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Distinguishing between debris flows and floods from field evidence in small watersheds Distinguishing between debris flows and floods from field evidence in small watersheds

Post-flood indirect measurement techniques to back-calculate flood magnitude are not valid for debris flows, which commonly occur in small steep watersheds during intense rainstorms. This is because debris flows can move much faster than floods in steep channel reaches and much slower than floods in low-gradient reaches. In addition, debris-flow deposition may drastically alter channel...
Authors
Thomas C. Pierson

Steam explosions, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions -- what's in Yellowstone's future? Steam explosions, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions -- what's in Yellowstone's future?

Yellowstone, one of the world’s largest active volcanic systems, has produced several giant volcanic eruptions in the past few million years, as well as many smaller eruptions and steam explosions. Although no eruptions of lava or volcanic ash have occurred for many thousands of years, future eruptions are likely. In the next few hundred years, hazards will most probably be limited to...
Authors
Jacob B. Lowenstern, Robert L. Christiansen, Robert B. Smith, Lisa A. Morgan, Henry Heasler

Reconnaissance gas measurements on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy Reconnaissance gas measurements on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

We report the results of a set of measurements of volcanic gases on two small ground level plumes in the vicinity of Pu`u `O`o cone on the middle East Rift Zone (ERZ) of Kilauea volcano, Hawai`i on 15 June 2001 using open-path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The work was carried out as a reconnaissance survey to assess the monitoring and research value of FTIR...
Authors
Kenneth A. McGee, Tamar Elias, A. Jefferson Sutton, Michael P. Doukas, Peter G. Zemek, Terrence M. Gerlach

Tephra layers of Blind Spring Valley and related upper Pliocene and Pleistocene tephra layers, California, Nevada, and Utah: Isotopic ages, correlation, and magnetostratigraphy Tephra layers of Blind Spring Valley and related upper Pliocene and Pleistocene tephra layers, California, Nevada, and Utah: Isotopic ages, correlation, and magnetostratigraphy

Numerical ages have been determined for a stratigraphic sequence of silicic tephra layers exposed at the Cowan Pumice Mine in Blind Spring Valley, near Benton Hot Springs, east-central California, as well as at Chalk Cliffs, north of Bishop, Calif. The tephra layers at these sites were deposited after eruptions from nearby sources, most of them from near Glass Mountain, and some from...
Authors
Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, Marith C. Reheis, Malcolm S. Pringle, Robert J. Fleck, Doug Burbank, Charles E. Meyer, Janet L. Slate, Elmira Wan, James R. Budahn, Bennie Troxel, James P. Walker

Erratum: Empirical evidence for acceleration-dependent amplification factors Erratum: Empirical evidence for acceleration-dependent amplification factors

Incorrect versions of Figures 5 and 6 containing normalization errors were accidentally published by Borcherdt (2002). They should be replaced with the figures shown here. The text and tabulated regression values published in Borcherdt (2002) are correct and refer to the figures shown here.
Authors
Roger D. Borcherdt

Direct measurement of methane hydrate composition along the hydrate equilibrium boundary Direct measurement of methane hydrate composition along the hydrate equilibrium boundary

The composition of methane hydrate, namely nw for CH4·nwH2O, was directly measured along the hydrate equilibrium boundary under conditions of excess methane gas. Pressure and temperature conditions ranged from 1.9 to 9.7 MPa and 263 to 285 K. Within experimental error, there is no change in hydrate composition with increasing pressure along the equilibrium boundary, but nw may show a...
Authors
S. Circone, Stephen H. Kirby, Laura A. Stern

High-resolution seismic-reflection image of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia High-resolution seismic-reflection image of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia

A 1-kilometer-long (0.62-mile-long) seismic reflection and refraction profile collected at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., provides a detailed image of part of the annular trough of the buried, 35-million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact structure. This profile passes within 5 meters (m; 16.4 feet (ft)) of a 635.1-m-deep (2...
Authors
Rufus D. Catchings, David S. Powars, Gregory Gohn, Mark R. Goldman

Integrated surface and borehole strong-motion, soil-response arrays in San Francisco, California: Empirical measurements of low-strain site coefficients at site class E and D soil sites Integrated surface and borehole strong-motion, soil-response arrays in San Francisco, California: Empirical measurements of low-strain site coefficients at site class E and D soil sites

An integrated set of four borehole arrays and ten surface installations is installed in the city of San Francisco, California to measure the response of soft-soil deposits to strong earthquake ground motions. The borehole arrays extend through thick layers of soft water-saturated soils of Holocene age and older more consolidated soils of Pleistocene age into bedrock at depths up to 90 m...
Authors
Roger D. Borcherdt, G. Glassmoyer, Christopher M. Dietel, R.E. Westerlund
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