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Seismic images of a tectonic subdivision of the Greenville Orogen beneath lakes Ontario and Erie Seismic images of a tectonic subdivision of the Greenville Orogen beneath lakes Ontario and Erie

New seismic data from marine air-gun and Vibroseis profiles in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie provide images of subhorizontal Phanerozoic sediments underlain by a remarkable series of easterly dipping reflections that extends from the crystalline basement to the lower crust. These reflections are interpreted as structural features of crustal-scale subdivisions within the Grenville Orogen...
Authors
D. A. Forsyth, Bernd Milkereit, A. Davidson, S. Hanmer, Deborah R. Hutchinson, W. J. Hinze, R.F. Mereu

Emplacement and inflation of pahoehoe sheet flows: observations and measurements of active lava flows on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii Emplacement and inflation of pahoehoe sheet flows: observations and measurements of active lava flows on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii

Inflated pahoehoe sheet flows have a distinctive horizontal upper surface, which can be several hundred meters across, and are bounded to steep monoclinal uplifts. The inflated sheet flows studied ranged from 1 to 5 m in thickness, but initially propagated as thin sheets of fluid pahoehoe lava, generally 20-30 cm thick. The morphology of the lava as flow advanced is described. Inflated...
Authors
K. Hon, J. Kauahikaua, R. Denlinger, K. Mackay

Landslide susceptibility in the Tully Valley area, Finger Lakes region, New York Landslide susceptibility in the Tully Valley area, Finger Lakes region, New York

As a consequence of a large landslide in the Tully Valley, Onondaga County, New York, an investigation was undertaken to determine the factors responsible for the landslide in order to develop a model for regional landslide susceptibility. The April 27, 1993 Tully Valley landslide occurred within glacial lake clays overlain by till and colluvium on gentle slopes of 9-12 degrees. The...
Authors
Stefan Jager, Gerald E. Wieczorek

Volcanic gas emissions and their impact on ambient air character at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii Volcanic gas emissions and their impact on ambient air character at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Currently, gas emissions from Kilauea occur from the summit caldera, along the middle East Rift Zone (ERZ), and where lava enters the ocean. We estimate that the current ERZ eruption of Kilauea releases between 400 metric tonnes of SO2 per day, during eruptive pauses, to as much as 1850 metric tonnes per day during actively erupting periods, along with lesser amounts of other chemically...
Authors
A. J. Sutton, T. Elias, R. Navarrete

Publications of the Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology for Calendar Year 1993 Publications of the Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology for Calendar Year 1993

This U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report [extract] contains a listing of publications authored or co-authored by members of the Branch of Atlantic Marine Geology and published in calendar year 1993. The Branch conducts a broad geologic and geophysical research and mapping program, primarily along the U.S. Atlantic Margin, in the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and...
Authors
Margaret C. Mons-Wengler, Robert N. Oldale

Rapid geomorphic change caused by glacial outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek, Mount Rainier, Washington, USA Rapid geomorphic change caused by glacial outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek, Mount Rainier, Washington, USA

As part of a hazards-assessment study, we examined the nature and rate of geomorphic change caused by outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek. Mount Rainier, since 1967. Archival aerial photographs of the area proved to be a rich source of qualitative geomorphic information. On the basis of limited direct evidence and considerations of stream hydrology, we conclude that...
Authors
J. S. Walder, C. L. Driedger

The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989: Strong ground motion The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989: Strong ground motion

Strong ground motion generated by the Loma Prieta, Calif., earthquake (MS~7.1) of October 17, 1989, resulted in at least 63 deaths, more than 3,757 injuries, and damage estimated to exceed $5.9 billion. Strong ground motion severely damaged critical lifelines (freeway overpasses, bridges, and pipelines), caused severe damage to poorly constructed buildings, and induced a significant...
Authors
Roger D. Borcherdt, A. Gerald Brady, A.F. Shakal, V.F. Cormier, Wei-Jou Su, Jeffry L. Stevens, Steven M. Day, John E. Vidale, Ornella Bonamassa, Paul G. Somerville, Nancy F. Smith, Robert Graves, Gary Glassmoyer, Kyle Rollins, Michael D. Mchood, Roman D. Hryciw, Matthew Homolka, Scott E. Shewbridge, Harvey Carlisle, Nicholas Sitar, Rodrigo Salgado, Pedro de Alba, J. Benoit, Daniel G. Pass, John Carter, T. Leslie Youd, E. H. Field, Susan E. Hough, K.H. Jacob, Paul A. Friberg, Arthur D. Frankel, R. Busby, Robert A. Williams, Edward Cranswick, Kenneth W. King, Grant T. Lindley, Ralph J. Archuleta, Janice M. Murphy, Steven G. Wesnousky

Tapping the Earth's natural heat Tapping the Earth's natural heat

T he Earth is a bountiful source of heat. It continuously produces heat at depth, primarily by the decay of naturally radioactive chemical elements (principally uranium, thorium, and potassium) that occur in small amounts in all rocks. This deep heat then rises toward the cooler surface, where scientists can measure the rate of its escape through the Earth's crust. The annual heat loss...
Authors
Wendell A. Duffield, J.H. Sass, M.L. Sorey

Potential effects of the Hawaii Geothermal Project on ground-water resources on the island of Hawaii Potential effects of the Hawaii Geothermal Project on ground-water resources on the island of Hawaii

In 1990, the State of Hawaii proposed the Hawaii Geothermal Project for the development of as much as 500 MW of electric power from the geothermal system in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano. This report uses data from 31 wells and 8 springs to describe the properties of the ground-water system in and adjacent to the East Rift Zone. Potential effects of this project on ground-water...
Authors
M.L. Sorey, E.M. Colvard

The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 — Hydrologic disturbances The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 — Hydrologic disturbances

Seismic events have long been known to cause changes in the level of oceans, streams, lakes, and the water table. The great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 induced significant hydrologic changes that were qualitatively similar to those changes observed for the Loma Prieta earthquake. What is different is that the hydrologic data sets collected from the Loma Prieta event have enough...
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