P. Kyle House, PhD (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Lower Colorado River Geologic Mapping
This project is a comprehensive scientific investigation into the stratigraphic, structural, and geomorphic framework of the Grand Canyon and the lower Colorado River corridor. We are using multiscale surficial and bedrock geologic mapping in combination with stratigraphic, geochronologic, and geophysical studies to develop a stronger understanding of the of the river, its iconic landscapes, and...
Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia
The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930 Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930
This product is a georectified and tonally balanced mosaic of aerial photographs collected in 1930 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation along a portion of the floodplain of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California. This dataset is a primary resource for the development of a surficial geologic map showing the floodplain and river channel characteristics along the...
Georectified mosaics of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Parker Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930, 1938, and 1947 Georectified mosaics of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Parker Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930, 1938, and 1947
The products provided here include four georectified mosaics of historic aerial photographs for the Parker Valley region within western Arizona and southeastern California. There are three individual mosaics from 1930, 1938, and 1947 covering different geographic areas. The fourth georectified mosaic is a composite of the three and covers the entire area of interest. These datasets were...
Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada, acquired in 1938 Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada, acquired in 1938
This product is a georectified and tonally balanced mosaic of aerial photographs collected in 1938 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation along the floodplain of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley region of Arizona, California and Nevada. This dataset is a primary resource for the development of a geologic map showing the floodplain and river channel characteristics along the Colorado River...
Surficial geologic map of the Spirit Mountain SE and part of the Spirit Mountain NE 7.5' quadrangles, Nevada and Arizona Surficial geologic map of the Spirit Mountain SE and part of the Spirit Mountain NE 7.5' quadrangles, Nevada and Arizona
This geologic map includes a trove of stratigraphic and geomorphic information that chronicles the inception and evolution of the lower Colorado River. The map area is located near the south end of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area about 80 km (50 mi) downstream from Hoover Dam. It spans parts of northwestern Arizona and southern Nevada near the south end of Cottonwood Valley. The...
Geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle, La Paz County, Arizona and Riverside County, California Geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle, La Paz County, Arizona and Riverside County, California
The geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle spans about 60 percent of the width of the Holocene floodplain and valley floor of the lower Colorado River and the adjacent lower piedmont on the east side of the Colorado River Valley. This map depicts a composite geologic record of the river’s response to the transition from a natural flow regime to a strictly regulated one created by a...
Geologic map of the Castle Rock 7.5' quadrangle, Arizona and California Geologic map of the Castle Rock 7.5' quadrangle, Arizona and California
The Castle Rock quadrangle is in the northeast corner of Chemehuevi Valley, California and Arizona. It includes the Colorado River’s entrance to the valley at the mouth of Topock Gorge and the northern outskirts of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe community of Havasu Lake, California. The map includes large parts of the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and the...
Geologic map of the Bateman Spring Quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada Geologic map of the Bateman Spring Quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada
This 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Bateman Spring 7.5-minute quadrangle in Lander County, Nevada contains descriptions of 24 geologic units and one cross section. Accompanying text includes full unit descriptions and references. This quadrangle includes lower Paleozoic siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Roberts Mountain allochthon, Miocene intrusive dikes, alluvial deposits of...
Filter Total Items: 19
Timing and geometry of the Chemehuevi Formation reveal a late Pleistocene sediment pulse into the Lower Colorado River Timing and geometry of the Chemehuevi Formation reveal a late Pleistocene sediment pulse into the Lower Colorado River
The Chemehuevi Formation is a distinctive 50−150-m-thick wedge-shaped Pleistocene sedimentary unit deposited by the Colorado River. It lines the perimeters of the river’s floodplains and bedrock canyons for more than 600 km between the mouth of the Grand Canyon and the delta region in the Gulf of California. The formation is composed of a basal tan to light-yellowish-brown and pale...
Authors
Harrison J. Gray, Kyle House, Adam M. Hudson, Jorge A. Vazquez, Ryan S. Crow, Miriam Primus, Shannon A. Mahan, Tammy M. Rittenour, Keith A. Howard
New 10Be-26Al isochron burial dating informs the Pliocene and Pleistocene evolution of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States New 10Be-26Al isochron burial dating informs the Pliocene and Pleistocene evolution of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States
Four new 10Be-26Al isochron burial ages ranging from 4.4 to 2 Ma on ancestral Colorado River deposits in the lower Colorado River corridor (LCRC) help constrain the river’s evolution during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. They help fill a gap between previous work that focused on older and younger deposits: Older dated deposits include the 5 Ma Bouse Formation, which records the...
Authors
Yeong Bae Seong, Ryan S. Crow, Kyle House, Keith A. Howard, Cho-Hee Lee, Byong Yong Yu
Fluviomorphic trajectories for dryland ephemeral stream channels following extreme flash floods Fluviomorphic trajectories for dryland ephemeral stream channels following extreme flash floods
Ephemeral alluvial streams pose globally significant flood hazards to human habitation in drylands, but sparse data for these regions limit understanding of the character and impacts of extreme flooding. In this study, we document decadal changes in dryland ephemeral channel patterns at two sites in the lower Colorado River Basin (southwestern United States) that were ravaged by...
Authors
Eliisa Lotsari, Kyle House, Petteri Alho, Victor R. Baker
Redefining the age of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States: Reply Redefining the age of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States: Reply
Crow et al. (2021) report new geochronologic and paleomagnetic data indicating that the lower Colorado River (CR) became integrated to the proto–Gulf of California (GOC) between 4.8 and 4.62 Ma instead of at ca. 5.3 Ma, as suggested by Dorsey et al. (2007, 2018). Dorsey et al. (2021) dispute this new chronology but offer no alternative explanation for one of the key data sets requiring...
Authors
Ryan S. Crow, Jonathan Schwing, Karl Karlstrom, Matt Heizler, Philip Pearthree, Kyle House, Shannon Dulin, Susane Janecke, Mark E. Stelten, Laurie Crossey
Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge
This document presents the renewed vision, mission, and goals for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP). The NCGMP, as authorized by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-285, 106 Stat. 166 and its reauthorizations), is tasked with expediting the production of a geologic database for the Nation based on modern geologic maps and their...
Authors
John Brock, Karen Berry, James Faulds, Richard Berg, Kyle House, Michael Marketti, Darcy McPhee, Kevin M. Schmidt, James Schmitt, David R. Soller, David Spears, Ren A. Thompson, Harvey Thorleifson, Gregory J. Walsh
The Bouse Formation: A controversial Neogene archive of the evolving Colorado River: A scientific drilling workshop report (Feb. 28-March 3, 2019-Bluewater Resort, Parker, Arizona, USA The Bouse Formation: A controversial Neogene archive of the evolving Colorado River: A scientific drilling workshop report (Feb. 28-March 3, 2019-Bluewater Resort, Parker, Arizona, USA
Neogene deposits of the lower Colorado River valley, especially the Miocene(?) and early Pliocene Bouse Formation, have been the focus of intense debate regarding the early paleoenvironmental history of this important continental-scale river system in southwestern North America and its integration with the proto-Gulf of California. Fine-grained units within these Neogene deposits also...
Authors
Andrew S. Cohen, Colleen Cassidy, Ryan S. Crow, Jordon Bright, Laura Crossey, Rebecca Dorsey, Brian F. Gootee, Kyle House, Keith A. Howard, Karl Karlstrom, Philip Pearthree
Geologic Stories in Grand Canyon Geologic Stories in Grand Canyon
Take a trip through Grand Canyon with USGS geologists to learn about geologic mapping in this iconic landscape. On the trip, scientists from Arizona, New Mexico, California and Colorado also conducted a series of related research studies to inform the geologic maps and geologic history of Grand Canyon.
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, National Water Quality Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Denver Radiogenic Isotope Lab, Mineralogy and Microscopy Laboratory, New Mexico Water Science Center Sediment Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Geological Materials Repository, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, National Hydrography, Science Data Management, Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology
Science and Products
Lower Colorado River Geologic Mapping
This project is a comprehensive scientific investigation into the stratigraphic, structural, and geomorphic framework of the Grand Canyon and the lower Colorado River corridor. We are using multiscale surficial and bedrock geologic mapping in combination with stratigraphic, geochronologic, and geophysical studies to develop a stronger understanding of the of the river, its iconic landscapes, and...
Pacific Northwest Geologic Mapping: Northern Pacific Border, Cascades and Columbia
The Pacific Northwest is an area created by active and complex geological processes. On its path to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River slices through a chain of active volcanoes located along the western margin of the U.S. in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. These volcanoes rest above the active Cascadia subduction zone, which is the boundary where the oceanic tectonic plate dives...
Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930 Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930
This product is a georectified and tonally balanced mosaic of aerial photographs collected in 1930 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation along a portion of the floodplain of the Colorado River in Palo Verde Valley, Arizona and California. This dataset is a primary resource for the development of a surficial geologic map showing the floodplain and river channel characteristics along the...
Georectified mosaics of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Parker Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930, 1938, and 1947 Georectified mosaics of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Parker Valley, Arizona and California, acquired in 1930, 1938, and 1947
The products provided here include four georectified mosaics of historic aerial photographs for the Parker Valley region within western Arizona and southeastern California. There are three individual mosaics from 1930, 1938, and 1947 covering different geographic areas. The fourth georectified mosaic is a composite of the three and covers the entire area of interest. These datasets were...
Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada, acquired in 1938 Georectified mosaic of historical aerial photographs of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada, acquired in 1938
This product is a georectified and tonally balanced mosaic of aerial photographs collected in 1938 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation along the floodplain of the Colorado River in Mohave Valley region of Arizona, California and Nevada. This dataset is a primary resource for the development of a geologic map showing the floodplain and river channel characteristics along the Colorado River...
Surficial geologic map of the Spirit Mountain SE and part of the Spirit Mountain NE 7.5' quadrangles, Nevada and Arizona Surficial geologic map of the Spirit Mountain SE and part of the Spirit Mountain NE 7.5' quadrangles, Nevada and Arizona
This geologic map includes a trove of stratigraphic and geomorphic information that chronicles the inception and evolution of the lower Colorado River. The map area is located near the south end of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area about 80 km (50 mi) downstream from Hoover Dam. It spans parts of northwestern Arizona and southern Nevada near the south end of Cottonwood Valley. The...
Geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle, La Paz County, Arizona and Riverside County, California Geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle, La Paz County, Arizona and Riverside County, California
The geologic map of the Blythe 7.5' quadrangle spans about 60 percent of the width of the Holocene floodplain and valley floor of the lower Colorado River and the adjacent lower piedmont on the east side of the Colorado River Valley. This map depicts a composite geologic record of the river’s response to the transition from a natural flow regime to a strictly regulated one created by a...
Geologic map of the Castle Rock 7.5' quadrangle, Arizona and California Geologic map of the Castle Rock 7.5' quadrangle, Arizona and California
The Castle Rock quadrangle is in the northeast corner of Chemehuevi Valley, California and Arizona. It includes the Colorado River’s entrance to the valley at the mouth of Topock Gorge and the northern outskirts of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe community of Havasu Lake, California. The map includes large parts of the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and the...
Geologic map of the Bateman Spring Quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada Geologic map of the Bateman Spring Quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada
This 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Bateman Spring 7.5-minute quadrangle in Lander County, Nevada contains descriptions of 24 geologic units and one cross section. Accompanying text includes full unit descriptions and references. This quadrangle includes lower Paleozoic siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Roberts Mountain allochthon, Miocene intrusive dikes, alluvial deposits of...
Filter Total Items: 19
Timing and geometry of the Chemehuevi Formation reveal a late Pleistocene sediment pulse into the Lower Colorado River Timing and geometry of the Chemehuevi Formation reveal a late Pleistocene sediment pulse into the Lower Colorado River
The Chemehuevi Formation is a distinctive 50−150-m-thick wedge-shaped Pleistocene sedimentary unit deposited by the Colorado River. It lines the perimeters of the river’s floodplains and bedrock canyons for more than 600 km between the mouth of the Grand Canyon and the delta region in the Gulf of California. The formation is composed of a basal tan to light-yellowish-brown and pale...
Authors
Harrison J. Gray, Kyle House, Adam M. Hudson, Jorge A. Vazquez, Ryan S. Crow, Miriam Primus, Shannon A. Mahan, Tammy M. Rittenour, Keith A. Howard
New 10Be-26Al isochron burial dating informs the Pliocene and Pleistocene evolution of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States New 10Be-26Al isochron burial dating informs the Pliocene and Pleistocene evolution of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States
Four new 10Be-26Al isochron burial ages ranging from 4.4 to 2 Ma on ancestral Colorado River deposits in the lower Colorado River corridor (LCRC) help constrain the river’s evolution during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. They help fill a gap between previous work that focused on older and younger deposits: Older dated deposits include the 5 Ma Bouse Formation, which records the...
Authors
Yeong Bae Seong, Ryan S. Crow, Kyle House, Keith A. Howard, Cho-Hee Lee, Byong Yong Yu
Fluviomorphic trajectories for dryland ephemeral stream channels following extreme flash floods Fluviomorphic trajectories for dryland ephemeral stream channels following extreme flash floods
Ephemeral alluvial streams pose globally significant flood hazards to human habitation in drylands, but sparse data for these regions limit understanding of the character and impacts of extreme flooding. In this study, we document decadal changes in dryland ephemeral channel patterns at two sites in the lower Colorado River Basin (southwestern United States) that were ravaged by...
Authors
Eliisa Lotsari, Kyle House, Petteri Alho, Victor R. Baker
Redefining the age of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States: Reply Redefining the age of the lower Colorado River, southwestern United States: Reply
Crow et al. (2021) report new geochronologic and paleomagnetic data indicating that the lower Colorado River (CR) became integrated to the proto–Gulf of California (GOC) between 4.8 and 4.62 Ma instead of at ca. 5.3 Ma, as suggested by Dorsey et al. (2007, 2018). Dorsey et al. (2021) dispute this new chronology but offer no alternative explanation for one of the key data sets requiring...
Authors
Ryan S. Crow, Jonathan Schwing, Karl Karlstrom, Matt Heizler, Philip Pearthree, Kyle House, Shannon Dulin, Susane Janecke, Mark E. Stelten, Laurie Crossey
Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge
This document presents the renewed vision, mission, and goals for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP). The NCGMP, as authorized by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-285, 106 Stat. 166 and its reauthorizations), is tasked with expediting the production of a geologic database for the Nation based on modern geologic maps and their...
Authors
John Brock, Karen Berry, James Faulds, Richard Berg, Kyle House, Michael Marketti, Darcy McPhee, Kevin M. Schmidt, James Schmitt, David R. Soller, David Spears, Ren A. Thompson, Harvey Thorleifson, Gregory J. Walsh
The Bouse Formation: A controversial Neogene archive of the evolving Colorado River: A scientific drilling workshop report (Feb. 28-March 3, 2019-Bluewater Resort, Parker, Arizona, USA The Bouse Formation: A controversial Neogene archive of the evolving Colorado River: A scientific drilling workshop report (Feb. 28-March 3, 2019-Bluewater Resort, Parker, Arizona, USA
Neogene deposits of the lower Colorado River valley, especially the Miocene(?) and early Pliocene Bouse Formation, have been the focus of intense debate regarding the early paleoenvironmental history of this important continental-scale river system in southwestern North America and its integration with the proto-Gulf of California. Fine-grained units within these Neogene deposits also...
Authors
Andrew S. Cohen, Colleen Cassidy, Ryan S. Crow, Jordon Bright, Laura Crossey, Rebecca Dorsey, Brian F. Gootee, Kyle House, Keith A. Howard, Karl Karlstrom, Philip Pearthree
Geologic Stories in Grand Canyon Geologic Stories in Grand Canyon
Take a trip through Grand Canyon with USGS geologists to learn about geologic mapping in this iconic landscape. On the trip, scientists from Arizona, New Mexico, California and Colorado also conducted a series of related research studies to inform the geologic maps and geologic history of Grand Canyon.
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, National Water Quality Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, New Mexico Water Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Denver Radiogenic Isotope Lab, Mineralogy and Microscopy Laboratory, New Mexico Water Science Center Sediment Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Geological Materials Repository, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, National Hydrography, Science Data Management, Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology