John W Lane, Jr., Ph.D.
Dr. John Lane is Senior Advisor for Water for International Programs.
As Chief of the USGS Hydrogeophysics Branch, Dr. John W. Lane, Jr. provided leadership and support to USGS offices across the Water Resources Mission Area in the application of geophysical methods for groundwater investigations.
Dr. Lane supervised Branch applied research, technical support, and technology transfer programs utilizing borehole, surface, and airborne geophysical methods including emerging applications of small unmanned aircraft systems.
Dr. Lane's applied research focuses on the development of quantitative geophysical methods in fractured rock and porous media, geophysical assessment of hydrologic processes, and on the application of hydrogeophysical methods for water resource and contamination assessment studies. Development and implementation of geophysical training and support for diverse audiences is a key component of Dr. Lane’s work. Dr. Lane has developed and supervised national, international, regional, and local instruction for USGS scientists and other cooperating agency personnel on the use of geophysics for groundwater exploration, water-resource assessment, and to address groundwater contamination and environmental engineering problems.
Science and Products
Geophysical Data Collected in the Cedar River Floodplain, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2015-2017
Investigation of Scale-dependent Groundwater/Surface-water Exchange in Rivers by Gradient Self-Potential Logging: Numerical Model and Field Experiment Data, Quashnet River, Massachusetts, October 2017 (ver. 2.0, November 2020)
2016-2017 Geophysical data from the Kuparuk aufeis, North Slope, AK
Seismic data for study of shallow mountain bedrock limits seepage-based headwater climate refugia, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Electrical Geophysical Data Collected in the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve Near Moab, Utah
Example data from MoisturEC: a new R program for moisture content estimation from electrical conductivity data
Temperature data for study of shallow mountain bedrock limits seepage-based headwater climate refugia, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Seasonal subsurface thaw dynamics of an aufeis feature inferred from geophysical methods
Developing a precision irrigation framework to facilitate smallholder dry-season farming in developing countries: A case study in northern Ghana
Geophysical mapping of plume discharge to surface water at a crude oil spill site: Inversion versus machine learning
Lithostratigraphic, geophysical, and hydrogeologic observations from a boring drilled to bedrock in glacial sediments near Nantucket Sound in East Falmouth, Massachusetts
Evaluation of stream and wetlands restoration using UAS-based thermal infrared mapping
Geophysical assessment of a proposed landfill site in Fredericktown, Missouri
Remembering F. Peter Haeni - "What did we learn from this?"
Application of a towed time-domain electromagnetic (tTEM) imaging system in Jamestown, North Dakota
Use of a towed electromagnetic induction (tTem) system for shallow aquifer characterization – An example from the Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Hydrogeology of an alpine talus aquifer: Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Residence time controls on the fate of nitrogen in flow‐through lakebed sediments
Wetland-scale mapping of preferential fresh groundwater discharge to the Colorado River
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 19
Geophysical Data Collected in the Cedar River Floodplain, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2015-2017
A suite of geophysical methods was used along the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to support the hydrogeologic characterization of the alluvial aquifer associated with the river and to assess the area for suitability for larger-scale airborne geophysics. The aquifer is comprised of sand and gravel, interbedded with finer sediments, and underlain by carbonate-dominated bedrock. The aquifer is theInvestigation of Scale-dependent Groundwater/Surface-water Exchange in Rivers by Gradient Self-Potential Logging: Numerical Model and Field Experiment Data, Quashnet River, Massachusetts, October 2017 (ver. 2.0, November 2020)
This data release contains waterborne self-potential (SP) logging data measured during 48 laboratory experiments and three field experiments that were performed to develop an efficient, accurate method for detecting (in the laboratory) and geolocating (in the field) focused vertical groundwater discharge (surface-water gains) and recharge (surface-water losses) in a river. The experimental procedu2016-2017 Geophysical data from the Kuparuk aufeis, North Slope, AK
This release contains geophysical data from the Kuparuk aufeis associated with the manuscript "Seasonal thaw dynamics of an aufeis feature inferred from surface geophysical methods." Data were collected in two campaigns in September 2016 and April 2017 with the purpose of investigating freeze-thaw dynamics below the aufeis feature during maximally frozen and maximally thawed conditions. Ground penSeismic data for study of shallow mountain bedrock limits seepage-based headwater climate refugia, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
A combination of long-term daily temperature records and depth to bedrock measurements were used to parametrize one-dimensional models of shallow aquifer vertical heat transport in Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA. Depth to bedrock can directly influence shallow aquifer flow and thermal sensitivity, but is typically ill-defined along the stream corridor in steep mountain catchments. We employed rElectrical Geophysical Data Collected in the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve Near Moab, Utah
Quantitative evaluation of groundwater/surface water exchange dynamics is universally challenging in large river systems, because existing physical methodology often does not yield spatially-distributed data and is difficult to utilize in deeper water. Here we apply combined frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) and direct contact vertical electrical sounding (VES) measurements to identExample data from MoisturEC: a new R program for moisture content estimation from electrical conductivity data
This dataset includes example data used for demonstration of the moisturEC program. This includes inverted electrical resistivity data, model resolution from the inversion, point moisture information, and conductivity-saturation calibration information. The data are from a field site in Coventry, CT outfitted with five, Decagon 5TE moisture probes, arranged along a 28 m transect at different depthTemperature data for study of shallow mountain bedrock limits seepage-based headwater climate refugia, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
A combination of long-term daily temperature records and depth to bedrock measurements were used to parameterize one-dimensional models of shallow aquifer vertical heat transport in Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA. Spatially discontinuous roving water surface and bank temperatures surveys were performed with a handheld thermal infrared camera in September and December 2015 along the main channel - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 92
Seasonal subsurface thaw dynamics of an aufeis feature inferred from geophysical methods
Aufeis are sheets of ice unique to cold regions that originate from repeated flooding and freezing events during the winter. They have hydrological importance associated with summer flows and possibly winter insulation, but little is known about the seasonal dynamics of the unfrozen sediment layer beneath them. This layer may support perennial groundwater flow in regions with otherwise continuousAuthorsNeil Terry, Elliot Grunewald, Martin A. Briggs, Michael Gooseff, Alexander D. Huryn, M. Andy Kass, Ken Tape, Patrick Hendrickson, John W. LaneDeveloping a precision irrigation framework to facilitate smallholder dry-season farming in developing countries: A case study in northern Ghana
Changing climate has resulted in increasingly unreliable weather patterns with prolonged dry-seasons in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Food production in these areas is under threat because the people depend mostly on rain-fed farming. Enabling dry-season farming, in light of the prolonged dry-seasons, is central to sustainable food production and poverty alleviation in these areas. Efficient wAuthorsJeremy M Fontaine, Joseph Fentzke, Erasmus K Oware, Eric Doe, Samuel Guug, John W. LaneGeophysical mapping of plume discharge to surface water at a crude oil spill site: Inversion versus machine learning
The interpretation of geophysical survey results to answer hydrologic, engineering, and geologic questions is critical to diverse problems for management of water, energy, and mineral resources. Although geophysical images provide valuable qualitative insight into subsurface architecture and conditions, translating geophysical images into quantitative information (e.g., saturation, concentration,AuthorsNeil Terry, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, John W. Lane, Jared J. Trost, Barbara A. BekinsLithostratigraphic, geophysical, and hydrogeologic observations from a boring drilled to bedrock in glacial sediments near Nantucket Sound in East Falmouth, Massachusetts
In spring 2016, a 310-foot-deep boring (named MA–FSW 750) was drilled by the U.S. Geological Survey near Nantucket Sound in East Falmouth, Massachusetts, to investigate the hydrogeology of the southern coast of western Cape Cod. Few borings that are drilled to bedrock exist in the area, and the study area was selected to fill a gap between comprehensive geologic datasets inland to the north and maAuthorsRobert B. Hull, Carole D. Johnson, Byron D. Stone, Denis R. LeBlanc, Timothy D. McCobb, Stephanie N. Phillips, Katherine L. Pappas, John W. LaneEvaluation of stream and wetlands restoration using UAS-based thermal infrared mapping
Large-scale wetland restoration often focuses on repairing the hydrologic connections degraded by anthropogenic modifications. Of these hydrologic connections, groundwater discharge is an important target, as these surface water ecosystem control points are important to thermal stability, among other ecosystem services. However, evaluating the effectiveness of the restoration activities on establiAuthorsMark Harvey, Danielle Hare, Alex Hackman, Glorianna Davenport, Adam Haynes, Ashley Helton, John W. Lane, Martin BriggsGeophysical assessment of a proposed landfill site in Fredericktown, Missouri
In June 2018, U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected geophysical measurements to help evaluate the suitability of a proposed landfill site for disposing mine-waste materials in Fredericktown, MO. The geophysical investigation included electromagnetic induction, electrical resistivity tomography, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio passAuthorsCarole D. Johnson, Eric A. White, Dale D. Werkema, Neil Terry, Stephanie N. Phillips, Robert Ford, John W. LaneRemembering F. Peter Haeni - "What did we learn from this?"
Frederick Peter (‘Pete’) Haeni grew up on Long Island, New York, where he developed a lifelong love of the water —–a love that continued with his family in Deep River, Connecticut, and at their Eagle Island cottage in Maine. Pete was always at home on the water — whether sailing, motor boating, or collecting geophysical data. We remember Pete for a life well-lived and specifically for his contribuAuthorsCarole D. Johnson, John W. LaneApplication of a towed time-domain electromagnetic (tTEM) imaging system in Jamestown, North Dakota
Time-Domain Electromagnetic (EM) methods have been used for decades in support of groundwater investigations. A new towed Time-Domain EM system called “tTEM”, designed by Aarhus University, is being tested and evaluated under a collaborative research agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tTEM system is rapid and efficient, providing high-resolution, nearly continuous profiles of suAuthorsCarole D. Johnson, Joshua Valder, Eric A. White, Pradip Kumar Maurya, David Hisz, John W. LaneUse of a towed electromagnetic induction (tTem) system for shallow aquifer characterization – An example from the Mississippi Alluvial Plain
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) aquifer system is a vital resource that supports agriculture in one of the most productive regions of the country. The U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP) is conducting a multi-discipline investigation of the MAP aquifer system. The investigation is utilizing borehole, surface, and airborne geophysical methods to improve thAuthorsEric A. White, Carole D. Johnson, Pradip Kumar Maurya, Wade Kress, David B. Kelly, John W. LaneHydrogeology of an alpine talus aquifer: Cordillera Blanca, Peru
The dramatic loss of glacial mass in low latitudes is causing shifts in downstream water availability and use during the driest months of the year. The world’s largest concentration of tropical glaciers lies in the Cordillera Blanca range of Peru, where glacial runoff is declining and regional stresses are emerging over water resources. Throughout the Cordillera Blanca, groundwater inputs from alpAuthorsRobin Glas, Laura K. Lautz, Jeffrey M. McKenzie, Robert Moucha, Daniel Chavez, Bryan Mark, John W. LaneResidence time controls on the fate of nitrogen in flow‐through lakebed sediments
For many glacial lakes with highly permeable sediments, water exchange rates control hydrologic residence times within the sediment‐water interface (SWI) and the removal of reactive compounds such as nitrate, a common pollutant in lakes and groundwater. Here we conducted a series of focused tracer injection experiments in the upper 20 cm of the naturally downwelling SWI in a flow‐through lake on CAuthorsTyler B. Hampton, Jay P. Zarentske, Martin A. Briggs, Kamini Singha, Judson W. Harvey, Frederick D. Day-Lewis, Farzaneh MahmoodPoor Dehkordy, John W. LaneWetland-scale mapping of preferential fresh groundwater discharge to the Colorado River
Quantitative evaluation of groundwater/surface water exchange dynamics is universally challenging in large river systems, because existing methodology often does not yield spatially‐distributed data and is difficult to apply in deeper water. Here we apply a combined near‐surface geophysical and direct groundwater chemical toolkit to refine fresh groundwater discharge estimates to the Colorado RiveAuthorsMartin A. Briggs, Nora C. Nelson, Philip M. Gardner, D. Kip Solomon, Neil Terry, John W. Lane - Software