Publications
Here you will find publications, reports and articles produced by Energy and Mineral scientists. For a comprehensive listing of all USGS publications please click the button below.
Filter Total Items: 1168
The Provo shoreline of Lake Bonneville
G.K. Gilbert studied the Bonneville basin 150 years ago and his findings have largely stood the test of time: The Provo shoreline, the most prominent geomorphic feature of Lake Bonneville, reflects threshold-stabilized overflow of the lake after the Bonneville flood and before a drier climate caused the lake to shrink. Subsequent refinements in chronology allow the Provo lake to be identified as a
Authors
David M. Miller
Late Neogene deformation of the Chocolate Mountains Anticlinorium: Implications for deposition of the Bouse Formation and early evolution of the Lower Colorado River
Deformation related to late Neogene dextral shear can explain a shift from an estuarine to lacustrine depositional environment in the southern Bouse Formation north of Yuma, Arizona. We infer that late Neogene deformation in the Chocolate Mountain Anticlinorium (CMA) created a barrier that blocked an estuary inlet, and that pre-existing and possibly active structures subsequently controlled the lo
Authors
Sue Beard, Gordon B. Haxel, Rebecca J. Dorsey, Kristin A. McDougall, Carl E. Jacobsen
Spatial database for a global assessment of undiscovered copper resources: Chapter Z in Global mineral resource assessment
As part of the first-ever U.S. Geological Survey global assessment of undiscovered copper resources, data common to several regional spatial databases published by the U.S. Geological Survey, including one report from Finland and one from Greenland, were standardized, updated, and compiled into a global copper resource database. This integrated collection of spatial databases provides location, ge
Authors
Connie L. Dicken, Pamela Dunlap, Heather L. Parks, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Michael L. Zientek
GIS methodology for geothermal play fairway analysis: Example from the Snake River Plain volcanic province
Play fairway analysis in geothermal exploration derives from a systematic methodology originally developed within the petroleum industry and is based on a geologic and hydrologic framework of identified geothermal systems. We are tailoring this methodology to study the geothermal resource potential of the Snake River Plain and surrounding region. This project has contributed to the success of this
Authors
Jacob DeAngelo, John W. Shervais, Jonathan M. Glen, Dennis L. Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Charles Visser, Lee M. Liberty, Drew Siler, James P. Evans, Sean Santellanes
Aeromagnetic map of northwest Utah and adjacent parts of Nevada and Idaho
Two aeromagnetic surveys were flown to promote further understanding of the geology and structure in northwest Utah and adjacent parts of Nevada and Idaho by serving as a basis for geophysical interpretations and by supporting geological mapping, water and mineral resource investigations, and other topical studies. Although this area is in general sparsely populated, (except for cities and towns a
Authors
Victoria E. Langenheim
Hyperspectral surveying for mineral resources in Alaska
Alaska is a major producer of base and precious metals and has a high potential for additional undiscovered mineral resources. However, discovery is hindered by Alaska’s vast size, remoteness, and rugged terrain. New methods are needed to overcome these obstacles in order to fully evaluate Alaska’s geology and mineral resource potential. Hyperspectral surveying is one method that can be used to ra
Authors
Raymond F. Kokaly, Garth E. Graham, Todd M. Hoefen, Karen D. Kelley, Michaela R. Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard
The Pilot Valley shoreline: An early record of Lake Bonneville dynamics
The Pilot Valley shoreline is named for distinctive gravel beaches on the eastern, northern, and western sides of Pilot Valley playa, Utah. The shoreline has been identified across the Bonneville basin where it is characterized by one to three beach crests between ~ 1305 and 1309 m elevation, all overlain by deep-water marl of Lake Bonneville. It thus represents the lowest and earliest recognized
Authors
David M. Miller, Geoffrey Phelps
Contemporary deformation in the Yakima fold and thrust belt estimated with GPS
Geodetic, geologic and palaeomagnetic data reveal that Oregon (western USA) rotates clockwise at 0.3 to 1.0° Ma−1 (relative to North America) about an axis near the Idaho–Oregon–Washington border, while northeast Washington is relatively fixed. This rotation has been going on for at least 15 Ma. The Yakima fold and thrust belt (YFTB) forms the boundary between northern Oregon and central Washingto
Authors
Robert McCaffrey, Robert W. King, Ray Wells, Matthew Lancaster, M. Meghan Miller
Architecture, geochemistry, and paleomagnetic directions of the 5.42 Ma Broadwell Mesa basalt volcanic field, Bristol Mountains, California
No abstract available.
Authors
David C. Buesch, Geoffrey Phelps
Accretionary lapilli: what’s holding them together?
Accretionary lapilli from Tagus cone, Isla Isabela, Galápagos were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. Our main findings are (1) the lapilli formed and hardened in a few minutes while still aloft in the dispersing eruption column. (2) Palagonite rinds developed first on the basaltic glass clasts, and subsequently crystallized
Authors
Paul M. Adams, David K. Lynch, David C. Buesch
Isotopically constrained lead sources in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the southeast Missouri mining district
The isotopic composition of lead (Pb) in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end-member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members se
Authors
Emitt C. Witt, Michael Pribil, John P. Hogan, David Wronkiewicz
Chemical abrasion-SIMS (CA-SIMS) U-Pb dating of zircon from the late Eocene Caetano caldera, Nevada
Zircon geochronology is a critical tool for establishing geologic ages and time scales of processes in the Earth's crust. However, for zircons compromised by open system behavior, achieving robust dates can be difficult. Chemical abrasion (CA) is a routine step prior to thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) dating of zircon to remove radiation-damaged parts of grains that may have experience
Authors
Kathryn E. Watts, Matthew A. Coble, Jorge A. Vazquez, Christopher D. Henry, Joseph Colgan, David John
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center