Images

Boat measurement - Paul and Katrina

After 5 years of drought, California finally got relief during the winter of 2016–2017 with much needed precipitation. One result of this additional moisture was a springtime abundance of wildflowers.

Inside the Lick Run gage house showing the instrumentation

Lick Run water quality instrumentation and automatic sampler intake

USGS gage 13011500 PACIFIC CREEK AT MORAN WY from the Dakota Water Science Center during winter 2017 with River in background. 

Mineral: Alumina-Zirconia Abrasive

Mineral Origin: Manufactured in Huntsville, AL (Sample on loan from J.B. Hedrick)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and zirconia

Primary Commodity Uses: This abrasive is primarily used in metal casting and the foundry process

Mineral: Bastnaesite (the reddish parts) in Carbonatite

Mineral Origin: Mountain Pass, CA

Primary Commodity: Rare earth elements

Mineral: Bauxite

Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium

Mineral: Bauxite

Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)

Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium

Mineral: Bertrandite (in carbonate clasts that have been largely replaced by fluorite (purple) that contains submicroscopic bertrandite)

Mineral Origin: Spor Mountain, UT

Primary Commodity: Beryllium

Primary Commodity: Bismuth

Primary Commodity Uses: Bismuth is the heaviest of the heavy metals and the only non-toxic one at that. As such, it’s seen a lot of use in replacements for lead, as well as in medications and atomic research.

Mineral: Chalcopyrite

Mineral Origin: Bingham Canyon, UT

Primary Commodity: Copper

Primary Commodity Uses: Copper is used primarily in electronics, mostly in building construction and industrial electronics.

Mineral: Chalcopyrite, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite

Mineral Origin: Creighton Mine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (Sample on loan from George J. Coakley)

Primary Commodity: Copper and nickel

Mineral: Chromite

Mineral Origin: Owings Mills, MD

Primary Commodity: Chromium

Primary Commodity Uses: Chromium mostly goes into stainless steel and other alloys, as well as in color pigments.

Rock: Conglomerate (Gold Ore) Contains sediments of Precambrian age; contains about 8 grams of gold per ton of rock.

Mineral: Feldspar
Primary Commodity: Feldspar
Primary Commodity Uses: Feldspar is one of the most common minerals on the planet and is mostly used for glassmaking and ceramics.

Mineral: Fluorite

Mineral Origin: Cave-in-Rock District, IL (Sample donated by H.B. Wood)

Primary Commodity: Fluorspar 

Mineral: Garnet Schist
Primary Commodity: Garnet
Primary Commodity Uses: Garnet is mostly used for abrasives, water filtration, and some electronics

Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock

Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY

Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite

Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking

Lead is a corrosion-resistant dense metal that is easily molded and shaped. 85% of lead in the US is used for lead-acid batteries, which are used in automobiles, as industrial-type batteries for standby power for computer and telecommunications networks, and for motive power.

USGS Hydrologic Technician Kim Cesal measuring 3170 cfs at 12409000 Colville River at Kettle Falls, WA. This measurement is the highest made at the gaging site. The gage has been in operation since October 1922. The gage was installed to monitor flows from Meyer Falls Dam and Power Generation.