Publications
Listed below are publication products directly associated with the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center:
Filter Total Items: 1164
Facies variation within outcrops of the Triassic Shublik Formation, northeastern Alaska
The Shublik Formation (Middle to Upper Triassic) is a heterogeneous unit that is a major hydrocarbon source rock in northern Alaska and the largest known Triassic phosphate accumulation in the world. This formation, which occurs in the subsurface and crops out within the Arctic Alaska basin, was deposited on a gently sloping ramp along the northwestern Laurentian margin. In this study, we document
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin, Katherine J. Whidden, William A. Rouse, Christina A. DeVera
The petrology of dispersed organic matter in sedimentary rocks: Review and update
Organic petrology developed from coal petrology, and, in the 1960s, it began to be applied to the study of dispersed organic matter (DOM) in sedimentary rocks other than coal. Over the last few decades, the petrology of DOM has been used to characterize organic matter in sedimentary basins with an emphasis on fossil fuel resource exploration. Today, due to the global research shift on topics relat
Authors
P.A. Gonçalves, J. Kus, Paul C. Hackley, A.G. Borrego, M. Hámor-Vidó, W. Kalkreuth, J.G. Mendonça Filho, H.I. Petersen, W. Pickel, M.J. Reinhardt, I. Suárez-Ruiz, ICCP
U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions
Executive Summary Climate is the primary driver of environmental change and is a key consideration in defining science priorities conducted across all mission areas in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Recognizing the importance of climate change to its future research agenda, the USGS’s Climate Science Steering Committee requested the development of a Climate Science Plan to identify future rese
Authors
Tamara Wilson, Ryan P. Boyles, Nicole DeCrappeo, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin D. Kroeger, Rachel A. Loehman, John M. Pearce, Mark P. Waldrop, Peter D. Warwick, Anne M. Wein, Sara L. Zeigler, T. Douglas Beard,
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Volcano Hazards Program, Alaska Science Center, California Water Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Volcano Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Insights on using solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal maturity proxy in the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, USA
To further refine the use of solid bitumen reflectance (BRo in %) as a measurement of thermal maturity in source-rock reservoirs, we examined its relationship to other thermal proxies in the Bakken Formation. Comparisons included criteria from programmed temperature pyrolysis, gas chromatography (GC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thirty-two organic-rich samples from the lowe
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Clint Scott, Justin E. Birdwell, Jennifer Nedzweckas, Brett J. Valentine, Tongwei Zhang, Timothy O Nesheim
Decoding paleomire conditions of Paleogene superhigh-organic-sulfur coals
Superhigh-organic‑sulfur (SHOS) coals (coals with organic sulfur content >4 wt%) are unique coal deposits found at a few notable locations in the world. Specific peat accumulation and preservation conditions must be met to form SHOS coals. Organic sulfur is a major constituent of such coals, and it may have various sources depending on the prevailing paleomire conditions. Understanding such paleom
Authors
Tushar Adsul, Molly D. O'Beirne, David Fike, Santanu Ghosh, Josef P. Werne, William P. Gilhooly, Paul C. Hackley, Javin J. Hatcherian, Bright Philip, Bodhisastwa Hazra, Sudip Bhattachryya, Ritam Konar, Atul Kumar Varma
Utica/Point Pleasant brine isotopic compositions (δ7Li, δ11B, δ138Ba) elucidate mechanisms of lithium enrichment in the Appalachian Basin
Global Li production will require a ~500 % increase to meet 2050 projected energy storage demands. One potential source is oil and gas wastewater (i.e., produced water or brine), which naturally has high total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations, that can also be enriched in Li (>100 mg/L). Understanding the sources and mechanisms responsible for high naturally-occurring Li concentrations can ai
Authors
Bonnie McDevitt, Travis L. Tasker, Rachel Coyte, Madalyn S. Blondes, Brian W. Stewart, Rosemary C Capo, J. Alexandra Hakala, Avner Vengosh, William D Burgos, Nathaniel R. Warner
Perspectives on the future of host-microbe biology from the Council on Microbial Sciences of the American Society for Microbiology
Host-microbe biology (HMB) stands on the cusp of redefinition, challenging conventional paradigms to instead embrace a more holistic understanding of the microbial sciences. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to identify the future of the HMB field and innovations needed to advance the microbial sciences. The retreat presentat
Authors
Monica Gestal, A. Elizabeth Oates, Denise M. Akob, Alison Criss, Host-Microbe Retreat Planning Committee, Host-Microbe Retreat Speakers
Evaluation of coal mine drainage and associated precipitates for radium and rare earth element concentrations
Coal mine drainage (CMD) and associated metal-rich precipitates have recently been proposed as unconventional sources of rare earth elements (REEs). However, the potential occurrence of radium (Ra), a known carcinogen, with the REE-bearing phases has not been investigated. We hypothesized that Ra may occur in solids that are precipitated from CMD as a “radiobarite” solid solution ((Ba,Sr,Ra)SO4) a
Authors
Bonnie McDevitt, Charles A. III Cravotta, Ryan J. McAleer, John C Jackson, Aaron M. Jubb, Glenn D. Jolly, Benjamin C. Hedin, Nathaniel R. Warner
Distribution of ancient carbon in groundwater and soil gas from degradation of petroleum near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
The groundwater below the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (the facility) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, contains fuel compounds from past spills. This study used carbon-14 analyses to distinguish fuel-derived carbon from background carbon, along with other biodegradation indicators, to address two goals: (1) determine the extent and migration direction of groundwater affected by residual fuel below the fa
Authors
Jared J. Trost, Barbara A. Bekins, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Geoffrey N. Delin, Daniel A Sinclair, James K Stack, Rylen K. Nakama, Uli'i M. Miyajima, Lhiberty D. Pagaduan, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Structure and morphology of chars and activated carbons obtained from thermal treatment of coal and biomass origin materials, including their wastes: Results from the ICCP Microscopy of Carbon Materials Working Group
This paper describes the evaluation of petrographic textures in char and activated carbon derived from coal, coal by-products and biomass, formed during carbonization and activation processes. This work represents the results of interlaboratory exercises from 2016 to 2022 of the Microscopy of Carbon Materials Working Group in Commission III of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petro
Authors
G. Predeanu, M. Wojtaszek-Kalaitzidi, I. Suárez Ruiz, M.N. Bălănescu, A. Gómez Borrego, M.D. Ghiran, Paul C. Hackley, S. Kalaitzidis, J. Kus, M. Mastalerz, M. Misz-Kennan, S. Pusz, S. Rodrigues, G. Siavalas, A. K. Varma, A. Zdravkov, D. Životić
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North Chukchi Basin, outer continental shelf of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas, Arctic Ocean, 2023
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes of 1.8 billion barrels of oil and 119.9 trillion cubic feet of gas technically recoverable from undiscovered, conventional accumulations in Cretaceous and Cenozoic strata of the North Chukchi Basin.
Authors
David W. Houseknecht, Craig P. Markey, Tracey J. Mercier, Christopher J. Schenk, Christopher D. Connors, Jared T. Gooley, Palma J. Botterell, Rebecca A. Smith, William A. Rouse, Christopher P. Garrity
Atlas of microscopic images of biochar using reflected light microscopy in biochar characterization
Derived through the thermochemical conversion of biomass, biochar is a carbon-rich substance recognized for its significance in environmental applications and sustainable agriculture. As interest in its utilization continues to rise, it becomes crucial to comprehend how the source material and pyrolysis parameters influence the properties of biochar and, consequently, to research the suitability o
Authors
Agnieszka Drobniak, Maria Mastalerz, Will Knauth, Omid Adarkani, Telma Ataíde dos Santos, Valdeci Caio de Faria, Tara Congo, Paul C. Hackley, Javin J. Hatcherian, James C. Hower, Henrik I. Petersen, Julito Reyes, Hamed Sanei