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Geochemical changes in crude oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez supertanker into Prince William Sound, Alaska Geochemical changes in crude oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez supertanker into Prince William Sound, Alaska

North Slope crude oil spilled from the T/V Exxon Valdez in March 1989 and contaminated about 500 km of Prince William Sound shoreline. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in oil samples collected in August 1990 and June 1992 from beaches on six islands impacted by the spill have been compared with the hydrocarbons from North Slope crude oil taken from the stricken tanker. Degradation...
Authors
Frances D. Hostettler, Keith A. Kvenvolden

Preliminary geomagnetic paleointensities from Long Valley Caldera, California Preliminary geomagnetic paleointensities from Long Valley Caldera, California

Paleointensities are being determined in order to characterize geomagnetic intensity variations during Quaternary time. Because the geomagnetic field acts as a shield against cosmic radiation, its intensity directly affects the production rate of radiocarbon (^C) in the upper atmosphere. Coe and others (1978) showed that the variation in dipole moment during Holocene time is nearly...
Authors
Edward A. Mankinen

The importance of earthquake-induced landslides to long-term slope erosion and slope-failure hazards in seismically active regions The importance of earthquake-induced landslides to long-term slope erosion and slope-failure hazards in seismically active regions

This paper describes a general method for determining the amount of earthquake-induced landsliding that occurs in a seismically active region over time; this determination can be used as a quantitative measure of the long-term hazard from seismically triggered landslides as well as a measure of the importance of this process to regional slope-erosion rates and landscape evolution. The...
Authors
D. K. Keefer

Seismic hazards at Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Hawaii Seismic hazards at Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Hawaii

A significant seismic hazard exists in south Hawaii from large tectonic earthquakes that can reach magnitude 8 and intensity XII. This paper quantifies the hazard by estimating the horizontal peak ground acceleration (PGA) in south Hawaii which occurs with a 90% probability of not being exceeded during exposure times from 10 to 250 years. The largest earthquakes occur beneath active...
Authors
F. W. Klein

Biogenic silica in Lake Baikal sediments: results from 1990-1992 American cores Biogenic silica in Lake Baikal sediments: results from 1990-1992 American cores

The Lake Baikal Paleoclimate Project is a joint Russian-American program established to study the paleoclimate of Central Asia. During three summer field seasons, duplicate Russian and American cores were taken at a number of sites in different sedimentary environments in the lake. Eight cores returned to the U.S. were quantitatively analyzed for biogenic silica using a single-step 5...
Authors
Susan J. Carter, Steven M. Colman

Eruptive activity at Mount St Helens, Washington, USA, 1984-1988: a gas geochemistry perspective Eruptive activity at Mount St Helens, Washington, USA, 1984-1988: a gas geochemistry perspective

The results from two different types of gas measurement, telemetered in situ monitoring of reducing gases on the dome and airborne measurements of sulfur dioxide emission rates in the plume by correlation spectrometry, suggest that the combination of these two methods is particularly effective in detecting periods of enhanced degassing that intermittently punctuate the normal background...
Authors
K.A. McGee, A. J. Sutton

Chaotic deposition by a giant wave, Molokai, Hawaii Chaotic deposition by a giant wave, Molokai, Hawaii

A coral-basalt breccia-conglomerate is exposed >60m above present sea level and nearly 2km inland from the present shoreline on the southwest side of East Molokai Volcano. This deposits was apparently laid down by a giant wave that broke over an outer reef, similar to the present fringing reef, and advanced as a turbulent bore over the back-reef flat, picking up a slurry of carbonate...
Authors
J.G. Moore, W.B. Bryan, K.R. Ludwig

Potential for seepage erosion of landslide dam Potential for seepage erosion of landslide dam

The failure potential of the debris-avalanche dam at Castle Lake near Mount St. Helens, Washington, by three processes of seepage erosion (1) Heave; (2) piping; and (3) internal erosion, is examined. Results indicated that the dam is stable against piping but potentially locally unstable against heave. -from Authors
Authors
W. Meyer, R. L. Schuster, M. A. Sabol

Seismic structure of the uppermost mantle beneath the Kenya rift Seismic structure of the uppermost mantle beneath the Kenya rift

A major goal of the Kenya Rift International Seismic Project (KRISP) 1990 experiment was the determination of deep lithospheric structure. In the refraction/wide-angle reflection part of the KRISP effort, the experiment was designed to obtain arrivals to distances in excess of 400 km. Phases from interfaces within the mantle were recorded from many shotpoints, and by design, the best...
Authors
Gordon R. Keller, J. Mechie, L.W. Braile, Walter D. Mooney, C. Prodehl
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