Publications
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Method development for analysis of urban dust using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry to detect the possible presence of world trade center dust constituents
The collapse of the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001, sent dust and debris across much of Manhattan and in the surrounding areas. Indoor and outdoor dust samples were collected and characterized by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS). From this characterization, the U.S. Environmental Protection Ag
Authors
A.M. Bern, H.A. Lowers, G.P. Meeker, J.A. Rosati
Understanding contaminants associated with mineral deposits
Interdisciplinary studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have resulted in substantial progress in understanding the processes that controlthe release of metals and acidic water from inactive mines and mineralized areas,the transport of metals and acidic water to streams, andthe fate and effect of metals and acidity on downstream ecosystems.The potential environmental effects associated with
Authors
Philip L. Verplanck
Leachate Geochemical Results for Ash and Burned Soil Samples from the October 2007 Southern California Wildfires
This report is the second release of leachate geochemical data included as part of a multidisciplinary study of ash and burned soil samples from the October 2007 wildfires in southern California. Geochemical data for the first set of samples were released in an Open-File Report (Plumlee and others, 2007). This study is a continuation of that work.
The objectives of this leaching study are to aid
Authors
Philip L. Hageman, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Deborah A. Martin, Todd M. Hoefen, Gregory P. Meeker, Monique Adams, Paul J. Lamothe, Michael W. Anthony
Chemistry, mineralogy, and petrology of amphibole in Mount St. Helens 2004-2006 dacite
Textural, compositional, and mineralogical data are
reported and interpreted for a large population of clinoamphibole phenocrysts in 22 samples from the seven successive
dacite spines erupted at Mount St. Helens between October
2004 and January 2006. Despite the uniformity in bulk composition of magma erupted since 2004, there is striking textural
and compositional diversity among amphibole ph
Authors
Carl R. Thornber, John S. Pallister, Heather Lowers, Michael C. Rowe, Charlie Mandeville, Gregory P. Meeker
Petrology of the 2004-2006 Mount St. Helens lava dome -- implications for magmatic plumbing and eruption triggering
Eighteen years after dome-forming eruptions ended in
1986, and with little warning, Mount St. Helens began to
erupt again in October 2004. During the ensuing two years,
the volcano extruded more than 80×106
m3
of gas-poor,
crystal-rich dacite lava. The 2004-6 dacite is remarkably
uniform in bulk-rock composition and, at 65 percent SiO2
,
among the richest in silica and most depleted in inc
Authors
John S. Pallister, Carl R. Thornber, Katharine V. Cashman, Michael A. Clynne, Heather Lowers, Charlie Mandeville, Isabelle K. Brownfield, Gregory P. Meeker
Preliminary analytical results for ash and burned soils from the October 2007 southern California wildfires
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected ash and burned soils from about 28 sites in southern California wildfire areas (Harris, Witch, Ammo, Santiago, Canyon and Grass Valley) from Nov. 2 through 9, 2007 (table 1). USGS researchers are applying a wide variety of analytical methods to these samples, with the goal of helping identify characteristics of the ash and soils from wildland and suburba
Authors
Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Deborah A. Martin, Todd Hoefen, Raymond F. Kokaly, Philip Hageman, Alison Eckberg, Gregory P. Meeker, Monique Adams, Michael Anthony, Paul J. Lamothe
Compositional Data for Bengal Delta Sediment Collected from a Borehole at Rajoir, Bangladesh
Processes active within sediment of the Bengal basin have attracted world concern because of the locally high content of arsenic dissolved in ground water drawn from that sediment. Sediment samples were collected from a borehole in the town of Rajoir, Rajoir upazila, Madaripur district, Bangladesh, to investigate the processes contributing to arsenic contamination. The samples were mineralogically
Authors
George N. Breit, James C. Yount, Md. Nehal Uddin, Ad. Atual Muneem, Heather Lowers, Cyrus J. Berry, John W. Whitney
Characterization of flood sediments from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and potential implications for human health and the environment
The flooding in the greater New Orleans, La., area that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September 2005 left behind accumulations of sediments up to many centimeters thick on streets, lawns, parking lots, and other flat surfaces (fig. 1). During the flood dewatering and subsequent cleanup, there were concerns that these sediments might contain pathogens and chemical contamin
Authors
Geoffrey S. Plumlee, William T. Foreman, Dale W. Griffin, John K. Lovelace, Gregory P. Meeker, Charles R. Demas
Mineralogy and Morphology of Amphiboles Observed in Soils and Rocks in El Dorado Hills, California
From the Executive Summary: At the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted an independent study of amphiboles in rocks and soils in the El Dorado Hills, California, area. The purpose of this study is to investigate specific issues regarding the presence of 'naturally occurring asbestos' raised by an USEPA activity-based sampling
Authors
G.P. Meeker, H.A. Lowers, G.A. Swayze, B. S. Van Gosen, S. J. Sutley, I. K. Brownfield
USGS environmental characterization of flood sediments left in the New Orleans area after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 2005 — Progress Report
Introduction: The flooding in the greater New Orleans area that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in September, 2005, left behind accumulations of sediments up to many centimeters thick on streets, lawns, parking lots, and other flat surfaces. These flood sediment deposits have been the focus of extensive study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Louisiana Department of E
Authors
Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Gregory P. Meeker, John K. Lovelace, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Paul J. Lamothe, Edward T. Furlong, Charles R. Demas
Spectroscopic and x-ray diffraction analyses of asbestos in the World Trade Center dust: Asbestos content of the settled dust
On September 17 and 18, 2001, samples of settled dust and airfall debris were collected from 34 sites within a 1-km radius of the WTC collapse site, including a sample from an indoor location unaffected by rainfall, and samples of insulation from two steel beams at Ground Zero. Laboratory spectral and x-ray diffraction analyses of the field samples detected trace levels of serpentine minerals, inc
Authors
Gregg A. Swayze, Roger N. Clark, Stephen J. Sutley, Todd M. Hoefen, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Gregory P. Meeker, Isabelle Brownfield, Keith E. Livo, Laurie C. Morath
Relationship between quartz trace elements and SEM-Cathodoluminescence textures revealed using WDS mapping techniques
[No abstract available]
Authors
H.A. Lowers, B.G. Rusk