Publications
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U.S. Geological Survey 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange—Showcasing cutting-edge science to adapt to extreme weather events and stakeholder needs
IntroductionThe Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States are complex, interconnected systems that sustain a large variety of species, including tens of millions of humans. These regions face risks from drought, wildfires, invasive plant and animal species, and habitat reduction. Working with many stakeholders, scientists can help to characterize these...
Authors
William J. Andrews, Timothy N. Titus, Lauren Ellissa Eng, Kristine L. Zellman, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeremy C Havens
Comparative properties of saponitic fault gouge and serpentinite muds cored from mud volcanoes of the Mariana subduction zone
We obtained 12 core samples for physical and chemical characterization from three serpentinite mud volcanoes (Yinazao, Asùt Tesoru, and Fantangisña) located on the forearc of the Mariana subduction system, that were drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 366. Two samples from the Fantangisña mud volcano are interpreted to be clay-rich fault gouges derived from...
Authors
Diane E. Moore, C.A. Morrow, David Lockner, Barbara A. Bekins
From hydrated silica to quartz: Potential hydrothermal precipitates found in Jezero crater, Mars
On Earth, silica-rich phases from opal to quartz are important indicators and tracers of geological processes. Hydrated silica, such as opal, is a particularly good matrix for the preservation of molecular and macroscopic biosignatures. Cherts, a type of silica-dominated rocks, provide a unique archive of ancient terrestrial life while quartz is the emblematic mineral of the Earth's...
Authors
P.S.A. Beck, Olivier Beyssac, Erwin Dehouck, S. Bernard, M. Pineau, Lucia Mandon, C. Royer, Elise Clave, S. Schroder, O. Forni, R. Francis, N. Mangold, C.C. Bedford, A.P. Broz, E.A. Cloutis, J.R. Johnson, F. Poulet, Thierry Fouchet, Cathy Quantin-Nataf, C. Pilorget, William Rapin, P.-Y. Meslin, Travis S.J. Gabriel, Gorka Arana, J.M. Madariaga, A. J. Brown, S. Maurice, S. M. Clegg, Olivier Gasnault, Agnès Cousin, R.C. Wiens, The SuperCam Team
Characterizing Meteor Crater impact melts through geochemistry and textural analysis
The U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center houses the Meteor Crater sample collection, an assemblage of over 2,500 meters of cuttings from 161 drill holes into Meteor Crater’s rim, flanks, and ejecta blanket. We have utilized this unique collection to study the composition and spatial distribution of impact-generated materials from within the ejecta blanket. Meteor Crater has...
Authors
Amber L. Gullikson, Tenielle A. Gaither, Justin J. Hagerty
River floods under wetter antecedent conditions deliver coarser sediment to the coast
Increasing hydrologic volatility—more extreme rain, and larger variations between wet and dry years—has become apparent in some regions, but few data exist to determine how intensifying hydrologic extremes affect sedimentary systems. Using uniquely high-resolution records of fluvial suspended sediment and coastal morphology, we quantify sedimentary responses from a steep, 357-km2...
Authors
Amy East, Alexander G. Snyder, Andrew W. Stevens, Jonathan Warrick, David Topping, Matthew A. Thomas, Andrew C. Ritchie
Pediment formation and subsequent erosion in Gale crater: Clues to the climate history of Mars
Evidence of paleo-rivers, fans, deltas, lakes, and channel networks across Mars has prompted much debate about what climate conditions would permit the formation of these surface water derived features. Pediments, gently sloping erosional surfaces of low relief developed in bedrock, have also been identified on Mars. On Earth, these erosional landforms, often thought to be created by...
Authors
A.B. Bryk, W.E. Dietrich, Kristen A. Bennett, V.K. Fox, C.M. Fedo, MP Lamb, E.S. Kite, L.M. Thompson, S.G. Banham, J. Schieber, J.A. Grant, A.R. Vasavada, A.A. Fraeman, Lauren A. Edgar, P. J. Gasda, R.C. Wiens, JP Grotzinger, K. Stack-Morgan, Raymond E. Arvidson, Olivier Gasnault, S. Le Mouelic, S. Gupta, R.M.E. Williams, R.Y. Sheppard, K.W. Lewis, D.M. Rubin, William Rapin, M.N. Hughes, M. Turner, S.A. Wilson, J.M. Davis, R.E. Kronyak, L. Le Deit, L.C. Kah, Jens Frydenvang, R.J. Sullivan, C.C. Bedford, Erwin Dehouck, H.E. Newsom, M.C. Malin
The GorDAS Distributed Acoustic Sensing experiment above the Cascadia locked zone and subducted Gorda Slab
The southernmost portion of the Cascadia Subduction zone in Northern California produces high rates of moderate and large earthquakes owing to subduction of the Gorda slab and deformation associated with the Mendocino Triple Junction. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is rapidly advancing as a method for detecting earthquakes and imaging crustal structure. We have begun a long-term DAS...
Authors
Jeffrey J. McGuire, Andrew J Barbour, Connie Stewart, Victor Yartsev, Martin Karrenbach, Mark Hemphill-Haley, R.C. McPherson, Kari Stockdale, Clara Yoon, Theresa Marie Sawi
No magmatic driving force for Europan sea-floor volcanism
The internal ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa is thought to be a prime candidate for hosting extraterrestrial life. Europa’s silicate interior may contribute to habitability via the generation of reactants through hydrothermal activity, serpentinization, or other geological processes occurring on or just below Europa’s seafloor. However, silicate melting is thought to occur at >100 km...
Authors
A.P. Green, Catherine Elder, Michael Thomas Bland, Paul Tackley, Paul K. Byrne
Ageing of organic materials at the surface of Mars: A Raman study aboard Perseverance
The Perseverance rover is exploring Jezero crater on Mars, one of its goals being to collect samples to be returned to Earth to search for organic remains of ancient Martian life. However, the organic content of these rocks has likely suffered from the radiation environment on the surface of Mars to an extent yet to be quantified. For the first time, a 1000 sols long ageing experiment...
Authors
S. Bernard, Olivier Beyssac, J.A. Manrique, G. Lopez Reyes, A. Ollila, S. Le Mouelic, P.S.A. Beck, Paolo Pilleri, O. Forni, S. Julve-Gonzales, M. Veneranda, I. Reyes Rodriguez, J.M. Madariaga Mota, J. Aramenda, K. Castro, Elise Clave, C. Royer, T. Fornaro, B. Bousquet, S.K. Sharma, J.R. Johnson, E. Cloutis, Travis S.J. Gabriel, P.Y. Meslin, Olivier Gasnault, Agnès Cousin, R.C. Wiens, S. Maurice
Lunar grid systems, coordinate systems, and map projections for the Artemis missions and lunar surface navigation
ForewardThis document contains design specifications of a navigational standard for the Moon, including a Lunar Transverse Mercator system, a Lunar Polar Stereographic system, a Lunar Grid Reference System, and a unique coordinate structure, Artemis Condensed Coordinates, for Artemis mission navigation and lunar surface science.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)...
Authors
Mark T McClernan, Michael L. Dennis, Ike H. Theriot, Trent M. Hare, Brent A. Archinal, Lillian R. Ostrach, Marc A. Hunter, Matthew J. Miller, Ross A. Beyer, Andrew M. Annex, Samuel J. Lawrence
Phase 1 technical implementation plan for the expansion of the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system to Alaska
Executive SummaryThe conference report accompanying the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 117–103) for the U.S. Department of the Interior and related agencies directed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to “work with the State of Alaska to develop an implementation plan to be completed within two years in order to put ShakeAlert/Earthquake Early Warning in...
Authors
Cecily J. Wolfe, Natalia A. Ruppert, Douglas D. Given, Michael E. West, Valerie I. Thomas, Jessica R. Murray, Ronni Grapenthin
Migration of seismicity from the mantle to the upper crust beneath Harrat Lunayyir volcanic field, Saudi Arabia
Harrat Lunayyir is a volcanic field in Saudi Arabia that experienced a Mw~5.4 earthquake driven by an upper-crustal dike intrusion in May 2009. This volcanic field has exhibited numerous forms of volcanic seismicity both prior to and since the 2009 dike intrusion. Significantly, earthquakes within the lithospheric mantle and, rarely, the lower crust are present in the two-decade long...
Authors
Alexander R. Blanchette, Simon L. Klemperer, Walter D. Mooney, Turki A. Sehli