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Publications from the staff of the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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Volcanogenic massive sulfide occurrence model Volcanogenic massive sulfide occurrence model

Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, also known as volcanic-hosted massive sulfide, volcanic-associated massive sulfide, or seafloor massive sulfide deposits, are important sources of copper, zinc, lead, gold, and silver (Cu, Zn, Pb, Au, and Ag). These deposits form at or near the seafloor where circulating hydrothermal fluids driven by magmatic heat are quenched through mixing with...
Authors
W.C. Pat Shanks, Randolph A. Koski, Dan L. Mosier, Klaus J. Schulz, Lisa A. Morgan, John F. Slack, W. Ian Ridley, Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, Robert R. Seal, Nadine M. Piatak

Evaluation of long-term water-level declines in basalt aquifers near Mosier, Oregon Evaluation of long-term water-level declines in basalt aquifers near Mosier, Oregon

The Mosier area lies along the Columbia River in northwestern Wasco County between the cities of Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. Major water uses in the area are irrigation, municipal supply for the city of Mosier, and domestic supply for rural residents. The primary source of water is groundwater from the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) aquifers that underlie the area. Concerns...
Authors
Erick R. Burns, David S. Morgan, Karl K. Lee, Jonathan V. Haynes, Terrence D. Conlon

Evolution of the Rodgers Creek–Maacama right-lateral fault system and associated basins east of the northward-migrating Mendocino Triple Junction, northern California Evolution of the Rodgers Creek–Maacama right-lateral fault system and associated basins east of the northward-migrating Mendocino Triple Junction, northern California

The Rodgers Creek–Maacama fault system in the northern California Coast Ranges (United States) takes up substantial right-lateral motion within the wide transform boundary between the Pacific and North American plates, over a slab window that has opened northward beneath the Coast Ranges. The fault system evolved in several right steps and splays preceded and accompanied by extension...
Authors
Robert J. McLaughlin, Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, David L. Wagner, Robert J. Fleck, Victoria E. Langenheim, Robert C. Jachens, Kevin Clahan, James R. Allen

Magmatic ore deposits in layered intrusions - Descriptive model for reef-type PGE and contact-type Cu-Ni-PGE deposits Magmatic ore deposits in layered intrusions - Descriptive model for reef-type PGE and contact-type Cu-Ni-PGE deposits

Layered, ultramafic to mafic intrusions are uncommon in the geologic record, but host magmatic ore deposits containing most of the world's economic concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE) (figs. 1 and 2). These deposits are mined primarily for their platinum, palladium, and rhodium contents (table 1). Magmatic ore deposits are derived from accumulations of crystals of metallic...
Authors
Michael L. Zientek

Spatial distribution of landslides triggered from the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan Earthquake Spatial distribution of landslides triggered from the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan Earthquake

Understanding the spatial distribution of earthquake-induced landslides from specific earthquakes provides an opportunity to recognize what to expect from future events. The July 16, 2007 Mw 6.6 (MJMA 6.8) Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan earthquake triggered hundreds of landslides in the area surrounding the coastal city of Kashiwazaki and provides one such opportunity to evaluate the impacts...
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Robert E. Kayen, Yasuo Tanaka

Active transtensional intracontinental basins: Walker Lane in the western Great Basin Active transtensional intracontinental basins: Walker Lane in the western Great Basin

The geometry and dimensions of sedimentary basins within the Walker Lane are a result of Plio-Pleistocene transtensive deformation and partial detachment of the Sierra Nevada crustal block from the North American plate. Distinct morpho-tectonic domains lie within this active transtensive zone. The northeast end of the Walker Lane is partly buried by active volcanism of the southern...
Authors
Angela S. Jayko, Marcus Bursik

Using hydrogeology to identify the source of groundwater to Montezuma Well, a natural spring in central Arizona: part 1 Using hydrogeology to identify the source of groundwater to Montezuma Well, a natural spring in central Arizona: part 1

Montezuma Well is a natural spring located within a “sinkhole” in the desert environment of the Verde Valley in Central Arizona. It is managed by the National Park Service as part of Montezuma Castle National Monument. Because of increasing development of groundwater in the area, this research was undertaken to better understand the sources of groundwater to Montezuma Well. The use of...
Authors
Raymond H. Johnson, Ed H. DeWitt, L. Rick Arnold

Sulfur, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen isotope geochemistry of the Idaho cobalt belt Sulfur, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen isotope geochemistry of the Idaho cobalt belt

Cobalt-copper ± gold deposits of the Idaho cobalt belt, including the deposits of the Blackbird district, have been analyzed for their sulfur, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen isotope compositions to improve the understanding of ore formation. Previous genetic hypotheses have ranged widely, linking the ores to the sedimentary or diagenetic history of the host Mesoproterozoic sedimentary...
Authors
Craig A. Johnson, Arthur A. Bookstrom, John F. Slack

Monitoring subsurface hydrologic response for precipitation-induced shallow landsliding in the San Francisco Bay area, California, USA Monitoring subsurface hydrologic response for precipitation-induced shallow landsliding in the San Francisco Bay area, California, USA

Intense winter storms in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California, USA often trigger shallow landslides. Some of these landslides mobilize into potentially hazardous debris flows. A growing body of research indicates that rainfall intensity-duration thresholds are insufficient for accurate prediction of landslide occurrence. In response, we have begun long-term monitoring of the...
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Jonathan D. Stock, Lisa C. Weber, K. Whitman, N. Knepprath

The Quaternary thrust system of the northern Alaska Range The Quaternary thrust system of the northern Alaska Range

The framework of Quaternary faults in Alaska remains poorly constrained. Recent studies in the Alaska Range north of the Denali fault add significantly to the recognition of Quaternary deformation in this active orogen. Faults and folds active during the Quaternary occur over a length of ∼500 km along the northern flank of the Alaska Range, extending from Mount McKinley (Denali) eastward...
Authors
Sean P. Bemis, Gary A. Carver, Richard D. Koehler

Holocene dune formation at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Area, Nevada, USA Holocene dune formation at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Area, Nevada, USA

Small isolated dune fields in the northern Mojave Desert are important centers of biodiversity and archaeological occupation sites. Currently dunes at Ash Meadows, Nevada, are stabilized by vegetation and are experiencing erosion of their upwind margins, indicating a negative sediment budget. New OSL ages from dunes at Ash Meadows indicate continuous eolian accumulation from 1.5 to 0.8...
Authors
Nicholas Lancaster, Shannon Mahan
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