Science and Products
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
Alaska Geophysical Survey Interpretation
Available geophysical data for Alaska have not been fully exploited. Project objectives were to conduct systematic analysis of existing gravity, aeromagnetic and airborne electromagnetic data to map geologic trends, structural geologic and tectonic patterns, and identify key lithologies for direct integration with geologic framework and mineral potential studies.
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Silverton, Colorado, 2019
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during April and May 2019 along 1,467 line-kilometers in the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field. Data were acquired by Geotech, Ltd. with the versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM-ET) system together with a Geometrics optically pumped cesium vapor magnetometer. The
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data and inverted resistivity models, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May 2017
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected in collaboration with the Iowa Water Science Center for the City of Cedar Rapids to the west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The survey was flown between May 4 and May 5, 2017 along 347 line kilometers. Electromagnetic data were acquired using RESOLVE frequency-domain helicopter-borne electromagnetic system. Magnetic data were collected
Airborne Geophysical Survey Inventory of the Conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico (ver. 4.0, April 2023)
This data release is a compilation of the locations of airborne geophysical surveys in the United States. The inventory documents public airborne geophysical surveys primarily flown by or contracted by the USGS from 1943 to present. In addition, surveys from the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS): Airborne GeophysWeb, the Bureau
Ground conductivity measurements at selected National Wildlife Refuges, Montana and North Dakota, 2017-2018
Shallow subsurface electrical conductivity was mapped at selected U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed lands in northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota using the DUALEM421 electromagnetic sensor (Dualem, Inc., ON, Canada) in the winters of 2017 and 2018. Data were acquired by towing the DUALEM421 sensor on a sled behind an all-terrain vehicle or snow machine, with the sensor at a nominal he
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data of the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Silverton, Colorado, 2019
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during April and May 2019 along 1,467 line-kilometers in the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field. Data were acquired by Geotech, Ltd. with the versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM) system together with a Geometrics optically pumped cesium vapor magnetometer. The sur
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, Shellmound, Mississippi, March 2018
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired in late February to early March 2018 along 2,364 line-kilometers in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different helicopter-borne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. RESOLVE frequency-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structure
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Big Sioux aquifer, October 2015, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2015 along 769 line-kilometers over a 160-square-kilometer area that includes the Big Sioux aquifer between Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids, South Dakota, USA. Data were acquired with the CGG Resolve frequency-domain helicopter-borne electromagnetic system along with a cesium vapor magnetometer. Files included in thi
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, East Poplar Oil Field and surrounding area, October 2014, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2014 in a 553-square-kilometer area that includes the East Poplar oil field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana, USA. Data surround the town of Poplar and extend south into the Missouri River floodplain. Data were acquired with the SkyTEM301 transient electromagnetic helicopter-borne sys
High-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area
In late February to early March 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired 2,364 line-kilometers (km) of airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric data in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. The purpose of this survey is to contribute high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure to inform groundwater models, water resource infrastructure studies, and local decision
Filter Total Items: 86
Geophysical data provide three dimensional insights into porphyry copper systems in the Silverton caldera, Colorado, USA
The Silverton caldera in southwest Colorado, USA hosts polymetallic veins and pervasively altered rocks indicative of porphyry copper systems. Nearly a kilometer of erosion has exposed multiple levels of the hydrothermal systems from shallow lithocaps down to quartz-sericite-pyrite veins. New airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data are integrated with previous alteration mapping and porp
Authors
Eric Anderson, Douglas Yager, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Bennett Eugene Hoogenboom, Brian D. Rodriguez, Bruce Smith
Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources
The Williston Basin has been a leading oil and gas producing area for more than 50 years. While oil production initially peaked within the Williston Basin in the mid-1980s, production rapidly increased in the mid-2000s, largely because of improved horizontal (directional) drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods. In 2012, energy development associated with the Bakken Formation was identified as a
Authors
Timothy T. Bartos, Steven K. Sando, Todd M. Preston, Gregory C. Delzer, Robert F. Lundgren, Rochelle A. Nustad, Rodney R. Caldwell, Zell E. Peterman, Bruce D. Smith, Kathleen M. Macek-Rowland, David A. Bender, Jill D. Frankforter, Joel M. Galloway
Geological and geophysical data for a three-dimensional view—Inside the San Juan and Silverton Calderas, Southern Rocky Mountains Volcanic Field, Silverton, Colorado
IntroductionThe San Juan-Silverton caldera complex located near Silverton, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountains volcanic field is an ideal natural laboratory for furthering the understanding of shallow-to-deep volcanic-related mineral systems. Recent advances in geophysical data processing and three-dimensional (3D) model construction will help to characterize shallow properties important for
Authors
Douglas B. Yager, Eric D. Anderson, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Brian D. Rodriguez, Bruce D. Smith
Airborne geophysical surveys in the Boulder Watershed, Jefferson and Lewis and Clark Counties, Montana
INTRODUCTIONThree airborne geophysical surveys have been made in the Boulder watershed and adjacent areas (fig. 1). The objectives of the geophysical studies in the watershed is to map subsurface lithologic, structural and hydrologic features important in controlling possible ground water contamination from mining activities and to design remediation efforts. These studies are part of an abandoned
Authors
Bruce D. Smith, Victor Franklin Labson, Patricia L. Hill
Monitoring brine contamination using time-lapse airborne electromagnetic surveys, East Poplar Oil Field, Montana
Integrated geophysical and water-quality studies have been used to delineate areas of saline groundwater in shallow unconfined aquifers underlying the East Poplar oil field in northeastern Montana. In 2004, a RESOLVE survey was conducted over the oil field to identify high conductivity areas potentially associated with brine contamination and to map the shale unit comprising the base of aquifer. I
Authors
Lyndsay Ball, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Joanna Thamke, Bruce Smith
Construction of a groundwater-flow model for the Big Sioux Aquifer using airborne electromagnetic methods, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The city of Sioux Falls is the fastest growing community in South Dakota. In response to this continued growth and planning for future development, Sioux Falls requires a sustainable supply of municipal water. Planning and managing sustainable groundwater supplies requires a thorough understanding of local groundwater resources. The Big Sioux aquifer consists of glacial outwash sands and gravels a
Authors
Joshua F. Valder, Gregory C. Delzer, Janet M. Carter, Bruce D. Smith, David V. Smith
User’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data
GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are bundled together in R’s unit of sharable code, which
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith
Regional tectonic setting for the Trinidad earthquake swarms (2000-2012) from gravity and magnetic data
Earthquakes in the Raton basin near Trinidad, Colorado, (Figure 1) are located (Rubenstein et. al., 2014) near a major gravity and magnetic boundary. These earthquakes also occur in an area of hydrocarbon production that includes several high-capacity produced water injection wells. This presentation gives a very basic outline of the relation between the earthquakes, the potential field data, and
Authors
Carol A. Finn, Mason A. Kass, Bruce D. Smith
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data of the Paradox and San Luis Valleys, Colorado
In October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contracted airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys of the Paradox and San Luis Valleys in southern Colorado, United States. These airborne geophysical surveys provide high-resolution and spatially comprehensive datasets characterizing the resistivity structure of the shallow subsurface of each survey region, accompanied by magnetic-field inf
Authors
Lyndsay B. Ball, Benjamin R. Bloss, Paul A. Bedrosian, V. J. S. Grauch, Bruce D. Smith
A modified procedure for mixture-model clustering of regional geochemical data
A modified procedure is proposed for mixture-model clustering of regional-scale geochemical data. The key modification is the robust principal component transformation of the isometric log-ratio transforms of the element concentrations. This principal component transformation and the associated dimension reduction are applied before the data are clustered. The principal advantage of this modificat
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith, John D. Horton
USGS investigations of water produced during hydrocarbon reservoir development
Significant quantities of water are present in hydrocarbon reservoirs. When brought to the land surface during oil, gas, and coalbed methane production, the water—either naturally occurring or injected as a method to enhance production—is termed produced water. Produced water is currently managed through processes such as recycling, treatment and discharge, spreading on roads, evaporation or infil
Authors
Mark A. Engle, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Bruce D. Smith
Anthrax and the geochemistry of soils in the contiguous United States
Soil geochemical data from sample sites in counties that reported occurrences of anthrax in wildlife and livestock since 2000 were evaluated against counties within the same states (MN, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD and TX) that did not report occurrences. These data identified the elements, calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P) and strontium (Sr), as having statistically significant differences in co
Authors
Dale W. Griffin, Erin E. Silvestri, Charlena Y. Bowling, Timothy Boe, David B. Smith, Tonya L. Nichols
Science and Products
- Science
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston BasinAlaska Geophysical Survey Interpretation
Available geophysical data for Alaska have not been fully exploited. Project objectives were to conduct systematic analysis of existing gravity, aeromagnetic and airborne electromagnetic data to map geologic trends, structural geologic and tectonic patterns, and identify key lithologies for direct integration with geologic framework and mineral potential studies. - Data
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Silverton, Colorado, 2019
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during April and May 2019 along 1,467 line-kilometers in the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field. Data were acquired by Geotech, Ltd. with the versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM-ET) system together with a Geometrics optically pumped cesium vapor magnetometer. TheAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data and inverted resistivity models, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May 2017
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected in collaboration with the Iowa Water Science Center for the City of Cedar Rapids to the west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The survey was flown between May 4 and May 5, 2017 along 347 line kilometers. Electromagnetic data were acquired using RESOLVE frequency-domain helicopter-borne electromagnetic system. Magnetic data were collectedAirborne Geophysical Survey Inventory of the Conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico (ver. 4.0, April 2023)
This data release is a compilation of the locations of airborne geophysical surveys in the United States. The inventory documents public airborne geophysical surveys primarily flown by or contracted by the USGS from 1943 to present. In addition, surveys from the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS): Airborne GeophysWeb, the BureauGround conductivity measurements at selected National Wildlife Refuges, Montana and North Dakota, 2017-2018
Shallow subsurface electrical conductivity was mapped at selected U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed lands in northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota using the DUALEM421 electromagnetic sensor (Dualem, Inc., ON, Canada) in the winters of 2017 and 2018. Data were acquired by towing the DUALEM421 sensor on a sled behind an all-terrain vehicle or snow machine, with the sensor at a nominal heAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data of the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Silverton, Colorado, 2019
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during April and May 2019 along 1,467 line-kilometers in the San Juan-Silverton Caldera complex, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field. Data were acquired by Geotech, Ltd. with the versatile time-domain electromagnetic (VTEM) system together with a Geometrics optically pumped cesium vapor magnetometer. The surAirborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, Shellmound, Mississippi, March 2018
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired in late February to early March 2018 along 2,364 line-kilometers in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different helicopter-borne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. RESOLVE frequency-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structureAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Big Sioux aquifer, October 2015, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2015 along 769 line-kilometers over a 160-square-kilometer area that includes the Big Sioux aquifer between Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids, South Dakota, USA. Data were acquired with the CGG Resolve frequency-domain helicopter-borne electromagnetic system along with a cesium vapor magnetometer. Files included in thiAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, East Poplar Oil Field and surrounding area, October 2014, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2014 in a 553-square-kilometer area that includes the East Poplar oil field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana, USA. Data surround the town of Poplar and extend south into the Missouri River floodplain. Data were acquired with the SkyTEM301 transient electromagnetic helicopter-borne sys - Maps
High-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area
In late February to early March 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired 2,364 line-kilometers (km) of airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric data in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. The purpose of this survey is to contribute high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure to inform groundwater models, water resource infrastructure studies, and local decision - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 86
Geophysical data provide three dimensional insights into porphyry copper systems in the Silverton caldera, Colorado, USA
The Silverton caldera in southwest Colorado, USA hosts polymetallic veins and pervasively altered rocks indicative of porphyry copper systems. Nearly a kilometer of erosion has exposed multiple levels of the hydrothermal systems from shallow lithocaps down to quartz-sericite-pyrite veins. New airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data are integrated with previous alteration mapping and porpAuthorsEric Anderson, Douglas Yager, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Bennett Eugene Hoogenboom, Brian D. Rodriguez, Bruce SmithPotential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources
The Williston Basin has been a leading oil and gas producing area for more than 50 years. While oil production initially peaked within the Williston Basin in the mid-1980s, production rapidly increased in the mid-2000s, largely because of improved horizontal (directional) drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods. In 2012, energy development associated with the Bakken Formation was identified as aAuthorsTimothy T. Bartos, Steven K. Sando, Todd M. Preston, Gregory C. Delzer, Robert F. Lundgren, Rochelle A. Nustad, Rodney R. Caldwell, Zell E. Peterman, Bruce D. Smith, Kathleen M. Macek-Rowland, David A. Bender, Jill D. Frankforter, Joel M. GallowayGeological and geophysical data for a three-dimensional view—Inside the San Juan and Silverton Calderas, Southern Rocky Mountains Volcanic Field, Silverton, Colorado
IntroductionThe San Juan-Silverton caldera complex located near Silverton, Colorado, in the Southern Rocky Mountains volcanic field is an ideal natural laboratory for furthering the understanding of shallow-to-deep volcanic-related mineral systems. Recent advances in geophysical data processing and three-dimensional (3D) model construction will help to characterize shallow properties important forAuthorsDouglas B. Yager, Eric D. Anderson, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Brian D. Rodriguez, Bruce D. SmithAirborne geophysical surveys in the Boulder Watershed, Jefferson and Lewis and Clark Counties, Montana
INTRODUCTIONThree airborne geophysical surveys have been made in the Boulder watershed and adjacent areas (fig. 1). The objectives of the geophysical studies in the watershed is to map subsurface lithologic, structural and hydrologic features important in controlling possible ground water contamination from mining activities and to design remediation efforts. These studies are part of an abandonedAuthorsBruce D. Smith, Victor Franklin Labson, Patricia L. HillMonitoring brine contamination using time-lapse airborne electromagnetic surveys, East Poplar Oil Field, Montana
Integrated geophysical and water-quality studies have been used to delineate areas of saline groundwater in shallow unconfined aquifers underlying the East Poplar oil field in northeastern Montana. In 2004, a RESOLVE survey was conducted over the oil field to identify high conductivity areas potentially associated with brine contamination and to map the shale unit comprising the base of aquifer. IAuthorsLyndsay Ball, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Joanna Thamke, Bruce SmithConstruction of a groundwater-flow model for the Big Sioux Aquifer using airborne electromagnetic methods, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The city of Sioux Falls is the fastest growing community in South Dakota. In response to this continued growth and planning for future development, Sioux Falls requires a sustainable supply of municipal water. Planning and managing sustainable groundwater supplies requires a thorough understanding of local groundwater resources. The Big Sioux aquifer consists of glacial outwash sands and gravels aAuthorsJoshua F. Valder, Gregory C. Delzer, Janet M. Carter, Bruce D. Smith, David V. SmithUser’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data
GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are bundled together in R’s unit of sharable code, whichAuthorsKarl J. Ellefsen, David B. SmithRegional tectonic setting for the Trinidad earthquake swarms (2000-2012) from gravity and magnetic data
Earthquakes in the Raton basin near Trinidad, Colorado, (Figure 1) are located (Rubenstein et. al., 2014) near a major gravity and magnetic boundary. These earthquakes also occur in an area of hydrocarbon production that includes several high-capacity produced water injection wells. This presentation gives a very basic outline of the relation between the earthquakes, the potential field data, andAuthorsCarol A. Finn, Mason A. Kass, Bruce D. SmithAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data of the Paradox and San Luis Valleys, Colorado
In October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contracted airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys of the Paradox and San Luis Valleys in southern Colorado, United States. These airborne geophysical surveys provide high-resolution and spatially comprehensive datasets characterizing the resistivity structure of the shallow subsurface of each survey region, accompanied by magnetic-field infAuthorsLyndsay B. Ball, Benjamin R. Bloss, Paul A. Bedrosian, V. J. S. Grauch, Bruce D. SmithA modified procedure for mixture-model clustering of regional geochemical data
A modified procedure is proposed for mixture-model clustering of regional-scale geochemical data. The key modification is the robust principal component transformation of the isometric log-ratio transforms of the element concentrations. This principal component transformation and the associated dimension reduction are applied before the data are clustered. The principal advantage of this modificatAuthorsKarl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith, John D. HortonUSGS investigations of water produced during hydrocarbon reservoir development
Significant quantities of water are present in hydrocarbon reservoirs. When brought to the land surface during oil, gas, and coalbed methane production, the water—either naturally occurring or injected as a method to enhance production—is termed produced water. Produced water is currently managed through processes such as recycling, treatment and discharge, spreading on roads, evaporation or infilAuthorsMark A. Engle, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Bruce D. SmithAnthrax and the geochemistry of soils in the contiguous United States
Soil geochemical data from sample sites in counties that reported occurrences of anthrax in wildlife and livestock since 2000 were evaluated against counties within the same states (MN, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD and TX) that did not report occurrences. These data identified the elements, calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P) and strontium (Sr), as having statistically significant differences in coAuthorsDale W. Griffin, Erin E. Silvestri, Charlena Y. Bowling, Timothy Boe, David B. Smith, Tonya L. Nichols