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See also Science in your back yard: California
Results 1 - 138 of 148 listed alphabetically [list by similarity]
PDF Assessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Central Valley Aquifer System near Modesto, California [More info]
Using ground-water geochemical analyses, and mathematical models, the factors affecting the quality of public water supply were identified as pumping schedule, screened interval, past land use within the recharge area, and natural geochemical conditions.
PDF Assessment of Moderate- and High-Temperature Geothermal Resources of the United States [More info]
The electric power generation potential from identified geothermal systems is 9,057 Megawattselectric (MWe), distributed over 13 states. Undiscovered resources are estimated to provide an additional 30,033 MWe.
PDF Assessment of Undiscovered Natural Gas Resources of the Sacramento Basin Province of California, 2006 [More info]
We estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable resources are 534 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 323 thousand barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
PDF Assessment of remaining recoverable oil in selected major oil fields of the San Joaquin Basin, California [More info]
The mean total volume of potential oil reserves that might be added in the nine fields using improved oil-recovery technologies was estimated to be about 6.5 billion barrels of oil.
PDF Availability of Groundwater Data for California, Water Year 2008 [More info]
Summary showing number of wells in each county for which water level measurements are available, with description of methodology and well numbering system.
Availability of groundwater data for California, water year 2010 [More info]
Map of California showing the number of wells (by county) with available water-level or water-quality data for Water Year 2010, with descriptions of the data and instructions for obtaining them.
Bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area Yosemite National Park, California [More info]
Site explains the general bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area.
PDF Beyond the Golden Gate--oceanography, geology, biology, and environmental issues in the Gulf of the Farallones [More info]
A geologic and oceanographic study of the waters and Continental Shelf of Gulf of the Farallones adjacent to the San Francisco Bay region. The results of the study provide a scientific basis to evaluate and monitor human impact on the marine environment.
Biomarker Benchmarks: Reproductive and Endocrine Biomarkers in Largemouth Bass and Common Carp from United States Waters [More info]
Describes a national reconnaissance study of reproductive health in two species of fish across the US. More than 2,200 common carp and 650 largemouth bass were collected at 119 rivers and streams.
PDF Boiling water at Hot Creek - The dangerous and dynamic thermal springs in California's Long Valley Caldera [More info]
Explains how these hot surface waters form, why their temperature changes often, and provides safety guidance for visiting this area.
California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project--shallow aquifer assessment [More info]
Explains why we are assessing water quality in shallow aquifers, what we are measuring, and how the results will be reported both to well owners and to the public.
California Water-Quality Assessment [More info]
Results of activities in California conducted under the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA): maps, publications and data.
California's BAY-DELTA: USGS Science Supports Decision Making [More info]
What causes changes in the hydrology, the ecology and the water quality of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the San Francisco Bay estuary? These studies help state and local agencies manage resources well.
PDF California's Central Valley Groundwater Study: A Powerful New Tool to Assess Water Resources in California's Central Valley [More info]
Modeling effort that integrates a wide variety of geographic, hydrologic, agricultural, climatic, and biological information to help local land managers address resource use issues.
Carbon dioxide and helium discharge from Mammoth Mountain, Long Valley caldera, California [More info]
An explanation of toxic carbon dioxide emissions at Mammoth Mountain in Long Valley caldera, and a description of magmatic helium discharge at the Mammoth Mountain fumarole with photos, maps, and links to other studies.
Cascades Volcano Observatory - Mount St. Helens real-time hydrologic monitoring [More info]
Real-time and historic data from gaging stations for water and mudflow detection in the Mount St. Helens, WA vicinity with data tables and plots, interactive location map and station descriptions.
Central California /San Francisco Bay Earthquake Hazards Project [More info]
Information on earthquakes in central California and the San Francisco region with links to four types of field studies, deep seismic investigations, geotechnical investigations, shallow seismic imaging, and airborne geophysical surveys.
PDF Concentrations of mercury and other metals in black bass (Micropterus spp.) from Whiskeytown Lake, Shasta County, California, 2005 [More info]
Historical gold mining has left this area susceptible to mercury contamination. Elevated concentrations of mercury in the fish are well documented here.
Data for giant constrictors - Biological management profiles and an establishment risk assessment for nine large species of pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor [More info]
Locations for nine species of large constrictors, from published sources, along with monthly precipitation and average monthly temperature for those locations. Shapefiles for each snake species studied.
Desert tortoise research at Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) [More info]
Links to research studies, conservation information, and general information on desert tortoises at the Western Ecological Research Center in Sacramento, California.
Detection and measurement of land subsidence using Global Positioning System surveying and interferometric synthetic aperture radar, Coachella Valley, California, 1996-2005 [More info]
Detailed measurements of elevation help to understand the extent and severity of subsidence. Study asks if subsidence indicates the aquifer system is compacting temporarily or permanently, and are the changes human-induced or tectonic.
Digital library: USGS Monterey Bay science [More info]
Online catalog of scientific reports and data around and about Monterey Bay, California, indexed by author, agency, project, location, feature type, and topic
Dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams in the southwestern United States [More info]
Distribution of high-temperature (>150 °C) geothermal resources in California [More info]
Description and map of geothermal resources in California.
Earthquake science explained--a series of ten short articles for students, teachers, and families [More info]
Collects a series of short articles on earthquake science and related topics for students, teachers, and parents originally published as weekly features in The San Francisco Chronicle.
Eruptions from the Inyo chain about 600 years ago: sequence of events and effects in the Long Valley Area [More info]
Describes the volcanic activity that occurred along the southern part of the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain in California about 600 years ago.
PDF Eruptions in the Cascade Range during the past 4,000 years [More info]
Chart showing 13 volcanoes on a map of Washington, Oregon, and northern California, along with time lines for each volcano showing the ages of their eruptions.
Extent of Pleistocene lakes in the western Great Basin [More info]
Map of Pleistocene pluvial lakes in the western Great Basin (Nevada, eastern California, southern Oregon). Includes metadata, online PDF map view, and downloadable ArcInfo export files, ArcView shapefiles, and TIFF files.
PDF Facing the great disaster: How the men and women of the U.S. Geological Survey responded to the 1906 "San Francisco Earthquake" [More info]
After the powerful earthquake of April 18, 1906, staff of the U.S. Geological Survey stationed in Sacramento and Berkeley brought help to the residents of devastated San Francisco, documented the effects of the quake, and investigated its causes.
Field guide to the reptiles and amphibians of coastal Southern California [More info]
Field guide to identify the reptiles and amphibians of coastal Southern California with glossary and map.
Fire ecology research [More info]
Study of wildland fire history and fire ecology such as plants in the Sierra Nevada forests, California shrublands, the Mojave, and Sonoran deserts to develop management techniques that will reduce hazards.
PDF Floor of Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada [More info]
Postcard available for downloading and printing.
PDF Forecasting California's earthquakes - What can we expect in the next 30 years? [More info]
Shows how we know severe earthquakes will occur and where.
Generalized geologic map of the Yosemite National Park area [More info]
Surficial geologic map of the Yosemite National Park area with links to the legend and text.
Geologic history of Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, California [More info]
Summarizes the geologic and volcanic activity of the Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain in east central California.
Geologic mapping in National Parks: National Park Service Support Project [More info]
Summaries of geologic projects in cooperation with the National Park Service including Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite National Park, and others.
Geologic studies of mercury [More info]
Collection of six short papers related to the mercury geochemical society, the study of mercury in coal, concentrations in sediment, soil, water, and fish collected near mercury and gold mines, and volanic emissions of mercury.
Geology of Mojave National Preserve [More info]
Site has links to Mohave National Preserve: geologic field trips, geologic history, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps, and glossary.
Geology of the onshore part of San Mateo County, California: a digital database [More info]
This digital map database represents the general distribution of the geology (bedrock and surficial deposits) in San Mateo County. Accompanying text file (*.txt or *.ps) provides current information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy.
Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC) wildland fire perimeters, 2008 [More info]
Where the fires were, as GIS data in shapefile format, geographic coordinates, NAD83.
PDF Ground-water availability in the United States [More info]
Report examines what is known about the Nation's ground-water availability, and outlines a program of study to improve our understanding of ground-water availability in major aquifers across the Nation. With regional examples.
Ground-water data for California [More info]
Consistent, historic, and up-to-date ground-water data, such as water levels collected at wells and springs, are available from the USGS National Water Information System as graphs, tables, or files to download.
Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States [More info]
A systematic presentation of climatic and hydrogeologic framework of the area, regional analysis of ground-water recharge, and an overview of 8 site-specific case studies.
Groundwater Quality in the Central Eastside San Joaquin Valley, California [More info]
Summary of a detailed study in this agricultural area.
Groundwater Quality in the Kern County Subbasin, California [More info]
Arsenic was the trace element most frequently present at high concentrations here. High concentrations of arsenic result from the interaction of groundwater with naturally occurring minerals.
Groundwater Quality in the Southeast San Joaquin Valley, California [More info]
Arsenic and nitrate are the constituents found most commonly at high concentrations in the primary aquifers. Arsenic comes from natural sources and is affected by pH and dissolved oxygen.
Groundwater quality in Coachella Valley, California [More info]
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum, and strontium. Vanadium was present at moderate concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Antelope Valley, California [More info]
Trace elements were present at high concentrations in 32% of the primary aquifers here, and at moderate concentrations in 17%. Of particular interest are aluminum, arsenic, vanadium, boron, fluoride, chromium, lead, and molybdenum.
Groundwater quality in the Central Sierra Nevada, California [More info]
Recent study indicates that inorganic trace elements and radioactive constituents are more likely to be subjects of concern in this less-developed area than anthropogenic organic compounds.
Groundwater quality in the Coastal Los Angeles Basin, California [More info]
The occurrence of solvents in the groundwater is not correlated with current overlying land use and human activities. Rather, the solvents are from legacy industrial uses, and it has taken decades for the groundwater to move to where it is now pumped.
Groundwater quality in the Colorado River basins, California [More info]
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum, and strontium. Chromium was detected at moderate concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Indian Wells Valley, California [More info]
Five trace elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, molybdenum, strontium, and vanadium. Chromium and fluoride were detected at moderate concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley, California [More info]
Uranium, arsenic, and nitrate were the inorganic constituents that were most frequently detected at high concentrations, mostly in shallower wells. High and moderate concentrations of arsenic were detected in deeper wells.
Groundwater quality in the Middle Sacramento Valley, California [More info]
Results of a survey of contaminants in untreated groundwater in this area. Arsenic and boron were the two trace elements detected most frequently at concentrations greater than the benchmarks.
Groundwater quality in the Mojave area, California [More info]
Six elements with human-health concerns were detected at high concentrations: arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum, strontium, and vanadium. Lead was present at moderate concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley groundwater basins, California [More info]
This study of untreated groundwater indicates the number of samples in which inorganic or organic constituents occur in high or moderate in concentration. The study does not indicate significant problems in groundwater quality here.
Groundwater quality in the Northern Sacramento Valley, California [More info]
Results of a survey of contaminants in untreated groundwater in this area, separating inorganic from organic constituents.
Groundwater quality in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, California [More info]
Arsenic and boron were the trace elements that most frequently occurred at high concentrations. Fumigants (pesticides) were detected at high concentrations in 3% of the primary aquifers. Herbicides and insecticides were detected at low concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Owens Valley, California [More info]
Trace elements boron, arsenic, and molybdenum were found at high concentrations in 15% of primary aquifers in this area.
Groundwater quality in the San Diego Drainages Hydrogeologic Province, California [More info]
Vanadium and boron were detected at high and moderate concentrations in this area. High concentrations for these constituents were detected almost exclusively in samples collected in the Temecula Valley study area.
Groundwater quality in the San Fernando--San Gabriel groundwater basins, California [More info]
Organic solvents are the chief concern in this area, which has given rise to a systematic program of monitoring and water treatment. This study shows relatively recent results.
Groundwater quality in the San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, California [More info]
The constituent present at high concentrations in the greatest proportion of the primary aquifer system was TDS, which is an indicator of salinity. Perchlorate was also present at moderate concentration in 42% of samples.
Groundwater quality in the Santa Clara River Valley, California [More info]
This study of untreated groundwater indicates the number of samples in which inorganic or organic constituents occur in high or moderate in concentration. The study does not indicate significant problems in groundwater quality here.
Groundwater quality in the Southern Sacramento Valley, California [More info]
Results of a survey of contaminants in untreated groundwater in this area. Arsenic and boron were the trace elements occurring most frequently at high concentrations.
Groundwater quality in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California [More info]
Recent study indicating inorganic constituents as the primary items of concern in this area. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of the aquifer rocks probably explain variation among localities here.
Groundwater quality in the Tahoe and Martis Basins, California [More info]
Recent study encountered occasional high values of radioactive trace elements, but the water quality in this area as monitored compares favorably to more urban areas studied by the same group.
Groundwater quality in the Upper Santa Ana Watershed study unit, California [More info]
Recent study indicating nitrate and perchlorate are the primary inorganic constituents of interest here, coming from human activities such as agriculture.
Groundwater quality in the north San Francisco Bay groundwater basins, California [More info]
Summary of chemical constituents of ground water that are of concern to human activity in this area. Arsenic is the constituent that occurs most frequently in high concentrations.
Housing arrangement and location determine the likelihood of housing loss due to wildfire [More info]
Using a geographic dataset of structures, with more than 5500 structures that were destroyed or damaged by wildfire since 2001, we identified the main contributors to property loss in two extensive, fire-prone regions in southern California.
Hydrologic studies in Long Valley caldera [More info]
Hydrologic monitoring data for Long Valley caldera, California, on springs, streams, wells, fumaroles, and precipitation to study the natural hydrologic variations and the response of the hydrologic system to volcanic and tectonic processes.
Invasive species research [More info]
Links to research projects that will improve the ability to detect, monitor, and predict the effects of invasive species, including exotic animals, on native ecosystems of the Pacific Southwest (California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona).
Joshua Tree National Park geology: on shaky ground [More info]
Description of earthquake that was felt in Joshua Tree region (1999) and links to earthquake summary, shaded relief map, aerial photos of the rupture zone, shaking intensity maps, damage reports, and seismograph network map.
Land Subsidence in the United States [More info]
Describes and provides several detiled examples of impacts of human-induced land subsidence resulting from the extraction of subsurface water, including aquifer-system compaction, drainage of organic soils, dissolution and collapse of susceptible rocks.
PDF Land-cover change research at the U.S. Geological Survey-assessing our nation's dynamic land surface [More info]
Estimates of change in major types of land use and land cover from 1973 to 2000 should help model potential future change as climate, population, public policy, and technology change.
Landscape changes in the southwestern United States: techniques, long-term data sets, and trends [More info]
This study illustrates some approaches for reconstructing landscape change.
Major quake likely to strike San Francisco Bay Region between 2003 and 2032 [More info]
Study of the probability of a major earthquake in San Francisco Bay region with colored map and links to relevant publications. Text also available in PDF format and graphic available in Illustrator or Photoshop format.
PDF Mapping perennial vegetation cover in the Mojave Desert [More info]
Field data and satellite images allow us to make a calibrated model of percent vegetation cover, which we can use to inform scientific investigations and land management efforts.
PDF Mapping, monitoring, and modeling Western Gateway Community landscape dynamics [More info]
Geospatial analysis of factors affecting communities that are adjacent to Federal lands, especially those lands subject to varying public interest and visitation.
Maps of recent earthquake activity in California-Nevada [More info]
Near-real-time maps of location, ground motion, and shaking intensity of earthquakes in California and Nevada for the past hour, past day, and past week and links to other earthquake information.
Marin tsunami (video) [More info]
Guidelines for correct tsunami response and community preparedness from local emergency managers, first-responders, and leading experts on tsunami hazards and warnings.
Measuring human-induced land subsidence from space [More info]
Examples of the use of Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar to measure and map changes on the Earth's surface as an aid to understanding how ground-water pumping, hydrocarbon production, or other human activities cause land subsidence.
Monitoring data of the Long Valley caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, California [More info]
Describes the monitoring effort and provides real-time data of the current restless activity of the caldera, including earthquakes, ground deformation, and release of volcanic gas and plus link to volcano monitoring techniques.
Most recent updates for U.S. volcanoes [More info]
Short descriptions of recent volcanic activity in the US.
Multielement geochemical dataset of surficial materials for the northern Great Basin [More info]
This report presents geochemical data generated during mineral and environmental assessments for the Bureau of Land Management in northern Nevada, northeastern California, southeastern Oregon, and southwestern Idaho, along with metadata and maps.
National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project [More info]
The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii.
Natural oil and gas seeps in California [More info]
Distribution and characteristics of natural oil and gas seeps in California, including processes of formation and effects on the environment; with discussion of tar pits and asphaltum.
Oceanographic time series data [More info]
Oceanographic time-series data obtained from moored instruments, generally provided in NetCDF format.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter A - ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance [More info]
Part A of a complex report on the results of ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance analysis of a large sample base from more than 70 wells located in three oil-rich California petroleum basins in order to study the formation of oil deposits.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter B - Insights from extractable bitumen and saturated hydrocarbons [More info]
Part B of a complex report on the results of geochemical analysis of 75 shale samples from the Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Joaquin Basins to gather observations relevant to exploration regarding the formation of oil deposits in these basins.
Our dynamic desert landscape [More info]
Overview of studies of fragile and active landscape of the American Southwest deserts, including projects on geologic mapping, surface processes, remote sensing research, ecological processes, and earthquake hazard applications.
Photo gallery of the Long Valley area, California [More info]
Selection of photographic images of the Long Valley area that illustrate the consequences of the past geologic history of the Sierra Nevada, Long Valley Caldera, the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, glaciation, and faulting.
PDF Plague [More info]
History, pathology, and prospects for this historic disease that is still prevalent in animals and remains a threat to humans.
Potential hazards from future volcanic eruptions in the Long Valley -- Mono Lake Area, California [More info]
An introduction to the volcano hazards in the Long Valley area based on the past geologic history of the Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain.
Preliminary geologic map of the Santa Barbara coastal plain area, Santa Barbara County, California [More info]
A geologic map of the Santa Barbara coastal plain region in PDF format with data in GIS format (ArcInfo export, shapefile, and TIFF)
Putting down roots in earthquake country: Your handbook for the San Francisco Bay region [More info]
If you live or work in the San Francisco Bay region, this handbook explains why you should be concerned with earthquakes, what you can expect during and after a quake, and what you need to do beforehand to be safe and reduce property damage.
Real-time water data for California [More info]
Consistent, real-time water data from streams, lakes, reservoirs, ground-water, and meteorological sites, are available from the USGS National Water Information System as graphs, tables, or files to download.
PDF Regional assessments of the Nation's water quality--Improved understanding of stream nutrient sources through enhanced modeling capabilities [More info]
Studies of the sources, transport, and fate of nutrients in the streams of six major regions of the conterminous United States.
PDF Remaining recoverable petroleum in giant oil fields of the Los Angeles Basin, southern California [More info]
We estimated between 3.2 and 5.6 billion barrels of additional oil may be recovered with existing technology in this area using a probabilistic geology-based assessment methodology.
San Francisco Bay bathymetry web site [More info]
Provides location-depth grids of bathymetry available for San Francisco Bay and tools for examining those grids. Data provided as GIS grids and animations.
PDF Sand waves at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, California [More info]
Postcard available for downloading and printing.
Scientific drilling in Long Valley, California: What will we learn? [More info]
Description of 1998 drilling project at Long Valley Exploratory Well located on Long Valley Caldera's resurgent dome to monitor changing conditions beneath the dome. (Document in PDF format.)
PDF Sea floor off San Diego, California [More info]
Postcard available for downloading and printing.
Sea-floor morphology between Año Nuevo and Santa Cruz, California [More info]
Report with preliminary sea floor map displaying submarine rock exposures found along the northern part of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, extent based on side-scan sonar records, seismic-reflection records, and underwater video.
PDF Selenium and stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the benthic clam Corbula amurensis from Northern San Francisco Bay, California: May 1995-February 2010 [More info]
Monthly selenium concentration in this keystone species shows strong spatial and seasonal variation in a five-year series of analyses.
PDF South San Francisco Bay, California [More info]
Postcard available for downloading and printing.
Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP): find geologic maps [More info]
Download digital geologic databases produced by the Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP) or view SCAMP work in progress by clicking on 1:100,000-scale, 30x60 minute quadrangles.
Southern California Mapping Project (SCAMP) [More info]
Description of the SCAMP project to produce geologic and geophysical maps and reports that describe the geologic setting and geologic history of southern California.
PDF Southwest Principal Aquifers Regional Ground-Water Quality Assessment [More info]
Study of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to ground-water contamination by synthesizing the information on ground-water quality conditions in 15 basins from previous studies.
PDF Streamflow characteristics and benthic invertebrate assemblages in streams across the western United States [More info]
Change in streams accompanying land and water use may affect benthic invertebrate assemblage composition and structure through changes in density of invertebrates or taxa richness, the number of different species living in the stream.
PDF Streamflow of 2007--Water year summary [More info]
A broad survey of regional patterns in stream flow nationwide. Maps and graphs summarizing streamflow conditions for water-year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) in the context of the 78-year period 1930-2007.
Streamflow of 2008--Water year summary [More info]
A broad survey of regional patterns in stream flow nationwide. Maps and graphs summarizing streamflow conditions for water-year 0810 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008) in the context of the 79-year period 1930-2008.
Streamflow of 2009--Water year summary [More info]
A broad survey of regional patterns in stream flow nationwide. Maps and graphs summarizing streamflow conditions for water-year 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2000) in the context of the 80-year period 1930-2009.
Streamflow of 2010--Water year summary [More info]
A broad survey of regional patterns in stream flow nationwide. Maps and graphs summarizing streamflow conditions for water-year 2010 (October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010) in the context of the 81-year period 1930-2010.
PDF Streamflow of 2011 - Water Year Summary [More info]
A broad survey of regional patterns in stream flow nationwide. Maps and graphs summarizing streamflow conditions for water-year 2011 (October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011) in the context of the 82-year period 1930-2011.
Summary of suspended-sediment concentration data, San Francisco Bay, California, water year 2000 [More info]
Suspended-sediment concentration data were collected in San Francisco Bay during water year 2000 using optical backscatterance sensors and water samples. This report presents the data-collection methods, data, and calibration plots.
Surface-water data for California [More info]
Consistent, historic, and up-to-date surface-water data, such as gage height (stage) and streamflow (discharge), collected at major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, downloadable from the USGS National Water Information System as graphs, tables, or files.
PDF Sutter Buttes-the lone volcano in California's Great Valley [More info]
Explains history and structure of this unusual geologic feature.
Teacher's guide to the San Francisco Bay area geophysics maps (U.S. Geological Survey GP-1006 and GP-1007) [More info]
This publication (Open-File Report 95-479) is a teacher's guide to two U.S. Geological Survey maps that show gravity and magnetic data in contour form superimposed on a LANDSAT satellite image of the San Francisco Bay area.
PDF The Hayward fault - Is it due for a repeat of the powerful 1868 earthquake? [More info]
Preparing for earthquakes along this important fault requires studying the history of its movement and its geology, as well as understanding how society has built the area around it.
The Parkfield Experiment - capturing what happens in an earthquake [More info]
Fact sheet describing plans for a San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) by drilling into the fault to install instruments for long-term monitoring near the location of the magnitude 6 Parkfield earthquakes.
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) [More info]
Explains the characteristics and history of this distinctive way of describing geographic position characteristic of the midwestern and western states of the US.
The San Andreas Fault [More info]
Online booklet on the San Andreas fault system on the California coastal region with discussion of faults, relationship of faults and earthquakes, magnitude of earthquakes, and earthquake probability.
The great 1906 earthquake, 100 years later [More info]
Annotated list of resources about the great earthquake of 1906, which caused significant devastation in and around San Francisco, California, compiled for the 100th anniversary of the disaster.
Three-dimensional geologic maps and visualization [More info]
Techniques of computer-based representations of areal geology to construct three-dimensional geologic maps that retain all the information of traditional geologic maps while providing a more detailed picture of the subsurface.
Tsunami preparedness along the U.S. West Coast (video) [More info]
Guidelines for correct tsunami response and community preparedness from local emergency managers, first-responders, and leading experts on tsunami hazards and warnings.
Tsunami preparedness in California (videos) [More info]
Guidelines for correct tsunami response and community preparedness from local emergency managers, first-responders, and leading experts on tsunami hazards and warnings.
U.S. - Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative: interactive maps [More info]
Geographic and scientific information focused on health issues in the area of the US-Mexico border
PDF U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region Coastal and Ocean Science [More info]
Overview of USGS research addressing a broad range of coastal and marine issues in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.
PDF U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Santa Barbara Channel Coastal and Ocean Science [More info]
Overview of USGS research addressing a broad range of coastal and marine issues in the Santa Barbara Channel and vicinity, California.
PDF U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Seabirds Coastal and Ocean Science [More info]
Overview of USGS research on the breeding, behavior, and population ecology of Pacific seabirds.
PDF USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network 2009 (HCDN?2009) [More info]
This updated subset of USGS streamgages for which the streamflow primarily reflects prevailing meteorological conditions for specified years, screened to exclude sites where human activity affects the natural flow of the watercourse.
USGS mine drainage activities [More info]
Listing of USGS research and monitoring projects on mine drainage, in order to promote cooperation and collaboration among scientists working on problems related to mining and the environment.
PDF Understanding pesticides in California's Delta [More info]
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub of California's water system and an important habitat for fish and wildlife. USGS research has provided resource managers and other stakeholders with a good understanding of how pesticides enter the Delta.
PDF Understanding the habitat needs of the declining western yellow-billed cuckoo [More info]
This endangered species prefers native trees in large, continuous areas of riparian habitat. Armed with this information, resource managers may identify and preserve areas favorable to this population.
PDF United States Geological Survey fire science--Fire danger monitoring and forecasting [More info]
We use moderate resolution satellite data to assess live fuel condition for estimating fire danger. Using 23 years of vegetation condition measurements, we are able to determine the relative greenness of wildland vegetation susceptible to burning.
Volcano Hazards Program, California Volcano Observatory [More info]
Overview of volcano hazards in California with links to monitoring data including earthquakes and deformations, long-term outlook, volcano hazards in the area, USGS response plan, image gallery, monitoring and topical studies, publications and references.
Volcano hazard zones in the Long Valley - Mono Lake Area, California [More info]
Describes the volcano-hazard zones for the Long Valley and Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain identified by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Water quality of San Francisco Bay [More info]
Thirty year database of water-quality data, visual data displays, and project information on the San Francisco Bay directed towards following and understanding changes in the water quality of San Francisco Bay.
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