USGS hydrographers collect tens of thousands of streamflow measurements every year. In-water work by personnel is one of the most dangerous aspects of USGS hydrologic studies, especially during high-flow conditions. In May 2019, USGS continued testing of a light-weight, self-contained ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that can be mounted on a small drone.
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
Hydrogeophysics Core Technology Team
Assessing River Erosion and Sedimentation in Ecuador
Water Science for a Changing World
Research in the Los Planes Watershed – Water Cycle Augmentation
International Water Resources Activities
Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing Technology for Surface-Water and Groundwater Studies
Optimized Enhanced Bioremediation through 4D Geophysical Monitoring and Autonomous Data Collection, Processing, and Analysis
Borehole Geophysics
Floating Transient Electromagnetic Survey Data from the Columbia River near Hanford, WA
Floating and Towed Transient Electromagnetic Surveys used to Characterize Hydrogeology underlying Rivers and Estuaries: March - December 2018
QUASHNET SPAWN HESS CHEMICAL DATA
Geophysical and Other Data From an Irrigation Monitoring Experiment at Haddam Meadows, CT, July 2019
Passive seismic data collected along headwater stream corridors in Shenandoah National Park in 2016 - 2020
Near-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018
Surface geophysical data for characterizing shallow, discontinuous frozen ground near Fort Yukon, Alaska
Geophysical and direct groundwater data collected on Palmyra Atoll to study fresh/saline groundwater interfaces from 2008 to 2019
Geophysical Data Collected for an Assessment of a Proposed Landfill Site in Fredericktown, Missouri, June 2018
Thermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA
Surface Geophysical data collected along Blacktail Creek in June 2017 near Williston, North Dakota, USA
Transient Electromagnetics, Passive Seismic, and Borehole Electromagnetics, Gamma, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods to Characterize an Unconsolidated Aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts
USGS hydrographers collect tens of thousands of streamflow measurements every year. In-water work by personnel is one of the most dangerous aspects of USGS hydrologic studies, especially during high-flow conditions. In May 2019, USGS continued testing of a light-weight, self-contained ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that can be mounted on a small drone.
Borehole Fluid Logging in Bangladesh
Borehole Fluid Logging in Bangladesh
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers fluid logging in Bangladesh
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers fluid logging in Bangladesh
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers conduct geophysical training in Iraq
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers conduct geophysical training in Iraq
Field evaluation of semi-automated moisture estimation from geophysics using machine learning
Inversion of induced polarization-affected towed-transient electromagnetic data in a lateritic regolith geology: A case study from western Tanzania
GW/SW-MST: A groundwater/surface-water method selection tool
Geostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
Investigation of scale-dependent groundwater/surface-water exchange in rivers by gradient self-potential logging: Numerical modeling and field experiments
Time-domain electromagnetic soundings and passive-seismic measurements for delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee Valley-fill aquifer system, western New York, 2016–17
Continental-scale analysis of shallow and deep groundwater contributions to streams
Groundwater discharge generates streamflow and influences stream thermal regimes. However, the water quality and thermal buffering capacity of groundwater depends on the aquifer source-depth. Here, we pair multi-year air and stream temperature signals to categorize 1729 sites across the continental United States as having major dam influence, shallow or deep groundwater signatures, or lack of pron
Small atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geology
Geochemical and geophysical indicators of oil and gas wastewater can trace potential exposure pathways following releases to surface waters
Characterizing the diverse hydrogeology underlying rivers and estuaries using new floating transient electromagnetic methodology
Experimental shifts of hydrologic residence time in a sandy urban stream sediment-water interface alter nitrate removal and nitrous oxide fluxes
Hillslope groundwater discharges provide localized ecosystem buffers from regional PFAS contamination in a gaining coastal stream
Emerging groundwater contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may impact surface-water quality and groundwater-dependent ecosystems of gaining streams. Although complex near-surface hydrogeology of stream corridors challenges sampling efforts, recent advances in heat tracing of discharge zones enable efficient and informed data collection. For this study we used a combinatio
FLASH-R (Flow-Log Analysis of Single Holes)
Science and Products
- Science
Hydrogeophysics Core Technology Team
About the Research. The Hydrogeophysics Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program specializes in locating and quantifying exchanges of groundwater and surface water, along with characterizing geologic structure and mapping hydrologic connectivity across varied landscapes.Assessing River Erosion and Sedimentation in Ecuador
In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USGS is helping Ecuadorian government officials from the Electric Corporation of Ecuador (CELEC) develop strategies for managing sediment and erosion in the Río Coca basin after the 2020 collapse of the 144-meter-tall San Rafael waterfall.Water Science for a Changing World
Information about water resources is fundamental to national and local economic well-being, protection of life and property, and effective management. The USGS works with domestic and international partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of water resource conditions, including streamflow, groundwater, water quality, and water use and availability. USGS provides...Research in the Los Planes Watershed – Water Cycle Augmentation
The USGS is working with partners to understand the impacts of installing structures made from rock, sandbags and wood in channels at a dryland ranch in southern Baja California. Hydrogeological instrumentation, recording observations, modeling hydrogeological scenarios, and an interdisciplinary scientific study of the watershed interactions between water, ecological systems, and human activities...International Water Resources Activities
USGS water-related projects of international interest.Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing Technology for Surface-Water and Groundwater Studies
Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) technology can be used for characterizing estuary-aquifer and stream-aquifer interaction and for identifying transmissive fractures in bedrock boreholes.Optimized Enhanced Bioremediation through 4D Geophysical Monitoring and Autonomous Data Collection, Processing, and Analysis
The USGS Office of Ground Water, Branch of Geophysics (OGW BG) is collaborating on an applied research project to evaluate the use of new hydrogeophysical tools to remotely monitor and visualize subsurface bioremediation amendment emplacement and transport in near real-time. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, could provide...Borehole Geophysics
Borehole geophysics is the science of recording and analyzing measurements of physical properties made in wells or test holes. Probes that measure different properties are lowered into the borehole to collect continuous or point data that is graphically displayed as a geophysical log. Multiple logs typically are collected to take advantage of their synergistic nature--much more can be learned by... - Data
Filter Total Items: 19
Floating Transient Electromagnetic Survey Data from the Columbia River near Hanford, WA
This data release contains motorboat-towed floating transient electromagnetic data collected from the Columbia River near Hanford WA. Data were collected using a ~16 foot (4.9 meters) outboard motorboat during two field campaigns: July 2021 and April 2022. In total, several hundred linear kilometers of data were collected from a reach of the Columbia that extends from approximately Vernita BridgeFloating and Towed Transient Electromagnetic Surveys used to Characterize Hydrogeology underlying Rivers and Estuaries: March - December 2018
Surface and water-borne geophysical methods can provide information for the characterization of the subsurface structure of the earth for aquifer investigations. Floating and towed transient electromagnetic (FloaTEM and tTEM) surveys provide resistivity soundings of the subsurface, which can be related to lithology and hydrogeology. In the TEM method, a primary electrical current is cycled throughQUASHNET SPAWN HESS CHEMICAL DATA
This data set includes dissolved oxygen (DO) and specific conductivity (SpC) data collected in both the surface water and shallow streambed at the Quashnet River, Mashpee, USA from 2014-16. This data was collected to better understand groundwater discharge to the river and associated brook trout habitat. DO was typically near saturation in surface water and some groundwater, but is reduced in streGeophysical and Other Data From an Irrigation Monitoring Experiment at Haddam Meadows, CT, July 2019
An irrigation monitoring experiment was performed in Haddam Meadows State Park, Connecticut, on July 16, 2019. Prior to this experiment, ground penetrating radar (GPR), frequency domain electromagnetics (FDEM), and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) geophysical data were collected over a 20 meter by 10-meter grid to provide baseline information. A vertical soil moisture probe was installed inPassive seismic data collected along headwater stream corridors in Shenandoah National Park in 2016 - 2020
In July 2016, July 2019, and March 2020, 318 seismic recordings were acquired at locations within Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, using MOHO Tromino Model TEP-3C three-component seismometers to assess depth to bedrock using the HVSR method. This method requires a measurement of estimate of shear wave velocity, which depends on the regolith sediment composition and density, for the conversion oNear-field remotely sensed streamflow, channel bathymetry, and floodplain topography measurements in the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO collected March 2018
A USGS Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aquatic Airshow field testing and demonstration event occurred March 20-21, 2018, on the Arkansas River at Parkdale, CO, USA. At the airshow, a group of USGS scientists and technicians gathered to test non-contact sensors for measuring stream discharge using UAS and a sensor mounted on a tag line. Scientists at the event performed a series of tests to measuSurface geophysical data for characterizing shallow, discontinuous frozen ground near Fort Yukon, Alaska
The distribution of permafrost in cold regions is subject to temporal and spatial changes influenced by climate, landscape disturbance, and ecosystem succession. Remote sensing from airborne and satellite platforms is increasing our understanding of landscape-scale permafrost distribution, but typically lacks the resolution to characterize finer-scale processes and phenomena, which are often betteGeophysical and direct groundwater data collected on Palmyra Atoll to study fresh/saline groundwater interfaces from 2008 to 2019
The surface ecology of small ocean islands is directly linked to subsurface fresh water resources, which exist in the form of soil water and fresh groundwater lenses. The management of threaten plant species such as the tree Pisonia grandis needs to consider the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater lenses, particularly in a time of climate change. The Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife RefugeGeophysical Data Collected for an Assessment of a Proposed Landfill Site in Fredericktown, Missouri, June 2018
In June 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 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, Missouri. Geophysical methods were used to evaluate and characterize the unconsolidated sediment (i.e., regolith) above the crystallineThermal infrared and photogrammetric data collected by drone for hydrogeologic characterization around two US Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected low-altitude (typically 200-350 ft above land surface) airborne thermal infrared, and visual imagery data via a multirotor, small unoccupied aircraft system (UAS or 'drone') deployed along the river corridor encompassing two U.S. Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing Systems (NGWOS) stream gage locations near Claryville, NY, USA. One site isSurface Geophysical data collected along Blacktail Creek in June 2017 near Williston, North Dakota, USA
The extraction of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources often produces highly saline waste waters, which can be released to the river corridor environment during spills and pipe leakage. In North Dakota, USA more than 8,000 spills were recorded from 2008-2015, and more than half of those spills were related to pipelines. Data collected for this study were related to UOG wastewater leakage froTransient Electromagnetics, Passive Seismic, and Borehole Electromagnetics, Gamma, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods to Characterize an Unconsolidated Aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Reserved for CDJ. Transient Electromagnetics, Passive Seismic, and Borehole Electromagnetics, Gamma, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods to Characterize an Unconsolidated Aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts Johnson, White, Phillips, Pappas, Hull, LeBlanc, and Lane - Multimedia
USGS Tests drone-based ground-penetrating radar for bathymetryUSGS Tests drone-based ground-penetrating radar for bathymetry
USGS hydrographers collect tens of thousands of streamflow measurements every year. In-water work by personnel is one of the most dangerous aspects of USGS hydrologic studies, especially during high-flow conditions. In May 2019, USGS continued testing of a light-weight, self-contained ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that can be mounted on a small drone.
USGS hydrographers collect tens of thousands of streamflow measurements every year. In-water work by personnel is one of the most dangerous aspects of USGS hydrologic studies, especially during high-flow conditions. In May 2019, USGS continued testing of a light-weight, self-contained ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that can be mounted on a small drone.
Borehole Fluid Logging in BangladeshBorehole Fluid Logging in Bangladesh
Borehole Fluid Logging in Bangladesh
USGS scientists fluid-logging in BangladeshUSGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers fluid logging in Bangladesh
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers fluid logging in Bangladesh
USGS conducting geophysical training in IraqUSGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers conduct geophysical training in Iraq
USGS scientists from the New York and Connecticut Water Science Centers conduct geophysical training in Iraq
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 92
Field evaluation of semi-automated moisture estimation from geophysics using machine learning
Geophysical methods can provide three-dimensional (3D), spatially continuous estimates of soil moisture. However, point-to-point comparisons of geophysical properties to measure soil moisture data are frequently unsatisfactory, resulting in geophysics being used for qualitative purposes only. This is because (1) geophysics requires models that relate geophysical signals to soil moisture, (2) geophAuthorsNeil Terry, F.D. Day-Lewis, John W. Lane, Carole D. Johnson, Dale WerkemaInversion of induced polarization-affected towed-transient electromagnetic data in a lateritic regolith geology: A case study from western Tanzania
For several decades, induced polarization (IP) effects on transient electromagnetic (TEM) responses have been observed. These effects can manifest as late-time negative transients or as rapidly decaying curves and are usually associated with highly polarizable bodies. If neglected, IP effects can lead to erroneous resistivity models. Recent work allows IP effects to be incorporated into the inversAuthorsPradip Kumar Maurya, Denys Grombacher, John W. Lane, Johan Lind, Esben AukenGW/SW-MST: A groundwater/surface-water method selection tool
Groundwater/surface-water (GW/SW) exchange and hyporheic processes are topics receiving increasing attention from the hydrologic community. Hydraulic, chemical, temperature, geophysical, and remote sensing methods are used to achieve various goals (e.g., inference of GW/SW exchange, mapping of bed materials, etc.), but the application of these methods is constrained by site conditions such as wateAuthorsSteven Hammett, Frederick Day-Lewis, Brett Russell Trottier, Paul M. Barlow, Martin A. Briggs, Geoffrey N. Delin, Judson Harvey, Carole D. Johnson, John W. Lane, D. O. Rosenberry, Dale D. WerkemaGeostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
We present a geostatistics-based stochastic salinity estimation framework for the Montebello Oil Field that capitalizes on available total dissolved solids (TDS) data from groundwater samples as well as electrical resistivity (ER) data from borehole logging. Data from TDS samples (n = 4924) was coded into an indicator framework based on falling below four selected thresholds (500, 1000, 3000, andAuthorsNeil Terry, Frederick Day-Lewis, Matthew K. Landon, Michael Land, Jennifer S. Stanton, John W. LaneInvestigation of scale-dependent groundwater/surface-water exchange in rivers by gradient self-potential logging: Numerical modeling and field experiments
Exchanges of groundwater and surface-water are fundamental to a wide range of water-supply and water-quality management issues but challenging to map beyond the reach scale. Waterborne gradient self-potential (SP) measurements are directly sensitive to water flow through riverbed sediments and can be used to infer exchange locations, direction (gain versus loss), scale, and relative changes, but tAuthorsScott Ikard, Martin A. Briggs, John W. LaneTime-domain electromagnetic soundings and passive-seismic measurements for delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee Valley-fill aquifer system, western New York, 2016–17
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, used noninvasive surface geophysics in the investigation of the distribution of saline groundwater in the valley-fill aquifer system of the Genesee River Valley near the former Retsof salt mine in western New York. In 1994, the Retsof salt mine, the largest of its kind in the western hemispAuthorsJohn H. Williams, William M. Kappel, Carole D. Johnson, Eric A. White, Paul M. Heisig, John W. LaneContinental-scale analysis of shallow and deep groundwater contributions to streams
Groundwater discharge generates streamflow and influences stream thermal regimes. However, the water quality and thermal buffering capacity of groundwater depends on the aquifer source-depth. Here, we pair multi-year air and stream temperature signals to categorize 1729 sites across the continental United States as having major dam influence, shallow or deep groundwater signatures, or lack of pron
AuthorsD. Hare, A. M. Helton, Zachary C. Johnson, John W. Lane, Martin A. BriggsSmall atoll fresh groundwater lenses respond to a combination of natural climatic cycles and human modified geology
Freshwater lenses underlying small ocean islands exhibit spatial variability and temporal fluctuations in volume, influencing ecologic management. For example, The Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge harbors one of the few surviving native stands of Pisonia grandis in the central Pacific Ocean, yet these trees face pressure from groundwater salinization, with little basic groundwater data to guAuthorsMartin A. Briggs, J Cantelon, B. Kurylyk, Justin T. Kulongoski, Audrey Mills, John W. LaneGeochemical and geophysical indicators of oil and gas wastewater can trace potential exposure pathways following releases to surface waters
Releases of oil and gas (OG) wastewaters can have complex effects on stream-water quality and downstream organisms, due to sediment-water interactions and groundwater/surface water exchange. Previously, elevated concentrations of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), and lithium (Li), and trace hydrocarbons were determined to be key markers of OG wastewater releases when combineAuthorsIsabelle M. Cozzarelli, Douglas B. Kent, Martin A. Briggs, Mark A Engle, Adam Benthem, Katherine Skalak, Adam Mumford, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Aida Farag, John W. Lane, Denise M. AkobCharacterizing the diverse hydrogeology underlying rivers and estuaries using new floating transient electromagnetic methodology
The hydrogeology below large surface water features such as rivers and estuaries is universally under-informed at the long reach to basin scales (tens of km+). This challenge inhibits the accurate modeling of fresh/saline groundwater interfaces and groundwater/surface water exchange patterns at management-relevant spatial extents. Here we introduce a towed, floating transient electromagnetic (TEM)AuthorsJohn W. Lane, Martin A. Briggs, PK Maurya, Eric A. White, JB Pedersen, Esben Auken, Neil Terry, Burke J. Minsley, Wade Kress, Denis R. LeBlanc, Ryan F. Adams, Carole D. JohnsonExperimental shifts of hydrologic residence time in a sandy urban stream sediment-water interface alter nitrate removal and nitrous oxide fluxes
The sediment–water interfaces (SWI) of streams serve as important biogeochemical hotspots in watersheds and contribute to whole-catchment reactive nitrogen budgets and water-quality conditions. Recently, the SWI has been identified as an important source of nitrous oxide (N2O) produced in streams, with SWI residence time among the principal controls on its production. Here, we conducted a series oAuthorsT. Hampton, J. Zarnetske, Martin A. Briggs, F. M. P. Dehkordy, K. Singha, Frederick Day-Lewis, Judson Harvey, S. R. Chowdhury, John W. LaneHillslope groundwater discharges provide localized ecosystem buffers from regional PFAS contamination in a gaining coastal stream
Emerging groundwater contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may impact surface-water quality and groundwater-dependent ecosystems of gaining streams. Although complex near-surface hydrogeology of stream corridors challenges sampling efforts, recent advances in heat tracing of discharge zones enable efficient and informed data collection. For this study we used a combinatio
AuthorsMartin A. Briggs, Andrea K. Tokranov, Robert B. Hull, Denis R. LeBlanc, A. Haynes, John W. Lane - Software
FLASH-R (Flow-Log Analysis of Single Holes)
FLASH-R (Flow-Log Analysis of Single Holes) is an R app for the analysis of borehole vertical flow logs to estimate fracture (or layer) transmissivities and far-field hydraulic heads. This app is a new version of the FLASH spreadsheet tool by Day-Lewis et al. (2011) . The program is written in R, an open-source environment. All previous features have been retained and new features incorporated i