James F Howle - California Water Science Center
Science and Products
San Antonio Reservoir Bathymetric Survey and Sedimentation Study
Over time, the flow of water into the San Antonio Reservoir has caused the build-up of sediment, decreasing storage capacity. Since water storage is a crucial issue in California, up-to-date information on the reservoir is needed. To accomplish this, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approached the USGS California Water Science Center to conduct a bathymetric (depth) survey and other...
Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data from Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014-17.
High-resolution, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), was used to quantify the volume of sediment eroded from outcrops at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, located about 17 kilometers (km) northeast of Grass Valley, California. TLS was used to create centimeter-scale, three-dimensional (3-D) maps of the complex outcrop surfaces, which could not be mapped non-destructively or in sufficient detail
Filter Total Items: 29
Quantifying erosion rates by using terrestrial laser scanning at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014–17
The abandoned hydraulic mine pit at Malakoff Diggins near Grass Valley, California, can produce large volumes of eroded sediment transportable by storm runoff. Sediment-laden water discharged from the pit is a major source of heavy metals to Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River. To develop a comprehensive sediment budget for the Malakoff Diggins mine pit and identify sources of sediment and metal
Authors
James F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Alfred J. Ward, Sandra Bond, Jennifer A. Curtis
Quantifying the eroded and deposited mass of mercury-contaminated sediment by using terrestrial laser scanning at the confluence of Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River, Nevada County, California, 2011–13
High-resolution, terrestrial laser scanning, also known as ground-based lidar (light detection and ranging), was used to quantify the volume of mercury-contaminated sediment eroded from an outcrop of historical placer-mining debris at the confluence of Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 17 kilometers northeast of Grass Valley, California, and delivered to a
Authors
James F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Jeffrey Kitchen, Gerald W. Bawden, Sandra Bond
Hydraulic, geochemical, and thermal monitoring of an aquifer system in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California, 2015–17
Since 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, Mono County, Ormat Technologies, Inc., and the Mammoth Community Water District to design and implement a groundwater-monitoring program for the proposed Casa Diablo IV Geothermal Power Project in Long Valley Caldera, California, to characterize baseline groundwater-level, water-temperature,
Authors
James F. Howle, William C. Evans, Devin L. Galloway, Paul A. Hsieh, Shaul Hurwitz, Gregory A. Smith, Joseph Nawikas
Evaluation of land subsidence and ground failures at Bicycle Basin, Fort Irwin National Training Center, California, 1992–2017
Groundwater has been pumped in the Bicycle Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center since the 1960s, and the amount pumped has generally increased since the 1990s. After a large crack (approximately 0.5-kilometer long) formed at the surface of Bicycle Lake playa during 2005–06 in the area used as an aircraft runway, a monitoring study was initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation
Authors
Jill N. Densmore, Kevin M. Ellett, Michelle Sneed, Justin T. Brandt, James F. Howle, Andrew Y. Morita, Rodrigo Borela, Antonio Bobet, Drew C. Thayer
Hot water in the Long Valley Caldera—The benefits and hazards of this large natural resource
The volcanic processes that have shaped the Long Valley Caldera in eastern California have also created an abundant supply of natural hot water. This natural resource provides benefits to many users, including power generation at the Casa Diablo Geothermal Plant, warm water for a state fish hatchery, and beautiful scenic areas such as Hot Creek gorge for visitors. However, some features can be dan
Authors
William C. Evans, Shaul Hurwitz, Deborah Bergfeld, James F. Howle
Electrical resistivity investigation of fluvial geomorphology to evaluate potential seepage conduits to agricultural lands along the San Joaquin River, Merced County, California, 2012–13
Increased flows in the San Joaquin River, part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, are designed to help restore fish populations. However, increased seepage losses could result from these higher restoration flows, which could exacerbate existing drainage problems in neighboring agricultural lands and potentially damage crops. Channel deposits of abandoned river meanders that are hydrauli
Authors
Krishangi D. Groover, Matthew K. Burgess, James F. Howle, Steven P. Phillips
Quantifying the eroded volume of mercury-contaminated sediment using terrestrial laser scanning at Stocking Flat, Deer Creek, Nevada County, California, 2010–13
High-resolution ground-based light detection and ranging (lidar), also known as terrestrial laser scanning, was used to quantify the volume of mercury-contaminated sediment eroded from a stream cutbank at Stocking Flat along Deer Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 3 kilometers west of Nevada City, California. Terrestrial laser scanning was used to collect sub-centimeter, three-dimensional
Authors
James F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Gerald W. Bawden, Sandra Bond
Magmatic gas emissions at Holocene volcanic features near Mono Lake, California, and their relation to regional magmatism
Silicic lavas have erupted repeatedly in the Mono Basin over the past few thousand years, forming the massive domes and coulees of the Mono Craters chain and the smaller island vents in Mono Lake. We report here on the first systematic study of magmatic CO2 emissions from these features, conducted during 2007–2010. Most notably, a known locus of weak steam venting on the summit of North Coulee is
Authors
D. Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James F. Howle, Andrew G. Hunt
Three-dimensional imaging, change detection, and stability assessment during the centerline trench levee seepage experiment using terrestrial light detection and ranging technology, Twitchell Island, California, 2012
A full scale field seepage test was conducted on a north-south trending levee segment of a now bypassed old meander belt on Twitchell Island, California, to understand the effects of live and decaying root systems on levee seepage and slope stability. The field test in May 2012 was centered on a north-south trench with two segments: a shorter control segment and a longer seepage test segment. The
Authors
Gerald W. Bawden, James Howle, Sandra Bond, Michelle Shriro, Peter Buck
Airborne LiDAR analysis and geochronology of faulted glacial moraines in the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone reveal substantial seismic hazards in the Lake Tahoe region, California-Nevada USA
We integrated high-resolution bare-earth airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery with field observations and modern geochronology to characterize the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, which forms the neotectonic boundary between the Sierra Nevada and the Basin and Range Province west of Lake Tahoe. The LiDAR imagery clearly delineates active normal faults that have displaced late Pleis
Authors
James F. Howle, Gerald W. Bawden, Richard A. Schweickert, Robert C. Finkel, Lewis E. Hunter, Ronn S. Rose, Brent von Twistern
Hydrologic conditions and terrestrial laser scanning of post-firedebris flows in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, U.S.A
To investigate rainfall-runoff conditions that generate post-wildfire debris flows, we instrumented and surveyed steep, small watersheds along the tectonically active front of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Fortuitously, we recorded runoff-generated debris-flows triggered by one spatially restricted convective event with 28 mm of rainfall falling over 62 minutes. Our rain gages, nested hil
Authors
K. M. Schmidt, M. N. Hanshaw, J. F. Howle, J. W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, J. D. Stock, W. Bawdeng
Hydrologic conditions and terrestrial laser scanning of post-fire debris flows in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, U.S.A.
To investigate rainfall-runoff conditions that generate post-wildfire debris flows, we instrumented and surveyed steep, small watersheds along the tectonically active front of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Fortuitously, we recorded runoff-generated debris-flows triggered by one spatially restricted convective event with 28 mm of rainfall falling over 62 minutes. Our rain gages, nested hil
Authors
Kevin M. Schmidt, M. N. Hanshaw, James F. Howle, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, Jonathan D. Stock, Gerald W. Bawden
Science and Products
- Science
San Antonio Reservoir Bathymetric Survey and Sedimentation Study
Over time, the flow of water into the San Antonio Reservoir has caused the build-up of sediment, decreasing storage capacity. Since water storage is a crucial issue in California, up-to-date information on the reservoir is needed. To accomplish this, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approached the USGS California Water Science Center to conduct a bathymetric (depth) survey and other... - Data
Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data from Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014-17.
High-resolution, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), was used to quantify the volume of sediment eroded from outcrops at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, located about 17 kilometers (km) northeast of Grass Valley, California. TLS was used to create centimeter-scale, three-dimensional (3-D) maps of the complex outcrop surfaces, which could not be mapped non-destructively or in sufficient detail - Publications
Filter Total Items: 29
Quantifying erosion rates by using terrestrial laser scanning at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Nevada County, California, 2014–17
The abandoned hydraulic mine pit at Malakoff Diggins near Grass Valley, California, can produce large volumes of eroded sediment transportable by storm runoff. Sediment-laden water discharged from the pit is a major source of heavy metals to Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River. To develop a comprehensive sediment budget for the Malakoff Diggins mine pit and identify sources of sediment and metalAuthorsJames F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Alfred J. Ward, Sandra Bond, Jennifer A. CurtisQuantifying the eroded and deposited mass of mercury-contaminated sediment by using terrestrial laser scanning at the confluence of Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River, Nevada County, California, 2011–13
High-resolution, terrestrial laser scanning, also known as ground-based lidar (light detection and ranging), was used to quantify the volume of mercury-contaminated sediment eroded from an outcrop of historical placer-mining debris at the confluence of Humbug Creek and the South Yuba River in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 17 kilometers northeast of Grass Valley, California, and delivered to aAuthorsJames F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Jeffrey Kitchen, Gerald W. Bawden, Sandra BondHydraulic, geochemical, and thermal monitoring of an aquifer system in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California, 2015–17
Since 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, Mono County, Ormat Technologies, Inc., and the Mammoth Community Water District to design and implement a groundwater-monitoring program for the proposed Casa Diablo IV Geothermal Power Project in Long Valley Caldera, California, to characterize baseline groundwater-level, water-temperature,AuthorsJames F. Howle, William C. Evans, Devin L. Galloway, Paul A. Hsieh, Shaul Hurwitz, Gregory A. Smith, Joseph NawikasEvaluation of land subsidence and ground failures at Bicycle Basin, Fort Irwin National Training Center, California, 1992–2017
Groundwater has been pumped in the Bicycle Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center since the 1960s, and the amount pumped has generally increased since the 1990s. After a large crack (approximately 0.5-kilometer long) formed at the surface of Bicycle Lake playa during 2005–06 in the area used as an aircraft runway, a monitoring study was initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperationAuthorsJill N. Densmore, Kevin M. Ellett, Michelle Sneed, Justin T. Brandt, James F. Howle, Andrew Y. Morita, Rodrigo Borela, Antonio Bobet, Drew C. ThayerHot water in the Long Valley Caldera—The benefits and hazards of this large natural resource
The volcanic processes that have shaped the Long Valley Caldera in eastern California have also created an abundant supply of natural hot water. This natural resource provides benefits to many users, including power generation at the Casa Diablo Geothermal Plant, warm water for a state fish hatchery, and beautiful scenic areas such as Hot Creek gorge for visitors. However, some features can be danAuthorsWilliam C. Evans, Shaul Hurwitz, Deborah Bergfeld, James F. HowleElectrical resistivity investigation of fluvial geomorphology to evaluate potential seepage conduits to agricultural lands along the San Joaquin River, Merced County, California, 2012–13
Increased flows in the San Joaquin River, part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, are designed to help restore fish populations. However, increased seepage losses could result from these higher restoration flows, which could exacerbate existing drainage problems in neighboring agricultural lands and potentially damage crops. Channel deposits of abandoned river meanders that are hydrauliAuthorsKrishangi D. Groover, Matthew K. Burgess, James F. Howle, Steven P. PhillipsQuantifying the eroded volume of mercury-contaminated sediment using terrestrial laser scanning at Stocking Flat, Deer Creek, Nevada County, California, 2010–13
High-resolution ground-based light detection and ranging (lidar), also known as terrestrial laser scanning, was used to quantify the volume of mercury-contaminated sediment eroded from a stream cutbank at Stocking Flat along Deer Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 3 kilometers west of Nevada City, California. Terrestrial laser scanning was used to collect sub-centimeter, three-dimensionalAuthorsJames F. Howle, Charles N. Alpers, Gerald W. Bawden, Sandra BondMagmatic gas emissions at Holocene volcanic features near Mono Lake, California, and their relation to regional magmatism
Silicic lavas have erupted repeatedly in the Mono Basin over the past few thousand years, forming the massive domes and coulees of the Mono Craters chain and the smaller island vents in Mono Lake. We report here on the first systematic study of magmatic CO2 emissions from these features, conducted during 2007–2010. Most notably, a known locus of weak steam venting on the summit of North Coulee isAuthorsD. Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James F. Howle, Andrew G. HuntThree-dimensional imaging, change detection, and stability assessment during the centerline trench levee seepage experiment using terrestrial light detection and ranging technology, Twitchell Island, California, 2012
A full scale field seepage test was conducted on a north-south trending levee segment of a now bypassed old meander belt on Twitchell Island, California, to understand the effects of live and decaying root systems on levee seepage and slope stability. The field test in May 2012 was centered on a north-south trench with two segments: a shorter control segment and a longer seepage test segment. TheAuthorsGerald W. Bawden, James Howle, Sandra Bond, Michelle Shriro, Peter BuckAirborne LiDAR analysis and geochronology of faulted glacial moraines in the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone reveal substantial seismic hazards in the Lake Tahoe region, California-Nevada USA
We integrated high-resolution bare-earth airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery with field observations and modern geochronology to characterize the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, which forms the neotectonic boundary between the Sierra Nevada and the Basin and Range Province west of Lake Tahoe. The LiDAR imagery clearly delineates active normal faults that have displaced late PleisAuthorsJames F. Howle, Gerald W. Bawden, Richard A. Schweickert, Robert C. Finkel, Lewis E. Hunter, Ronn S. Rose, Brent von TwisternHydrologic conditions and terrestrial laser scanning of post-firedebris flows in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, U.S.A
To investigate rainfall-runoff conditions that generate post-wildfire debris flows, we instrumented and surveyed steep, small watersheds along the tectonically active front of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Fortuitously, we recorded runoff-generated debris-flows triggered by one spatially restricted convective event with 28 mm of rainfall falling over 62 minutes. Our rain gages, nested hilAuthorsK. M. Schmidt, M. N. Hanshaw, J. F. Howle, J. W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, J. D. Stock, W. BawdengHydrologic conditions and terrestrial laser scanning of post-fire debris flows in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, U.S.A.
To investigate rainfall-runoff conditions that generate post-wildfire debris flows, we instrumented and surveyed steep, small watersheds along the tectonically active front of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Fortuitously, we recorded runoff-generated debris-flows triggered by one spatially restricted convective event with 28 mm of rainfall falling over 62 minutes. Our rain gages, nested hilAuthorsKevin M. Schmidt, M. N. Hanshaw, James F. Howle, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, Jonathan D. Stock, Gerald W. Bawden - Multimedia