Tait Earney
Tait is a Geophysicist in the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Moffett Field, CA. He received a B.S. degree in Geology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD. Since joining the USGS in 2016, his research has focused on applying various geophysical methods to understand issues related to geothermal resources and hazards in the western U.S.
Professional Experience
Fall 2016 - Present, Operational Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey, Moffett Field, California
Summer 2016 - Fall 2016, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Intern, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
Education and Certifications
B.S. Geology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2016
Minor in Geospatial Technology, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2016
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Gravity, density, and magnetic property measurements of the Sierra Nevada, California and Nevada
This data release presents point data associated with the geologic and geophysical maps of the Sierra Nevada Digital Earth Science Atlas led by the California Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey. Data include principal fact information for new gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2012 to 2023 and for existing gravity measurements compiled from 21 sources. Near
GeoDAWN: Airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys of the northwestern Great Basin, Nevada and California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have collaborated to acquire high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric data, over northern and western Nevada and eastern California, to support geologic and geophysical mapping and modeling that will assist geothermal and critical mineral studies. The surveys, referred to as GeoDAWN (Geoscience Data Acquisition for Weste
Digitized sonic velocity and density log data of Sacramento Valley, California
Sonic velocity and density well logs in the Sacramento Valley in California were digitized by hand. These logs are available as scanned files (pdfs and tiffs) on the California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources website and the data consist of transit times and bulk density measured downhole in oil and gas wells in the region. Sonic velocity and density data were also compiled from a n
Regional geophysical maps of the Great Basin, USA
Regional geophysical maps of the Great Basin, USA were generated from new and existing sources to support ongoing efforts to characterize geothermal resource potential in the western US. These include: (1) a provisional regional gravity grid that was produced from data compiled from multiple sources: data collected by the USGS and Utah Geological Survey under various projects, industry sources, an
Gravity data and geophysical gradient data of the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, California
This data release presents point data associated with the geologic and geophysical maps of the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, California. Data include principal fact information for new gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2015 to 2018 and for existing gravity data. Gravity and magnetic gradients were also calculated in the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, Cali
Geophysical characterization of geothermal resources on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeast Oregon
During the summers of 2017 and 2020, our team collected gravity, ground magnetic (ATV and hiked traverses), paleomagnetic and rock property (density and susceptibility) data on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR) in northeast Oregon to aid in characterizing subsurface stratigraphy using 2D and 3D modeling methods. This data was integrated with conductance surfaces from a 3D magnetotelluic model
USGS Contributions to the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956): Geophysics Data
This package contains gravity and magnetics data and products generated for the Nevada Machine Learning (NVML) project (DE-FOA-0001956). Data products contained in this release consist of grids and vector data. Grids include: primary anomaly maps (isostatic and PSG), match-filtered maps, horizontal gradient (HG) maps, confidence maps, and maps showing density of specific key structural features. T
USGS Contributions to the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956): Geophysics, Heat Flow, Slip and Dilation Tendency
This package contains USGS data contributions to the DOE-funded Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956), with the objective of developing a machine learning approach to identifying new geothermal systems in the Great Basin. This package contains three major data products (geophysics, heat flow, and fault dilation and slip tendencies) that cover a large portion of northern Nevad
High Resolution Gravity and Ground Magnetic Surveys of southern Gabbs Valley, NV
From late 2017 to early 2018, our team collected gravity, ground magnetic (ATV and hiked traverses) and rock property (density and susceptibility) data in southern Gabbs Valley in west-central Nevada.
Clayton Valley Geophysical Data Release
This data release contains data from various geophysical studies performed around the larger Clayton Valley, NV area. These include reprocessed existing gravity data compiled from multiple sources, as well as newly collected gravity and ground magnetic data, and bulk densities and magnetic susceptibilities from outcrop, hand samples, and drill cores.
Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis Phase 2 Favorability Model (DE EE0006733)
This data release contains all digital geographic data used and produced by the Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis (DE EE0006733) for Phase 2 (ArcGIS shapefiles and raster files) as well as the model processing script, tables, and documentation used to generate data outputs. Phase 2 examines two subset areas of the Phase 1 study area, Mountain Home and Camas Prairie. Brief descriptions of dat
Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis Phase 1 Favorability Model (DE EE0006733)
This data release contains all digital geographic data used and produced by the Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis (DE EE0006733) for Phase 1 (ArcGIS shapefiles and raster files) as well as the model processing script, tables, and documentation used to generate data outputs. Brief descriptions of data layers are in the metadata of GIS files, greater detail is available in the Larger Work, the
Three-dimensional geologic map the southeastern Gabbs Valley geothermal area, Nevada
This three-dimensional (3D) geologic map displays the subsurface geology in the upper ~4 kilometers of the Earth’s crust in the southeastern Gabbs Valley geothermal area of west-central Nevada. The 3D map was constructed by integrating the results from detailed geologic mapping, 3D gravity inversion modeling, and potential-field-geophysical studies. This effort was undertaken as part of the Nevada
Development of small uncrewed aerial systems for multi-instrument geophysical data acquisition in active geothermal systems
Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) serve as critical platforms for geophysical data collection at an intermediate scale between lower resolution, regional datasets collected via crewed aerial surveys, and high resolution, but spatially sparse sampling of ground-based data collection methods. Advances in sensor design and sUAS capabilities have led to rapid advances in the amount and type of geop
Authors
Grant Harold Rea-Downing, Claire Bouligand, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, Laurie A. Zielinski, Jacob Elliott Anderson, Peter J. Kelly
UAS-based tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems: An example from Mammoth Lakes, California
Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) can accommodate a variety of tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems (e.g., magnetic, gas, photogrammetry, and thermal infrared [TIR]). These platforms offer increased speed, coverage area, and uniformity compared to ground-based measurements, as well as lower flight height – and therefore higher resolution – than occupied aircraft.
We adapted a suite
Authors
Laurie Antoinette Zielinski, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, Grant H. Rea-Downing, R. Greg Vaughan, Peter J. Kelly, Gordon H. Keller, Branden James Dean, William Schermerhorn
Geophysical characterization of the Northwest Geysers geothermal field, California
The Clear Lake Volcanic Field in northern California is the youngest and northern-most part of a long-lived volcanic system that has produced recent (~10 ka) eruptions. Adjacent to the Clear Lake Volcanic Field is the worlds largest energy producing geothermal field, The Geysers. The hottest part of The Geysers geothermal field is in the northwest where temperatures reach ~400 C at 3 km depth. L
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Tait E. Earney, Margret T. Mangan, William D. Schermerhorn, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Mark Walters, Craig Hartline
Play fairway analysis in geothermal exploration: The Snake River plain volcanic province
The Snake River volcanic province (SRP) has long been considered a target for geothermal development. It overlies a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle and represents one of the highest heat flow provinces in North America, but systematic exploration been hindered by lack of a conceptual model. Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) is a methodology adapted from the petroleum industry that inte
Authors
John W. Shervais, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Drew L. Siler, Lee Liberty, Dennis Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Dennis Newell, James E. Evans, Jacob DeAngelo, Jared R. Peacock, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn, Ghanashyam Neupane
Geophysical Characterization of the heat source in the Northwest Geysers, California
The Geysers, in northern California, is the largest energy producing geothermal field in the world. Looking to expand capacity, the operator Calpine Corporation developed an anomalously hot (~400 °C at 2.5 km depth) part of the field in the northwest Geysers, including testing of an enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Though the area is anomalously hot, geophysical methods have failed to adequately
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Margaret T. Mangan, Mark Walters, Craig Hartline, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn
Discovery of a blind geothermal system in Southern Gabbs Valley, western Nevada, through application of the play fairway analysis at multiple scales
The Great Basin region is capable of generating much greater amounts of geothermal energy than currently produced. Most geothermal resources in this region are blind, and thus favorable characteristics for geothermal activity must be synthesized and methodologies developed to discover new commercial-grade systems. The geothermal play fairway concept involves integration of multiple parameters indi
Authors
James Faulds, Jason W. Craig, Nicholas H. Hinz, Mark F. Coolbaugh, Jonathan M. Glen, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn, Jared R. Peacock, Stephen B. Deoreo, Drew L. Siler
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Gravity, density, and magnetic property measurements of the Sierra Nevada, California and Nevada
This data release presents point data associated with the geologic and geophysical maps of the Sierra Nevada Digital Earth Science Atlas led by the California Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey. Data include principal fact information for new gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2012 to 2023 and for existing gravity measurements compiled from 21 sources. Near
GeoDAWN: Airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys of the northwestern Great Basin, Nevada and California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have collaborated to acquire high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric data, over northern and western Nevada and eastern California, to support geologic and geophysical mapping and modeling that will assist geothermal and critical mineral studies. The surveys, referred to as GeoDAWN (Geoscience Data Acquisition for Weste
Digitized sonic velocity and density log data of Sacramento Valley, California
Sonic velocity and density well logs in the Sacramento Valley in California were digitized by hand. These logs are available as scanned files (pdfs and tiffs) on the California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources website and the data consist of transit times and bulk density measured downhole in oil and gas wells in the region. Sonic velocity and density data were also compiled from a n
Regional geophysical maps of the Great Basin, USA
Regional geophysical maps of the Great Basin, USA were generated from new and existing sources to support ongoing efforts to characterize geothermal resource potential in the western US. These include: (1) a provisional regional gravity grid that was produced from data compiled from multiple sources: data collected by the USGS and Utah Geological Survey under various projects, industry sources, an
Gravity data and geophysical gradient data of the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, California
This data release presents point data associated with the geologic and geophysical maps of the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, California. Data include principal fact information for new gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2015 to 2018 and for existing gravity data. Gravity and magnetic gradients were also calculated in the Stockton 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, Cali
Geophysical characterization of geothermal resources on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeast Oregon
During the summers of 2017 and 2020, our team collected gravity, ground magnetic (ATV and hiked traverses), paleomagnetic and rock property (density and susceptibility) data on the Umatilla Indian Reservation (UIR) in northeast Oregon to aid in characterizing subsurface stratigraphy using 2D and 3D modeling methods. This data was integrated with conductance surfaces from a 3D magnetotelluic model
USGS Contributions to the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956): Geophysics Data
This package contains gravity and magnetics data and products generated for the Nevada Machine Learning (NVML) project (DE-FOA-0001956). Data products contained in this release consist of grids and vector data. Grids include: primary anomaly maps (isostatic and PSG), match-filtered maps, horizontal gradient (HG) maps, confidence maps, and maps showing density of specific key structural features. T
USGS Contributions to the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956): Geophysics, Heat Flow, Slip and Dilation Tendency
This package contains USGS data contributions to the DOE-funded Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning Project (DE-FOA-0001956), with the objective of developing a machine learning approach to identifying new geothermal systems in the Great Basin. This package contains three major data products (geophysics, heat flow, and fault dilation and slip tendencies) that cover a large portion of northern Nevad
High Resolution Gravity and Ground Magnetic Surveys of southern Gabbs Valley, NV
From late 2017 to early 2018, our team collected gravity, ground magnetic (ATV and hiked traverses) and rock property (density and susceptibility) data in southern Gabbs Valley in west-central Nevada.
Clayton Valley Geophysical Data Release
This data release contains data from various geophysical studies performed around the larger Clayton Valley, NV area. These include reprocessed existing gravity data compiled from multiple sources, as well as newly collected gravity and ground magnetic data, and bulk densities and magnetic susceptibilities from outcrop, hand samples, and drill cores.
Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis Phase 2 Favorability Model (DE EE0006733)
This data release contains all digital geographic data used and produced by the Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis (DE EE0006733) for Phase 2 (ArcGIS shapefiles and raster files) as well as the model processing script, tables, and documentation used to generate data outputs. Phase 2 examines two subset areas of the Phase 1 study area, Mountain Home and Camas Prairie. Brief descriptions of dat
Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis Phase 1 Favorability Model (DE EE0006733)
This data release contains all digital geographic data used and produced by the Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis (DE EE0006733) for Phase 1 (ArcGIS shapefiles and raster files) as well as the model processing script, tables, and documentation used to generate data outputs. Brief descriptions of data layers are in the metadata of GIS files, greater detail is available in the Larger Work, the
Three-dimensional geologic map the southeastern Gabbs Valley geothermal area, Nevada
This three-dimensional (3D) geologic map displays the subsurface geology in the upper ~4 kilometers of the Earth’s crust in the southeastern Gabbs Valley geothermal area of west-central Nevada. The 3D map was constructed by integrating the results from detailed geologic mapping, 3D gravity inversion modeling, and potential-field-geophysical studies. This effort was undertaken as part of the Nevada
Development of small uncrewed aerial systems for multi-instrument geophysical data acquisition in active geothermal systems
Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) serve as critical platforms for geophysical data collection at an intermediate scale between lower resolution, regional datasets collected via crewed aerial surveys, and high resolution, but spatially sparse sampling of ground-based data collection methods. Advances in sensor design and sUAS capabilities have led to rapid advances in the amount and type of geop
Authors
Grant Harold Rea-Downing, Claire Bouligand, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, Laurie A. Zielinski, Jacob Elliott Anderson, Peter J. Kelly
UAS-based tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems: An example from Mammoth Lakes, California
Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) can accommodate a variety of tools for mapping and monitoring hydrothermal systems (e.g., magnetic, gas, photogrammetry, and thermal infrared [TIR]). These platforms offer increased speed, coverage area, and uniformity compared to ground-based measurements, as well as lower flight height – and therefore higher resolution – than occupied aircraft.
We adapted a suite
Authors
Laurie Antoinette Zielinski, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, Grant H. Rea-Downing, R. Greg Vaughan, Peter J. Kelly, Gordon H. Keller, Branden James Dean, William Schermerhorn
Geophysical characterization of the Northwest Geysers geothermal field, California
The Clear Lake Volcanic Field in northern California is the youngest and northern-most part of a long-lived volcanic system that has produced recent (~10 ka) eruptions. Adjacent to the Clear Lake Volcanic Field is the worlds largest energy producing geothermal field, The Geysers. The hottest part of The Geysers geothermal field is in the northwest where temperatures reach ~400 C at 3 km depth. L
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Tait E. Earney, Margret T. Mangan, William D. Schermerhorn, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Mark Walters, Craig Hartline
Play fairway analysis in geothermal exploration: The Snake River plain volcanic province
The Snake River volcanic province (SRP) has long been considered a target for geothermal development. It overlies a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle and represents one of the highest heat flow provinces in North America, but systematic exploration been hindered by lack of a conceptual model. Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) is a methodology adapted from the petroleum industry that inte
Authors
John W. Shervais, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Drew L. Siler, Lee Liberty, Dennis Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Dennis Newell, James E. Evans, Jacob DeAngelo, Jared R. Peacock, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn, Ghanashyam Neupane
Geophysical Characterization of the heat source in the Northwest Geysers, California
The Geysers, in northern California, is the largest energy producing geothermal field in the world. Looking to expand capacity, the operator Calpine Corporation developed an anomalously hot (~400 °C at 2.5 km depth) part of the field in the northwest Geysers, including testing of an enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Though the area is anomalously hot, geophysical methods have failed to adequately
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Margaret T. Mangan, Mark Walters, Craig Hartline, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn
Discovery of a blind geothermal system in Southern Gabbs Valley, western Nevada, through application of the play fairway analysis at multiple scales
The Great Basin region is capable of generating much greater amounts of geothermal energy than currently produced. Most geothermal resources in this region are blind, and thus favorable characteristics for geothermal activity must be synthesized and methodologies developed to discover new commercial-grade systems. The geothermal play fairway concept involves integration of multiple parameters indi
Authors
James Faulds, Jason W. Craig, Nicholas H. Hinz, Mark F. Coolbaugh, Jonathan M. Glen, Tait E. Earney, William D. Schermerhorn, Jared R. Peacock, Stephen B. Deoreo, Drew L. Siler