were done between February 21, 1991, and March 31, 1993. Gravity increased as much as 158 microGal ± 1 to 6 microGal, and water levels rose as much as 58 feet. Average specific yield at wells ranged from 0.16 to 0.21, and variations in specific yield with depth correlate with lithologic variations. Results indicate that temporal-gravity surveys can be used to estimate aquifer-storage change and specific yield of water-table aquifers where significant variations in water levels occur. Direct measurement of aquifer-storage change can eliminate a major unknown from the ground-water budget of arid basins and improve residual estimates of recharge.

Variability of Sediment Removal in a Semiarid Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graf, William L.

1983-06-01

Field and documentary data from Walnut Gulch Watershed, an instrumented semiarid drainage basin of approximately 150 km2 (57 mi2) in southeastern Arizona, show that 83% of the alluvium removed from the basin during a 15-year erosion episode beginning about 1930 was excavated from the highest-order stream. The amount of alluvium removed in the erosion episode would have been equal to a covering of about 4 cm (1.6 in) over the entire basin. The rate of sediment removal during the erosion episode was 18 times greater than the rate of present channel sediment transport. Production of sediment from slopes and channel throughput at present rates are approximately equal, and refilling will not occur under present conditions. The channel forms left by the massive evacuation of sediment impose controls on the spatial distribution of tractive force and total stream power that make renewed storage of sediment likely in only a few restricted locations. Modern instrumented records of a decade or more provide an inadequate perspective on long-term sediment movement.

Snow extent measurements from geostationary satellites using an interactive computer system. [Salt and Verde River Basins, Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gird, R. S. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A time series of GOES full resolution visible image sectors was viewed on the McIDAS video component in chronological order and registered to within plus or minus 1 image pixel to compute real time snow melting rates. Synoptic scale clouds were eliminated to create a snow covered area from a composite image. Results show good agreement with NESS products although a significant difference was noted for one two-day period when the NESS products showed an increase in the snow cover for the Verde Basin, while the GOES/McIDAS product implied no change in the snow cover for approximately the same period. A check of NWS radar reports indicated no precipitation had occurred within the Verde basin. The use of the registered image sequence eliminates instrument error since small changes in the snow cover between any two days are easily detected.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2010-01-01

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

Pannonian Basin Province, Central Europe (Province 4808) -Petroleum Geology, Total Petroleum Systems, and Petroleum Resource Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dolton, Gordon L.

2006-01-01

This report deals with the Pannonian Basin Province of Central Europe and summarizes the petroleum geology, which was the basis for assessment, and presents results of that assessment. The Pannonian Basin Province consists of a large compound extensional basin of Neogene age overlying Paleogene basins and interior elements of the greater Alpine foldbelt. Within it, six total petroleum systems (TPS) are defined and six assessment units established for estimation of undiscovered oil and gas resources. Other speculative TPSs were identified but not included for quantitative assessment within this study.

Paleogene palaeogeography and basin evolution of the Western Carpathians, Northern Pannonian domain and adjoining areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kováč, Michal; Plašienka, Dušan; Soták, Ján; Vojtko, Rastislav; Oszczypko, Nestor; Less, György; Ćosović, Vlasta; Fügenschuh, Bernhard; Králiková, Silvia

2016-05-01

The data about the Paleogene basin evolution, palaeogeography, and geodynamics of the Western Carpathian and Northern Pannonian domains are summarized, re-evaluated, supplemented, and newly interpreted. The presented concept is illustrated by a series of palinspastic and palaeotopographic maps. The Paleogene development of external Carpathian zones reflects gradual subduction of several oceanic realms (Vahic, Iňačovce-Kričevo, Szolnok, Magura, and Silesian-Krosno) and growth of the orogenic accretionary wedge (Pieniny Klippen Belt, Iňačovce-Kričevo Unit, Szolnok Belt, and Outer Carpathian Flysch Belt). Evolution of the Central Western Carpathians is characterized by the Paleocene-Early Eocene opening of several wedge-top basins at the accretionary wedge tip, controlled by changing compressional, strike-slip, and extensional tectonic regimes. During the Lutetian, the diverging translations of the northward moving Eastern Alpine and north-east to eastward shifted Western Carpathian segment generated crustal stretching at the Alpine-Carpathian junction with foundation of relatively deep basins. These basins enabled a marine connection between the Magura oceanic realm and the Northern Pannonian domain, and later also with the Dinaridic foredeep. Afterwards, the Late Eocene compression brought about uplift and exhumation of the basement complexes at the Alpine-Carpathian junction. Simultaneously, the eastern margin of the stretched Central Western Carpathians underwent disintegration, followed by opening of a fore-arc basin - the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin. In the Northern Hungarian Paleogene retro-arc basin, turbidites covered a carbonate platform in the same time. During the Early Oligocene, the rock uplift of the Alpine-Carpathian junction area continued and the Mesozoic sequences of the Danube Basin basement were removed, along with a large part of the Eocene Hungarian Paleogene Basin fill, while the retro-arc basin depocentres migrated toward the east. The Rupelian basins gained a character of semi-closed sea spreading from the Magura Basin across the Central Western Carpathians up to the Hungarian Paleogene Basin. In the Late Oligocene, the Magura Basin connection with the Northern Hungarian Paleogene Basin remained open, probably along the northern edge of the Tisza microplate, and anoxic facies were substituted by open marine environments.

Physiological Correlates of Multiple Parasitic Infections in Side-Blotched Lizards.

PubMed

Spence, Austin R; Durso, Andrew M; Smith, Geoffrey D; Skinner, Heather M; French, Susannah S

We investigated the presence of ectoparasites and hemoparasites in side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) across a large part of their range and measured how parasitic infection related to several key physiological indicators of health. Blood samples were collected from 132 lizards from central Arizona, southern Utah, and eastern Oregon. Hemoparasites were found in 22 individuals (3.2% prevalence in Arizona, 19.1% in Utah, and 6.3% in Oregon), and ectoparasites were found on 51 individuals (56.3% prevalence in Arizona, 56.1% in Utah, and 6.7% in Oregon), with 11 individuals infected with both. Hemoparasites and ectoparasites were found in all three states. Immunocompetence was higher in individuals infected with both hemoparasites and ectoparasites. Body condition, glucocorticoid levels, and reproductive investment were not related to infection status. Our study provides evidence that parasitic infection is associated with an active immune system in wild reptiles but may not impose other costs usually associated with parasites.

Geologic framework and petroleum systems of Cook Inlet basin, south-central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

LePain, D.L.; Stanley, Richard G.; Helmold, K.P.; Shellenbaum, D.P.; Stone, D.M.; Hite, D.M.

2013-01-01

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the stratigraphy, structure, tectonics, and petroleum systems of the Cook Inlet basin, an important oil- and gas-producing region in south-central Alaska.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether metabolism in field collected fish from the Gila River, Arizona, USA-Levels, possible sources, and patterns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Echols, Kathy R.; Peterman, Paul H.; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Orazio, Carl E.

2013-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in fish collected from the Gila River, Arizona, a tributary of the Colorado River in the lower part of the Colorado River Basin. Fish samples were collected at sites on the Gila River downstream from Hayden, Phoenix, and Arlington, Arizona in late summer 2003. The Gila River is ephemeral upstream of the Phoenix urban area due to dams and irrigation projects and has limited perennial flow downstream of Phoenix due to wastewater and irrigation return flows. Fifty PBDE congeners were analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry using labeled surrogate standards in composite samples of male and female common carp (Cyrpinus carpio), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The predominant PBDE congeners detected and quantified were 47, 100, 153, 49, 28, and 17. Concentrations of total PBDEs in these fish ranged from 1.4 to 12700 ng g-1 wet weight, which are some of the highest concentrations reported in fish from the United States. Differences in metabolism of several PBDE congeners by carp is clear at the Phoenix site; congeners with at least one ring of 2,4,5-substitution are preferentially metabolized as are congeners with 2,3,4-substitution.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1975-01-01

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

Streamflow transport of radionuclides and other chemical constituents in the Puerco and the Little Colorado river basins, Arizona and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graf, Julia B.; Wirt, Laurie; Swanson, E.K.; Fisk, G.G.; Gray, J.R.

1996-01-01

Samples collected at streamflow-gaging stations in the Puerco and Little Colorado rivers show that radioactivity of suspended sediment at gaging stations downstream from inactive uranium mines was not significantly higher than at gaging stations where no mining has occurred upstream. Drinking-water standards for many constituents, however, commonly are exceeded during runoff because concentration of these constituents on sediment from natural processes is high and suspended-sediment loads are high during runoff.

New River Dam Foundation Report. Gila River Basin: Phoenix, Arizona and Vicinity (Including New River).

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-01

further downstream before merging with the Agua Fria River. 6 Site Geology 2.08 The geological formations present within the project area consist...sampling and in- situ density testing using the sand displacement 11 or large-scale water displacement method. Dozer trenches TT82-1 and TT82-6 were excavated...underlying the valley or may, due to its pervasiveness, represent an in situ weathering product of the buried bedrock. 4.18 Because of the magnitude

MX Siting Investigation. Geotechnical Evaluation of Luke Bombing and Gunnery Range. Geotechnical Report, Lechuguilla Desert, Arizona. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-20

8217-5000 -150 C KILOETERS , 1 2 V i asagerat- EXPLANATION i SURFICIAL BASIN FILL; Alluvial tans and playa lacustrine deposits; average seismic velocity...Undetermined e Velocity zone I represents alluvial fan deposits and possible playa /lacustrine materials underlying the unconsolidated, thin 1younger...alluvial fan unit (A5y, A5yf). Velocity zone 2 seems to represert older, playa /lacustrine deposits overlying Veloc- ity zone 3, which may be the well

Latest Cretaceous-Paleogene basin development and resultant sedimentation patterns in the thrust belt and broken foreland of central Utah

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

Lawton, T.F.; Franczyk, K.J.; Pitman, J.K.

1990-05-01

Latest Cretaceous tectonism in central and east-central Utah formed several intermontane basins both atop thrust sheets and between the thrust front and basement-involved uplifts in the former foreland basin. The upper Campanian Castlegate Sandstone and its inferred western equivalents were the last strata deposited prior to segmentation of the foreland basin. Thereafter, eastward transport of the thrust allochthon uplifted the most proximal part of the Castlegate depositional wedge. West of the thrust front, small intermontane basins formed on the allochthon. Sediment was transported into these basins from both eastern and western sources. In each basin, facies grade from basin-margin conglomeraticmore » alluvial fan deposits to basin-interior flood-plain and lacustrine deposits within a few kilometers. These intermontane basins existed from latest Campanian through the late Paleocene, and may have been transported a short distance eastward as they formed. East of the thrust front in the latest Campanian and contemporaneous with basin formation on the allochthon, a northward-northeastward-flowing big river system transported sediment into the foreland basin from feldspar-rich source areas southwest of the study area. Subsequently, major movement of the San Rafael uplift in the very late Campanian or early Maastrichtian gave rise to an intermontane basin between the thrust front and the San Rafael uplift. Northwestward-flowing, pebble-bearing braided rivers deposited the oldest sediments in this basin prior to an influx from the south and southwest of sediment that formed a thick Maastrichtian clastic sequence. In contrast to deposition in basins on the allochthon, deposition east of the thrust front in the Paleocene was intermittent and restricted to rapidly shifting centers of basin subsidence.« less

Discriminating Mining Induced Seismicity from Natural Tectonic Earthquakes in the Wasatch Plateau Region of Central Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, J. R.; Pankow, K. L.; Koper, K. D.; McCarter, M. K.

2014-12-01

On average, several hundred earthquakes are located each year within the Wasatch Plateau region of central Utah. This region includes the boundary between the relatively stable Colorado Plateau and the actively extending Basin and Range physiographic provinces. Earthquakes in this region tend to fall in the intermountain seismic belt (ISB), a continuous band of seismicity that extends from Montana to Arizona. While most of the earthquakes in the ISB are of tectonic origin, events in the Wasatch Plateau also include mining induced seismicity (MIS) from local underground coal mining operations. Using a catalog of 16,182 seismic events (-0.25 < M < 4.5) recorded from 1981 to 2011, we use double difference relocation and waveform cross correlation techniques to help discriminate between these two populations of events. Double difference relocation greatly improves the relative locations between the many events that occur in this area. From the relative relocations, spatial differences between event types are used to differentiate between shallow MIS and considerably deeper events associated with tectonic seismicity. Additionally, waveform cross-correlation is used to cluster events with similar waveforms—meaning that events in each cluster should have a similar source location and mechanism—in order to more finely group seismic events occurring in the Wasatch Plateau. The results of this study provide both an increased understanding of the influence mining induced seismicity has on the number of earthquakes detected within this region, as well as better constraints on the deeper tectonic structure.

Hydrogeologic framework of the middle San Pedro watershed, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2010-01-01

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

Basement Structure and Styles of Active Tectonic Deformation in Central Interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixit, N.; Hanks, C.

2017-12-01

Central Interior Alaska is one of the most seismically active regions in North America, exhibiting a high concentration of intraplate earthquakes approximately 700 km away from the southern Alaska subduction zone. Based on increasing seismological evidence, intraplate seismicity in the region does not appear to be uniformly distributed, but concentrated in several discrete seismic zones, including the Nenana basin and the adjacent Tanana basin. Recent seismological and neotectonics data further suggests that these seismic zones operate within a field of predominantly pure shear driven primarily by north-south crustal shortening. Although the location and magnitude of the seismic activity in both basins are well defined by a network of seismic stations in the region, the tectonic controls on intraplate earthquakes and the heterogeneous nature of Alaska's continental interior remain poorly understood. We investigated the current crustal architecture and styles of tectonic deformation of the Nenana and Tanana basins using existing geological, geophysical and geochronological datasets. The results of our study demonstrate that the basements of the basins show strong crustal heterogeneity. The Tanana basin is a relatively shallow (up to 2 km) asymmetrical foreland basin with its southern, deeper side controlled by the northern foothills of the central Alaska Range. Northeast-trending strike-slip faults within the Tanana basin are interpreted as a zone of clockwise crustal block rotation. The Nenana basin has a fundamentally different geometry; it is a deep (up to 8 km), narrow transtensional pull-apart basin that is deforming along the left-lateral Minto Fault. This study identifies two distinct modes of tectonic deformation in central Interior Alaska at present, and provides a basis for modeling the interplay between intraplate stress fields and major structural features that potentially influence the generation of intraplate earthquakes in the region.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2007-12-01

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

Extreme Drought Conditions in the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutiérrez, F.; Dracup, J. A.

2001-12-01

The Treaty of February 3, 1944 entitled "Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande" between the U.S. and Mexico regulates the distribution of flows of the rivers between these two countries. The treaty is based on hydrological data available up to 1944. Using new (historical and paleoclimatological) data, the water balance presented in the Treaty is re-examinated and the 431,721,000 m3/year allocation for USA during "extreme drought conditions" is re-evaluated. The authors define "extreme drought conditions" for this basin and a hydrological drought analysis is carried out using a streamflow simulation model. The analysis is complemented with an analysis of the effects of the El Niño - Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on precipitation and streamflow. The results of this research will be applicable to potential changes in the current water resources management policies on the basin. Given the social, economical and political importance of this basin, the findings of this research potentially will have significant impacts. This research is founded by the NSF fund SAHRA (Science and Technology Center to study and promote the "Sustainability of Water Resources in Semi-Arid Regions" at the University of Arizona).

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

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

Genik, G.J.

1993-08-01

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

Palinspastic reconstruction of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona for the middle Miocene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richard, Stephen M.

1992-01-01

A paleogeographic reconstruction of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona at 10 Ma was made based on available geologic and geophysical data. Clockwise rotation of 39 deg was reconstructed in the eastern Transverse Ranges, consistent with paleomagnetic data from late Miocene volcanic rocks, and with slip estimates for left-lateral faults within the eastern Transverse Ranges and NW-trending right lateral faults in the Mojave Desert. This domain of rotated rocks is bounded by the Pinto Mountain fault on the north. In the absence of evidence for rotation of the San Bernardino Mountains or for significant right slip faults within the San Bernardino Mountains, the model requires that the late Miocene Pinto Mountain fault become a thrust fault gaining displacement to the west. The Squaw Peak thrust system of Meisling and Weldon may be a western continuation of this fault system. The Sheep Hole fault bounds the rotating domain on the east. East of this fault an array of NW-trending right slip faults and south-trending extensional transfer zones has produced a basin and range physiography while accumulating up to 14 km of right slip. This maximum is significantly less than the 37.5 km of right slip required in this region by a recent reconstruction of the central Mojave Desert. Geologic relations along the southern boundary of the rotating domain are poorly known, but this boundary is interpreted to involve a series of curved strike slip faults and non-coaxial extension, bounded on the southeast by the Mammoth Wash and related faults in the eastern Chocolate Mountains. Available constraints on timing suggest that Quaternary movement on the Pinto Mountain and nearby faults is unrelated to the rotation of the eastern Transverse Ranges, and was preceded by a hiatus during part of Pliocene time which followed the deformation producing the rotation. The reconstructed Clemens Well fault in the Orocopia Mountains, proposed as a major early Miocene strand of the San Andreas fault, projects eastward towards Arizona, where early Miocene rocks and structures are continuous across its trace. The model predicts a 14 deg clockwise rotation and 55 km extension along the present trace of the San Andreas fault during late Miocene and early Pliocene time. Palinspastic reconstructions of the San Andreas system based on this proposed reconstruction may be significantly modified from current models.

History of Forest Service Research in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountain Regions, 1908-1975

Treesearch

Raymond Price

1976-01-01

The first forest research area established by the Forest Service was in 1908­the Fort Valley Experimental Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1909, the Fremont Experiment Station near Colorado Springs was begun, as well as the Wagon Wheel Gap watershed experiment in the central Rockies. The Santa Rita Range Reserve, begun in 1903, was transferred to the Forest Service...

How to Excel at Research Computing in Times of Diminishing Resources, Growing Demand, and Expanding Possibilities. A Report on the ECAR Annual Meeting. Research Bulletin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grajek, Susan

2014-01-01

For three days in January 2014, more than a hundred thought leaders met in Tempe, Arizona, to discuss the present and future challenges and opportunities for IT's support of research. Recommendations to improve institutions' support of scientific and humanities research included shaping central IT's role as an aggregator; ensuring that central IT…

Post-Variscan basin evolution in the central Pyrenees: Insights from the Stephanian-Permian Anayet Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Méndez, Lidia; Cuevas, Julia; Tubía, José María

2016-03-01

The Anayet Basin, in the central Pyrenees, records a Stephanian-Permian continental succession including three Permian volcanic episodes. The absolute chronology of these rocks has allowed us to better constrain the early post-Variscan evolution of the Pyrenees. The transtensional regime responsible for the formation of the pull-apart Anayet Basin began at least in Stephanian times, the age of the first post-Variscan deposits in the area, and lasted until Late Permian. During Middle Eocene times, the Alpine Orogeny inverted the Anayet Basin and led to the formation of south-vergent chevron folds and axial plane penetrative cleavage.

Groundwater quality in the Borrego Valley, Central Desert, and Low-Use Basins of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, Mary C.; Belitz, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s untreated groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Selected groundwater basins in the Borrego Valley, Central Desert, and Low-Use Basins of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts constitute one of the study units being evaluated.

Water-use trends in the desert southwest--1950-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konieczki, Alice D.; Heilman, Julie A.

2004-01-01

The population of the Desert Southwest is among the fastest growing in the country. In this area, ground-water supplies have been developed, surface-water resources have been fully appropriated, and conservation and conjunctive water-use measures are being used to meet water-resource needs. Complex networks of water-distribution systems have been developed to deliver surface-water supplies, and interstate agreements, such as the Colorado River Compact of 1922, help manage the distribution of water among many States in the Western United States, including Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Colorado River, which lies on the borders of Arizona, California, and Nevada, plays an important role in supplying water to the Southwest. Water from the Colorado River is used to irrigate extensive farmland in the southern California deserts and is delivered to southern and central Arizona through the Central Arizona Project canal for domestic and agricultural uses. It is also the source of much of the water used for domestic purposes in southern Nevada. Estimated water-withdrawal and related data were compiled from various sources to identify trends in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. More water is used for agriculture than domestic and industrial use in these five States. From 1950 to 2000, however, the percentage increase in withdrawal for domestic water use exceeded that for agricultural use. The estimated amount of water withdrawn for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah increased 58 percent, from 39.6 to 62.8 million acre-feet, from 1950 to 2000. During this period withdrawals for domestic water use, which included self-supplied domestic and public supply (all deliveries to residential, commercial, and some industrial users), increased 410 percent from 2.0 million to 10.2 million acre-feet and the population in these five Southwestern States increased 250 percent. From 1965 to 2000, water withdrawals for agriculture, which were primarily for irrigation of crops and livestock uses, increased 14 percent in the five States, from 44.0 to 50.2 million acre-feet, while irrigated acreage increased 12 percent from 12.6 to 14.1 million acres. Water-use trends in the Southwest are dominated by water use in California where crop acreage is more than twice as large as the combined crop acreages in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and the population in 2000 was more than three times larger than the combined population of these States. Withdrawals for agriculture in California accounted for 62 percent of the water withdrawals for agriculture in the five States in 1950 and 68 percent in 2000. Water withdrawals for domestic-water use in California declined from 82 percent of the total domestic-water withdrawals in all five States in 1950 to 70 percent in 2000, indicating that the need for domestic withdrawals increased more in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah combined than in California. The population of California is larger than the combined population of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, but the combined population of these smaller States grew faster than the population of California. From 1950 to 2000 the California population increased 220 percent, but the combined population of the four other States increased 390 percent. From 1960 to 2000, public supply per-capita use increased in Arizona, New Mexico, and California, and decreased in Nevada and Utah. Crop-application rates (water withdrawal for irrigation of crops divided by the irrigated crop acreage) from 1965 to 2000 ranged from 2.32 acre-feet per acre in Utah in 1975 to 6.21 acre-feet per acre in Arizona in 2000. More water is used per acre of irrigated land in Arizona than in the other four States. This could be due to several reasons, including differences in climate, conveyance losses, length of growing season, and type of crops grown. Trends in water

Coal Markets

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

Summarizes spot coal prices by coal commodity regions (i.e., Central Appalachia (CAP), Northern Appalachia (NAP), Illinois Basin (ILB), Power River Basin (PRB), and Uinta Basin (UIB)) in the United States.

Miocene transgression in the central and eastern parts of the Sivas Basin (Central Anatolia, Turkey) and the Cenozoic palaeogeographical evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poisson, André; Vrielynck, Bruno; Wernli, Roland; Negri, Alessandra; Bassetti, Maria-Angela; Büyükmeriç, Yesim; Özer, Sacit; Guillou, Hervé; Kavak, Kaan S.; Temiz, Haluk; Orszag-Sperber, Fabienne

2016-01-01

We present here a reappraisal of the tectonic setting, stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the central part of the Sivas Basin from Palaeocene to late Miocene. The Sivas Basin is located in the collision zone between the Pontides (southern Eurasia) and Anatolia (a continental block rifted from Gondwana). The basin overlies ophiolites that were obducted onto Anatolia from Tethys to the north. The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) experienced similar ophiolite obduction during Campanian time, followed by exhumation and thrusting onto previously emplaced units during Maastrichtian time. To the east, crustal extension related to exhumation of the CACC created grabens during the early Tertiary, including the Sivas Basin. The Sivas Basin underwent several tectonic events during Paleogene-Neogene. The basin fill varies, with several sub-basins, each being characterised by a distinctive sequence, especially during Oligocene and Miocene. Evaporite deposition in the central part of the basin during early Oligocene was followed by mid-late Oligocene fluvio-lacustrine deposition. The weight of overlying fluvial sediments triggered salt tectonics and salt diapir formation. Lacustrine layers that are interbedded within the fluviatile sediments have locally yielded charophytes of late Oligocene age. Emergent areas including the pre-existing Sivas Basin and neighbouring areas were then flooded from the east by a shallow sea, giving rise to a range of open-marine sub-basins, coralgal reef barriers and subsiding, restricted-marine sub-basins. Utilising new data from foraminifera, molluscs, corals and nannoplankton, the age of the marine transgression is reassessed as Aquitanian. Specifically, age-diagnostic nannoplankton assemblages of classical type occur at the base of the transgressive sequence. However, classical stratigraphic markers have not been found within the planktic foraminiferal assemblages, even in the open-marine settings. In the restricted-marine sediments, there are rich planktic foraminiferal assemblages of classical type but these are of little use in stratigraphy. In contrast, the gastropod fauna indicate a Burdigalian age. Sediment reworking in the restricted-marine environments precludes stratigraphic determination. In such environments, micro- and nano-organisms experienced atypical developmental conditions. The small benthic foraminifera and associated ostracod assemblages are good indicators of salinity which varied considerably within the restricted-marine sub-basins. Some of the corals within the coralgal reefs barriers are also dated as Aquitanian. A combination of the salt tectonics and the late Miocene north-westward-verging thrusting created the present basin complexity.

Geology and total petroleum systems of the West-Central Coastal province (7203), West Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

2006-01-01

The West-Central Coastal Province of the Sub-Saharan Africa Region consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola (including the disputed Cabinda Province), and Namibia. The area stretches from the east edge of the Niger Delta south to the Walvis Ridge. The West-Central Coastal Province includes the Douala, Kribi-Campo, Rio Muni, Gabon, Congo, Kwanza, Benguela, and Namibe Basins, which together form the Aptian salt basin of equatorial west Africa. The area has had significant exploration for petroleum; more than 295 oil fields have been discovered since 1954. Since 1995, several giant oil fields have been discovered, especially in the deep-water area of the Congo Basin. Although many total petroleum systems may exist in the West-Central Coastal Province, only four major total petroleum systems have been defined. The area of the province north of the Congo Basin contains two total petroleum systems: the Melania-Gamba Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous source and reservoir rocks, and the Azile-Senonian Total Petroleum System, consisting of Albian to Turonian source rocks and Cretaceous reservoir rocks. Two assessment units are defined in the West-Central Coastal Province north of the Congo Basin: the Gabon Subsalt and the Gabon Suprasalt Assessment Units. The Congo Basin contains the Congo Delta Composite Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous to Tertiary source and reservoir rocks. The Central Congo Delta and Carbonate Platform and the Central Congo Turbidites Assessment Units are defined in the Congo Delta Composite Total Petroleum System. The area south of the Congo Basin contains the Cuanza Composite Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous to Tertiary source and reservoir rocks. The Cuanza-Namibe Assessment Unit is defined in the Cuanza Composite Total Petroleum System. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in this province as part of its World Petroleum Assessment 2000. The USGS estimated a mean of 29.7 billion barrels of undiscovered conventional oil, 88.0 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 4.2 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. Most of the hydrocarbon potential remains in the offshore waters of the province in the Central Congo Turbidites Assessment Unit. Large areas of the offshore parts of the Kwanza, Douala, Kribi-Campo, and Rio Muni Basins are underexplored, considering their size, and current exploration activity suggests that the basins have hydrocarbon potential. Since about 1995, the offshore part of the Congo Basin has become a major area for new field discoveries and for hydrocarbon exploration, and many deeper water areas in the basin have excellent hydrocarbon potential. Gas resources may be significant and accessible in areas where the zone of oil generation is relatively shallow.

Provenance analysis on detrital zircons from the back-arc Arivechi basin: Implications for the Upper Cretaceous tectonic evolution of northern Sonora and southern Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Castañeda, José Luis; Ortega-Rivera, Amabel; Roldán-Quintana, Jaime; Espinoza-Maldonado, Inocente Guadalupe

2018-07-01

In the Arivechi region of eastern Sonora, northwestern Mexico, mountainous exposures of Upper Cretaceous rocks that contain monoliths within coarse sedimentary debris are enigmatic, in a province of largely Late Cretaceous continental-margin arc rocks. The rocks sequence in the study area are grouped in two Upper Cretaceous units: the lower Cañada de Tarachi and the younger El Potrero Grande. Detrital zircons collected from three samples of the Cañada de Tarachi and El Potrero Grande units have been analyzed for U-Pb ages to constrain their provenance. These ages constrain the age of the exposed rocks and provide new insights into the geological evolution of eastern Sonora Cretaceous rocks. The detrital zircon age populations determined for the Cañada de Tarachi and El Potrero Grande units contain distinctive Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic zircon ages that provide probable source areas which are discussed in detail constraining the tectonic evolution of the region. Comparison of these knew ages with published data suggests that the source terranes, that supplied zircons to the Arivechi basin, correlate with Proterozoic, Paleozoic and Mesozoic domains in southern California and Baja California, northern Sonora, southern Arizona and eastern Chihuahua. The provenance variation is vital to constrain the source of the Cretaceous rocks in eastern Sonora and support a better understanding of the Permo-Triassic Cordilleran Magmatic Arc in the southwestern North America.

East and central farming and forest region and Atlantic basin diversified farming region: LRRs N and S

Treesearch

Brad D. Lee; John M. Kabrick

2017-01-01

The central, unglaciated US east of the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast corresponds to the area covered by LRR N (East and Central Farming and Forest Region) and S (Atlantic Basin Diversified Farming Region). These regions roughly correspond to the Interior Highlands, Interior Plains, Appalachian Highlands, and the Northern Coastal Plains.

The hydrology of prehistoric farming systems in a central Arizona ecotone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gumerman, G. J.; Hanson, J. A.; Brew, D.; Tomoff, K.; Weed, C. S.

1975-01-01

The prehistoric land use and water management in the semi-arid Southwest was examined. Remote sensing data, geology, hydrology and biology are discussed along with an evaluation of remote sensing contributions, recommendations for applications, and proposed future remote sensing studies.

Benomyl Controls Phomopsis Blight on Arizona Cypress in a Nursery

Treesearch

W. B. Smyly; T. H. Filer

1973-01-01

In north-central Mississippi, 0.5 lb/acre of active benomyl controlled blight caused by Phomopsis juniperovora on first-year nursery seedlings of Cupressus arizonica; no phytotoxicity was observed. Other non-mercuric chemicals did not give control at rates tested.

Geoarchaeological and paleohydrological evidence for a clovis-age drought in North America and its bearing on extinction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, C. Vance

1991-05-01

At the Murray Springs Clovis site in southeastern Arizona, stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence indicates that an abnormally low water table 10,900 yr B.P. was followed soon thereafter by a water-table rise accompanied by the deposition of an algal mat (the black mat) that buried mammoth tracks, Clovis artifacts, and a well. This water-table fluctuation correlates with pluvial lake fluctuations in the Great Basin during and immediately following Clovis occupation of that region. Many elements of Pleistocene megafauna in North America became extinct during the dry period. Oxygen isotope records show a marked decrease in δ18O correlated with the Younger Dryas cold-dry event of northern Europe which ended 10,750 yr B.P., essentially the same time as the water table began to rise in southeastern Arizona. Clovis hunters may have found large game animals easier prey when concentrated at water holes and under stress. If so, both climate and human predation contributed to Pleistocene extinction in America.

Stratigraphic relations and U-Pb geochronology of the Upper Cretaceous upper McCoy Mountains Formation, southwestern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tosdal, R.M.; Stone, P.

1994-01-01

A previously unrecognized angular unconformity divides the Jurassic and Cretaceous McCoy Mountains Formation into a lower and an upper unit in the Dome Rock Mountains and Livingston Hills of western Arizona. The intraformation unconformity in the McCoy Mountains Formation developed where rocks of the lower unit were deformed adjacent to the southern margin of the Maria fold and thrust belt. The upper unit of the formation is interpreted as a foreland-basin deposit that was shed southward from the actively rising and deforming fold and thrust belt. The apparent absence of an equivalent unconformity in the McCoy Mountains Formation in adjacent California is presumably a consequence of the observed westward divergence of the outcrop belt from the fold and thrust belt. Tectonic burial beneath the north-vergent Mule Mountains thrust system in the latest Late Cretaceous (~70 Ma) marked the end of Mesozoic contractile deformation in the area. -from Authors

Tertiary tilting and dismemberment of the laramide arc and related hydrothermal systems, Sierrita Mountain, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stavast, W.J.A.; Butler, R.P.; Seedorff, E.; Barton, M.D.; Ferguson, C.A.

2008-01-01

Multiple lines of evidence, including new and published geologic mapping and paleomagnetic and geobarometric determinations, demonstrate that the rocks and large porphyry copper systems of the Sierrita Mountains in southern Arizona were dismembered and tilted 50?? to 60?? to the south by Tertiary normal faulting. Repetition of geologic features and geobarometry indicate that the area is segmented into at least three major structural blocks, and the present surface corresponds to oblique sections through the Laramide plutonic-hydrothermal complex, ranging in paleodepth from ???1 to ???12 km. These results add to an evolving view of a north-south extensional domain at high angles to much extension in the southern Basin and Range, contrast with earlier interpretations that the Laramide systems are largely upright and dismembered by thrust faults, highlight the necessity of restoring Tertiary rotations before interpreting Laramide structural and hydrothermal features, and add to the broader understanding of pluton emplacement and evolution of porphyry copper systems. ?? 2008 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

Integrated geophysical surveys for mapping lati-andesite intrusive bodies, Chino Valley, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

El-Kaliouby, Hesham; Sternberg, Ben K.; Hoffmann, John P.; Langenheim, V.E.

2012-01-01

Three different geophysical methods (magnetic, transient electromagnetic (TEM) and gravity) were used near Chino Valley, Arizona, USA in order to map a suspected lati-andesite intrusive body (plug) previously located by interpretation of aeromagnetic data. The magnetic and TEM surveys provided the best indication of the location and depth of the plug. The north-south spatial extent of this plug was estimated to be approximately 600 meters. The depth to the top of the plug was found from the TEM survey to be approximately 350 meters near the center of the survey. The location of the plug defined by the ground magnetic data is consistent with that from the TEM data. Gravity data mostly image the basin-basement interface with a small contribution from the plug of about 0.5 mGal. Results from this investigation can be used to help define the irregular subsurface topography caused by several intrusive lati-andesite plugs that could influence groundwater flow in the area.

An experiment to control nonnative fish in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coggins,, Lewis G.; Yard, Michael D.

2011-01-01

The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is an endangered native fish found only in the Colorado River Basin. In Grand Canyon, most humpback chub are found in the Little Colorado River and its confluence with the Colorado River. For decades, however, nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), which prey on and compete with native fish, have dominated the Grand Canyon fish community. Between 2003 and 2006, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and Arizona Game and Fish Department experimentally removed 23,266 nonnative fish from a 9.4-mile-long reach of the Colorado River near where it joins the Little Colorado River. During the experiment, rainbow trout were reduced by as much as 90% and native fish abundance apparently increased in the reach. Concurrent environmental changes and a decrease in rainbow trout throughout the river make it difficult to determine if the apparent increase in native fish was the result of the experiment.

Tectonic implications of facies patterns, Lower Permian Dry Mountain trough, east-central Nevada

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

Gallegos, D.M.; Snyder, W.S.; Spinosa, C.

1991-02-01

Paleozoic tectonism is indicated by a study of a west-east facies analysis transect across the northern portion of the Lower Permian Dry Mountain trough (DMT). In an attempt to characterize the Early Permian basin-filling sequences, three broadly recognizable facies packages have been identified across the DMT: the western margin facies and the central basin facies of the DMT and an eastern shelf facies. In the western margin facies of the basin, pulses of tectonic activity are recorded at McCloud Spring in the Sulphur Springs Range. Here, shallow open-marine carbonate overlies eroded Vinini Formation and, in turn, is unconformably overlain bymore » basinal marine carbonate. An unconformity also marks the contact with the overriding prograding coarse clastic facies. These abrupt transitions suggest the sediments were deposited in a tectonically active area where they preservation of Waltherian sequences is unlikely to occur. Similarly abrupt transitions are evident in the western part of the central basin facies. At Portuguese Springs n the Diamond Range, a thin basal marine conglomerate delineates Lower Permian sedimentation over the Pennsylvanian Ely Formation. Coarsening-upward basinal carbonate strata of pelagic, hemipelagic, and turbidite components overlie the basal conglomerate. this progression of sediments is unconformably overlain by a subaerial sequence of coarse clastic deposits. Within the eastern part of the central basin facies in the Maverick Spring Range, the Lower Permian sediments are open-marine siltstone, wackestone, packstone, and grainstone. The sediments are assigned to a gradually sloping ramp, indicating the effects of tectonism on this margin of the basin were subdued.« less

Geophysical Investigations of the Smoke Creek Desert and their Geologic Implications, Northwest Nevada and Northeast California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.; Glen, Jonathan M.G.; Tilden, Janet E.

2006-01-01

The Smoke Creek Desert is a large basin about 100 km (60 mi) north of Reno near the California-Nevada border, situated along the northernmost parts of the Walker Lane Belt, a physiographic region defined by diverse topographic expression consisting of northweststriking topographic features and strike-slip faulting. Because geologic and geophysical framework studies play an important role in understanding the hydrogeology of the Smoke Creek Desert, a geophysical effort was undertaken to help determine basin geometry, infer structural features, and estimate depth to basement. In the northernmost parts of the Smoke Creek Desert basin, along Squaw Creek Valley, geophysical data indicate that the basin is shallow and that granitic rocks are buried at shallow depths throughout the valley. These granitic rocks are faulted and fractured and presumably permeable, and thus may influence ground-water resources in this area. The Smoke Creek Desert basin itself is composed of three large oval sub-basins, all of which reach depths to basement of up to about 2 km (1.2 mi). In the central and southern parts of the Smoke Creek Desert basin, magnetic anomalies form three separate and narrow EW-striking features. These features consist of high-amplitude short-wavelength magnetic anomalies and probably reflect Tertiary basalt buried at shallow depth. In the central part of the Smoke Creek Desert basin a prominent EW-striking gravity and magnetic prominence extends from the western margin of the basin to the central part of the basin. Along this ridge, probably composed of Tertiary basalt, overlying unconsolidated basin-fill deposits are relatively thin (< 400 m). The central part of the Smoke Creek Desert basin is also characterized by the Mid-valley fault, a continuous geologic and geophysical feature striking NS and at least 18-km long, possibly connecting with faults mapped in the Terraced Hills and continuing southward to Pyramid Lake. The Mid-valley fault may represent a lateral (east-west) barrier to ground-water flow. In addition, the Mid-valley fault may also be a conduit for along-strike (north-south) ground-water flow, channeling flow to the southernmost parts of the basin and the discharge areas north of Sand Pass.

GEOMORPHIC CONTROLS ON MEADOW ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

Wet meadows, riparian corridor phreatophyte assemblages, and high-altitude spring-fed aspen meadows comprise a very small percentage of the total landscape of the mountain ranges in the central Great Basin however, they represent important ecological environments. We have used s...

HYDROLOGY OF CENTRAL GREAT BASIN MEADOW ECOSYSTEMS – EFFECTS OF STREAM INCISION

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian wet meadow complexes in the mountains of the central Great Basin are scarce, ecologically important systems that are threatened by stream incision. Our interdisciplinary group has investigated 1) the interrelationships of geomorphology, hydrology, and vegetation; and 2) ...

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2015-01-01

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

Crater Lake, Oregon: a restricted basin with base-of-slope aprons of nonchannelized turbidites.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, C.H.; Meyer, A.W.; Thor, D.; Larsen, M.

1986-01-01

Base-of-slope aprons at the basin margin evolve to turbidites of mainly thin, fine-grained, basin-plain type, characterized by numerous flat and weak seismic reflectors in the central basin floor.-from Authors

Géodynamique et évolution thermique de la matière organique: exemple du bassin de Qasbat-Tadla, Maroc centralBasin geodynamics and thermal evolution of organic material: example from the Qasbat-Tadla Basin, central Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Er-Raïoui, H.; Bouabdelli, M.; Bélayouni, H.; Chellai, H.

2001-05-01

Seismic data analysis of the Qasbat-Tadla Basin allows the deciphering of the main tectonic and sedimentary events that characterised the Hercynian orogen and its role in the basin's structural development. The global tectono-sedimentary framework involves structural evolution of an orogenic foreland basin and was the source of rising geotherms in an epizonal metamorphic environment. The complementary effects of these parameters has led to different source rock maturity levels, ranging from oil producing to graphite domains. Different maturity levels result from three distinct structural domains within the basin, each of which exhibit characteristic geodynamic features (tectonic contraints, rate of subsidence, etc.).

Effect of Varying Crustal Thickness on CHAMP Geopotential Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Patrick T.; Kis, Karoly I.; vonFrese, Ralph R. B.; Korhonen, Juha V.; Wittmann, Geza; Kim, Hyung Rae; Potts, Larmie V.

2003-01-01

Tn determine the effect of crustal thickness variation on satellite-altitude geopotential anomalies we compared two regions of Europe with vastly different values, South and Central Finland and the Pannonian Basin. In our study regions, crustal thickness exceeds 44 km in Finland and is less than 26 km in the Pannonian Basin. Heat-flow data indicate that the thinner and more active crust of the Pannonian Basin has a value nearly three times that of the Finnish Svecofennian Province. An ovoid positive CHAMP gravity anomaly (-4 mGal) is quasi-coincidental with the CHAMP magnetic anomaly traverses the Pannonian Basin while ground based gravity mapping in Hungary shows that the free-air gravity anomalies across the Pannonian Basin are near 0 to +20 mGal with shorter wavelength anomalies from +40 to less than +60 mGal and some 0 to greater than -20 mGal. Larger anomalies are detected in the mountainous areas. The minor value anomalies can indicate the isostatic equilibrium for Hungary (the central part of the Pannonian Basin). Gravity data over Finland bear overprint of de-glaciation. CHAMP gravity data indicates a west-east positive gradient of less than 4 mGal across South and Central Finland. CHAMP magnetic data (400 km) reveal elongated semi-circular negative anomalies for both regions with South-Central Finland having larger amplitude (less than -6 nT) than that over the Pannonian Basin, Hungary (less than -5 nT). In the latter subducted oceanic lithosphere has been proposed as the anomalous body.

Effect of Varying Crustal Thickness on CHAMP Geopotential Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, P. T.; Kis, K. I.; vonFrese, R. R. B.; Korhonen, J. V.; Wittmann, G.; Kim, H. R.; Potts, L. V.

2003-01-01

To determine the effect of crustal thickness variation on satellite-altitude geopotential anomalies we compared two regions of Europe with vastly different values, Central/Southern Finland and the Pannonian Basin. Crustal thickness exceeds 62 km in Finland and is less than 26 km in the Pannonian Basin. Heat-flow maps indicate that the thinner and more active crust of the Pannonian Basin has a value nearly three times that of the Finnish Svecofennian Province. Ground based gravity mapping in Hungary shows that the free-air gravity anomalies across the Pannonian Basin are near 0 to +20 mGal with shorter wavelength anomalies from +40 to less than +60 mGal and some 0 to greater than -20 mGal. Larger anomalies are detected in the mountainous areas. The minor value anomalies can indicate the isostatic equilibrium for Hungary (the central part of the Pannonian Basin). Gravity data over Finland are complicated by de-glaciation. CHAMP gravity data (400 km) indicates a west-east positive gradient of greater than 4 mGal across Central/Southern Finland and an ovoid positive anomaly (approximately 4 mGal) quasi-coincidental with the magnetic anomaly traversing the Pannonian Basin. CHAMP magnetic data (425 km) reveal elongated semicircular negative anomalies for both regions with South-Central Finland having larger amplitude (less than -6 nT) than that over the Pannonian Basin, Hungary (less than -5 nT). In both regions subducted oceanic lithosphere has been proposed as the anomalous body.

Coalbed methane, Cook Inlet, south-central Alaska: A potential giant gas resource

USGS Publications Warehouse

Montgomery, S.L.; Barker, C.E.

2003-01-01

Cook Inlet Basin of south-central Alaska is a forearc basin containing voluminous Tertiary coal deposits with sufficient methane content to suggest a major coalbed gas resource. Coals ranging in thickness from 2 to 50 ft (0.6 to 15 m) and in gas content from 50 to 250 scf/ton (1.6 to 7.8 cm2/g) occur in Miocene-Oligocene fluvial deposits of the Kenai Group. These coals have been identified as the probable source of more than 8 tcf gas that has been produced from conventional sandstone reservoirs in the basin. Cook Inlet coals can be divided into two main groups: (1) those of bituminous rank in the Tyonek Formation that contain mainly thermogenic methane and are confined to the northeastern part of the basin (Matanuska Valley) and to deep levels elsewhere; and (2) subbituminous coals at shallow depths (<5000 ft [1524 m]) in the Tyonek and overlying Beluga formations, which contain mainly biogenic methane and cover most of the central and southern basin. Based on core and corrected cuttings-desorption analyses, gas contents average 230 scf/ton (7.2 cm2/g) for bituminous coals and 80 scf/ton (2.5 cm2/g) for subbituminous coals. Isotherms constructed for samples of both coal ranks suggest that bituminous coals are saturated with respect to methane, whereas subbituminous coals at shallow depths along the eroded west-central basin margin are locally unsaturated. A preliminary estimate of 140 tcf gas in place is derived for the basin.

Seasonality of Groundwater Recharge in the Basin and Range Province, Western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neff, K.; Meixner, T.; De La Cruz, L.

2014-12-01

Groundwater recharge is the primary source of aquifer replenishment, an important source of freshwater for human consumption and riparian area sustainability in semi-arid regions. It is critical to understand the current groundwater recharge regimes in groundwater basins throughout the Western U.S. and how those regimes might shift in the face of climate change, land use change and management manipulations that impact the availability and composition of groundwater resources. Watersheds in the Basin and Range Province are characterized by a variable precipitation regime of wet winters, and variable summer precipitation. The horst-graben structure of these basins lends itself to orographic and continental precipitation effects that make mountain block and mountain front recharge critical components of annual recharge. The current assumption is that the relative contributions to groundwater recharge by summer and winter precipitation vary throughout the province, with winter precipitation dominating in the northern parts of the region, and summer monsoonal precipitation playing a more significant role in the south, where the North American Monsoon extends its influence. To test this hypothesis, stable water isotope data of groundwater and precipitation from sites in Sonora, Mexico and the U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas were examined to characterize and compare groundwater recharge regimes throughout the region. Preliminary stable water isotope results from the southernmost Rio San Miguel Basin in Sonora, Mexico indicate that groundwater is composed of 64%±14% summer monsoon precipitation, in contrast to more northern basins where winter precipitation is the source of 79-90% of basin groundwater.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO RIPARIAN MEADOW CHARACTERIZATION AND PRIORITIZATION, CENTRAL GREAT BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

The Great Basin Ecosystem Management Research group has described the hydrological, geophysical, and geomorphic conditions that lead to the formation and maintenance of riparian meadows of central Nevada. Previous work on these systems has focused on understanding a few study mea...

Assessment of coalbed gas resources of the Central and South Sumatra Basin Provinces, Indonesia, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Pitman, Janet K.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Finn, Thomas M.

2016-12-09

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 20 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable coalbed gas resource in the Central and South Sumatra Basin Provinces of Indonesia.

Assessment of shale-oil resources of the Central Sumatra Basin, Indonesia, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Pitman, Janet K.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.

2015-11-12

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 459 million barrels of shale oil, 275 billion cubic feet of associated gas, and 23 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the Central Sumatra Basin, Indonesia.

Wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation for safer wildlife movement across highways : State Route 260.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

Researchers investigated wildlife-highway relationships in central Arizona from 2002 to 2008 along a 17-mile stretch : of State Route (SR) 260, which is being reconstructed in five phases and will have 11 wildlife underpasses and : 6 bridges. Phased ...

Elk movements associated with a high-traffic highway : Interstate 17.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

The authors evaluated wildlife-highway relationships from 2007 to 2010 along a 46-mi stretch of Interstate : 17 (I-17) in north-central Arizona (MP 294340). This highway had an average annual daily traffic (AADT) : volume of 16,100 vehicles/day du...

P-wave velocity structure beneath the northern Antarctic Peninsula: evidence of a steeply subducting slab and a deep-rooted low-velocity anomaly beneath the central Bransfield Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yongcheol; Kim, Kwang-Hee; Lee, Joohan; Yoo, Hyun Jae; Plasencia L., Milton P.

2012-12-01

Upper-mantle structure between 100 and 300 km depth below the northern Antarctic Peninsula is imaged by modelling P-wave traveltime residuals from teleseismic events recorded on the King Sejong Station (KSJ), the Argentinean/Italian stations (JUBA and ESPZ), an IRIS/GSN Station (PMSA) and the Seismic Experiment in Patagonia and Antarctica (SEPA) broad-band stations. For measuring traveltime residuals, we applied a multichannel cross-correlation method and inverted for upper-mantle structure using VanDecar's method. The new 3-D velocity model reveals a subducted slab with a ˜70° dip angle at 100-300 km depth and a strong low-velocity anomaly confined below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin. The low velocity is attributed to a thermal anomaly in the mantle that could be as large as 350-560 K and which is associated with high heat flow and volcanism in the central Bransfield Basin. The low-velocity zone imaged below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin does not extend under the northern Bransfield Basin, suggesting that the rifting process in that area likely involves different geodynamic processes.

Maps showing water-level declines, land subsidence, and earth fissures in south-central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laney, R.L.; Raymond, R.H.; Winikka, C.C.

1978-01-01

From 1915 to 1975, more than 109 million acre-feet of ground water was withdrawn from about 4,500 square miles in Pinal and Maricopa Counties in south-central Arizona. The volume of water withdrawn greatly exceeds the volume of natural recharge, and water levels have been declining since 1923. As a result of the water-level declines, the land surface has subsided, the alluvial deposits have been subjected to stress, and earth fissures have developed. Land subsidence and earth fissures have damaged public and private properties. Subsidence and fissures will continue to occur as long as ground water is being mined and water levels continue to decline. As urban development expands, land subsidence and earth fissures will have an increasing socioeconomic impact. Information on maps includes change in water levels, measurements of land subsidence, and location of earth fissures. A section showing land subsidence between Casa Grande and the Picacho Peak Interchange also is included. Scale 1:250,000. (Woodard-USGS)

Hydrogeologic investigations of the Sierra Vista subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Cochise County, southeast Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Donald R.; Coes, Alissa L.

1999-01-01

The hydrogeologic system in the Sierra Vista subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin in southeastern Arizona was investigated for the purpose of developing a better understanding of stream-aquifer interactions. The San Pedro River is an intermittent stream that supports a narrow corridor of riparian vegetation. Withdrawal of ground water will result in reduced discharge from the basin through reduced base flow and evapotranspiration; however, the rate and location of reduced discharge are uncertain. The investigation resulted in better definition of distributions of silt and clay in the regional aquifer; changes in seasonal precipitation, runoff, and base flow in the San Pedro River; sources of base flow; and regional water-level changes. Regional ground-water flow is separated into deep-confined and shallow-unconfined systems by silt and clay. Precipitation, runoff, and base flow declined at the Charleston streamflow-gaging station from 1936 through 1997 for the months of June through October. Base flow at the Charleston station during 1996 and 1997 was primarily supplied by ground water recharged near the San Pedro River during recent major runoff and by minor contributions from the regional aquifer. The decline in base flow, about 2 cubic feet per second, has several probable causes including declining runoff and recharge near the river during June through October and increased interception of ground-water flow to the river by wells and phreatophytes. Water levels in wells throughout the regional aquifer generally declined at rates of 0.2 to 0.5 feet per year between 1940 and the mid-1980's, which corresponded with a period of below-average winter precipitation. Water levels in wells in the Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista areas declined at rates that were faster than regional rates of decline through 1998 and caused diversion of ground-water flow that would have discharged along perennial stream reaches.

Soil Production and Erosion on a Low-Relief, Soil-Mantled Landscape in the Pinaleno Mountains, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, M.; Whipple, K. X.; Heimsath, A. M.; Jungers, M.

2014-12-01

Soil thickness plays an essential role in hydrology, ecology, biogeochemistry, and erosion and transport processes at the Earth's surface. Controls on soil production rate set this important characteristic, however, relative roles of these controls have not been quantitatively assessed. I take advantage of uniform lithology and climate on anenigmatic perched, low-relief high elevation landscape in the Pinaleno Mountains in southeastern Arizona to examine controls of formation and preservation of the upper, low-relief soil mantled landscape. This landscape is sharply bounded on all sides by steep, rugged terrain where soil cover is patchy but pervasive. Knickpoints appear along channel profiles around the edges of the low-relief landscape, suggesting a transient response to some tectonic disturbance, either due to rock uplift and basin subsidence during Basin and Range tectonic forcing, or more recent base-level drop in adjacent drainage systems. Slow erosion rates recently measured along the flanks of this range support the hypothesis that this upper transient surface has been preserved after a late Miocene-Pliocene basin and range disturbance that has since been followed by slow topographic decay. To shed light on the processes driving weathering, soil production and erosion in this landscape that maintains steep, rocky catchments only below knickpoints on channels draining the upper low-relief landscape, we utilize high-resolution soil thickness measurements coupled with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide soil production rate measurements. In order to determine soil thicknesses at the high-resolution scale useful to describe hillslope process, we utilize shallow seismic survey data, calibrated by soil pit measurements of soil down through saprolite and fractured bedrock. Broadly applicable, these high-resolution soil thickness measurements coupled with soil production and erosion rate data can be useful disentangle relationships among catchment-mean erosion rate, mean soil thickness, and soil production efficiency.

Thermal and unroofing history of a thick, tilted Basin-and-Range crustal section in the Tortilla Mountains, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, K.A.; Foster, D.A.

1996-01-01

We estimate here a geothermal gradient of only 17 ?? 5??C km-1 for the tilted Grayback fault block in southeastern Arizona when extension began ???25 Ma. This gradient is lower than preextension gradients estimated elsewhere in the Basin and Range, is only about 50% of typical gradients in the Basin and Range today, and needs to be accounted for in models of continental extension. The Grayback block exposes a 12-km-thick crustal section of Proterozoic and Cretaceous granitoids, which was tilted 90?? during extension between 25 and 15 Ma. Zircon fission-track ages decrease structurally downward (westward) across the block and were all within a zone of partial track annealing prior to tilting and quenching. The zircon age gradient suggests that the 220??-240??C isotherm migrated downward 5-6 km during Paleogene erosion and regional cooling. Apatite fission-track ages decrease westward from ???83 Ma in the structurally highest crystalline rocks to ???24 Ma at ???6-km paleodepth and then to ???15 Ma another 6 km farther west. Track-length analysis confirms that apatites above the break in slope in age at ???5.7-km paleodepth resided in a zone of partial annealing prior to tilting, and deeper apatites record rapid cooling upon tilting and unroofing beginning ???25 Ma. At that time the 110 ?? 10??C isotherm determined by the depth at which tracks in apatite were fully erased was at a basement paleodepth of ???5.7 km, and the 220 ?? 30??C isotherm as estimated from zircon data resided at a pretilting basement depth of ???12.15 km. From consistent values of paleogeothermal gradient for two depth intervals we estimate the pretilt gradient was 17 ?? 5??C km-1. From 25 to 15 Ma the rotating Grayback block cooled rapidly as higher, westward moving blocks unroofed it tectonically at a rate of ???1 km m.y.-1.

Geospatial data to support analysis of water-quality conditions in basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKinney, Tim S.; Anning, David W.

2009-01-01

The Southwest Principal Aquifers study area consists of most of California and Nevada and parts of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado; it is about 409,000 square miles. The Basin-fill aquifers extend through about 201,000 square miles of the study area and are the primary source of water for cities and agricultural communities in basins in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Southwest). The demand on limited ground-water resources in areas in the southwestern United States has increased significantly. This increased demand underscores the importance of understanding factors that affect the water quality in basin-fill aquifers in the region, which are being studied through the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. As a part of this study, spatial datasets of natural and anthropogenic factors that may affect ground-water quality of the basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States were developed. These data include physical characteristics of the region, such as geology, elevation, and precipitation, as well as anthropogenic factors, including population, land use, and water use. Spatial statistics for the alluvial basins in the Southwest have been calculated using the datasets. This information provides a foundation for the development of conceptual and statistical models that relate natural and anthropogenic factors to ground-water quality across the Southwest. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to determine and illustrate the spatial distribution of these basin-fill variables across the region. One hundred-meter resolution raster data layers that represent the spatial characteristics of the basins' boundaries, drainage areas, population densities, land use, and water use were developed for the entire Southwest.

Computer input and output files associated with ground-water-flow simulations of the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, 1901-94, with projections to 2020; (supplement one to U.S. Geological Survey Water-resources investigations report 94-4251)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kernodle, J.M.

1996-01-01

This report presents the computer input files required to run the three-dimensional ground-water-flow model of the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, documented in Kernodle and others (Kernodle, J.M., McAda, D.P., and Thorn, C.R., 1995, Simulation of ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, 1901-1994, with projections to 2020: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4251, 114 p.). Output files resulting from the computer simulations are included for reference.

Enhancements to the WRF-Hydro Hydrologic Model Structure for Semi-arid Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahmers, T. M.; Gupta, H.; Hazenberg, P.; Castro, C. L.; Gochis, D.; Yates, D. N.; Dugger, A. L.; Goodrich, D. C.

2017-12-01

The NOAA National Water Center (NWC) implemented an operational National Water Model (NWM) in August 2016 to simulate and forecast streamflow and soil moisture throughout the Contiguous US (CONUS). The NWM is based on the WRF-Hydro hydrologic model architecture, with a 1-km resolution Noah-MP LSM grid and a 250m routing grid. The operational NWM does not currently resolve infiltration of water from the beds of ephemeral channels, which is an important component of the water balance in semi-arid environments common in many portions of the western US. This work demonstrates the benefit of a conceptual channel infiltration function in the WRF-Hydro model architecture following calibration. The updated model structure and parameters for the NWM architecture, when implemented operationally, will permit its use in flow simulation and forecasting in the southwest US, particularly for flash floods in basins with smaller drainage areas. Our channel infiltration function is based on that of the KINEROS2 semi-distributed hydrologic model, which has been tested throughout the southwest CONUS for flash flood forecasts. Model calibration utilizes the Dynamically Dimensioned Search (DDS) algorithm, and the model is calibrated using NLDAS-2 atmospheric forcing and NCEP Stage-IV precipitation. Our results show that adding channel infiltration to WRF-Hydro can produce a physically consistent hydrologic response with a high-resolution gauge based precipitation forcing dataset in the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. NWM WRF-Hydro is also tested for the Babocomari River, Beaver Creek, and Sycamore Creek catchments in southern and central Arizona. In these basins, model skill is degraded due to uncertainties in the NCEP Stage-IV precipitation forcing dataset.

Predictive accuracy of a ground-water model--Lessons from a postaudit

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konikow, Leonard F.

1986-01-01

Hydrogeologic studies commonly include the development, calibration, and application of a deterministic simulation model. To help assess the value of using such models to make predictions, a postaudit was conducted on a previously studied area in the Salt River and lower Santa Cruz River basins in central Arizona. A deterministic, distributed-parameter model of the ground-water system in these alluvial basins was calibrated by Anderson (1968) using about 40 years of data (1923–64). The calibrated model was then used to predict future water-level changes during the next 10 years (1965–74). Examination of actual water-level changes in 77 wells from 1965–74 indicates a poor correlation between observed and predicted water-level changes. The differences have a mean of 73 ft that is, predicted declines consistently exceeded those observed and a standard deviation of 47 ft. The bias in the predicted water-level change can be accounted for by the large error in the assumed total pumpage during the prediction period. However, the spatial distribution of errors in predicted water-level change does not correlate with the spatial distribution of errors in pumpage. Consequently, the lack of precision probably is not related only to errors in assumed pumpage, but may indicate the presence of other sources of error in the model, such as the two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional problem or the lack of consideration of land-subsidence processes. This type of postaudit is a valuable method of verifying a model, and an evaluation of predictive errors can provide an increased understanding of the system and aid in assessing the value of undertaking development of a revised model.

Implications of the miocene(?) crooked ridge river of northern arizona for the evolution of the colorado river and grand canyon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucchitta, Ivo; Holm, Richard F.; Lucchitta, Baerbel K.

2013-01-01

The southwesterly course of the probably pre–early Miocene and possibly Oligocene Crooked Ridge River can be traced continuously for 48 km and discontinuously for 91 km in northern Arizona (United States). The course is visible today in inverted relief. Pebbles in the river gravel came from at least as far northeast as the San Juan Mountains (Colorado). The river valley was carved out of easily eroded Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks whose debris overloaded the river with abundant detritus, probably steepening the gradient. After the river became inactive, the regional drainage network was rearranged three times, and the nearby Four Corners region was lowered 1–2 km by erosion. The river provides constraints on the early evolution of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. Continuation of this river into lakes in Arizona or Utah is unlikely, as is integration through Grand Canyon by lake spillover. The downstream course of the river probably was across the Kaibab arch in a valley roughly coincident with the present eastern Grand Canyon. Beyond this point, the course may have continued to the drainage basin of the Sacramento River, or to the proto–Snake River drainage. Crooked Ridge River was beheaded by the developing San Juan River, which pirated its waters and probably was tributary to a proto–Colorado River, flowing roughly along its present course west of the Monument upwarp.

HYDROLOGIC AND GEOMORPHIC CONTROLS ON RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS IN THE GREAT BASIN OF CENTRAL NEVADA

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding surface and ground water flow system interactions is key to maintaining and restoring riparian and wet meadow ecosystems, especially in the Great Basin of central Nevada where they support the majority of the region's biodiversity. To better understand these intera...

Cave Buttes Dam Foundation Report. Gila River Basin: Phoenix, Arizona and Vicinity (Including New River).

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

bedrock. Reservoir deposits are rich in silt and clay as shown by the plastic nature of material behind Cave Creek Dam. Recent alluvium is directly...formation and the zone I, impervious material. Then rolling with the rubber tired equipment would fill voids and small cracks with the clayey, plastic ...Assoclates US " 2 t 64urvey air J.1y 1969. ___OSOWRS g.Aorizatnfa( conirol ji 45 on G1A - EEA fSI Alaon~ral ieodtc Survey Dafum. Yerftci 4 1 -5 AtE

State geothermal commercialization programs in ten Rocky Mountain states. Semi-annual progress report, July-December 1979

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

Griffith, J.L.

The activities and findings of the ten state teams participating in the Rocky Mountain Basin and Range Regional Hydrothermal Commercialization Program for the period are described. A summary of the state projects, compilation of project accomplishments, summary of findings, and a description of the major conclusions and recommendations are presented. Also included are chapters on the commercialization activities carried out by individual teams in each state: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New-Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. (MHR)

Water resources of Fort Huachuca Military Reservation, southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, S.G.; Davidson, E.S.; Kister, L.R.; Thomsen, B.W.

1966-01-01

Spring flow, if used to supplement the ground-water supply, will decrease the draft on the ground-water reservoir in the two basin-fill units; or it could be used for artificial recharge to these aquifers. A second well field, if developed in the North Gate-Libby Field area, would partly accomplish the same result by decreasing the heavily concentrated draft on the ground-water reservoir of the Fort Huachuca well field, and by utilizing ground water that now moves unused northeastward to the San Pedro River.

Investigation of the application of HCMM thermal data to snow hydrology. [Salt-Verde watershed, Arizona and Kings River Basin, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of HCMM digital thermal data for daytime passes over the Salt-Verde Watershed area on five dates show a gradual depletion of snow cover in the watershed (and in the Little Colorado Watershed to the north) from a maximum on February 9th to a nearly complete disappearance of the snow pack by April 15th. Temperature contours correspond closely with the snowline observed in the visible image.

Proceedings of the Annual Seismic Research Symposium on Monitoring a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (17th) Held in Scottsdale, Arizona on 12-15 September, 1995.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-08-14

Observaciones de refracci6n sismica en el noroeste Colombiano en la latitud 5.5*N. In Investigaciones Geofisicas sobre las Estructuras Oc6ano...636 Levander, A.; S.P. Larkin; L.M. La Flame; S. Pullammanapaflil and J.A. Goff Crustal Heterogeneity in the Basin...with cabled connections to land The coverage of the six stations is strongly biased toward the Southern Hemisphere in part for the rea- son that

Internal loading of phosphate in Lake Erie Central Basin.

PubMed

Paytan, Adina; Roberts, Kathryn; Watson, Sue; Peek, Sara; Chuang, Pei-Chuan; Defforey, Delphine; Kendall, Carol

2017-02-01

After significant reductions in external phosphorus (P) loads, and subsequent water quality improvements in the early 1980s, the water quality of Lake Erie has declined considerably over the past decade. The frequency and magnitude of harmful algal blooms (primarily in the western basin) and the extent of hypoxic bottom waters in the central basin have increased. The decline in ecosystem health, despite meeting goals for external P loads, has sparked a renewed effort to understand P cycling in the lake. We use pore-water P concentration profiles and sediment cores incubation experiments to quantify the P flux from Lake Erie central basin sediments. In addition, the oxygen isotopes of phosphate were investigated to assess the isotopic signature of sedimentary phosphate inputs relative to the isotopic signature of phosphate in lake water. Extrapolating the total P sediment flux based on the pore-water profiles to the whole area of the central basin ranged from 300 to 1250metric tons per year and using the flux based on core incubation experiments an annual flux of roughly 2400metric tons of P is calculated. These estimates amount to 8-20% of the total external input of P to Lake Erie. The isotopic signature of phosphate in the extractable fraction of the sediments (~18‰) can explain the non-equilibrium isotope values of dissolved phosphate in the deep water of the central basin of Lake Erie, and this is consistent with sediments as an important internal source of P in the Lake. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Areas of localized organochlorine contamination in Arizona and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, W.J.; Cain, B.W.

1985-01-01

Wings from mallard ducks harvested in 1980 in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico were pooled into county aggregates and analyzed for organochlorine pesticides and PCB's. Organochlorine concentrations in duck wings were compared among counties comprising major river drainages within each state. DDE concentrations in the wings of mallards collected from the Verde River and the lower portion of the Gila River drainages in Arizona ranged up to 6 ppm (wet weight basis), which was 17 times higher than the 1979 Pacific Flyway average. DDE at these high levels may be hazardous to wildlife. In combination with other published data, our findings indicate a serious DDT problem in portions of the Verde River and Gila River drainages. High levels of heptachlor (up to 1.7 ppm) and PCB's (3.7 ppm, 61 times the 1979 Central Flyway average) were found in mallard wings from the upper Rio Grande and Pecos River drainages, respectively. We did not detect areas of heavy local organochlorine pesticide or PCB contamination in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Use of Population Genetics to Assess the Ecology, Evolution, and Population Structure of Coccidioides

PubMed Central

Teixeira, Marcus M.

2016-01-01

During the past 20 years, a general picture of the genetic diversity and population structure of Coccidioides, the causal agent of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), has emerged. The genus consists of 2 genetically diverse species, C. immitis and C. posadasii, each of which contains 1 or more distinct populations with limited gene flow. Genotypic data indicate that C. immitis is divided into 2 subpopulations (central and southern California populations) and C. posadasii is divided into 3 subpopulations (Arizona, Mexico, and Texas/South America populations). However, admixture within and among these populations and the current paucity of environmental isolates limit our understanding of the population genetics of Coccidioides. We assessed population structure of Coccidioides in Arizona by analyzing 495 clinical and environmental isolates. Our findings confirm the population structure as previously described and indicate a finer scale population structure in Arizona. Environmental isolates appear to have higher genetic diversity than isolates from human patients. PMID:27191589

The ecology of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher in central Arizona - A 10-year synthesis report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paxton, Eben H.; Sogge, Mark K.; Durst, Scott L.; Theimer, Tad C.; Hatten, James R.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND From 1996 to 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a demographic study of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) in Arizona in collaboration with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD). The study was begun the year following the listing of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher as an endangered species. At the time of the listing, very little was known about the biology and threats to the flycatcher, and one of the main objectives of the study was to gather detailed long-term information on the biology of the flycatcher. This report is organized into eight chapters. Following the introductory chapter, we deal with specific aspects of flycatcher ecology and habitat use in each of six separate chapters. We end with a concluding chapter that synthesizes information into broad topical themes that address key management issues. Each of the core chapters (chapters 2 through 7) conclude with a list of management considerations derived from the findings of the respective chapter.

Paluxy of the Central Basin-East Texas

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

Presley, M.W.

1993-09-01

The Paluxy Formation (Lower Cretaceous) has been a consistent sandstone exploration objective in the central East Texas basin, occurring at moderate depths on the order of 5000-8000 ft with oil in reservoirs with good permeability and porosity and reserves in the range of 200,000 to 500,000 bbl per well. Since the 1940s, the pace of Paluxy field discovery has been steady, generally a new field or two every one or two years, and there is every reason to believe that there is continued potential for the Paluxy in the future. The central part of the East Texas basin, in Smithmore » County and adjacent areas, has complex structure with numerous salt domes and intervening sediment wedges (turtles) that formed during movement of the salt. Paluxy oil and gas in this area occurs mainly in combination structural-stratigraphic traps along normal faults that cut turtles. Major exploration trends in the central basin include (1) the Lindale turtle with a number of widely spaced fields, generally with only a few wells but with relatively good per-well reserves, (2) the Tyler turtle with the largest fields and some of the most prolific Paluxy production in the central basin, (3) the Flint and Irene turtles with relatively thin sandstones and modest production, (4) the Lane Chapel turtle with some exciting new Paluxy discoveries, and (5) the rim areas of salt domes.« less

Evidence for Strong Controls from Preexisting Structures on Border Fault Development and Basin Evolution in the Malawi Rift from 3D Lacustrine Refraction Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Accardo, N. J.; Shillington, D. J.; Gaherty, J. B.; Scholz, C. A.; Ebinger, C.; Nyblade, A.; McCartney, T.; Chindandali, P. R. N.; Kamihanda, G.; Ferdinand-Wambura, R.

2017-12-01

A long-standing debate surrounds controls on the development and ultimately abandonment of basin bounding border faults. The Malawi Rift in the the Western Branch of the East African Rift System presents an ideal location to investigate normal fault development. The rift is composed of a series of half graben basins bound by large border faults, which cross several terranes and pre-existing features. To delineate rift basin structure, we undertook 3D first arrival tomography across the North and Central basins of the Malawi Rift based on seismic refraction data acquired in Lake Malawi. The resulting 3D velocity model allows for the first-ever mapping of 3D basin structure in the Western Branch of the EAR. We estimate fault displacement profiles along the two border faults and find that each accommodated 7.2 km of throw. Previous modeling studies suggest that given the significant lengths (>140 km) and throws of these faults, they may be nearing their maximum dimensions or may have already been abandoned. While both faults accommodate similar throws, their lengths differ by 40 km, likely due to the influence of both preexisting basement fabric and large-scale preexisting structures crossing the rift. Over 4 km of sediment exists where the border faults overlap in the accommodation zone indicating that these faults likely established their lengths early. Portions of both basins contain packages of sediment with anomalously fast velocities (> 4 km/s), which we interpret to represent sediment packages from prior rifting episodes. In the Central Basin, this preexisting sediment traces along the inferred offshore continuation of the Karoo-aged Ruhuhu Basin that intersects Lake Malawi at the junction between the North and Central basins. This feature may have influenced the length of the border fault bounding the Central Basin. In the North Basin, the preexisting sediment is thicker ( 4 km) and likely represents the offshore continuation of a series of preexisting rift basins that extend from the Malawi Rift north to the Rukwa Rift. The presence of this offshore basin confirms that the corridor between the Rukwa and Malawi Rifts has experienced prolonged periods of extension, likely thinning the lithosphere there, and thus providing a mechanism for focusing of long-lived magmatism at the Rungwe Volcanic Center.

Bird use of fields treated postharvest with two types of flooding in Tulare Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleskes, Joseph P.; Skalos, Daniel A.; Farinha, Melissa A.

2012-01-01

We surveyed birds on grain and non-grain fields in the Tulare Basin of California treated post-harvest with two types of flooding that varied in duration and depth of water applied (Flooded-type fields [FLD]: 1 week; Irrigated-type fields [IRG]: 1 week) flooding increased waterbird use of grain fields in the Tulare Basin more than in the northern Central Valley. Thus, even though water costs are high in the Tulare Basin, if net benefit to waterbirds is considered, management programs that increase availability of FLD-type fields (especially grain) in the Tulare Basin may be a cost-effective option to help meet waterbird habitat conservation goals in the Central Valley of California.

A Drive for Fuel Efficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Susan

2006-01-01

Career and technical education is already ahead of the curve, since automotive technology, electrical technology and electronics students across the nation have been actively engaged in learning about hybrid, electric and even solar-powered cars. Students in the Environmental Technologies Club at Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona, have built…

12 CFR 790.2 - Central and regional office organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Road, Suite 5200, Austin, TX 78759-8490. V Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii... management of conservatorships. The address of AMAC is 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 5100, Austin, Texas... developing and conducting research in support of NCUA programs, and for preparing reports on research...

77 FR 47065 - Central Arizona Project-Rate Order No. WAPA-158

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... to (602) 605-2490, attention: Jack Murray. Western will post official comments received via letter... period to ensure they are considered in Western's decision process. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jack Murray, Rates Manager, Desert Southwest Customer Service Regional Office, Western Area Power...

78 FR 47051 - Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad, L.C.-Trackage Rights Exemption-Drake Cement, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7). If the notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing...

Mesa Community College at Red Mountain, Mesa, Arizona.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Design Cost Data, 2002

2002-01-01

Describes the Desert Willow Library and Classroom Building, Mesquite Student Services and Administration Building, Palo Verde Science Laboratories and Classroom Building, and Ironwood Central Plant of the title college, including educational context and design goals. Includes a general description; information on the architect, construction team,…

SCADA OPERATOR TRAINING TOOL APPLIED TO THE CENTRAL ARIZONA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many irrigation districts use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software to manage their canal systems. Whether homegrown or commercial, these programs require a significant amount of training for new operators. While some SCADA operators are hired with extensive field experience, o...

UTILIZATION OF IN-STREAM STRUCTURES FOR WET MEADOW STABILIZATION IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN: A PROCESS-ORIENTED APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

Wet meadows, riparian corridor phreatophyte assemblages, and high-altitude spring-fed aspen meadows all serve as important habitats in the Great Basin of central Nevada. Geomorphic and biotic characterization of the wet meadow complexes demonstrates that most terminate downvalle...

Carboniferous Proto-type Basin Evolution of Junggar Basin in Northwest China: Implications for the Growth Models of Central Asia Orogenic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, D.

2016-12-01

The Junggar Basin locates in the central part of Paleo-Asian Ocean tectonic domain, and records the dynamic processes of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt from subduction-accretion-collision to later intracontinental deformations. Carboniferous is the key period from subduction to closure in the tectonic evolution of Paleo-Asian Ocean. Based on the borehole, outcrop, seismic and gravity and magnetic anomaly data, the paper made analysis of the Carboniferous basin evolution.Geo-chronological results for the borehole volcanic rocks suggest that the Junggar Basin and adjacent area had five periods of volcanic activities, including two periods in the Early Carboniferous (359-347Ma 347-331Ma and 331-324Ma) and three periods in the Late Carboniferous (323-307Ma and 307-300Ma). Regional unconformities divided the Carboniferous into two tectono-stratigraphic sequences: Lower Carboniferous and Upper Carboniferous. The former is characterized by compressional structures and involves massive calc-alkaline basalts, andesites, dacites and rhyolites, whereas the later is mainly controlled by extensional faults and dominated by intermediate-mafic volcanic rocks, with bimodal volcanic rocks in parts. The paper determined four Carboniferous arc-basin belts in the Junggar Basin and adjacent area from north to south: the Saur-Fuhai-Dulate, Heshituoluogai-Wulungu-Yemaquan, Darbut-Luliang-Karamaili, and Zhongguai-Mosuowan-Baijiahai-Qitai, and identified multi-type basins, such as fore-arc basin, retro-arc basin, intra-arc rift basin, foreland basin and passive continental margin basin,etc.. The Carboniferous proto-type basin evolution of the Junggar Basin can be divided into three phases such as, the early to middle Early Carboniferous subduction-related compressional phase, the late Early Carboniferous to middle Late Carboniferous subduction-related extensional phase and the late Late Carboniferous intra-continental fault-sag phase. The study discloses that the Junggar Basin is likely underlain by juvenile continental crust rather than unified Precambrian basement, and also implies that the Junggar Basin and adjacent area, even the entire CAOB, were built by successively northward amalgamation of multiple linear arc-basin systems characterized by southward accretion.

Palaeogeography of late Cambrian to early Ordovician sediments in the Amadeus Basin, central Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorter, John D.

The depositional history of 6 sequences encompassing 18 parasequence of the Late Cambrian to Early Ordovician age in the Amadeus Basin is presented in a seried of generalized paleogeographic maps. As some of the parasequence sets are known to host large deposits of oil and gas, a thorough understanding of the potential reservoir-source rock combinations in the Amadeus Basin is essential for the discovery of further oil and gas reserves in this vast, under-explored basin. The best reservoir rocks in the Pacoota Sandstone are concentrated above the major sequence boundary between the Wallaby and Tempe Vale sequences on the Central Ridge. Poorer reservoirs occur within other sequences (e.g., parasequence set 3 and 13). Parasequence set 3 reservoirs, localized on the Central Ridge, are generally poor but owe their reservoir character to weathering at the pre-Tempe Vale sequence unconformity. Parasequence set 13 reservoirs are also concenterated along the Central Ridge, where small-scale shoaling clastic cycles are better developed. Basal Stairway Sandstone reservoirs in the Mereenie area on the Central Ridge are generally very poor, due to the cementation of the clean sandstone, but should improve to the southwest due to lesser burial-induced silicification. The source potential of the major Arenig organic-rich sediments is concentrated in the transitional zone between parasequence sets 15 and 16. East of West Waterhouse 1 well, these parasequence sets have been eroded and there is no remaining source potential. The transitional source-rich zone is better developed on the Central Ridge than in the Missionary Plain Trough. The Central Ridge is therefore of prime importance in the localization of both reservoir and source rocks in the Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician section of the Amadeus Basin.

Systematic heat flow measurements across the Wagner Basin, northern Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Florian; Negrete-Aranda, Raquel; Harris, Robert N.; Contreras, Juan; Sclater, John G.; González-Fernández, Antonio

2017-12-01

A primary control on the geodynamics of rifting is the thermal regime. To better understand the geodynamics of rifting in the northern Gulf of California we systematically measured heat-flow across the Wagner Basin, a tectonically active basin that lies near the southern terminus of the Cerro Prieto fault. The heat flow profile is 40 km long, has a nominal measurement spacing of ∼1 km, and is collocated with a seismic reflection profile. Heat flow measurements were made with a 6.5-m violin-bow probe. Although heat flow data were collected in shallow water, where there are significant temporal variations in bottom water temperature, we use CTD data collected over many years to correct our measurements to yield accurate values of heat flow. After correction for bottom water temperature, the mean and standard deviation of heat flow across the western, central, and eastern parts of the basin are 220 ± 60, 99 ± 14, 889 ± 419 mW m-2, respectively. Corrections for sedimentation would increase measured heat flow across the central part of basin by 40 to 60%. We interpret the relatively high heat flow and large variability on the western and eastern flanks in terms of upward fluid flow at depth below the seafloor, whereas the lower and more consistent values across the central part of the basin are suggestive of conductive heat transfer. Moreover, heat flow across the central basin is consistent with gabbroic underplating at a depth of 15 km and suggests that continental rupture here has not gone to completion.

Late Cretaceous paleomagnetism and clockwise rotation of the Silver Bell Mountains, south central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hagstrum, J.T.; Sawyer, D.A.

1989-01-01

Late Cretaceous ash flow volcanism in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona (32.3??N, 248.5??E) was associated with caldera formation and porphyry copper mineralization. Oriented samples from 34 sites in volcanic, volcaniclastic, and intrusive units related to this episode of igneous activity (73-69 Ma) yield a mean paleomagnetic direction of (I = 61.2??, D = 24.0??, ??95 = 7.6??. Previously determined paleomagnetic data for southeastern Arizona suggest that this apparent clockwise rotation in the Silver Bell Mountains is a local phenomenon. Although preliminary, the average paleomagnetic direction for Oligocene and lower Miocene rocks in the Silver Bell area (I = 43.8??, D = 357.3??, ??95 = 16.5??) is similar to that calculated for stable North America (I = 50.2??, D = 352.2??, ??95 = 3.9??), implying that the observed rotation in the Silver Bell Mountains occurred before 26 Ma and was most likely associated with dextral strike-slip movement along the Ragged Top and related WNW trending faults bounding the Silver Bell Mountain block. These data, in conjunction with plate reconstructions and other paleomagnetic data from southwestern North America, imply that WNW trending strike-slip faults may have played an important role during Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary deformation in southern Arizona. -Authors

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources—Southern Rocky Mountain Basins: Chapter M in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Matthew D.; Drake, Ronald M.; Buursink, Marc L.; Craddock, William H.; East, Joseph A.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Brennan, Sean T.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, Philip A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2016-06-02

The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resources in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of the national assessment. This report, chapter M, is the geologic framework document for the Uinta and Piceance, San Juan, Paradox, Raton, Eastern Great, and Black Mesa Basins, and subbasins therein of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. In addition to a summary of the geology and petroleum resources of studied basins, the individual storage assessment units (SAUs) within the basins are described and explanations for their selection are presented. Although appendixes in the national assessment publications include the input values used to calculate the available storage resource, this framework document provides only the context and source of the input values selected by the assessment geologists. Spatial-data files of the boundaries for the SAUs, and the well-penetration density of known well bores that penetrate the SAU seal, are available for download with the release of this report.

Timing and patterns of basin infilling as documented in Lake Powell during a drought

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratson, Lincoln F.; Hughes-Clarke, John; Anderson, Mark; Gerber, Thomas; Twitchell, David C.; Ferrari, Ronald; Nittrouer, Charles A.; Beaudoin, Jonathan D.; Granet, Jesse; Crockett, John

2008-01-01

Between 1999 and 2005, drought in the western United States led to a >44 m fall in the level of Lake Powell (Arizona-Utah), the nation's second-largest reservoir. River discharges to the reservoir were halved, yet the rivers still incised the tops of deltas left exposed along the rim of the reservoir by the lake-level fall. Erosion of the deltas enriched the rivers in sediment such that upon entering the reservoir they discharged plunging subaqueous gravity flows, one of which was imaged acoustically. Repeat bathymetric surveys of the reservoir show that the gravity flows overtopped rockfalls and formed small subaqueous fans, locally raising sediment accumulation rates 10–100-fold. The timing of deep-basin deposition differed regionally across the reservoir with respect to lake-level change. Total mass of sediment transferred from the lake perimeter to its bottom equates to ~22 yr of river input.

Updated streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodhouse, Connie A.; Gray, Stephen T.; Meko, David M.

2006-01-01

Updated proxy reconstructions of water year (October–September) streamflow for four key gauges in the Upper Colorado River Basin were generated using an expanded tree ring network and longer calibration records than in previous efforts. Reconstructed gauges include the Green River at Green River, Utah; Colorado near Cisco, Utah; San Juan near Bluff, Utah; and Colorado at Lees Ferry, Arizona. The reconstructions explain 72–81% of the variance in the gauge records, and results are robust across several reconstruction approaches. Time series plots as well as results of cross‐spectral analysis indicate strong spatial coherence in runoff variations across the subbasins. The Lees Ferry reconstruction suggests a higher long‐term mean than previous reconstructions but strongly supports earlier findings that Colorado River allocations were based on one of the wettest periods in the past 5 centuries and that droughts more severe than any 20th to 21st century event occurred in the past.

Updated streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodhouse, Connie A.; Gray, Stephen T.; Meko, David M.

2006-05-01

Updated proxy reconstructions of water year (October-September) streamflow for four key gauges in the Upper Colorado River Basin were generated using an expanded tree ring network and longer calibration records than in previous efforts. Reconstructed gauges include the Green River at Green River, Utah; Colorado near Cisco, Utah; San Juan near Bluff, Utah; and Colorado at Lees Ferry, Arizona. The reconstructions explain 72-81% of the variance in the gauge records, and results are robust across several reconstruction approaches. Time series plots as well as results of cross-spectral analysis indicate strong spatial coherence in runoff variations across the subbasins. The Lees Ferry reconstruction suggests a higher long-term mean than previous reconstructions but strongly supports earlier findings that Colorado River allocations were based on one of the wettest periods in the past 5 centuries and that droughts more severe than any 20th to 21st century event occurred in the past.

Early evolution of salt structures in north Louisiana salt basin

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

Lobao, J.J.; Pilger, R.H. Jr.

1986-05-01

Several salt diapirs and pillows in southern and central north Louisiana have been studied using approximately 355 mi (570 km) of seismic reflection data and information from 57 deep well holes. Using seismic profiles with deep well-hole data is the most advantageous method to document regional salt tectonism through time. The following conclusions were reached on diapirism in the North Louisiana Salt basin. (1) The diapiric event began early (early Coahuilan) in the southern and central part of the basin, and later (late Coahuilan to Comanchean) in the northern part. (2) The initial diapiric event is much more abrupt andmore » intense in the southern and central diapirs when compared with the later diapiric event in the northern diapirs. (3) Regional depocenter shifting, relative sea level, local erosion with salt extrusion, and rapid depositional loading of sediments are the major controls on diapirism in the basin.« less

Computer input and output files associated with ground-water-flow simulations of the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, 1901-95, with projections to 2020; (supplement three to U.S. Geological Survey Water-resources investigations report 94-4251)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kernodle, J.M.

1996-01-01

This report presents the computer input files required to run the three-dimensional ground-water-flow model of the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, documented in Kernodle and others (Kernodle, J.M., McAda, D.P., and Thorn, C.R., 1995, Simulation of ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, 1901-1994, with projections to 2020: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4251, 114 p.) and revised by Kernodle (Kernodle, J.M., 1998, Simulation of ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin, 1901-95, with projections to 2020 (supplement two to U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4251): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-209, 54 p.). Output files resulting from the computer simulations are included for reference.

Chapter 8: The future

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott

1999-01-01

Research in the vegetation types of the Central Arizona Highlands has evolved, for the most part, from single resource evaluations (increased water yield) to evaluations that consider the multiple benefits of vegetation management treatments. The papers presented in this publication have demonstrated that vegetation can be managed to increase water yields, while...

12 CFR 790.2 - Central and field office organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., Wisconsin 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 5200, Austin, TX 78759-8490. V Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa... management of conservatorships. The address of AMAC is 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 5100, Austin, Texas... developing and conducting research in support of NCUA programs, and for preparing reports on research...

K-8 Teachers' Concerns about Teaching Latino/a Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anhalt, Cynthia Oropesa; Rodríguez Pérez, María Elena

2013-01-01

In this article, the authors examine elementary and middle school mathematics teachers' concerns about teaching Latino/a student populations across three regions in the United States: southern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and central California. Surveys were administered to 68 teachers who participated in professional development activities on…

Differential susceptibility of white fir provenances to balsam twig aphid

Treesearch

George T. Ferrell

1989-01-01

Susceptibility of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona provenances of white fir (Abies concolor [Gord. & Glend.] Lindl.) to crown injury caused by balsam twig aphid (Mindarus abietinus Koch.) was assessed in an experimental plantation in the central Sierra Nevada in California. Bud phenology was observed to explore...

Ethnographic Evaluation of the MESA Program at a South-Central Phoenix High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaramillo, James A.

MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) is a program designed to increase the number of underrepresented ethnic groups in professions related to mathematics, engineering, and the physical sciences. This paper describes and evaluates the MESA program at Jarama High School, Phoenix (Arizona), using informal interviews and…

Community College Students' Preferences of Learning Environment in Three Modalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agostini, Preslie

2013-01-01

This study examined student preferences of learning environment in three separate learning modalities (traditional, online, and hybrid) in an English 102 course at three community colleges in central Arizona. The basis for the study revolved around the constructivist theory, which implies that students learn from their own experiences. The…

Saltcedar and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers: Lessons From Long-term Studies in Central Arizona

Treesearch

M. K. Sogge; E. H. Paxton; April A. Tudor

2006-01-01

The endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus: SWWF) is a riparian-obligate bird that breeds only in dense, typically wet riparian vegetation. Since the mid-1990s, biologists have discovered a substantial number of flycatchers breeding in habitat dominated by exotic saltcedar (Tamarix ramossisima) in...

Programs/Plans for the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

COMBASE, Stockton, CA.

This collection of brief program descriptions focuses on the efforts of 10 community colleges to meet the current and future needs of their communities in the areas of economic development, worker training and retraining, and literacy education. The 10 colleges highlighted are: (1) Central Arizona College, which offers a highway maintenance worker…

Chapter 4: Managing chaparral in Yavapai County

Treesearch

Leonard F. DeBano; Malchus B. Baker; Steven T. Overby

1999-01-01

Yavapai County in central Arizona supports extensive stands of chaparral in the Bradshaw Mountains, Mingus Mountain, and the Santa Maria Range. Chaparral occupies about 400,300 acres of the Prescott National Forest (Anderson 1986). These chaparral communities provide a wide range of benefits including watershed protection, grazing for wildlife and domestic animals,...

Transition from marine deep slope deposits to evaporitic facies of an isolated foreland basin: case study of the Sivas Basin (Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichat, Alexandre; Hoareau, Guilhem; Legeay, Etienne; Lopez, Michel; Bonnel, Cédric; Callot, Jean-Paul; Ringenbach, Jean-Claude

2017-04-01

The Sivas Basin, located in the central part of the Anatolian Plateau in Turkey, formed after the closure of the northern Neotethys from Paleocene to Pliocene times. It developed over an ophiolitic basement obducted from the north during the Late Cretaceous. During Paleocene to Eocene times, the onset of the Tauride compression led to the development of a foreland basin affected by north-directed thrusts. The associate general deepening of the basin favored the accumulation of a thick marine turbiditic succession in the foredeep area, followed by a fast shallowing of the basin and thick evaporitic sequence deposition during the late Eocene. We present here the detailed sedimentological architecture of this flysch to evaporite transition. In the northern part of the basin, volcanoclastic turbidites gradually evolved into basinal to prodelta deposits regularly fed by siliciclastic material during flood events. Locally (to the NE), thick-channelized sandstones are attributed to the progradation of delta front distributary channels. The basin became increasingly sediment-starved and evolved toward azoic carbonates and shaly facies, interlayered with organic-rich shales before the first evaporitic deposits. In the southern part of the basin, in the central foredeep, the basinal turbidites become increasingly gypsum-rich and record a massive mega-slump enclosing olistoliths of gypsum and of ophiolitic rocks. Such reworked evaporites were fed by the gravitational collapsing of shallow water evaporites that had previously precipitated in silled piggy-back basins along the southern fold-and-thrust-belt of the Sivas Basin. Tectonic activity that led to the dismantlement of such evaporites probably also contributed to the closure of the basin from the marine domain. From the north to the south, subsequent deposits consist in about 70 meters of secondary massive to fine-grained gypsiferous beds interpreted as recording high to low density gypsum turbidites. Such facies were probably fed from shallow water evaporitic platforms developing contemporaneously along the borders of the halite-? and gypsum-saturated basin. Finally, the reworked evaporites are sealed by a thick (> 100 m) chaotic and coarse crystalline gypsum mass, carrying folded rafts and boudins of carbonate and gypsum beds. Such unit is interpreted as a gypsiferous caprock resulting from the leaching of significant amount of halite deposits. Gypsum crystals are secondary and grew from the hydration of anhydrite grains left as a residual phase after the leaching of halite. The halite probably formed in a perennial shallow hypersaline basin fed in solute by marine seepages. This former halite sequence is interpreted to have triggered mini-basin salt tectonics during the Oligo-Miocene. The described facies and proposed scenario of the Tuzhisar Formation in the central part of the Sivas Basin may find analogies with other Central Anatolian Basins (e.g. the Ulukisla Basin) or with other basin-wide salt accumulations in the world (e.g. in the Carpathian Foredeep).

Quantitative challenges to our understanding of the tectonostratigraphic evolution of rift basin systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, P. E.; Kent, D. V.

2012-12-01

Pervasive orbitally-paced lake level cycles combined with magnetic polarity stratigraphy in central Pangean early Mesozoic rift basins provide a thus far unique and very large-scale quantitative basis for observing patterns of basin fill and comparisons with other basins. The 32 Myr accumulation rate history of the Newark basin is segmented into intervals lasting millions of years with virtually no change in the long-term accumulation rate (at the 400-kyr-scale), and the transitions between segments are abrupt and apparently basin-wide. This is startling, because the basin geometry was, and is, a half graben - triangular in cross section and dish-shaped in along-strike section. The long periods of time with virtually no change is challenging given a simple model of basin growth (1), suggesting some kind of compensation in sediment input for the increasing surface of the area of the basin through time. Perhaps even more challenging are observations based on magnetic polarity stratigraphy and the cyclicity, that basins distributed over a huge area of central Pangea (~700,000 km2) show parallel and correlative quantitative changes in accumulation rate with those of the Newark basin. The synchronous changes in the accumulation rate in these basins suggests a very large-scale linkage, the only plausible mechanism for which would seem to be at the plate-tectonic scale, perhaps involving extension rates. Together, we can speculate that some kind of balance between extension rates, basin accommodation space and perhaps regional drainage basin size might have been in operation The most dramatic accumulation rate change in the basins' histories occurred close to, and perhaps causally related to, the Triassic-Jurassic boundary and end-Triassic extinction. The Newark basin, for example exhibits a 4-to-5-fold increase in accumulation rate during the emplacement of the brief (<1 Myr) and aerially massive Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) beginning at 201.5 Ma, the only igneous event known during this long rifting episode. Parallel and correlative accumulation rate changes are seen in several of the other northern basins within central Pangea. Surprisingly, the rate of accommodation growth apparently increased dramatically during this time, because not only did the accumulation rate dramatically increase, the lakes apparently deepened during the same time as a huge volume of CAMP igneous material entered the basins. At the same time, the more southern basins in the southeastern US, apparently ceased to subside (2). Our ability to measure time in these rift basins using the orbitally-paced cycles, coupled with the ability to correlate between the basins using magnetic polarity stratigraphy, challenges us to form new mechanistic explanations and quantitative models to test against this rich library of observations. References: 1) Schlische RW & Olsen PE, 1990, Jour. Geol. 98:135. 2) Schlische et al., 2003, in Hames WE et al. (eds), Geophys. Monogr. 136:61.

Introduction to selected references on fossil fuels of the central and southern Appalachian basin: Chapter H.1 in Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Lentz, Erika E.; Tewalt, Susan J.; Román Colón, Yomayra A.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Ryder, Robert T.

2014-01-01

The Appalachian basin contains abundant coal and petroleum resources that have been studied and extracted for at least 150 years. In this volume, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists describe the geologic framework and geochemical character of the fossil-fuel resources of the central and southern Appalachian basin. Separate subchapters (some previously published) contain geologic cross sections; seismic profiles; burial history models; assessments of Carboniferous coalbed methane and Devonian shale gas; distribution information for oil, gas, and coal fields; data on the geochemistry of natural gas and oil; and the fossil-fuel production history of the basin. Although each chapter and subchapter includes references cited, many historical or other important references on Appalachian basin and global fossil-fuel science were omitted because they were not directly applicable to the chapters.

THE HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM: GEOMORPHIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC CONTROLS ON SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE FLOW REGIMES IN RIPARIAN MEADOW ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian corridors in upland watersheds in the Great Basin of central Nevada contain the majority of the region's biodiversity. Water, in both surface and subsurface flow regimes, is an important resource sustaining these sensitive ecosystems and other similar riparian ecosystem...

HYDROGEOMORPHIC SETTING, CHARACTERISTICS, AND RESPONSE TO STREAM INCISION OF MONTANA RIPARIAN MEADOWS IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN--IMPLICATIONS FOR RESTORATION

EPA Science Inventory

Riparian wet meadow complexes in the mountains of the central Great Basin are scarce, ecologically important systems that are threatened by stream incision. An interdisciplinary group has investigated 1) the origin, characteristics, and controls on the evolution of these riparian...

Quality of water and chemistry of bottom sediment in the Rillito Creek basin, Tucson, Arizona, 1986-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tadayon, Saeid; Smith, C.F.

1994-01-01

Data were collected on physical properties and chemistry of 4 surface water, l4 ground water, and 4 bottom sediment sites in the Rillito Creek basin where artificial recharge of surface runoff is being considered. Concentrations of suspended sediment in streams generally increased with increases in streamflow and were higher during the summer. The surface water is a calcium and bicarbonate type, and the ground water is calcium sodium and bicarbonate type. Total trace ek=nents in surface water that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary maximum contaminant levels for drinking-water standards were barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel. Most unfiltered samples for suspended gross alpha as uranium, and unadjusted gross alpha plus gross beta in surface water exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Arizona drinking-water standards. Comparisons of trace- element concentrations in bottom sediment with those in soils of the western conterminous United States generally indicate similar concentrations for most of the trace elements, with the exceptions of scandium and tin. The maximum concentration of total nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen in three ground- samples and total lead in one ground-water sample exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary maximum contaminant levels for drinking- water standards, respectively. Seven organochlorine pesticides were detected in surface-water samples and nine in bottom-sediment samples. Three priority pollutants were detected in surface water, two were detected in ground water, and eleven were detected in bottom sediment. Low concentrations of oil and grease were detected in surface-water and bottom- sediment samples.

Late Jurassic plutonism in the southwest U.S. Cordillera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barth, A.P.; Wooden, J.L.; Howard, K.A.; Richards, J.L.

2008-01-01

Although plate reconstructions suggest that subduction was an approximately steady-state process from the mid-Mesozoic through the early Tertiary, recent precise geochronologic studies suggest highly episodic emplacement of voluminous continental-margin batholiths in the U.S. Cordillera. In central and southern California and western Arizona, major episodes of batholithic magmatism are known to have occurred in Permian-Triassic, Middle Jurassic, and late Early to Late Cretaceous time. However, recent studies of forearc-basin and continental-interior sediments suggest that Late Jurassic time was probably also a period of significant magmatism, although few dated plutons of this age have been recognized. We describe a belt of Late Jurassic plutonic and hypabyssal rocks at least 200 km in length that extends from the northwestern Mojave Desert through the Transverse Ranges. The belt lies outboard of both the voluminous Middle Jurassic arc and the ca. 148 Ma Independence dike swarm at these latitudes. The plutons include two intrusive suites emplaced between 157 and 149 Ma: a calc-alkaline suite compositionally unlike Permian-Triassic and Middle Jurassic mon-zonitic suites but similar to Late Cretaceous arc plutons emplaced across this region, and a contemporaneous but not comagmatic alkaline suite. The Late Jurassic was thus a time of both tectonic and magmatic transitions in the southern Cordillera. ?? 2008 The Geological Society of America.

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Environmental contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers in fish from the Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, Jo Ellen; Blazer, Vicki; Denslow, Nancy D.; Gross, Timothy S.; Echols, Kathy R.; Davis, Anne P.; May, Tom W.; Orazio, Carl E.; Coyle, James J.; Tillitt, Donald E.

2006-01-01

Seven fish species were collected from 14 sites on rivers in the Colorado River Basin (CDRB) from August to October 2003. Spatial trends in the concentrations of accumulative contaminants were documented and contaminant effects on the fish were assessed. Sites were located on the mainstem of the Colorado River and on the Yampa, Green, Gunnison, San Juan, and Gila Rivers. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), black bass (Micropterus sp.), and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were the targeted species. Fish were field-examined for external and internal anomalies, selected organs were weighed to compute somatic indices, and tissue and fluid samples were preserved for fish health and reproductive biomarker analyses. Composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site were analyzed for organochlorine and elemental contaminants using performance-based and instrumental methods. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ) was measured using the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) concentrations were elevated throughout the CDRB, and pesticides concentrations were greatest in fish from agricultural areas in the Lower Colorado River and Gila River. Selenium concentrations exceeded toxicity thresholds for fish (>1.0 ?g/g ww) at all sites except from the Gila River at Hayden, Arizona. Mercury concentrations were elevated (>0.1 ?g/g ww) in fish from the Yampa River at Lay, Colorado; the Green River at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Utah and San Rafael, Utah; the San Juan River at Hogback Diversion, New Mexico; and the Colorado River at Gold Bar Canyon, Utah, Needles, California, and Imperial Dam, Arizona. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE were relatively high in fish from Arlington, Arizona (>1.0 ?g/g ww) and Phoenix, Arizona (>0.5 ?g/g ww). Concentrations of other banned pesticides including toxaphene, total chlordanes, and dieldrin were also greatest at these two sites but did not exceed toxicity thresholds. Current-use or unlisted pesticides such as dacthal, endosulfan, '-HCH, and methoxychlor were also greatest in fish from Gila River. Total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; >0.11 ?g/g ww) and TCDD-EQs (>5 pg/g ww) exceeded wildlife guidelines in fish from the Gila River at Phoenix, Arizona. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was also relatively high in carp from the Gila River at Phoenix, Arizona and in bass from the Green River at Ouray NWR, Utah. Altered biomarkers were noted in fish throughout the CDRB. Fish from some stations responded to chronic contaminant exposure as indicated by fish health and reproductive biomarker results. Multiple fish health indicators including altered body and organ weights and high health assessment index scores may be associated with elevated Se concentrations in fish from the Colorado River at Loma, Colorado and Needles, California. Although grossly visible external or internal lesions were found on most fish from some sites, histopathological analysis determined many of these to be inflammatory responses associated with parasites. Edema, exophthalmos, and cataracts were noted in fish from sites with elevated Se concentrations. Reproductive biomarkers including gonad development and maturation, vitellogenin concentrations, and steroid hormone concentrations were anomalous in fish from the Gila River at Hayden and Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, intersex fish were found at seven of 14 sites. The intersex condition was identified in smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), largemouth bass (M. salmoides), channel catfish, and carp and may indicate exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds. Seven of ten male smallmouth bass from the Yampa River at Lay, Colorado were intersex. Male carp, bass, and channel catfish with low concentrations of vitellogenin were common in the CDRB. Comparatively high vitellogenin concentrations (>0.2 mg/mL) were measured in male fish from the Green River at Ouray NWR, Utah and the Colorado River at Im

Lacustrine deposits in rifted deep basins of Yellow Sea

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

Han, J.H.

1985-02-01

The central Yellow Sea is a typical intracratonic rifted basin that consists of 4 major depressions bounded by aligned listric faults along horst blocks of uplifted basement (Kunsan, West Kunsan, Yellow Sea sub-basins, and Central Trough). The depressions are half grabens caused by pull-apart extensional stresses. Core analysis and micropaleotologic study indicate that more than 5 km of lacustrine sediments were accumulated in the central part of the West Kunsan basin. Two distinctive sedimentary successions are recognized in the core descriptions: alternation of reddish-brown siltstones and sandstones containing evaporites and marlstones, and an overlying progradational sequence including minor limestone bedsmore » in the lower part of the sequence. The progradational sequence is interpreted as lacustrine deltaic deposits. Abundant palynofloral occurrence of freshwater green algae, Pediastrum, and absence of marine fauna such as dinoflagellates are also supporting evidence for a lacustrine environment. The lithofacies and tectonic framework of the Yellow Sea are very similar to those of Cretaceous lacustrine sediments of the Korea Peninsula onshore and Pohai coastal basin in China.« less

Neoproterozoic stratigraphic framework of the Tarim Craton in NW China: Implications for rift evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lin; Guan, Shuwei; Zhang, Shuichang; Yang, Haijun; Jin, Jiuqiang; Zhang, Xiaodan; Zhang, Chunyu

2018-06-01

The Tarim Craton is overlain by thick Neoproterozoic sedimentary successions in rift tectonic setting. This study examines the latest outcrop, seismic, and drilling core data with the objective of investigating the regional stratigraphy to deeply recognize the evolution of rifting in the craton. Cryogenian to Lower Ediacaran successions are mainly composed of clastic rocks with thicknesses of 2000-3000 m, and the Upper Ediacaran successions are composed of carbonate rocks with thicknesses of 500-800 m. The rift basins and stratigraphic zones are divided into northern and southern parts by a central paleo-uplift. The northern rift basin extends through the northern Tarim Craton in an E-W direction with two depocenters (Aksu and Kuruktag). The southern rift basin is oriented NE-SW. There are three or four phases of tillites in the northern zone, while there are two in the southern zone. Given the north-south difference of the stratigraphic framework, the northern rift basin initiated at ca. 740 Ma and the southern rift basin initiated at ca. 780 Ma. During the Cryogenian and Ediacaran, the northern and southern rift basins were separated by the central paleo-uplift, finally connecting with each other in the early Cambrian. Tectonic deformation in the Late Ediacaran led to the formation of a parallel unconformity in the rift basins and an angular unconformity in the central paleo-uplift. The Neoproterozoic rift basins continued to affect the distribution of Lower Cambrian hydrocarbon source rocks. The north-south distribution and evolution of the rift basins in the Tarim Craton have implications for reconstructions of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Hydrocarbon potential of Central Monagas, Eastern Venezuela Basin, Venezuela

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

Barrios, F.; Daza, J.; Iusco, G.

1996-08-01

The Central Monagas area is part of the foreland sub-basin located on the southern flank of the Eastern Venezuela Basin. The sedimentary column of the Central Monagas is at least 7500 in thick and consists of Mesozoic (Cretaceous) and Cenozoic rocks. Interpretations of 60 regional seismic sections have been integrated with data from 12 existing wells, which cover an area of 1200 km{sup 2}. From these interpretations, basin-wide structure and interval isopach maps were constructed in order to aid the depiction of the basin architecture and tectonic history. The sub-basin developed on the southern flank of the Eastern Venezuela Basinmore » is tightly linked to its evolution from a Mesozoic extensional regime into a Cenozoic compressional and strike-slip stage. The basin formed in the Middle Mesozoic by crustal extension of a rifting process. Regional northward tilting of the slab continued during the Late Cretaceous. Finally, the transpression of the Caribbean Plate during the Oligocene-Neogene induced the overprint of compressional deformation associated with the deposition of a foredeep wedge. Geochemical source rock analysis gave an average of 1.2 TOC, and R{sub o} of 0.66 indicating a mature, marine source. The modeling of the hydrocarbon generative history of the basin indicates that the oil migration started in the Middle Miocene, after the trap was formed. Analysis and mapping of reservoir rocks and seal rocks defined the effective area limits of these critical factors. The main play in the area is the extension of the Lower Oficina Formation which is the proven petroleum target in the Eastern Venezuela Basin.« less

Tectonothermal modeling of hydrocarbon maturation, Central Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela

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

Manske, M.C.

1996-08-01

The petroliferous Maracaibo Basin of northwestern Venezuela and extreme eastern Colombia has evolved through a complex geologic history. Deciphering the tectonic and thermal evolution is essential in the prediction of hydrocarbon maturation (timing) within the basin. Individual wells in two areas of the central basin, Blocks III and V, have been modeled to predict timing of hydrocarbon generation within the source Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation, as well as within interbedded shales of the Lower-Middle Eocene Misoa Formation reservoir sandstones. Tectonic evolution, including burial and uplift (erosional) history, has been constrained with available well data. The initial extensional thermal regimemore » of the basin has been approximated with a Mackenzie-type thermal model, and the following compressional stage of basin development by applying a foreland basin model. Corrected Bottom Hole Temperature (BHT) measurements; from wells in the central basin, along with thermal conductivity measurements of rock samples from the entire sedimentary sequence, resulted in the estimation of present day heat flow. An understanding of the basin`s heat flow, then, allowed extrapolation of geothermal gradients through time. The relation of geothermal gradients and overpressure within the Upper Cretaceous hydrocarbon-generating La Luna Formation and thick Colon Formation shales was also taken into account. Maturation modeling by both the conventional Time-Temperature Index (TTI) and kinetic Transformation Ratio (TR) methods predicts the timing of hydrocarbon maturation in the potential source units of these two wells. These modeling results are constrained by vitrinite reflectance and illite/smectite clay dehydration data, and show general agreement. These results also have importance regarding the timing of structural formation and hydrocarbon migration into Misoa reservoirs.« less

Human effects on the hydrologic system of the Verde Valley, central Arizona, 1910–2005 and 2005–2110, using a regional groundwater flow model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garner, Bradley D.; Pool, D.R.; Tillman, Fred D.; Forbes, Brandon T.

2013-01-01

Water budgets were developed for the Verde Valley of central Arizona in order to evaluate the degree to which human stresses have affected the hydrologic system and might affect it in the future. The Verde Valley is a portion of central Arizona wherein concerns have been raised about water availability, particularly perennial base flow of the Verde River. The Northern Arizona Regional Groundwater Flow Model (NARGFM) was used to generate the water budgets and was run in several configurations for the 1910–2005 and 2005–2110 time periods. The resultant water budgets were subtracted from one another in order to quantify the relative changes that were attributable solely to human stresses; human stresses included groundwater withdrawals and incidental and artificial recharge but did not include, for example, human effects on the global climate. Three hypothetical and varied conditions of human stresses were developed and applied to the model for the 2005–2110 period. On the basis of this analysis, human stresses during 1910–2005 were found to have already affected the hydrologic system of the Verde Valley, and human stresses will continue to affect the hydrologic system during 2005–2110. Riparian evapotranspiration decreased and underflow into the Verde Valley increased because of human stresses, and net groundwater discharge to the Verde River in the Verde Valley decreased for the 1910–2005 model runs. The model also showed that base flow at the upstream end of the study area, as of 2005, was about 4,900 acre-feet per year less than it would have been in the absence of human stresses. At the downstream end of the Verde Valley, base flow had been reduced by about 10,000 acre-feet per year by the year 2005 because of human stresses. For the 2005–2110 period, the model showed that base flow at the downstream end of the Verde Valley may decrease by an additional 5,400 to 8,600 acre-feet per year because of past, ongoing, and hypothetical future human stresses. The process known as capture (or streamflow depletion caused by the pumping of groundwater) was the reason for these human-stress-induced changes in water-budget components.

Petroleum potential of the Reggane Basin, Algeria

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

Boudjema, A.; Hamel, M.; Mohamedi, A.

1990-05-01

The intracratonic Reggane basin is located on the Saharan platform, southwest of Algeria. The basin covers an area of approximately 140,000 km{sup 2}, extending between the Eglab shield in the south and the Ougarta ranges in the north. Although exploration started in the early 1950s, only a few wells were drilled in this basin. Gas was discovered with a number of oil shows. The sedimentary fill, mainly Paleozoic shales and sandstones, has a thickness exceeding 5,000 m in the central part of the basin. The reservoirs are Cambrian-Ordovician, Siegenian, Emsian, Tournaisian, and Visean sandstones with prospective petrophysical characteristics. Silurian Uppermore » Devonian and, to a lesser extent Carboniferous shales are the main source rocks. An integrated study was done to assess the hydrocarbon potential of this basin. Tectonic evolution source rocks and reservoirs distribution maturation analyses followed by kinetic modeling, and hydrogeological conditions were studied. Results indicate that gas accumulations could be expected in the central and deeper part of the basin, and oil reservoirs could be discovered on the basin edge.« less

Defining population structure and genetic signatures of decline in the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas): implications for conserving threatened species within highly altered landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Dustin A.; Halstead, Brian J.; Casazza, Michael L.; Hansen, Eric C.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Vandergast, Amy

2015-01-01

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation can disrupt the ability of species to disperse across landscapes, which can alter the levels and distribution of genetic diversity within populations and negatively impact long-term viability. The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a state and federally threatened species that historically occurred in the wetland habitats of California’s Great Central Valley. Despite the loss of 93 % of historic wetlands throughout the Central Valley, giant gartersnakes continue to persist in relatively small, isolated patches of highly modified agricultural wetlands. Gathering information regarding genetic diversity and effective population size represents an essential component for conservation management programs aimed at this species. Previous mitochondrial sequence studies have revealed historical patterns of differentiation, yet little is known about contemporary population structure and diversity. On the basis of 15 microsatellite loci, we estimate population structure and compare indices of genetic diversity among populations spanning seven drainage basins within the Central Valley. We sought to understand how habitat loss may have affected genetic differentiation, genetic diversity and effective population size, and what these patterns suggest in terms of management and restoration actions. We recovered five genetic clusters that were consistent with regional drainage basins, although three northern basins within the Sacramento Valley formed a single genetic cluster. Our results show that northern drainage basin populations have higher connectivity than among central and southern basins populations, and that greater differentiation exists among the more geographically isolated populations in the central and southern portion of the species’ range. Genetic diversity measures among basins were significantly different, and were generally lower in southern basin populations. Levels of inbreeding and evidence of population bottlenecks were detected in about half the populations we sampled, and effective population size estimates were well below recommended minimum thresholds to avoid inbreeding. Efforts focused on maintaining and enhancing existing wetlands to facilitate dispersal between basins and increase local effective population sizes may be critical for these otherwise isolated populations.

Ground-Water Storage Change and Land Subsidence in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley, Southeastern Arizona, 1998-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Donald R.; Anderson, Mark T.

2008-01-01

Gravity and land subsidence were measured annually at wells and benchmarks within two networks in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley from 1998 to 2002. Both networks are within the Tucson Active Management Area. Annual estimates of ground-water storage change, ground-water budgets, and land subsidence were made based on the data. Additionally, estimates of specific yield were made at wells within the monitored region. Increases in gravity and water-level rises followed above-average natural recharge during winter 1998 in Tucson Basin. Overall declining gravity and water-level trends from 1999 to 2002 in Tucson Basin reflected general declining ground-water storage conditions and redistribution of the recent recharge throughout a larger region of the aquifer. The volume of stored ground-water in the monitored portion of Tucson Basin increased 200,000 acre-feet from December 1997 to February 1999; however, thereafter an imbalance in ground-water pumpage in excess of recharge led to a net storage loss for the monitoring period by February 2002. Ground-water storage in Avra Valley increased 70,000 acre-feet during the monitoring period, largely as a result of artificial and incidental recharge in the monitored region. The water-budget for the combined monitored regions of Tucson Basin and Avra Valley was dominated by about 460,000 acre-feet of recharge during 1998 followed by an average-annual recharge rate of about 80,000 acre-feet per year from 1999 to 2002. Above-average recharge during winter 1998, followed by average-annual deficit conditions, resulted in an overall balanced water budget for the monitored period. Monitored variations in storage compared well with simulated average-annual conditions, except for above-average recharge from 1998 to 1999. The difference in observed and simulated conditions indicate that ground-water flow models can be improved by including climate-related variations in recharge rates rather than invariable rates of average-annual recharge. Observed land-subsidence during the monitoring period was less than 1 inch except in the central part of Tucson Basin where land subsidence was about 2-3 inches. Correlations of gravity-based storage and water-level change at 37 wells were variable and illustrate the complex nature of the aquifer system. Storage and water-level variations were insufficient to estimate specific yield at many wells. Correlations at several wells were poor, inverse, or resulted in unreasonably large values of specific yield. Causes of anomalously correlated gravity and water levels include significant storage change in thick unsaturated zones, especially near major ephemeral channels, and multiple aquifers that are poorly connected hydraulically. Good correlation of storage and water-level change at 10 wells that were not near major streams where significant changes in unsaturated zone storage occur resulted in an average specific-yield value of 0.27.

Geophysical Framework Investigations Influencing Ground-Water Resources in East-Central Nevada and West-Central Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watt, Janet T.; Ponce, David A.

2007-01-01

A geophysical investigation was undertaken as part of an effort to characterize the geologic framework influencing ground-water resources in east-central Nevada and west-central Utah. New gravity data were combined with existing aeromagnetic, drill-hole, and geologic data to help determine basin geometry, infer structural features, estimate depth to pre-Cenozoic basement rocks, and further constrain the horizontal extents of exposed and buried plutons. In addition, a three-dimensional (3D) geologic model was constructed to help illustrate the often complex geometries of individual basins and aid in assessing the connectivity of adjacent basins. In general, the thirteen major valleys within the study area have axes oriented north-south and frequently contain one or more sub-basins. These basins are often asymmetric and typically reach depths of 2 km. Analysis of gravity data helped delineate geophysical lineaments and accommodation zones. Structural complexities may further compartmentalize ground-water flow within basins and the influence of tectonics on basin sedimentation further complicates their hydrologic properties. The horizontal extent of exposed and, in particular, buried plutons was estimated over the entire study area. The location and subsurface extents of these plutons will be very important for regional water resource assessments, as these features may act as either barriers or pathways for groundwater flow. A previously identified basement gravity low strikes NW within the study area and occurs within a highly extended terrane between the Butte and Confusion synclinoria. Evidence from geophysical, geologic, and seismic reflection data suggests relatively lower density plutonic rocks may extend to moderate crustal depths and rocks of similar composition may be the source of the entire basement gravity anomaly.

Paleogeographic changes across the Pennsylvanian-Permian boundary within the Mid-Continent (USA) inferred from detrital zircon geochronology of continental deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soreghan, M. J.; Soreghan, G. S.

2017-12-01

The Permo-Pennsylvanian was characterized by intense orogenesis associated with Pangaean assembly, and profound climate shifts as earth transitioned from full icehouse conditions in the Pennsylvanian-early Permian to collapse into greenhouse conditions by latest Permian time. The modern U.S. Midcontinent was part of equatorial western Pangaea (North America) sandwiched between a continental-scale orogenic zone to the east and south (Appalachian-Ouachita-Marathon orogenic belt) and a series of basement-cored, intra-plate uplifts along western Pangaea (Ancestral Rocky Mountains). Here, we present a compilation of detrital zircon geochronology data from the Permo-Pennsylvanian of the Midcontinent as well as coeval strata of the east and west to explore sediment dispersal and potential tectonic and climatic influences on these provenance signatures. Zircon provenance data come from mostly eolian and fluvial silt- and sandstones of Early Pennsylvanian through Mid Permian age, although some data include marine sandstones. Our new data were acquired by LA-ICPMS at the University of Arizona Laserchron, and predominant age groups include >2500 Ma (Archean), 1600-1800 Ma (Yavapai-Matzatzal), 1300-900 Ma (Grenville), 790-570 Ma (Neoproterozoic), and 480-360 (E-M Paleozoic). However, the relative distributions of these populations exhibit distinctive temporal differences, especially across the Pennsylvanian-Permian boundary, but also spatially in comparison to published data from the Appalachian-Ouachita-Marathon basin, Ancestral Rocky Mountain basins, and the western Pangaean margin. Although the Central Pangaean Mountains, and in particular the Grenville-age basement rocks, were a dominant source of sediment to the Midcontinent, the data suggest an abrupt introduction of Neoproterozoic zircons in the early Permian. This signature also appears within the Ancestral Rocky Mountains region, but is rare along the western margin and the Appalachian basin in the early Permian. This suggests that dispersal remained segmented in the early Permian and not dominated by a simple east-west integrated paleodisperal system. Temporal change in paleoclimatic conditions across the boundary also likely complicated these provenance signatures through the Permian.

The role of stochastic storms on hillslope runoff generation and connectivity in a dryland basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelides, K.; Singer, M. B.; Mudd, S. M.

2016-12-01

Despite low annual rainfall, dryland basins can generate significant surface runoff during certain rainstorms, which can cause flash flooding and high rates of erosion. However, it remains challenging to anticipate the nature and frequency of runoff generation in hydrological systems which are driven by spatially and temporally stochastic rainstorms. In particular, the stochasticity of rainfall presents challenges to simulating the hydrological response of dryland basins and understanding flow connectivity from hillslopes to the channel. Here we simulate hillslope runoff generation using rainfall characteristics produced by a simple stochastic rainfall generator, which is based on a rich rainfall dataset from the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in Arizona, USA. We assess hillslope runoff generation using the hydrological model, COUP2D, driven by a subset of characteristic output from multiple ensembles of decadal monsoonal rainfall from the stochastic rainfall generator. The rainfall generator operates across WGEW by simulating storms with areas smaller than the basin and enables explicit characterization of rainfall characteristics at any location. We combine the characteristics of rainfall intensity and duration with data on rainstorm area and location to model the surface runoff properties (depth, velocity, duration, distance downslope) on a range of hillslopes within the basin derived from LiDAR analysis. We also analyze connectivity of flow from hillslopes to the channel for various combinations of hillslopes and storms. This approach provides a framework for understanding spatial and temporal dynamics of runoff generation and connectivity that is faithful to the hydrological characteristics of dryland environments.

Nocturnal Air Seiches in the Arizona Meteor Crater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muschinski, A.; Fritts, D. C.; Zhong, S.; Oncley, S. P.

2011-12-01

The Arizona Meteor Crater near Winslow, AZ is 170 m deep, has a diameter of 1.2 km, and it has a nearly circular shape. The motivation of the Meteor Crater Experiment (METCRAX), conducted in October 2006, was to use the Meteor Crater as a natural laboratory to study atmospheric phenomena that are typical for small basins. Among other observations, high-resolution wind, temperature and pressure measurements were collected with sonics and microbarometers, respectively, during the entire month. The sensors were mounted between 0.5 m and 8.5 m AGL on seven portable towers, five of which were located within the crater and two on the crater rim. Here we report observations of nocturnal air seiches, that is, standing gravity waves associated with the time-harmonic sloshing of the cold-air pool that forms at the bottom of the crater due to radiative cooling at night. We present time series, spectra, and spectrograms of temperature, wind and pressure fluctuations that characterize those air seiches. Typical seiche periods were 15 min. We compare the observations with the time-harmonic solutions of the shallow-water equation and with numerical simulations.

Preliminary report on geophysical data in Yavapai County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Hoffmann, J.P.; Blasch, K.W.; DeWitt, Ed; Wirt, Laurie

2002-01-01

Recently acquired geophysical data provide information on the geologic framework and its effect of groundwater flow and on stream/aquifer interaction in Yavapai County, Arizona. High-resolution aeromagnetic data reflect diverse rock types at and below the topographic surface and have permitted a preliminary interpretation of faults and underlying rock types (in particular, volcanic) that will provide new insights on the geologic framework, critical input to future hydrologic investigations. Aeromagnetic data map the western end of the Bear Wallow Canyon fault into the sedimentary fill of Verde Valley. Regional gravity data indicate potentially significant accumulations of low-density basin fill in Big Chino, Verde, and Williamson Valleys. Electrical and seismic data were also collected and help evaluate the approximate depth and extent of recent alluvium overlying Tertiary and Paleozoic sediments. These data will be used to ascertain the potential contribution of shallow ground-water subflow that cannot be measured by gages or flow meters and whether stream flow in losing reaches is moving as subflow or is being lost to the subsurface. The geophysical data will help produce a more robust groundwater flow model of the region.

Dramatic response to climate change in the Southwest: Robert Whittaker's 1963 Arizona Mountain plant transect revisited

PubMed Central

Brusca, Richard C; Wiens, John F; Meyer, Wallace M; Eble, Jeff; Franklin, Kim; Overpeck, Jonathan T; Moore, Wendy

2013-01-01

Models analyzing how Southwestern plant communities will respond to climate change predict that increases in temperature will lead to upward elevational shifts of montane species. We tested this hypothesis by reexamining Robert Whittaker's 1963 plant transect in the Santa Catalina Mountains of southern Arizona, finding that this process is already well underway. Our survey, five decades after Whittaker's, reveals large changes in the elevational ranges of common montane plants, while mean annual rainfall has decreased over the past 20 years, and mean annual temperatures increased 0.25°C/decade from 1949 to 2011 in the Tucson Basin. Although elevational changes in species are individualistic, significant overall upward movement of the lower elevation boundaries, and elevational range contractions, have occurred. This is the first documentation of significant upward shifts of lower elevation range boundaries in Southwestern montane plant species over decadal time, confirming that previous hypotheses are correct in their prediction that mountain communities in the Southwest will be strongly impacted by warming, and that the Southwest is already experiencing a rapid vegetation change. PMID:24223270

Terrain profiling from Seasat altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, R. L.

1981-01-01

To determine their applicability for terrain profiling, Seasat altimeter measurements were analyzed for the following geographic areas: (1) Andean salars of southern Bolivia; (2) Alaska; (3) south-central Arizona; (4) imperial Valley of California; (5) Yuma Valley of Arizona; and (6) Great Salt Lake Desert. Analysis of the data over all of these geographic areas shows that the satellite altimeter servo did not respond quickly enough to changing terrain features. However, it is demonstrated that retracking of the archived surface return waveforms yields surface elevations over smooth terrain accurate to + or - 1 m when correlated with large scale maps. The retracking algorithm used and its verification over the salars of southern Bolivia are described. Results are presented for each of the six geographic areas.

Vitrinite Reflectance Data for the Wind River Basin, Central Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Thomas M.; Roberts, Laura N.R.; Pawlewicz, Mark J.

2006-01-01

Introduction: The Wind River Basin is a large Laramide (Late Cretaceous through Eocene) structural and sedimentary basin that encompasses about 7,400 mi2 in central Wyoming. The basin boundaries are defined by fault-bounded Laramide uplifts that surround it, including the Owl Creek and Bighorn Mountains to the north, Wind River Range to the west, Granite Mountains to the south, and Casper Arch to the east. The purpose of this report is to present new vitrinite reflectance data to be used in support of the U.S Geological Survey assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Wind River Basin. One hundred and nineteen samples were collected from Jurassic through Tertiary rocks, mostly coal-bearing strata, in an effort to better understand and characterize the thermal maturation and burial history of potential source rocks.

Monitoring Seasonal Land Subsidence and Uplift in the Green Valley Area of the Tucson Active Management Area Groundwater Basin, Southern Arizona using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Data and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, B. D.

2013-12-01

The Green Valley land subsidence feature is located in southern Arizona, approximately 20 miles south of the Tucson metropolitan area within the town of Sahuarita. Groundwater levels fluctuate as much as 110 feet annually, caused by seasonal pumping demands of a nearby pecan orchard. Recent Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) InSAR data and GNSS survey data reveal that seasonal land subsidence and subsequent uplift are occurring as a direct result of seasonal groundwater level fluctuations. Data from a nearby ADWR transducer shows that the groundwater level begins to decline around middle to late February, dropping as much as 110 feet by the end of June. Groundwater levels generally remain somewhat stable until the middle of October, when the groundwater level begins to rise. Groundwater levels will rise as much as 110 feet by the middle of February; a complete 12-month recovery. ADWR InSAR and GNSS survey data show that land subsidence occurs from February until May followed by a stable period, then uplift occurs from October to February. The Green Valley land subsidence feature is a dynamic hydrogeological system that requires continued deformation monitoring using both InSAR and GNSS data. Radarsat-2 Interferograms that illustrate both seasonal subsidence and uplift. Surveyed elevation and groundwater level change data that document how seasonal groundwater fluctuations result in seasonal land subsidence and uplift.

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1978 to spring 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1980-01-01

In 1978 the withdrawal of ground water was about 4.2 million acre-feet in Arizona, and slightly more than 3.4 million acre-feet of ground water was used for the irrigation of crops. The amount of ground water withdrawn in 1978 decreased more than 1.2 million acre-feet from the amount withdrawn in 1977 and is the smallest amount withdrawn since the mid-1950 's except in 1966. Nearly all the decrease was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. Possible causes for the decrease include above-average precipitation, greater availability of surface water, and some comparatively new conservation practices. The Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz area are the largest agricultural areas in the State; the amount of ground water withdrawn for agricultural use in the Salt River Valley and the lower Santa Cruz area decreased nearly 613,000 and 291,000 acre-feet, respectively, between 1977 and 1978. The report contains two small-scale maps of Arizona that show (1) pumpage of ground water by areas and (2) the status of the ground-water inventory in the State. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1979, and change in water level in selected wells from 1974 to 1979. The brief text that accompanies the maps summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (USGS)

Seed ecology of a rare sage, Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii

Treesearch

Kristin D. Huisinga

2001-01-01

Although related taxa occur throughout the western United States, Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii is endemic to central Arizona. In part, its narrow distribution may be attributed to its limited fruit production, low seedling establishment, and germination requirements. Heavy herbivory pressures decreased the numbers of mature fruits in populations in two different...

76 FR 50541 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Revised Critical Habitat for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-15

... centimeters (5.8 inches) in length. The flycatcher is one of four subspecies of the willow flycatcher... clustering into two groups separated approximately along the currently recognized boundary; however, they... central Arizona. Flycatchers are believed to exist and interact as groups of metapopulations (Service 2002...

Finnish Eyes on Border Schools: Teacher Educators Compare Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kralovec, Etta; Dervin, Fred; Riitaoja, Anna-Leena

2017-01-01

This article offers readers the opportunity to eavesdrop on a conversation between teacher educators from Finland and the United States at the conclusion of a field research project conducted in border schools in Arizona. The conversation ranges across topics central to schooling in both countries and exposes educational practices that are not…

Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneid.: jojoba

Treesearch

Susan E. Meyer

2008-01-01

The Simmondsiaceae (jojoba family), has only 1 genus, Simmondsia, which consists of only 1 species, jojoba - S. chinensis (Link) Schneid. Once considered an isolated member of the box family (Buxaceae), jojoba is now regarded as sufficiently distinct to be placed in its own family. Jojoba is found from coastal and cis-montane southern California east to central Arizona...

Restoring Fossil Creek

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flaccus, Kathleen; Vlieg, Julie; Marks, Jane C.; LeRoy, Carri J.

2004-01-01

Fossil Creek had been dammed for the past 90 years, and plans were underway to restore the stream. The creek runs through Central Arizona and flows from the high plateaus to the desert, cutting through the same formations that form the Grand Canyon. This article discusses the Fossil Creek monitoring project. In this project, students and teachers…

How do humans restructure the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert?

Treesearch

Diane Hope; Corinna Gries; Paige Warren; Madhu Katti; Glenn Stuart; Jake Oleson; Jason Kaye

2005-01-01

We studied patterns of biodiversity across the entire urban, suburban, agricultural, and surrounding Sonoran Desert landscape of central Arizona-Phoenix. A probability-based extensive integrated field inventory was used to survey perennial plants, pollen, birds, and sample soil chemistry, supplemented by monthly or quarterly monitoring of arthropod and bird communities...

Chapter 7: Changing values of riparian ecosystems

Treesearch

Malchus B. Baker; Leonard F. DeBano; Peter F. Ffolliott

1999-01-01

Riparian ecosystems in the Central Arizona Highlands, and throughout the Southwest in general, provided the necessary water for humans, livestock, and agricultural crops during settlement by Europeans in the late 1800s. Other resources available in these moist environments included wildlife and fish, livestock and wildlife forage, and shade. Trees were often used for...

Sublethal effects of Imidacloprid on honey bee colony growth and activity at three sites in the U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Field experiments in southern Arizona, central Arkansas and southern Mississippi were conducted to evaluate the effects of sublethal concentrations (0, 5, 20 and 100 ppb) of imidacloprid in sugar syrup on honey bee colony growth and activity. Response variables included discrete data from hive inspe...

77 FR 61375 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on Petitions To List the Mexican...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-09

... 15915). We published a final rule, ``Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the... Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area in central Arizona and New Mexico and designated the reintroduced population as a nonessential experimental population under section 10(j) of the Act. In March of...

77 FR 60461 - United States v. Standard Parking Corporation, KSPC Holdings, Inc. and Central Parking...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; Rego Park, New York City, New York..., NJ; (24) Philadelphia, PA; (25) Phoenix, AZ; (26) New York City (Rego Park), NY; (27) Richmond, VA... Newark, NJ Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ New York City (Rego Park), NY Richmond, VA Sacramento, CA Tampa...

Creating the Hybrid Electronic Course: An Instructor's Journal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Jeff

This paper details the day to day curriculum of an e-mail-based English class at Central Arizona College. The intent of the class--a Hybrid Electronic Course (HEC)--was to expose the students to both independent research and writing, while also giving them opportunities for traditional classroom meetings. An entire semester was compressed into…

Historical and pictorial perspective of the Upper Verde River [Chapter 2

Treesearch

Alvin L. Medina; Daniel G. Neary

2012-01-01

The UVR corridor is a diverse riverine ecosystem in central Arizona (see Chapter 1). Since European settlement, it has witnessed many events such as droughts, floods, construction of Sullivan Dam, groundwater withdrawals, cattle grazing, mining, nonnative fish introductions, native fish extinctions, and urbanization that are not fully understood. Geologically, the UVR...

National Maps - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

information, select area of interest and click on the image below. National Weather Outlook Northeast Michigan Boston and Surrounding Areas Western New York - Buffalo Northern Vermont and New York Southern Maine California and Northwestern Arizona - Las Vegas South Central California Los Angeles Area San Francisco Area

When the Spaniels Conquered Central America: Academic English and First Year Composition Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugawara, Yosei

2013-01-01

This dissertation presents the findings of an on-line survey completed by 222 FYC (First Year Composition) instructors at universities and community colleges across the United States along with supplemental information derived from multiple open-ended interviews with seven FYC instructors in Arizona. Both survey and interview questions were…

Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism of the Black-throated Sparrow in central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, M.J.; van Riper, Charles

2004-01-01

From 1994-1996 we investigated effects of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) nesting success in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. Of 56 Black-throated Sparrow nests, 52% were parasitized. Black-throated Sparrows appear to respond to natural parasitism by accepting the cowbird egg, deserting the nest, or burying the cowbird egg. Removal and damage of host eggs by female cowbirds effectively reduced clutch size from an average of 3.4 to 1.9 eggs. Because of this reduced clutch size, Black-throated Sparrow reproductive success was significantly lower in parasitized nests (0.2 young fledged/ nest) as compared to nonparasitized nests (1.6 young fledged/nest). When comparing cowbird parasitism between two habitat types, we found significantly higher parasitism frequencies in crucifixion-thorn (Canotia holacantha) versus creosote-bush (Larrea divaricata) habitat. We argue that this difference in parasitism is due to the greater number of tall perches (e.g., shrubs >4 m) available in crucifixion-thorn habitat, providing vantage points for female cowbirds to better find Black-throated Sparrow nests.

Environmental profile and critical temperature effects on milk production of Holstein cows in desert climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igono, M. O.; Bjotvedt, G.; Sanford-Crane, H. T.

1992-06-01

The environmental profile of central Arizona is quantitatively described using meteorological data between 1971 and 1986. Utilizing ambient temperature criteria of hours per day less than 21° C, between 21 and 27° C, and more than 27° C, the environmental profile of central Arizona consists of varying levels of thermoneutral and heat stress periods. Milk production data from two commercial dairy farms from March 1990 to February 1991 were used to evaluate the seasonal effects identified in the environmental profile. Overall, milk production is lower during heat stress compared to thermoneutral periods. During heat stress, the cool period of hours per day with temperature less than 21° C provides a margin of safety to reduce the effects of heat stress on decreased milk production. Using minimum, mean and maximum ambient temperatures, the upper critical temperatures for milk production are 21, 27 and 32° C, respectively. Using the temperature-humidity index as the thermal environment indicator, the critical values for minimum, mean and maximum THI are 64, 72 and 76, respectively.

Overview of geology, hydrology, geomorphology, and sediment budget of the Deschutes River Basin, Oregon.

Treesearch

Jim E. O' Connor; Gordon E. Grant; Tana L. Haluska

2003-01-01

Within the Deschutes River basin of central Oregon, the geology, hydrology, and physiography influence geomorphic and ecologic processes at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Hydrologic and physiographic characteristics of the basin are related to underlying geologic materials. In the southwestern part of the basin, Quaternary volcanism and tectonism has created...

Waterbird habitat in California's Central Valley basins under climate, urbanization, and water management scenarios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matchett, Elliott L.; Fleskes, Joseph

2018-01-01

California's Central Valley provides critical, but threatened habitat and food resources for migrating and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and other waterbirds. The Central Valley is comprised of nine basins that were defined by the Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) to assist in conservation planning. Basins vary in composition and extent of habitats, which primarily include croplands and wetlands that rely on water supplies shared with other competing human and environmental uses. Changes in climate, urban development, and water supply management are uncertain and could reduce future availability of water supplies supporting waterbird habitats and limit effectiveness of wetland restoration planned by the CVJV to support wintering waterbirds. We modeled 17 plausible scenarios including combinations of three climate projections, three urbanization rates, and five water supply management options to promote agricultural and urban water uses, with and without wetland restoration. Our research examines the reduction in quantity and quality of habitats during the fall migration-wintering period by basin under each scenario, and the efficacy of planned wetland restoration to compensate reductions in flooded areas of wetland habitats. Scenario combinations of projected climate, urbanization, and water supply management options reduced availability of flooded cropland and wetland habitats during fall-winter and degraded the quality of seasonal wetlands (i.e., summer-irrigation for improved forage production), though the extent and frequency of impacts varied by basin. Planned wetland restoration may substantially compensate for scenario-related effects on wetland habitats in each basin. However, results indicate that Colusa, Butte, Sutter, San Joaquin, and Tulare Basins may require additional conservation to support summer-irrigation of seasonal wetlands and winter-flooding of cropland habitats. Still further conservation may be required to provide sufficient areas of flooded seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands in San Joaquin and Tulare Basins during fall-winter. The main objective of this research is to provide decision-support for achieving waterbird conservation goals in the valley and to inform CVJV's regional conservation planning.

Monitoring Land Subsidence in Arizona Due to Excessive Groundwater Withdrawal Using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, B. D.

2014-12-01

Land subsidence due to excess groundwater overdraft has been an ongoing problem in south-central and southern Arizona since the1940's. The first earth fissure attributed to excessive groundwater withdrawal was discovered in 1946 near Picacho, Arizona. In some areas of the State, groundwater declines of more than 400 feet have resulted in extensive earth fissuring and widespread land subsidence; land subsidence of more than 19 feet has been documented near Phoenix and Eloy. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has been monitoring land subsidence throughout Arizona since 1997 using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Data and Global Navigation Satellite System Data. The ADWR InSAR program has proven to be a critical resource in monitoring land subsidence throughout Arizona, resulting in the identification of more than twenty-five individual land subsidence features that cover an area of more than 1,200 square miles. The majority of these land subsidence features are a direct result of groundwater declines attributed to groundwater overdraft. Using InSAR data in conjunction with both automated and manual groundwater level datasets, ADWR is able to monitor active land subsidence areas as well as identify other areas that may require additional InSAR monitoring. InSAR data have also proven to be extremely useful in monitoring land surface uplift associated with rising groundwater levels near groundwater recharge facilities. InSAR data can show the impact of the recharged groundwater as the area of uplift extends down gradient from the recharge facility. Some highlights of recent InSAR results include the identification of a new land subsidence feature in the eastern portion of Metropolitan Phoenix where groundwater levels have recently declined; the identification of changes to a floodplain that may be exacerbating recent flooding; seasonal land subsidence and uplift related to seasonal groundwater demands; and the identification of uplift related to groundwater recharge facilities. The declining groundwater levels in Arizona are both a challenge for future groundwater availability but also for mitigating land subsidence. ADWR's InSAR program will continue to be a critical tool for monitoring land subsidence due to excessive groundwater withdrawal.

Sedimentary and tectonic evolution of Plio Pleistocene alluvial and lacustrine deposits of Fucino Basin (central Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavinato, Gian Paolo; Carusi, Claudio; Dall'Asta, Massimo; Miccadei, Enrico; Piacentini, Tommaso

2002-04-01

The Fucino Basin was the greatest lake of the central Italy, which was completely drained at the end of 19th century. The basin is an intramontane half-graben filled by Plio-Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine deposits located in the central part of the Apennines chain, which was formed in Upper Pliocene and in Quaternary time by the extensional tectonic activity. The analysis of the geological surface data allows the definition of several stratigraphic units grouped in Lower Units and Upper Units. The Lower Units (Upper Pliocene) are exposed along the northern and north-eastern basin margins. They consist of open to marginal lacustrine deposits, breccia deposits and fluvial deposits. The Upper Units (Lower Pliocene-Holocene) consist of interbedded marginal lacustrine deposits and fluvial deposits; thick coarse-grained fan-delta deposits are interfingered at the foot of the main relief with fluvial-lacustrine deposits. Most of the thickness of the lacustrine sequences (more than 1000-m thick) is buried below the central part of the Fucino Plain. The basin is bounded by E-W, WSW-ENE and NW-SE fault systems: Velino-Magnola Fault (E-W) and Tremonti-Celano-Aielli Fault (WSW-ENE) and S. Potito-Celano Fault (NW-SE) in the north; the Trasacco Fault, the Pescina-Celano Fault and the Serrone Fault (NW-SE) in the south-east. The geometry and kinematic indicators of these faults indicate normal or oblique movements. The study of industrial seismic profiles across the Fucino Basin gives a clear picture of the subsurface basin geometry; the basin shows triangular-shaped basin-fill geometry, with the maximum deposits thickness toward the main east boundary fault zones that dip south-westward (Serrone Fault, Trasacco Fault, Pescina-Celano Fault). On the basis of geological surface data, borehole stratigraphy and seismic data analysis, it is possible to recognize and to correlate sedimentary and seismic facies. The bottom of the basin is well recognized in the seismic lines available from the good and continuous signals of the top of Meso-Cenozoic carbonate rocks. The shape of sedimentary bodies indicates that the filling of the basin was mainly controlled by normal slip along the NW-SE boundary faults. In fact, the continental deposits are frequently in on-lap contact over the carbonate substratum; several disconformable contacts occurred during the sedimentary evolution of the basin. The main faults (with antithetic and synthetic fault planes) displace the whole sedimentary sequence up to the surface indicating a recent faults' activity (1915 Avezzano earthquake, Ms=7.0). The stratigraphic and tectonic setting of the Fucino Basin and neighboring areas indicates that the extensional tectonic events have had an important role in driving the structural-sedimentary evolution of the Plio-Quaternary deposits. The geometry of the depositional bodies, of the fault planes and their relationships indicate that the Fucino Basin was formed as a half-graben type structure during Plio-Quaternary extensional events. Some internal complexities are probably related to the fold-and-thrust structures of the Apenninic orogeny formed in Messinian time, in this area, and to a different activity timing of the E-W and WSW-ENE fault systems and the NW-SE fault systems. We believe, based on the similarity of the surface characteristics, that the structural setting of the Fucino Basin can be extrapolated to the other great intramontane basins in Central Italy (e.g. Rieti, L'Aquila, Sulmona, Sora, Isernia basins).

Lower Jurassic Navaho-Aztec-Equivalent Sandstones in southern Arizona and their paleogeographic significance

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

Bilodeau, W.L.; Keith, S.B.

1986-06-01

Thick sequences of Lower Jurassic rhyolitic and andesitic volcanic rocks in several mountain ranges of southern Arizona contain interbedded quartzarenites. Locally up to 250 m thick, these sandstone lenses, composed of well-sorted and well-rounded quartz grains, commonly contain large-scale cross-stratification and are considered to be eolian sand deposits. The eolian sands were blown up against the continental side of the Early Jurassic volcanic arc that trended northwest-southeast across the southwestern margin of the North American continent and/or plate at that time. Paleocurrent data suggest southerly eolian transport of the sands from the Colorado Plateau area. Correlation of these sandstones withmore » the Lower Jurassic Navaho and Aztec Sandstones is indicated by the paleocurrent data as well as radiometric dating of the interbedded volcanics. Eolian sand transport southward across central Arizona in the Early Jurassic indicates that the Mogollon highlands either did not then exist, or were merely low, discontinuous inselbergs on a broad back-arc ramp, more appropriately called the Mogollon slope.« less

Regional stratigraphic cross sections of Cretaceous rocks from east-central Arizona to the Oklahoma Panhandle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Molenaar, C.M.; Cobban, W.A.; Merewether, E.A.; Pillmore, C.L.; Wolfe, D.G.; Holbrook, J.M.

2002-01-01

Sedimentary rocks of Cretaceous age along Transect DD'' in eastern Arizona, northern New Mexico, southern Colorado, and western Oklahoma consist mainly of sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone, and bentonite. They accumulated as sediments in continental, nearshore marine, and offshore marine environments on the west side of a north-trending epicontinental sea. The rocks record intermittent deposition and erosion as well as regional and local subsidence and uplift possibly beginning in Aptian time (about 121-112 Ma) and occurring in Albian through Maastrichtian time (about 112-65.4 Ma). Most of the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian through Aptian, 142-112 Ma) in this transect is represented by a basal unconformity. The Cretaceous rocks and unconformities along the transect are depicted on the attached lithostratigraphic cross sections (sheets 1 and 2); one extending from the Mogollon Rim in eastern Arizona to Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado and the other from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, to Kenton in western Oklahoma. The same rocks and unconformities are also represented on the attached chronostratigraphic profile (sheet 3), which was prepared mainly from surface and subsurface data shown on the lithostratigraphic cross sections.

Market prices for water in the semiarid West of the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brookshire, David S.; Colby, Bonnie; Ewers, Mary; Ganderton, Philip T.

2004-09-01

Market prices contain information about supply and demand, the institutions that influence both these elements, and the operation of the market. Prices also allocate scarce resources to higher-valued uses. In this paper we analyze the price history of three water markets in the arid Southwest: Arizona's Central Arizona Project, Colorado's Colorado Big Thompson Project, and New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Using water transfers over 11 years, we estimate a simultaneous system of market equations, one for price and the other for quantity demanded. Comparison of the institutional characteristics of each market reveals that Colorado's market is well developed, with many trades and rising prices that respond to market conditions, and New Mexico's market is developing well, with lower prices, but showing some response to supply and demand factors. Arizona's market is the least developed, with few trades and very low prices. Our empirical findings support our claim that markets are becoming more efficient in these regions despite the considerable institutional and historical impediments to the evolution of water markets.

Distribution of desert varnish in Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elvidge, Christopher D.

1989-01-01

Desert varnish is the dark coat of clay and ferromanganese oxides developed on exposed rock surfaces in arid regions. It forms from the accretion of material from windblown dust. The distribution of desert varnish was mapped in Arizona. It was discovered that desert varnish could be mapped on a regional scale. Well developed desert varnish is common on stable rock surfaces in areas having alkaline soils and less than about 25 cm of annual precipitation. Rock surfaces in areas having more than 40 cm of annual precipitation are generally devoid of desert varnish. An experiment was conducted with varnished desert pavement stone. The stones were broken in half and half was set on a roof in central Illinois from April until October. Removed from the alkaline desert environment, it only took seven months for the varnish to develop an eroded appearance. This experiment graphically illustrates the dependency of desert varnish on alkalinity. In this context, the zones of eroded desert varnish in Arizona indicate that the area of active desert varnish formation has fluctuated, expanding in drier times and contracting/eroding in wetter times.

Tectono-climatic implications of Eocene Paratethys regression in the Tajik basin of central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrapa, Barbara; DeCelles, Peter G.; Wang, Xin; Clementz, Mark T.; Mancin, Nicoletta; Stoica, Marius; Kraatz, Brian; Meng, Jin; Abdulov, Sherzod; Chen, Fahu

2015-08-01

Plate tectonics and eustatic sea-level changes have fundamental effects on paleoenvironmental conditions and bio-ecological changes. The Paratethys Sea was a large marine seaway that connected the Mediterranean Neotethys Ocean with Central Asia during early Cenozoic time. Withdrawal of the Paratethys from central Asia impacted the distribution and composition of terrestrial faunas in the region and has been largely associated with changes in global sea level and climate such as cooling associated with the Eocene/Oligocene transition (EOT). Whereas the regression has been dated in the Tarim basin (China), the pattern and timing of regression in the Tajik basin, 400 km to the west, remain unresolved, precluding a test of current paleogeographic models. Here we date the Paratethys regression in Tajikistan at ca. 39 million years ago (Ma), which is several million years older than the EOT (at ca. 34 Ma) marking the greenhouse to icehouse climate transition of the Cenozoic. Our data also show a restricted, evaporitic marine environment since the middle-late Eocene and establishment of desert like environments after ca. 39 Ma. The overall stratigraphic record from the Tajik basin and southern Tien Shan points to deposition in a foreland basin setting by ca. 40 Ma in response to active tectonic growth of the Pamir-Tibet Mountains at the same time. Combined with the northwestward younging trend of the regression in the region, the Tajik basin record is consistent with northward growth of the Pamir and suggests significant tectonic control on Paratethys regression and paleoenvironmental changes in Central Asia.

Sichuan Basin and beyond: Eastward foreland growth of the Tibetan Plateau from an integration of Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic fission track and (U-Th)/He ages of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, Qinling, and Daba Shan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhao; Shen, Chuanbo; Ratschbacher, Lothar; Enkelmann, Eva; Jonckheere, Raymond; Wauschkuhn, Bastian; Dong, Yunpeng

2017-06-01

Combining 121 new fission track and (U-Th)/He ages with published thermochronologic data, we investigate the Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic exhumation/cooling history of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, Qinling, Daba Shan, and Sichuan Basin of east central China. The Qinling orogen shows terminal southwestward foreland growth in the northern Daba Shan thrust belt at 100-90 Ma and in the southern Daba Shan fold belt at 85-70 Ma. The eastern margin of Tibetan Plateau experienced major exhumation phases at 70-40 Ma (exhumation rate 0.05-0.08 mm/yr), 25-15 Ma (≤1 mm/yr in the Pengguan Massif; 0.2 mm/yr in the imbricated western Sichuan Basin), and since 11-10 Ma along the Longmen Shan ( 0.80 mm/yr) and the interior of the eastern Tibetan Plateau (Dadu River gorge, Min Shan; 0.50 mm/yr). The Sichuan Basin records two basin-wide denudation phases, likely a result of the reorganization of the upper Yangtze River drainage system. The first phase commenced at 45 Ma and probably ended before the Miocene; >1 km of rocks were eroded from the central and eastern Sichuan Basin. The second phase commenced at 12 Ma and denudated the central Sichuan Basin, Longmen Shan, and southern Daba Shan; more than 2 km of rocks were eroded after the lower Yangtze River had cut through the Three Gorges and captured the Sichuan Basin drainage. In contrast to the East Qinling, which was weakly effected by late Cenozoic exhumation, the West Qinling and Daba Shan have experienced rapid exhumation/cooling since 15-13 Ma, a result of growth of the Tibetan Plateau beyond the Sichuan Basin.

Rise and Demise of a Southern Laramide Hinterland Plateau, US-Mexico Border Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, T. F.; Clinkscales, C. A.; Jennings, G. R.

2011-12-01

New U-Pb geochronology and stratigraphic data sets suggest that an elevated, altiplano-like plateau existed in the backarc region of what is now southern Arizona and southern New Mexico during Late Cretaceous through Paleogene (~28 Ma) time, and indicate that the Laramide province of the US was thus flanked on both its western and southern sides by hinterland plateaus. The Laramide stratigraphic record of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona formed during a short time period spanning 75-70 Ma, as indicated by numerous, newly-dated, interbedded tuff beds. The Laramide deposits (Fort Crittenden Formation of Arizona, Ringbone and Skunk Ranch Formations of Arizona, Cabullona Group of Sonora), which contain growth strata developed adjacent to steep thrust faults, accumulated in lake and lake-margin fan-delta and alluvial-fan settings on the northern margin of a volcanic arc whose main magmatic locus lay in northeastern Sonora and northwestern Chihuahua. By the end of basin development, the arc had migrated northward to occupy the former depocenters, such that intermediate volcanic rocks interfinger with and overlie the lacustrine deposits, and subvolcanic plutons, one with an age of 69 Ma, intrude and cross-cut thrust faults. Laramide strata unconformably overlie lowermost Upper Cretaceous (~97 Ma) strata and contractional structures are unconformably truncated beneath Oligocene (~33 Ma) volcaniclastic rocks. Detritus derived from the Cretaceous arc is abundant in Campanian fluvial strata (Kaiparowits Formation and Mesaverde Group) of the southern Colorado Plateau. East-west normal faults with as much as 3 km of displacement and a related array of conjugate NW- and NE-striking normal faults, many of these previously interpreted as reverse and transcurrent faults, are widespread in ranges of southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. These faults post-date Laramide contractional structures and are in turn cut by Neogene N-S normal faults. The east-west normal faults are occupied by regionally widespread granitic and rhyolitic dikes ranging 34-27 Ma, yet the Oligocene volcaniclastic rocks are cut by the faults, indicating that the fault system was active during earliest-early late Oligocene magmatism. From the newly assembled data, we infer the presence of a high-standing plateau along the US-Mexico border that was backed by a magmatic arc in northern Mexico. The plateau was supported by lithosphere thickened during backarc contraction, which began in the interval 97-75 Ma. Although the depositional elevation of the Laramide lakes is not yet known, rivers flowed northward from the hinterland plateau toward the Uinta Basin as early as 80 Ma and corroborate the existence of a southern source area. The plateau was thus a long-lived feature with a longevity of as much as 40-50 m.y. It collapsed during Paleogene N-S extension triggered by some combination of thermal weakening by Oligocene magmatism, gravitational failure, and/or retrograde motion of the Farallon slab. The southern Laramide plateau was evidently linked both geographically and temporally to the Cordilleran hinterland plateau ("Nevadaplano") of Nevada and western Utah and thus constituted an important component of the greater Laramide orogen.

Assessing and addressing the re-eutrophication of Lake Erie: central basin hypoxia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scavia, Donald; Allan, J. David; Arend, Kristin K.; Bartell, Steven; Beletsky, Dmitry; Bosch, Nate S.; Brandt, Stephen B.; Briland, Ruth D.; Daloğlu, Irem; DePinto, Joseph V.; Dolan, David M.; Evans, Mary Anne; Farmer, Troy M.; Goto, Daisuke; Han, Haejin; Höök, Tomas O.; Knight, Roger; Ludsin, Stuart A.; Mason, Doran; Michalak, Anna M.; Richards, R. Peter; Roberts, James J.; Rucinski, Daniel K.; Rutherford, Edward; Schwab, David J.; Sesterhenn, Timothy M.; Zhang, Hongyan; Zhou, Yuntao

2014-01-01

Relieving phosphorus loading is a key management tool for controlling Lake Erie eutrophication. During the 1960s and 1970s, increased phosphorus inputs degraded water quality and reduced central basin hypolimnetic oxygen levels which, in turn, eliminated thermal habitat vital to cold-water organisms and contributed to the extirpation of important benthic macroinvertebrate prey species for fishes. In response to load reductions initiated in 1972, Lake Erie responded quickly with reduced water-column phosphorus concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, and bottom-water hypoxia (dissolved oxygen 2) requires cutting total phosphorus loads by 46% from the 2003–2011 average or reducing dissolved reactive phosphorus loads by 78% from the 2005–2011 average. Reductions to these levels are also protective of fish habitat. We provide potential approaches for achieving those new loading targets, and suggest that recent load reduction recommendations focused on western basin cyanobacteria blooms may not be sufficient to reduce central basin hypoxia to 2000 km2.

Conventional tree height-diameter relationships significantly overestimate aboveground carbon stocks in the Central Congo Basin.

PubMed

Kearsley, Elizabeth; de Haulleville, Thales; Hufkens, Koen; Kidimbu, Alidé; Toirambe, Benjamin; Baert, Geert; Huygens, Dries; Kebede, Yodit; Defourny, Pierre; Bogaert, Jan; Beeckman, Hans; Steppe, Kathy; Boeckx, Pascal; Verbeeck, Hans

2013-01-01

Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation largely depend on accurate estimates of tropical forest carbon stocks. Here we present the first field-based carbon stock data for the Central Congo Basin in Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo. We find an average aboveground carbon stock of 162 ± 20  Mg  C  ha(-1) for intact old-growth forest, which is significantly lower than stocks recorded in the outer regions of the Congo Basin. The best available tree height-diameter relationships derived for Central Africa do not render accurate canopy height estimates for our study area. Aboveground carbon stocks would be overestimated by 24% if these inaccurate relationships were used. The studied forests have a lower stature compared with forests in the outer regions of the basin, which confirms remotely sensed patterns. Additionally, we find an average soil carbon stock of 111 ± 24  Mg  C  ha(-1), slightly influenced by the current land-use change.

Tectonic and climatic control on evolution of rift lakes in the Central Kenya Rift, East Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergner, A. G. N.; Strecker, M. R.; Trauth, M. H.; Deino, A.; Gasse, F.; Blisniuk, P.; Dühnforth, M.

2009-12-01

The long-term histories of the neighboring Nakuru-Elmenteita and Naivasha lake basins in the Central Kenya Rift illustrate the relative importance of tectonic versus climatic effects on rift-lake evolution and the formation of disparate sedimentary environments. Although modern climate conditions in the Central Kenya Rift are very similar for these basins, hydrology and hydrochemistry of present-day lakes Nakuru, Elmenteita and Naivasha contrast dramatically due to tectonically controlled differences in basin geometries, catchment size, and fluvial processes. In this study, we use eighteen 14C and 40Ar/ 39Ar dated fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary sections to unravel the spatiotemporal evolution of the lake basins in response to tectonic and climatic influences. We reconstruct paleoclimatic and ecological trends recorded in these basins based on fossil diatom assemblages and geologic field mapping. Our study shows a tendency towards increasing alkalinity and shrinkage of water bodies in both lake basins during the last million years. Ongoing volcano-tectonic segmentation of the lake basins, as well as reorganization of upstream drainage networks have led to contrasting hydrologic regimes with adjacent alkaline and freshwater conditions. During extreme wet periods in the past, such as during the early Holocene climate optimum, lake levels were high and all basins evolved toward freshwater systems. During drier periods some of these lakes revert back to alkaline conditions, while others maintain freshwater characteristics. Our results have important implications for the use and interpretation of lake sediment as climate archives in tectonically active regions and emphasize the need to deconvolve lacustrine records with respect to tectonics versus climatic forcing mechanisms.

REACH SPECIFIC CHANNEL STABILIZATION BASED ON COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF VALLEY FILL HISTORY, ALLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE AND GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY IN A MOUNTAIN STREAM IN THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN, NEVADA

EPA Science Inventory

Kingston meadow, located in the Toiyabe Range, is one of many wet meadow complexes threatened by rapid channel incision in the mountain ranges of the central Great Basin. Channel incision can lower the baselevel for groundwater discharge and de-water meadow complexes resulting in...

40 CFR Table C-5 to Subpart C of... - Summary of Comparability Field Testing Campaign Site and Seasonal Requirements for Class II and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Angeles basin or California Central Valley Western city such as Denver, Salt Lake City, or Albuquerque Midwestern city Northeastern or mid-Atlantic city. Test site characteristics Relatively high PM2.5, nitrates... area Los Angeles basin or California Central Valley Western city such as Las Vegas or Phoenix...

Phanerozoic geological evolution of Northern and Central Africa: An overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guiraud, R.; Bosworth, W.; Thierry, J.; Delplanque, A.

2005-10-01

The principal paleogeographic characteristics of North and Central Africa during the Paleozoic were the permanency of large exposed lands over central Africa, surrounded by northerly and northwesterly dipping pediplanes episodically flooded by epicontinental seas related to the Paleotethys Ocean. The intra-continental Congo-Zaire Basin was also a long-lived feature, as well as the Somali Basin from Late Carboniferous times, in conjunction with the development of the Karoo basins of southern Africa. This configuration, in combination with eustatic sea-level fluctuations, had a strong influence on facies distributions. Significant transgressions occurred during the Early Cambrian, Tremadocian, Llandovery, Middle to Late Devonian, Early Carboniferous, and Moscovian. The Paleozoic tectonic history shows an alternation of long periods of predominantly gentle basin subsidence and short periods of gentle folding and occasionally basin inversion. Some local rift basins developed episodically, located mainly along the northern African-Arabian plate margin and near the West African Craton/Pan-African Belt suture. Several arches or spurs, mainly N-S to NE-SW trending and inherited from late Pan-African fault swarms, played an important role. The Nubia Province was the site of numerous alkaline anorogenic intrusions, starting in Ordovician times, and subsequently formed a large swell. Paleozoic compressional events occurred in the latest Early Cambrian ("Iskelian"), Medial Ordovician to earliest Silurian ("pre-Caradoc" and "Taconian"), the end Silurian ("Early Acadian" or "Ardennian"), mid-Devonian ("Mid-Acadian"), the end Devonian ("Late Acadian" or "Bretonnian"), the earliest Serpukhovian ("Sudetic"), and the latest Carboniferous-earliest Permian ("Alleghanian" or "Asturian"). The strongest deformations, including folding, thrusting, and active strike-slip faulting, were registered in Northwestern Africa during the last stage of the Pan-African Belt development around the West African Craton (end Early Cambrian) and during the polyphased Hercynian-Variscan Orogeny that extended the final closure of the Paleotethys Ocean and resulted in the formation of the Maghrebian and Mauritanides belts. Only gentle deformation affected central and northeastern African during the Paleozoic, the latter remaining a passive margin of the Paleotethys Ocean up to the Early Permian when the development of the Neotethys initiated along the Eastern Mediterranean Basins. The Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary sequence similarly consists of a succession of eustatically and tectonically controlled depositional cycles. Through time, progressive southwards shift of the basin margins occurred, related to the opening of the Neotethys Ocean and to the transgressions resulting from warming of the global climate and associated rise of the global sea level. The Guinean-Nigerian Shield, the Hoggar, Tibesti-Central Cyrenaica, Nubia, western Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, and other long-lived arches delimited the principal basins. The main tectonic events were the polyphased extension, inversion, and folding of the northern African-Arabian shelf margin resulting in the development of the Alpine Maghrebian and Syrian Arc belts, rifting and drifting along the Central Atlantic, Somali Basins, and Gulf of Aden-Red Sea domains, inversion of the Murzuq-Djado Basin, and rifting and partial inversion along the Central African Rift System. Two major compressional events occurred in the Late Santonian and early Late Eocene. The former entailed folding and strike-slip faulting along the northeastern African-northern Arabian margin (Syrian Arc) and the Central African Fold Belt System (from Benue to Ogaden), and thrusting in Oman. The latter ("Pyrenean-Atlasic") resulted in folding, thrusting, and local metamorphism of the northern African-Arabian plate margin, and rejuvenation of intra-plate fault zones. Minor or more localized compressional deformations took place in the end Cretaceous, the Burdigalian, the Tortonian and Early Quaternary. Recent tectonic activity is mainly concentrated along the Maghrebian Alpine Belt, the offshore Nile Delta, the Red Sea-East African Rifts Province, the Aqaba-Dead Sea-Bekaa sinistral strike-slip fault zone, and some major intra-plate fault zones including the Guinean-Nubian, Aswa, and central Sinai lineaments. Large, long-lived magmatic provinces developed in the Egypt-Sudan confines (Nubia), in the Hoggar-Air massifs, along the Cameroon Line and Nigerian Jos Plateau, and along the Levant margin, resulting in uplifts that influenced the paleogeography. Extensive tholeiitic basaltic magmatism at ˜200 Ma preceded continental break-up in the Central Atlantic domain, while extensive alkaline to transitional basaltic magmatism accompanied the Oligocene to Recent rifting along the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-East African rift province.

Water-Level Data for the Albuquerque Basin and Adjacent Areas, Central New Mexico, Period of Record Through September 30, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beman, Joseph E.

2007-01-01

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25 to 40 miles wide. The basin is defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompass the structural Rio Grande Rift within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the basin are currently (2007) obtained solely from ground-water resources. An increase of about 20 percent in the population from 1990 to 2000 also resulted in an increased demand for water. From April 1982 through September 1983, a network of wells was established to monitor changes in ground-water levels throughout the basin. This network consisted of 6 wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water levels were measured monthly. Currently (2007), the network consists of 133 wells and piezometers. This report presents water-level data collected by U.S. Geological Survey personnel at 133 sites through 2007.

Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bodamer Scarbro, Betsy L.; Edwards, W.H.; Kocovsky, Patrick M.; Kraus, Richard T.; Rogers, M. R.; Schoonyan, A. L.; Stewart, T. R.

2016-01-01

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Lake Erie Biological Station (LEBS) successfully completed large vessel surveys in all three of Lake Erie’s basins. Lake Erie Biological Station’s primary vessel surveys included the Western Basin Forage Fish Assessment and East Harbor Fish Community Assessment as well as contributing to the cooperative multi-agency Central Basin Hydroacoustics Assessment, the Eastern Basin Coldwater Community Assessment, and Lower Trophic Level Assessment (see Forage and Coldwater Task Group reports). In 2015, LEBS also initiated a Lake Erie Central Basin Trawling survey in response to the need for forage fish data from Management Unit 3 (as defined by the Yellow Perch Task Group). Results from these surveys contribute to Lake Erie Committee Fish Community Goals and Objectives. Our 2015 vessel operations were initiated in early April and continued into late November. During this time, crews of the R/V Muskie and R/V Bowfin deployed 121 bottom trawls covering 83.2 ha of lake-bottom and catching 105,600 fish totaling 4,065 kg during four separate trawl surveys in the western and central basins of Lake Erie. We deployed and lifted 9.5 km of gillnet, which caught an additional 805 fish, 100 (337 kg) of which were the native coldwater predators Lake Trout, Burbot, and Lake Whitefish (these data are reported in the 2016 Coldwater Task Group report). We also conducted 317 km of hydroacoustic survey transects (reported in the 2016 Forage Task Group report), collected 114 lower trophic (i.e. zooplankton and benthos) samples, and obtained 216 water quality observations (e.g., temperature profiles, and water samples). The LEBS also assisted CLC member agencies with the maintenance and expansion of GLATOS throughout all three Lake Erie sub-basins. Within the following report sections, we describe results from three trawl surveys – the spring and autumn Western Basin Forage Fish Assessment and the East Harbor Forage Fish Assessment – and the Lower Trophic Level Assessment conducted in 2015, and examine trends in the fish community structure and trophic status of Lake Erie. Results of our central basin trawl survey are reported in the 2016 Yellow Perch Task Group report.

New Insights into the Provenance of the Southern Junggar Basin in the Jurassic from Heavy Mineral Analysis and Sedimentary Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, T. Q.; Wu, C.; Zhu, W.

2017-12-01

Being a vital component of foreland basin of Central-western China, Southern Junggar Basin has observed solid evidences of oil and gas in recent years without a considerable advancement. The key reason behind this is the lack of systematic study on sedimentary provenance analysis of the Southern Junggar basin. Three parts of the Southern Junggar basin, including the western segment (Sikeshu Sag), the central segment (Qigu Fault-Fold Belt) and the eastern segment (Fukang Fault Zone), possess varied provenance systems, giving rise to difficulties for oil-gas exploration. In this study, 3468 heavy minerals data as well as the sedimentary environment analysis of 10 profiles and 7 boreholes were used to investigate the provenances of the deposits in the southern Junggar basin . Based on this research, it reveals that: Sikeshu sag initially shaped the foreland basin prototype in the Triassic and its provenance area of the sediments from the Sikeshu sag has primarily been situated in zhongguai uplift-chepaizi uplift depositional systems located in the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin. From the early Jurassic, the key sources were likely to be late Carboniferous to early Permain post-collisional volcanic rocks from the North Tian Shan block to Centrao Tian Shan. In the Xishanyao formation, Abundant lithic metamorphic, epidote and garnet that suggests the source rocks were possibly late Carboniferous subduction-related arc volcanic rocks of the Central Tian Shan. In the Toutunhe formation, Bogda Mountains began uplifting and gradually becoming the major provenance. Moreover, the sedimentary boundaries of Junggar basin have also shifted towards the North Tian Shan again. In the late Jurassic, the conglomerates of the Kalazha formation directly overlie the fine-grained red beds of Qigu formation, which throw light on the rapid tectonic uplift of the North Tian Shan. In the eastern segment, meandering river delta and shore-lacustrine environments were fully developed in Badaowan formation indicating that the provenance of sediments mainly derived from the Kelameili Mountains. During the late Jurassic, the rapid uplift of Bogda Mountains could result into the distinct difference in heavy mineral assemblages between the eastern segment and the central segments.

Martian Central Pit Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillman, E.; Barlow, N. G.

2005-01-01

Impact craters containing central pits are rare on the terrestrial planets but common on icy bodies. Mars is the exception among the terrestrial planets, where central pits are seen on crater floors ( floor pits ) as well as on top of central peaks ( summit pits ). Wood et al. [1] proposed that degassing of subsurface volatiles during crater formation produced central pits. Croft [2] argued instead that central pits might form during the impact of volatile-rich comets. Although central pits are seen in impact craters on icy moons such as Ganymede, they do show some significant differences from their martian counterparts: (a) only floor pits are seen on Ganymede, and (b) central pits begin to occur at crater diameters where the peak ring interior morphology begins to appear in terrestrial planet craters [3]. A study of craters containing central pits was conducted by Barlow and Bradley [4] using Viking imagery. They found that 28% of craters displaying an interior morphology on Mars contain central pits. Diameters of craters containing central pits ranged from 16 to 64 km. Barlow and Bradley noted that summit pit craters tended to be smaller than craters containing floor pits. They also noted a correlation of central pit craters with the proposed rings of large impact basins. They argued that basin ring formation fractured the martian crust and allowed subsurface volatiles to concentrate in these locations. They favored the model that degassing of the substrate during crater formation was responsible for central pit formation due to the preferential location of central pit craters along these basin rings.

Local Population Structure and Patterns of Western Hemisphere Dispersal for Coccidioides spp., the Fungal Cause of Valley Fever

PubMed Central

Roe, Chandler C.; Hepp, Crystal M.; Teixeira, Marcus; Driebe, Elizabeth M.; Schupp, James M.; Gade, Lalitha; Waddell, Victor; Komatsu, Kenneth; Arathoon, Eduardo; Logemann, Heidi; Thompson, George R.; Chiller, Tom; Keim, Paul; Litvintseva, Anastasia P.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Coccidioidomycosis (or valley fever) is a fungal disease with high morbidity and mortality that affects tens of thousands of people each year. This infection is caused by two sibling species, Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, which are endemic to specific arid locales throughout the Western Hemisphere, particularly the desert southwest of the United States. Recent epidemiological and population genetic data suggest that the geographic range of coccidioidomycosis is expanding, as new endemic clusters have been identified in the state of Washington, well outside the established endemic range. The genetic mechanisms and epidemiological consequences of this expansion are unknown and require better understanding of the population structure and evolutionary history of these pathogens. Here we performed multiple phylogenetic inference and population genomics analyses of 68 new and 18 previously published genomes. The results provide evidence of substantial population structure in C. posadasii and demonstrate the presence of distinct geographic clades in central and southern Arizona as well as dispersed populations in Texas, Mexico, South America, and Central America. Although a smaller number of C. immitis strains were included in the analyses, some evidence of phylogeographic structure was also detected in this species, which has been historically limited to California and Baja, Mexico. Bayesian analyses indicated that C. posadasii is the more ancient of the two species and that Arizona contains the most diverse subpopulations. We propose a southern Arizona-northern Mexico origin for C. posadasii and describe a pathway for dispersal and distribution out of this region. PMID:27118594

Seasonality of Groundwater Recharge in the Basin and Range Province, Western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neff, K. L.; Meixner, T.; Ajami, H.; De La Cruz, L.

2015-12-01

For water-scarce communities in the western U.S., it is critical to understand groundwater recharge regimes and how those regimes might shift in the face of climate change and impact groundwater resources. Watersheds in the Basin and Range Geological Province are characterized by a variable precipitation regime of wet winters and variable summer precipitation. The relative contributions to groundwater recharge by summer and winter precipitation vary throughout the province, with winter precipitation recharge dominant in the northern parts of the region, and recharge from summer monsoonal precipitation playing a more significant role in the south, where the North American Monsoon (NAM) extends its influence. Stable water isotope data of groundwater and seasonal precipitation from sites in Sonora, Mexico and the U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas were examined to estimate and compare groundwater recharge seasonality throughout the region. Contributions of winter precipitation to annual recharge vary from 69% ± 41% in the southernmost Río San Miguel Basin in Sonora, Mexico, to 100% ± 36% in the westernmost Mojave Desert of California. The Normalized Seasonal Wetness Index (NSWI), a simple water budget method for estimating recharge seasonality from climatic data, was shown to approximate recharge seasonality well in several winter precipitation-dominated systems, but less well in basins with significant summer precipitation.

Geologic Map of the Nulato Quadrangle, West-Central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patton, W.W.; Moll-Stalcup, E. J.

2000-01-01

Introduction The Nulato quadrangle encompasses approximately 17,000 km2 (6,500 mi2) of west-central Alaska within the Yukon River drainage basin. The quadrangle straddles two major geologic features-the Yukon-Koyukuk sedimentary basin, a huge triangle-shaped Cretaceous depression that stretches across western Alaska from the Brooks Range to the Yukon delta; and the Ruby geanticline,a broad uplift of pre-Cretaceous rocks that borders the Yukon-Koyukuk basin on the southeast. The Kaltag Fault crosses the quadrangle diagonally from northeast to southwest and dextrally offsets all major geologic features as much as 130 km.

Carbonate aquifer of the Central Roswell Basin: recharge estimation by numerical modeling

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

Rehfeldt, K.R.; Gross, G.W.

The flow of ground water in the Roswell, New Mexico, Artesian Basin, has been studied since the early 1900s and varied ideas have been proposed to explain different aspects of the ground water flow system. The purpose of the present study was to delineate the spatial distribution and source, or sources, of recharge to the carbonate aquifer of the central Roswell Basin. A computer model was used to simulate ground water flow in the carbonate aquifer, beneath and west of Roswell and in the Glorieta Sandstone and Yeso Formation west of the carbonate aquifer.

Geohydrology, geochemistry, and groundwater simulation (1992-2011) and analysis of potential water-supply management options, 2010-60, of the Langford Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voronin, Lois M.; Densmore, Jill N.; Martin, Peter; Brush, Charles F.; Carlson, Carl S.; Miller, David M.

2013-01-01

Groundwater withdrawals began in 1992 from the Langford Basin within the Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC), California. From April 1992 to December 2010, approximately 12,300 acre-feet of water (averaging about 650 acre-feet per year) has been withdrawn from the basin and transported to the adjacent Irwin Basin. Since withdrawals began, water levels in the basin have declined by as much as 40 feet, and the quality of the groundwater withdrawn from the basin has deteriorated. The U.S. Geological Survey collected geohydrologic data from Langford Basin during 1992–2011 to determine the quantity and quality of groundwater available in the basin. Geophysical surveys, including gravity, seismic refraction, and time-domain electromagnetic induction surveys, were conducted to determine the depth and shape of the basin, to delineate depths to the Quaternary-Tertiary interface, and to map the depth to the water table and changes in water quality. Data were collected from existing wells and test holes, as well as 11 monitor wells that were installed at 5 sites as part of this study. Water-quality samples collected from wells in the basin were used to determine the groundwater chemistry within the basin and to delineate potential sources of poor-quality groundwater. Analysis of stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in groundwater indicates that present-day precipitation is not a major source of recharge to the basin. Tritium and carbon-14 data indicate that most of the basin was recharged prior to 1952, and the groundwater in the basin has an apparent age of 12,500 to 30,000 years. Recharge to the basin, estimated to be less than 50 acre-feet per year, has not been sufficient to replenish the water that is being withdrawn from the basin. A numerical groundwater-flow model was developed for the Langford Basin to better understand the aquifer system used by the Fort Irwin NTC as part of its water supply, and to provide a tool to help manage groundwater resources at the NTC. Measured groundwater-level declines since the initiation of withdrawals (1992–2011) were used to calibrate the groundwater-flow model. The simulated recharge was about 46 acre-feet per year, including approximately 6 acre-feet per year of natural recharge derived from precipitation runoff and as much as 40 acre-feet per year of underflow from the Irwin Basin. Between April 1992 and December 2010, an average of about 650 acre-feet per year of water was withdrawn from the Langford Basin. Groundwater withdrawals in excess of natural recharge resulted in a net loss of 11,670 acre-feet of groundwater storage within the basin for the simulation period. The Fort Irwin NTC is considering various groundwater-management options to address the limited water resources in the Langford Basin. The calibrated Langford Basin groundwater-flow model was used to evaluate the hydrologic effects of four groundwater-withdrawal scenarios being considered by the Fort Irwin NTC over the next 50 years (January 2011 through December 2060). Continuation of the 2010 withdrawal rate in the three existing production wells will result in 70 feet of additional drawdown in the central part of the basin. Redistributing the 2010 withdrawal rate equally to the three existing wells and two proposed new wells in the northern and southern parts of the basin would result in about 10 feet less drawdown in the central part of the basin but about 100 feet of additional drawdown in the new well in the northern part of the basin and about 50 feet of additional drawdown in the new well in the southern part of the basin. Reducing the withdrawals from the three existing production wells in the central part of the basin from about 45,000 acre-feet to about 32,720 acre-feet would result in about 40 feet of additional drawdown in the central basin near the pumping wells, about 25 feet less than if withdrawals were not reduced. The combination of reducing and redistributing the cumulative withdrawals to the three existing and two proposed new wells results in about 40 feet of additional drawdown in the central and southern parts of the basin and about 70 feet in the northern part of the basin. These results show that reducing and redistributing the groundwater withdrawals would maintain the upper aquifer at greater than 50 percent of its predevelopment saturated thickness throughout the groundwater basin. The scenarios simulated for this study demonstrate how the calibrated model can be utilized to evaluate the hydrologic effects of different water-management strategies.

Late Quarternary Sedimentation in the Eastern Angola Basin.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-11-01

Angola diapir field. Illite and montmorillonite are abundant in the southern part of the basin, reflecting the source in soils of South West Africa and...northward transport in the Benguela Current system. Kaolinite dominates the clay-mineral assemblage in the north-central part of the basin

Basin wildrye: the forgotten grass revisited

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Basin wildrye was once a very abundant and widely occurring species throughout the landscapes of northern Nevada. When Captain Simpson, of the topographical Engineers, explored the route for a wagon road across the central Great Basin he marveled at the grass in the valley bottoms that reached to h...

Joint Interpretation of Magnetotelluric and Gravimetric Data from the South American Paraná Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, E. B.; Santos, H. B.; Vitorello, I.; Pádua, M. B.

2013-05-01

The Paraná Basin is a large sedimentary basin in central-eastern South America that extends through Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Evolved completely over the South American continental crust, this Paleozoic basin is filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks deposited from the Silurian to the Cretaceous, when a significant basaltic effusion covered almost the entire area of the basin. A series of superposed sedimentary and volcanic rock layers were laid down under the influence of different tectonic settings, probably originated from distant collisional dynamics of continental boards that led to the amalgamation of Gondwanaland. The current boundaries of the basin can be the result of issuing erosional or of tectonic origin, such as the building up of large arches and faults. To evaluate the deep structural architecture of the lithosphere under a sedimentary basin is a great challenge, requiring the integration of different geophysical and geological studies. In this paper, we present the resulting Paraná Basin lithospheric model, obtained from processing and inversion of broadband and long-period magnetotelluric soundings along an E-W profile across the central part of the basin, complemented by a qualitative joint interpretation of gravimetric data, in order to obtain a more precise geoelectric model of the deep structure of the region.

Characteristics and trends of streamflow and dissolved solids in the upper Colorado River Basin, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liebermann, Timothy D.; Mueller, David K.; Kircher, James E.; Choquette, Anne F.

1989-01-01

Annual and monthly concentrations and loads of dissolved solids and major constituents were estimated for 70 streamflow-gaging stations in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Trends in streamflow, dissolved-solids concentrations, and dissolved-solids loads were identified. Nonparametric trend-analysis techniques were used to determine step trends resulting from human activities upstream and long-term monotonic trends. Results were compared with physical characteristics of the basin and historical water-resource development in the basin to determine source areas of dissolved solids and possible cause of trends. Mean annual dissolved-solids concentration increases from less than 100 milligrams per liter in the headwater streams to more than 500 milligrams per liter in the outflow from the Upper Colorado River Basin. All the major tributaries that have high concentrations of dissolved solids are downstream from extensive areas of irrigated agriculture. However, irrigation predated the period of record for most sites and was not a factor in many identified trends. Significant annual trends were identified for 30 sites. Most of these trends were related to transbasin exports, changes in land use, salinity-control practices, or reservoir development. The primary factor affecting streamflow and dissolved-solids concentration and load has been the construction of large reservoirs. Reservoirs have decreased the seasonal and annual variability of streamflow and dissolved solids in streams that drain the Gunnison and San Juan River basins. Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs have increased the dissolved-solids load in the Green River because of dissolution of mineral salts from the bank material. The largest trends occurred downstream from Lake Powell. However, the period of record since the completion of filling was too short to estimate the long-term effects of that reservoir.

Investigations of young (< 2.94 Ma) Hadar Formation deposits and their implication for basin development in southern Afar, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiMaggio, E.; Arrowsmith, R.; Campisano, C. J.; Johnson, R. A.; Deino, A. L.; Warren, M.; Fisseha, S.; Cohen, A. S.

2014-12-01

Sedimentary deposits in Pliocene extensional rift basins in the Afar Depression, Ethiopia chronicle the evolution and paleoenvironmental context of early humans. In the lower Awash Valley, the long-studied Hadar Basin still lacks constraints on basin development during the onset and termination of Hadar Formation (~3.8 - 2.94 Ma) sedimentation. Here we present new mapping and analysis of tephra deposits from a 26 meter-thick section of sediments exposed in the central Ledi-Geraru project area at Gulfaytu, including 20 m of sediments and tephras conformably overlying a 2.94 Ma tephra marker bed (BKT-2U) that previously served as the uppermost dated tephra of the Hadar Formation. Within the overlying 20 meters of primarily lacustrine strata, we identified eight post-BKT-2U tuffs; four were suitable for geochemical characterization, and one yielded an 40Ar/39Ar age of 2.931 ± 0.034 Ma. Based on regional sedimentation rates and the tephra 40Ar/39Ar age, we infer that the newly mapped Hadar Formation at Gulfaytu represents ca. 20 kyr of post-BKT-2 sedimentation. An erosional surface marked by a conglomerate truncates the strata at Gulfaytu, and shows similarities to the well-documented Busidima unconformity surface to the southwest, suggesting that structural changes after 2.93 Ma also affected basin conditions in central Ledi-Geraru. Furthermore, subsurface geophysical investigations support a model whereby deposition rates and the stratigraphic thickness of paleo-Lake Hadar sediments are greatest in the central Ledi-Geraru, ~20 km northeast of the well-exposed lacustrine-dominated sediments of the Hadar Formation. In addition to preserving a record of post-BKT-2 strata, the central Ledi Geraru hosts the thickest subsurface lacustrine sedimentary record within the Hadar Basin hitherto described, making central Ledi-Geraru an ideal location for collecting a continuous core by the Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP).

Sediment sound velocities from Sonobuoys: Sunda Trench and forearc basins, Nicobar and Central Bengal Fans, and Andaman Sea Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachman, Richard T.; Hamilton, Edwin L.; Curray, Joseph R.

1983-11-01

Supplement is available with entire article on microfiche. Order from American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Document B83-007; $2.50. Payment must accompany order. Measurements of mean sound velocities in the first, largely unlithified layers in the seafloor were made using the sonobuoy technique in several areas in the northern Indian Ocean. Older measurements were added to new measurements, and regressions for mean and instantaneous velocity versus one-way travel time of sound are presented for the central Bengal Fan, the central Andaman Sea Basin, the Nicobar Fan, and the Sunda Trench. New data and regression equations are presented for the Mergui-north Sumatra Basin and for four forearc basins between Sumatra and Java and the Sunda Trench. Minimum velocity gradients were found in those areas where sedimentation rates were high, and sediments have accumulated in thick sections which have not had time to fully consolidate (porosity in the top of the sediment section has not been fully reduced under overburden pressure). These minimum velocity gradients (just under the seafloor) were found in the four forearc basins where they ranged from 0.34 s-1 to 0.84 s-1 with an average of 0.58 s-1. The near-surface velocity gradient in the Sunda Trench was 1.33 s-1, but was higher in the adjacent, fossil Nicobar Fan (1.62 s-1). In the surface of the Bengal Fan the velocity gradient was low in the upper fan (0.86 s-1), high in the central fan (1.94 s-1), and again lower in the southern fan (1.18 s-1), which may support sedimentation models calling for bypassing of the central fan and higher rates of accumulation on the southern fan.

The ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) fauna of the cedar glades and xeric limestone prairies of the Central Basin of Tennessee

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ants may be the most thoroughly documented group of insects inhabiting the cedar glades of the Central Basin of Tennessee with two studies conducted in the late 1930s reporting ants found in cedar glades of the region. To compare the ant fauna of modern cedar glades with the lists produced in earlie...

Cibecue watershed projects: Then, now, and in the future

Treesearch

Jonathan W. Long

2000-01-01

The White Mountain Apache Tribe has undertaken a watershed analysis and various demonstration projects in the Cibecue watershed in east-central Arizona. The results support an adaptive management strategy to promote ecological health, enhance economic opportunities, and protect cultural values. Some of the problems faced by today’s program are similar to those faced by...

43 CFR 1821.10 - Where are BLM offices located?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7599—Alaska. Arizona State Office, One North Central... Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502-7147, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006—Nevada. New Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115—Kansas...

43 CFR 1821.10 - Where are BLM offices located?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7599—Alaska. Arizona State Office, One North Central... Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502-7147, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006—Nevada. New Mexico State Office, 310 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115—Kansas, New...

43 CFR 1821.10 - Where are BLM offices located?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7599—Alaska. Arizona State Office, One North Central... Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502-7147, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006—Nevada. New Mexico State Office, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115—Kansas...

43 CFR 1821.10 - Where are BLM offices located?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7599—Alaska. Arizona State Office, One North Central... Boulevard, Reno, Nevada 89502-7147, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006—Nevada. New Mexico State Office, 310 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, P.O. Box 27115, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115—Kansas, New...

Migrant Response to Industrialization in Four Rural Areas, 1965-70. Agricultural Economic Report No. 270.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Duane A.; Kuehn, John A.

Immigrants competed on a limited scale with residents for new jobs in four industrializing rural areas in Arizona, the Central Ozarks, Mississippi, and Arkansas during 1965-70. This study determined: (1) competition for jobs between residents and immigrants; (2) need for immigrants to staff industries; and (3) differences between attributes of…

Preliminary Assessment of Apache Hopefulness: Relationships with Hopelessness and with Collective as well as Personal Self-Esteem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Vanessa Lea; Watson, P. J.; O'Leary, Brian J.; Cothran, D. Lisa

2009-01-01

Hopelessness is central to prominent mental health problems within American Indian (AI) communities. Apaches living on a reservation in Arizona responded to diverse expressions of hope along with Hopelessness, Personal Self-Esteem, and Collective Self-Esteem scales. An Apache Hopefulness Scale expressed five themes of hope and correlated…

76 FR 70125 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Solar Reserve...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-10

... central receiver or tower, a solar field consisting of mirrors or heliostats to reflect the sun's energy... Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Solar Reserve LLC Quartzsite Solar Energy Project, La Paz County... (DEIS) for the proposed Quartzsite Solar Energy Project (Project), in La Paz County, Arizona, and the...

Consequences of ignoring geologic variation in evaluating grazing impacts

Treesearch

Jonathan W. Long; Alvin L. Medina

2006-01-01

The geologic diversity of landforms in the Southwest complicates efforts to evaluate impacts of land uses such as livestock grazing. We examined a research study that evaluated relationships between trout biomass and stream habitat in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona. That study interpreted results of stepwise regressions and a nonparametric test of “grazed...

78 FR 3027 - Notice of Temporary Closures of Public Lands in La Paz County, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-15

... (CRIT) Reservation, the closed area runs east along Shea Road, then east into Osborne Wash on the Parker-Swansea Road to the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal, then north on the west side of the CAP Canal, crossing the canal on the county-maintained road, running northeast into Mineral Wash Canyon, then...

76 FR 5398 - Notice of Temporary Closure of Selected Public Lands in La Paz County, AZ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-31

...-maintained roads and highways located on public lands that are located within 2 miles of the designated... east along Shea Road, then east into Osborne Wash on the Parker-Swansea Road to the Central Arizona...-maintained road, running northeast into Mineral Wash Canyon, then southeast on the county-maintained road...

A comparison of habitat use and demography of red squirrels at the southern edge of their range

Treesearch

Katherine M. Leonard; John L. Koprowski

2009-01-01

Populations at the edge of their geographic range may demonstrate different population dynamics from central populations. Endangered Mt. Graham red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis), endemic to southeastern Arizona, represent the southernmost red squirrel population and are found at lower densities than conspecifics in the center of the...

Chapter 6: Creating a basis for watershed management in high elevation forests

Treesearch

Gerald J. Gottfried; Leonard F. DeBano; Peter F. Ffolliott

1999-01-01

Higher mountains and plateaus in the Central Arizona Highlands generally support southwestern mixed conifer forests, associated aspen and spruce-fir forests, and a small acreage of grasslands interspersed among the forested areas. Most of the major rivers in the region originate on headwater watersheds that support mixed conifer forests where annual precipitation,...

Late Paleozoic fusulinids from Sonora, Mexcio: importance for interpretation of depositional settings, biogeography, and paleotectonics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Calvin H.; Poole, Forrest G.; Amaya-Martínez, Ricardo

2014-01-01

Three sets of fusulinid faunas in Sonora, Mexico, discussed herein, record different depositional and paleotectonic settings along the southwestern margin of Laurentia (North America) during Pennsylvanian and Permian time. The settings include: offshelf continental rise and ocean basin (Rancho Nuevo Formation in the Sonora allochthon), shallow continental shelf (La Cueva Limestone), and foredeep basin on the continental shelf (Mina México Formation). Our data represent 41 fusulinid collections from 23 localities with each locality providing one to eight collections.Reworked fusulinids in the Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian part of the Rancho Nuevo Formation range in age from Desmoinesian into Virgilian (Moscovian-Gzhelian). Indigenous Permian fusulinids in the La Cueva Limestone range in age from middle or late Wolfcampian to middle Leonardian (late Sakmarian-late Artinskian), and reworked Permian fusulinids in the Mina México Formation range in age from early to middle Leonardian (middle-late Artinskian). Conodonts of Guadalupian age occur in some turbidites in the Mina México Formation, indicating the youngest foredeep deposit is at least Middle Permian in age. Our fusulinid collections indicate a hiatus of at least 10 m.y. between the youngest Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) rocks in the Sonora allochthon and the oldest Permian (middle Wolfcampian) rocks in the region.Most fusulinid faunas in Sonora show affinities to those of West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; however, some genera and species are similar to those in southeastern California. As most species are similar to those east of the southwest-trending Transcontinental arch in New Mexico and Arizona, this arch may have formed a barrier preventing large-scale migration and mixing of faunas between the southern shelf of Laurentia in northwestern Mexico and the western shelf in the southwestern United States.The Sonora allochthon, consisting of pre-Permian (Lower Ordovician to Upper Pennsylvanian) deep-water continental-rise and ocean-basin rocks, was thrust northward 50–200 km over Permian and older shallow-water carbonate-shelf rocks and Permian deep-water foredeep rocks of southern Laurentia. As Triassic rocks unconformably overlie the Sonora allochthon, we conclude that terminal movement of the allochthon was in Late Permian time.

La province magmatique de l'Atlantique central dans le bassin des Ksour (Atlas saharien, Algérie)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meddah, Amar; Bertrand, Hervé; Elmi, Serge

2007-01-01

The volcanic succession from the Triassic basin of the Ksour Mountains is formed by three basaltic units, interlayered with siliciclastic to evaporitic sedimentary levels and overlain by Rhaetian-Hettangian limestones. These basalts are low-Ti continental tholeiites that show, from bottom to top, the same chemical evolution as the basalts from the Triassic basins in the Moroccan High Atlas. This volcanism represents the easternmost witness of the central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP) associated with the central Atlantic rifting, at the Triassic-Jurassic (Tr-J) boundary.

NASA 1990 Multisensor Airborne Campaigns (MACs) for ecosystem and watershed studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickland, Diane E.; Asrar, Ghassem; Murphy, Robert E.

1991-01-01

The Multisensor Airborne Campaign (MAC) focus within NASA's former Land Processes research program was conceived to achieve the following objectives: to acquire relatively complete, multisensor data sets for well-studied field sites, to add a strong remote sensing science component to ecology-, hydrology-, and geology-oriented field projects, to create a research environment that promotes strong interactions among scientists within the program, and to more efficiently utilize and compete for the NASA fleet of remote sensing aircraft. Four new MAC's were conducted in 1990: the Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research (OTTER) project along an east-west transect through central Oregon, the Forest Ecosystem Dynamics (FED) project at the Northern Experimental Forest in Howland, Maine, the MACHYDRO project in the Mahantango Creek watershed in central Pennsylvania, and the Walnut Gulch project near Tombstone, Arizona. The OTTER project is testing a model that estimates the major fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water through temperate coniferous forest ecosystems. The focus in the project is on short time-scale (days-year) variations in ecosystem function. The FED project is concerned with modeling vegetation changes of forest ecosystems using remotely sensed observations to extract biophysical properties of forest canopies. The focus in this project is on long time-scale (decades to millenia) changes in ecosystem structure. The MACHYDRO project is studying the role of soil moisture and its regulating effects on hydrologic processes. The focus of the study is to delineate soil moisture differences within a basin and their changes with respect to evapotranspiration, rainfall, and streamflow. The Walnut Gulch project is focused on the effects of soil moisture in the energy and water balance of arid and semiarid ecosystems and their feedbacks to the atmosphere via thermal forcing.

Mineralogical maturity in dunefields of North America, Africa and Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.

2004-01-01

Studies of dunefields in central and western North America show that mineralogical maturity can provide new insights into the origin and evolution of aeolian sand bodies. Many of the world's great sand seas in Africa, Asia and Australia are quartz-dominated and thus can be considered to be mineralogically mature. The Algodones (California) and Parker (Arizona) dunes in the southwestern United States are also mature, but have inherited a high degree of mineralogical maturity from quartz-rich sedimentary rocks drained by the Colorado River. In Libya, sediments of the Zallaf sand sea, which are almost pure quartz, may have originated in a similar fashion. The Fort Morgan (Colorado) and Casper (Wyoming) dunefields in the central Great Plains of North America, and the Namib sand sea of southern Africa have an intermediate degree of mineralogical maturity because their sources are large rivers that drained both unweathered plutonic and metamorphic rocks and mature sedimentary rocks. Mojave Desert dunefields in the southwestern United States are quite immature because they are in basins adjacent to plutonic rocks that were their sources. Other dunefields in the Great Plains of North America (those in Nebraska and Texas) are more mature than any possible source sediments and therefore reflect mineralogical evolution over time. Such changes in composition can occur because of either of two opposing long-term states of the dunefield. In one state, dunes are stable for long periods of time and chemical weathering depletes feldspars and other weatherable minerals in the sediment body. In the other state, which is most likely for the Great Plains, abrasion and ballistic impacts deplete the carbonate minerals and feldspars because the dunes are active for longer periods than they are stable. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mesozoic-Early Cenozoic Retroarc Basin Evolution in Response to Changing Tectonic Regimes, Southern Central Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackaman-Lofland, C.; Horton, B. K.; Fuentes, F.; Constenius, K. N.; Stockli, D. F.

2017-12-01

Spatial and temporal variations in pre-Andean deformation, inherited lithospheric discontinuities, and subduction geometry have been documented for the southern Central Andes (27-40°S). However, the influence of inherited crustal structures and changing subduction zone dynamics on along-strike (N-S) and across-strike (E-W) variations in upper-plate deformation and basin evolution remains poorly understood. The La Ramada Basin in the High Andes at 32°S preserves the northernmost succession correlated with the well-studied Neuquen Basin to the south. New maximum depositional ages and provenance information provided by detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology refine the chronostratigraphic and provenance framework of La Ramada Basin deposits and improve reconstructions of structural activity and subsidence mechanisms during polyphase basin evolution. Updated along- and across-strike comparisons with Neuquen and intraplate depocenters provide an unparalleled opportunity to examine long-term fluctuations in stress regime, modes of variable plate coupling, structural reactivation, and basin evolution. Zircon U-Pb age distributions constrain Mesozoic-Cenozoic ages of La Ramada clastic units and identify a previously unrecognized period of Paleogene nonmarine deposition. Late Triassic-Jurassic synrift and post-rift deposits record sediment derivation from the eastern half-graben footwall and western Andean volcanic arc during periods of slab rollback and thermal subsidence. Uplift of the Coastal Cordillera and introduction of Coastal Cordillera sediment at 107 Ma represents the first signature of initial Andean uplift associated with accumulation in the La Ramada Basin. Finally, newly identified Paleogene extensional structures and intra-arc deposits in the western La Ramada Basin are correlated with the extensional Abanico Basin system ( 28°S-44°S) to the west in Chile. Development and inversion of this system of intra-arc depocenters suggests that shortening and uplift in the southern Central Andes was produced by at least two (Late Cretaceous and Neogene) punctuated orogenic episodes.

Recharge rates and aquifer hydraulic characteristics for selected drainage basins in middle and east Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, A.B.

1990-01-01

Quantitative information concerning aquifer hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics is needed to manage the development of ground-water resources. These characteristics are poorly defined for the bedrock aquifers in Middle and East Tennessee where demand for water is increasing. This report presents estimates of recharge rate, storage coefficient, diffusivity, and transmissivity for representative drainage basins in Middle and East Tennessee, as determined from analyses of stream-aquifer interactions. The drainage basins have been grouped according to the underlying major aquifer, then statistical descriptions applied to each group, in order to define area1 distribution of these characteristics. Aquifer recharge rates are estimated for representative low, average, and high flow years for 63 drainage basins using hydrograph analysis techniques. Net annual recharge during average flow years for all basins ranges from 4.1 to 16.8 in/yr (inches per year), with a mean value of 7.3 in. In general, recharge rates are highest for basins underlain by the Blue Ridge aquifer (mean value11.7 in/yr) and lowest for basins underlain by the Central Basin aquifer (mean value 5.6 in/yr). Mean recharge values for the Cumberland Plateau, Highland Rim, and Valley and Ridge aquifers are 6.5, 7.4, and 6.6 in/yr, respectively. Gravity drainage characterizes ground-water flow in most surficial bedrock aquifer in Tennessee. Accordingly, a gravity yield analysis, which compares concurrent water-level and streamflow hydrographs, was used to estimate aquifer storage coefficient for nine study basins. The basin estimates range from 0.002 to 0.140; however, most estimates are within a narrow range of values, from 0.01 to 0.025. Accordingly, storage coefficient is estimated to be 0.01 for all aquifers in Middle and East Tennessee, with the exception of the aquifer in the inner part of the Central Basin, for which storage coefficient is estimated to be 0.002. Estimates of aquifer hydraulic diffusivity are derived from estimates of the streamflow recession index and drainage density for 75 drainage basins; values range from 3,300 to 130,000 ft^2/d (feet squared per day). Basin-specific and site-specific estimates of transmissivity are computed from estimates of hydraulic diffusivity and specific-capacity test data, respectively. Basin-specific, or areal, estimates of transmissivity range from 22 to 1,300 ft^2/d, with a mean of 240 ft^2/d In general, areal transmissivity is highest for basins underlain by the Cumberland Plateau aquifer (mean value 480 ft^2/d) and lowest for basins underlain by the Central Basin aquifer (mean value 79 ft^2/d). Mean transmissivity values for the Highland Rim, Valley and Ridge, and Blue Ridge aquifer are 320,140, and 120 ft^2/d respectively. Site-specific estimates of transmissivity, computed from specific-capacity data from 118 test wells in Middle and East Tennessee range from 2 to 93,000 ft^2/d with a mean of 2,600 ft^2/d Mean transmissivity values for the Cumberland Plateau, Highland Rim, Central Basin, Valley and Ridge, and Blue Ridge aquifers are 2,800,1,200, 7,800, 390, and 65Oft Id, respectively.