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Publications

The following list of California Water Science Center publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists.

Filter Total Items: 1831

Surface fault slip associated with the 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake Surface fault slip associated with the 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake

Surface fracturing occurred along the San Andreas fault, the subparallel Southwest Fracture Zone, and six secondary faults in association with the 28 September 2004 (M 6.0) Parkfield earthquake. Fractures formed discontinuous breaks along a 32-km-long stretch of the San Andreas fault. Sense of slip was right lateral; only locally was there a minor (1-11 mm) vertical component of slip...
Authors
M. J. Rymer, J. C. Tinsley, J.A. Treiman, J.R. Arrowsmith, K.B. Ciahan, A.M. Rosinski, W. A. Bryant, Hollice A. Snyder, G. S. Fuis, N.A. Toke, G.W. Bawden

Carbon dioxide emissions from vegetation-kill zones around the resurgent dome of Long Valley caldera, eastern California, USA Carbon dioxide emissions from vegetation-kill zones around the resurgent dome of Long Valley caldera, eastern California, USA

A survey of diffuse CO2 efflux, soil temperature and soil-gas chemistry over areas of localized vegetation-kill on and around the resurgent dome of Long Valley caldera California was performed to evaluate the premise that gaseous and thermal anomalies are related to renewed intrusion of magma. Some kill sites are long-lived features and others have developed in the past few years. Total...
Authors
Deborah Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James F. Howle, Christopher D. Farrar

Thermodynamic properties and crystal structure refinement of ferricopiapite, coquimbite, rhomboclase, and Fe2(SO4)3(H2O)5 Thermodynamic properties and crystal structure refinement of ferricopiapite, coquimbite, rhomboclase, and Fe2(SO4)3(H2O)5

Enthalpies of formation of ferricopiapite [nominally Fe4.67(SO4)6(OH)2 (H2O)20]. coquimbite [Fe2(SO4)3(H2O)9], rhomboclase [(H3O)Fe(SO4)2 (H2O)3], and Fe2(SO4)3(H2O)5 were measured by acid (5 N HCl) solution calorimetry. The samples were characterized by wet chemical analyses and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The refinement of XRD patterns gave lattice parameters, atomic...
Authors
J. Majzlan, A. Navrotsky, R. Blaine McCleskey, Charles N. Alpers

Ecological values of shallow-water habitats: Implications for the restoration of disturbed ecosystems Ecological values of shallow-water habitats: Implications for the restoration of disturbed ecosystems

A presumed value of shallow-habitat enhanced pelagic productivity derives from the principle that in nutrient-rich aquatic systems phytoplankton growth rate is controlled by light availability, which varies inversely with habitat depth. We measured a set of biological indicators across the gradient of habitat depth within the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (California) to test the...
Authors
C.B. Lopez, J. E. Cloern, T.S. Schraga, A.J. Little, L.V. Lucas, J.K. Thompson, J.R. Burau

Onset of snowmelt and streamflow in 2004 in the Western Unites States: How shading may affect spring streamflow timing in a warmer world Onset of snowmelt and streamflow in 2004 in the Western Unites States: How shading may affect spring streamflow timing in a warmer world

Historic streamflow records show that the onset of snowfed streamflow in the western United States has shifted earlier over the past 50 yr, and March 2004 was one of the earliest onsets on record. Record high temperatures occurred throughout the western United States during the second week of March, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauges throughout the area recorded early onsets...
Authors
J.D. Lundquist, A. L. Flint

Sorption processes affecting arsenic solubility in oxidized surface sediments from Tulare Lake Bed, California Sorption processes affecting arsenic solubility in oxidized surface sediments from Tulare Lake Bed, California

Elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) in shallow groundwater in Tulare Basin pose an environmental risk because of the carcinogenic properties of As and the potential for its migration to deep aquifers that could serve as a future drinking water source. Adsorption and desorption are hypothesized to be the major processes controlling As solubility in oxidized surface sediments where...
Authors
S. Gao, S. Goldberg, M.J. Herbel, A.T. Chalmers, R. Fujii, K.K. Tanji

Alteration of soil microbial communities and water quality in restored wetlands Alteration of soil microbial communities and water quality in restored wetlands

Land usage is a strong determinant of soil microbial community composition and activity, which in turn determine organic matter decomposition rates and decomposition products in soils. Microbial communities in permanently flooded wetlands, such as those created by wetland restoration on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands in California, function under restricted aeration conditions that...
Authors
D.A. Bossio, J.A. Fleck, K.M. Scow, R. Fujii

Seasonal and spatial patterns of metals at a restored copper mine site. I. Stream copper and zinc Seasonal and spatial patterns of metals at a restored copper mine site. I. Stream copper and zinc

Seasonal and spatial variations in metal concentrations and pH were found in a stream at a restored copper mine site located near a massive sulfide deposit in the Foothill copper-zinc belt of the Sierra Nevada, California. At the mouth of the stream, copper concentrations increased and pH decreased with increased streamflow after the onset of winter rain and, unexpectedly, reached...
Authors
D.G. Bambic, Charles N. Alpers, P.G. Green, E. Fanelli, W.K. Silk

Reconstructing depositional processes and history from reservoir stratigraphy: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California Reconstructing depositional processes and history from reservoir stratigraphy: Englebright Lake, Yuba River, northern California

Reservoirs provide the opportunity to link watershed history with its stratigraphic record. We analyze sediment cores from a northern California reservoir in the context of hydrologic history, watershed management, and depositional processes. Observations of recent depositional patterns, sediment‐transport calculations, and 137Cs geochronology support a conceptual model in which the...
Authors
N.P. Snyder, S.A. Wright, Charles N. Alpers, L. E. Flint, C. W. Holmes, D. M. Rubin

Evaluation of the factors controlling the time-dependent inactivation rate coefficients of bacteriophage MS2 and PRD1 Evaluation of the factors controlling the time-dependent inactivation rate coefficients of bacteriophage MS2 and PRD1

Static and dynamic batch experiments were conducted to study the effects of temperature and the presence of sand on the inactivation of bacteriophage MS2 and PRD1. The experimental data suggested that the inactivation process can be satisfactorily represented by a pseudo-first-order expression with time-dependent rate coefficients. The time-dependent rate coefficients were used to...
Authors
R. Anders, C.V. Chrysikopoulos

Resolving structural influences on water-retention properties of alluvial deposits Resolving structural influences on water-retention properties of alluvial deposits

With the goal of improving property-transfer model (PTM) predictions of unsaturated hydraulic properties, we investigated the influence of sedimentary structure, defined as particle arrangement during deposition, on laboratory-measured water retention (water content vs. potential [θ(ψ)]) of 10 undisturbed core samples from alluvial deposits in the western Mojave Desert, California. The...
Authors
K.A. Winfield, J. R. Nimmo, J. A. Izbicki, P. M. Martin

Geochemical data for mercury, methylmercury, and other constituents in sediments from Englebright Lake, California, 2002 Geochemical data for mercury, methylmercury, and other constituents in sediments from Englebright Lake, California, 2002

This report presents geochemical data from two 2002 sampling campaigns conducted in Englebright Lake on the Yuba River in northern California. A deep coring campaign was done in May-June 2002 and a shallow sampling campaign was completed in October 2002. This work assessed the chemical composition of material deposited in the reservoir between 1940, the year Englebright Dam was completed...
Authors
Charles N. Alpers, Michael P. Hunerlach, Mark C. Marvin-DePasquale, Ronald C. Antweiler, Brenda K. Lasorsa, John F. De Wild, Noah P. Snyder
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