Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16731
Vertical motions of the Puerto Rico Trench and Puerto Rico and their cause Vertical motions of the Puerto Rico Trench and Puerto Rico and their cause
The Puerto Rico trench exhibits great water depth, an extremely low gravity anomaly, and a tilted carbonate platform between (reconstructed) elevations of +1300 m and -4000 m. I argue that these features are manifestations of large vertical movements of a segment of the Puerto Rico trench, its forearc, and the island of Puerto Rico that took place 3.3 m.y. ago over a time period as short...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink
Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies
Ground water can facilitate earthquake development and respond physically and chemically to tectonism. Thus, an understanding of ground water circulation in seismically active regions is important for earthquake prediction. To investigate the roles of ground water in the development and prediction of earthquakes, geological and hydrogeological monitoring was conducted in a seismogenic...
Authors
W. Guangcai, Z. Zuochen, W. Min, C.A. Cravotta, L. Chenglong
Seismic architecture and lithofacies of turbidites in Lake Mead (Arizona and Nevada, U.S.A.), an analogue for topographically complex basins Seismic architecture and lithofacies of turbidites in Lake Mead (Arizona and Nevada, U.S.A.), an analogue for topographically complex basins
Turbidites, which have accumulated in Lake Mead since completion of the Hoover Dam in 1935, have been mapped using high-resolution seismic and coring techniques. This lake is an exceptional natural laboratory for studying fine-grained turbidite systems in complex topographic settings. The lake comprises four relatively broad basins separated by narrow canyons, and turbidity currents run...
Authors
D.C. Twichell, V.A. Cross, A.D. Hanson, B.J. Buck, J.G. Zybala, M.J. Rudin
Surficial geology of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound as shown by sidescan-sonar imagery Surficial geology of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound as shown by sidescan-sonar imagery
We used sidescan-sonar imagery detailing almost 300 km2 of the sea floor in west-central Long Island Sound in conjunction with bathymetry, sediment samples, bottom video, and seismic data to interpret the area's surficial geology. The distribution of sediments and sedimentary environments interpreted from these data sets represents the Quaternary geology, regional bathymetry, and effects...
Authors
K.Y. McMullen, L.J. Poppe, M. L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, M. S. Moser, E. B. Christman
Catastrophic meltwater discharge down the Hudson Valley: A potential trigger for the Intra-Allerød cold period Catastrophic meltwater discharge down the Hudson Valley: A potential trigger for the Intra-Allerød cold period
Glacial freshwater discharge to the Atlantic Ocean during deglaciation may have inhibited oceanic thermohaline circulation, and is often postulated to have driven climatic fluctuations. Yet attributing meltwater-discharge events to particular climate oscillations is problematic, because the location, timing, and amount of meltwater discharge are often poorly constrained. We present...
Authors
Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Neal W. Driscoll, Elazar Uchupi, Loyd D. Keigwin, William C. Schwab, E. Robert Thieler, Stephen A. Swift
Strange bedfellows - A deep-water hermatypic coral reef superimposed on a drowned barrier island; Southern Pulley Ridge, SW Florida platform margin Strange bedfellows - A deep-water hermatypic coral reef superimposed on a drowned barrier island; Southern Pulley Ridge, SW Florida platform margin
The southeastern component of a subtle ridge feature extending over 200 km along the western ramped margin of the south Florida platform, known as Pulley Ridge, is composed largely of a non-reefal, coastal marine deposit. Modern biostromal reef growth caps southern Pulley Ridge (SPR), making it the deepest hermatypic reef known in American waters. Subsurface ridge strata are layered...
Authors
B. D. Jarrett, A. C. Hine, R. B. Halley, D. F. Naar, S. D. Locker, A.C. Neumann, D. Twichell, C. Hu, B.T. Donahue, W.C. Jaap, D. Palandro, K. Ciembronowicz
Summer low flows in New England during the 20th Century Summer low flows in New England during the 20th Century
High springtime river flows came earlier by one to two weeks in large parts of northern New England during the 20th Century. In this study it was hypothesized that late spring/early summer recessional flows and late summer/early fall low flows could also be occurring earlier. This could result in a longer period of low flow recession and a decrease in the magnitude of low flows. To test...
Authors
Glenn A. Hodgkins, R. W. Dudley, Thomas G. Huntington
Physical properties of sediment containing methane gas hydrate Physical properties of sediment containing methane gas hydrate
A study conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) on the formation, behavior, and properties of mixtures of gas hydrate and sediment is presented. The results show that the properties of host material influence the type and quantity of hydrates formed. The presence of hydrate during mechanical shear tests affects the measured sediment pore pressure. Sediment shear strength may be...
Authors
W.J. Winters, W.F. Waite, D.H. Mason, L.Y. Gilbert
Structure and variability of the Western Maine Coastal Current Structure and variability of the Western Maine Coastal Current
Analyses of CTD and moored current meter data from 1998 and 2000 reveal a number of mechanisms influencing the flow along the western coast of Maine. On occasions, the Eastern Maine Coastal Current extends into the western Gulf of Maine where it takes the form of a deep (order 100 m deep) and broad (order 20 km wide) southwestward flow with geostrophic velocities exceeding 20 cm s -1...
Authors
J.H. Churchill, N.R. Pettigrew, R. P. Signell
North American Commission on stratigraphic nomenclature North American Commission on stratigraphic nomenclature
No abstract available.
Authors
R. M. Easton, J.O. Jones, A.C. Lenz, Ismael Ferrusquia-Villafranca, E. A. Mancini, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Lucy E. Edwards, B.R. Pratt
Mineral of the month: tin Mineral of the month: tin
Tin was one of the first metals discovered by humans and, like most metals, tin is rarely used by itself. Most tin is used as a protective coating or as an alloy with other metals in a diverse range of commercial and defense applications.
Authors
James F. Carlin
Mineral of the month: potash Mineral of the month: potash
In 1807, Sir Humphrey Davy discovered a metal during the electrolysis of potassium hydroxide; he named the metal potassium because it came from potash recovered from wood ashes. The four types of potash are the water-soluble compounds potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium-magnesium sulfate and potassium nitrate. The early uses of potash were in glass and soap manufacturing, as...
Authors
James P. Searls