Unified Interior Regions
Arizona
The Southwest Region includes California, Nevada, and Arizona. The Regional Office, headquartered in Sacramento, provides Center oversight and support, facilitates internal and external collaborations, and works to further USGS strategic science directions.
States L2 Landing Page Tabs
Conferences
International Planetary Caves Conference
Planetary Caves
As USGS scientist and planetary cave enthusiast, Glen Cushing, points out, "Caves are important to the future of planetary exploration because they are believed to provide shelter from a range of harsh surface conditions, maintaining near-pristine surfaces and relatively stable microclimates." See links on this page to explore further.
Shoemaker Sample Collection
The USGS Shoemaker Collection consists of unique and irreplaceable geologic hand samples, rock powders, petrographic thin sections and billets, and associated documentation, from impact craters and terrestrial analog sites around the world. Current curation efforts are focused on data rescue, preservation, and inventory. All geologic materials are being relocated into...
NASA Planetary Cartography Planning
This page provides information on the history of planetary cartography research and program planning for NASA. This has been a community-based effort driven by the need to develop and maintain a cartographic capability in support of NASA missions of space exploration. To comment or add to this page please contact Brent Archinal (barchinal@...
Planetary Spatial Infrastructure LPSC 2016
Planetary Spatial Infrastructure: At the Intersection Of GIScience and Planetary Science
Wednesday March 23rd 2016, 1:30 PM Waterway Ballroom 4
Chairs:
- Samuel Lawrence
- Daniella DellaGiustina
LPSC 2013 Town Hall on Planetary Mapping and Cartography
What is planetary mapping? When do you need to do planetary mapping? How is planetary mapping accomplished? Why is planetary mapping important to you? Planetary mapping is literally foundational to planetary science and exploration. This town hall meeting is intended to present to the general planetary community the need to take planetary and lunar data and turn it into useful...
NASA/USGS Planetary Geologic Mapping Program
The Astrogeology Team at USGS provides coordination of NASA's planetary geologic mapping program. Geologic mapping investigations of any imaged planetary body (except Earth) are proposed to NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program on an annual basis (generally due sometime between late April and early June) and then...
ISPRS
ISPRS is an international NGO devoted to the development of international cooperations for the advancement of knowlege, research, development and education in the Protogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences (P&RS&SIS), their integration and application, to contribute to the well bieng of hunanity and sustainability of the environment.
IAU - WGCCRE
The IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements (WGCCRE) has been given the responsibility by the International Astronomical Union to define the rotational elements of the planets, satellites, asteroids, and comets of the solar system on a systematic basis and to relate their cartographic coordinates rigorously to the rotational elements.
In...
Mars Ice Consortium
The Mars Ice Consortium is a joint project between the USGS Astrogeology Research Program (Flagstaff, AZ) and the Arizona State University Mars Space Flight Facilty (Tempe, AZ) to bring together a single resource for the exploration of martian ices. Much of this research is done at the USGS Flagstaff Science Center.
Planetary Data Workshop
Planetary Data: Workshops for Users and Software Developers
The Annex of the PDS Cartography & Imaging Sciences Node
The Annex of the PDS Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node (aka “Imaging” or IMG) is a data repository designed to support the public delivery of NASA-funded geospatial data products derived from PDS image data. Examples of geospatial, derived products supported include global mosaics and thematic maps of...
Data Entry Module for the Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL)
This software allows agencies, organizations, and individuals to download an empty, stand-alone Land Treatment Digital Library database to individual or networked computers. Data entered in these databases may be submitted to the USGS for possible inclusion in the online Land Treatment Digital Library (https://ltdl.wr.usgs.gov).
Oil and Gas Well locations, Upper Colorado River Basin, 2007
This dataset was used as the basis for estimating land disturbance from oil and gas activity in the UCRB. The dataset is a compilation of five state oil and gas datasets from June of 2007. The intended uses of this data set include, but are not limited to, natural resource modeling, mapping, and visualization applications.
Controlled Flooding of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon: the Rationale and Data-Collection Planned
Anderson, Mark T.; Graf, Julia B.; Marzolf, G. Richard
Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1995
Littin, G. R.; Monroe, S.A.
When the blue-green waters turn red: Historical flooding in Havasu Creek, Arizona
Havasu Creek, the second largest tributary of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, attracts numerous visitors each year owing to its spectacular scenery. Perennial streamflow seldom exceeds 2 cubic meters per second (m3/s), but supports important stands of riparian vegetation, forms unique travertine pools, and spills over spectacular...
Melis, Theodore S.; Phillips, William M.; Webb, Robert H.; Bills, Douglas J.
Physical, chemical, biological, and toxicity data from the study of urban stormwater and ephemeral streams, Maricopa County, Arizona, water years 1992-95
Fossum, K.D.; Davis, R.G.
Hydrogeology of the Quitobaquito Springs and La Abra Plain area, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico
Quitobaquito Springs, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near the south end of the northwestward-trending Quitobaquito Hills, are less than 0.25 mile north of the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. The National Park Service is concerned that the natural flow from Quitobaquito Springs might be reduced by ground-water...
Carruth, R.L.
An accounting system for water and consumptive use along the Colorado River, Hoover Dam to Mexico
An accounting system for estimating and distributing consumptive use of water by vegetation to water users was developed for the Colorado River to meet the requirements of a U.S. Supreme Court decree and used with data from calendar year 1984. The system is based on a water-budget method to estimate total consumptive use by vegetation which is...
Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; Raymond, Lee H.
Sand deposition in the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from flooding of the Little Colorado River
Methods for computing the volume of sand deposited in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park by floods in major tributaries and for determining redistribution of that sand by main-channel flows are required for successful management of sand-dependent riparian resources. We have derived flow, sediment transport, and bed evolution models...
Wiele, S.M.; Graf, J.B.; Smith, J.D.
Chemistry and toxicity of urban sediments, Maricopa County, Arizona, data and summary statistics
Ingersoll, T.L.; Parker, J.T.; Fossum, K.D.
Results of ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry monitoring, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1994
The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to document long-term effects of ground-water pumping from the N aquifer by industrial and municipal users. The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area, and the ground water occurs under confined and unconfined conditions. Monitoring activities include continuous...
Littin, G. R.; Monroe, S.A.
Sand-storage changes in the Colorado River downstream from the Paria and Little Colorado Rivers, June 1992 to February 1994
Graf, J.B.; Marlow, J.E.; Fisk, G. G.; Jansen, S.M.
Results of ground-water, surface-water, and water-quality monitoring, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1992-93
No abstract available.
Littin, G. R.; Monroe, S.A.
Hydrogeology and deformation of sandbars in response to fluctuations in flow of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Rill erosion, slumping, and fissuring develop on seepage faces of many sandbars along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. These processes, observed at low river stage, are a response to residual head gradients in the sandbars caused by the river-stage fluctuation. Three sandbars were instrumented with sensors for continual monitoring of pore...
Carpenter, M.C.; Carruth, R.L.; Fink, J.B.; Boling, J.K.; Cluer, B.L.
Rainout shelters allow researchers to study the effects of drought
This rainout shelter blcoks about 35% of the natural rainfall, allowing researchers to understand the effects of drought on plants in the southwestern United States.
Rainout shelters allow researchers to study effects of drought
Rainout shelters block about 35% of natural rainfall, allowing researchers to study the effects of drought on plants in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States.
Rainout structures allow researchers to study the effects of drought
This rainout structure blocks about 35% of the natural rainfall, allowing researchers to study the effects of drought on plants in the southwestern United States.
Standing in the field with managers
Touring public lands, guided by the people who manage the lands, is a important to RAMPS. On these tours we get to meet the passionate people, understand their challenges and aspirations, and help make steps towards innovative science-based solutions. In this photo staff from BLM's Aqua Fria National Monument stand with USGS scientist, Seth Munson and discuss how to
...
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Organ pipe cactus are rare in the Sonoran desert in the U.S. They can only be found in and around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, shown here. The distribution of Organ Pipe Cactus is limited due to lack of tolerance for cold temperatures. The biota of the Sonoran desert is particularly senstive to disturbance. Soils often erode quickly once vegetation is removed. The
...
Pink Dune
This is a photo of a pink sand dune in Utah.
USGS hydrographer collecting a suspended-sediment water sample.
Suspended-Sediment Sampling and Turbidity
Here, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrographer is collecting a suspended-sediment water sample from the Little Colorado River, a kilometer upstream from the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. To gain knowledge of the
...
Ungulates in a Warmer Climate
Researchers supported by NCCWSC are working to improve managers’ understanding of ungulates’ response to a warmer climate. For example, when surface water is unavailable, the water content within ungulates’ food provides them with their main source of water, and they must make resourceful foraging decisions to meet their water needs. Scientists researching desert bighorn
Lake Powell
The USGS Utah Water Science Center and the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a collaborative geophysical research effort within Lake Powell, UT-AZ to map the bathymetry of the lake and characterize shallow sediment deposition near the mouths of the San Juan and Colorado Rivers.
Collaborative Discussion
The USGS RAMPS program hosts workshops where land managers from federal, state, and local agencies, practitioners, and NGO's can come together to discuss challenges and develop creative solutions. Here,
...
Digital Elevation Model Created by an Unmanned Aerial System
This digital elevation model was created using structure from motion software mounted to an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to analyze bridge scour. Studies using UAS have included stream temperature analyses, bird and mammal surveys, coastal change mapping, sandbar habitat surveys, fluvial erosion rates, microclimate mapping, air quality analysis, plant stress assessment,
...
Dry, cracked soil (RAMPS)
Rangelands of the desert Southwest can be in a degraded condition and lacking perennial vegetation, which can lead to exposed soil and erosion. RAMPS is working to mitigate degradation by increasing
...
Streamflow and groundwater levels are declining in some locations along the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista, Arizona, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Future groundwater replenishment in the Upper Colorado River Basin may benefit from projected increases in future basin-wide precipitation under current climate projections, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation.
To gain insights into the risks associated with uranium mining and processing, U.S. Geological Survey scientists are investigating how uranium moves into and up food chains.
Assessing age of groundwater to determine resource availability
First-of-its-kind survey shows that algal toxins are found nationwide
Laura Norman was asked to provide a presentation at the Hassayampa River Study meeting. Stakeholders in the 3,700 km² watershed are interested in the benefits of hydrologic modeling to assess if stormwater management practices would impact stormflows, sedimentation, and groundwater recharge.
Mountains on Io, Jupiter’s volcanic moon, are formed by a unique geologic mechanism not found elsewhere in the solar system, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first topographic map of Mercury was released today by the U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona State University, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and NASA.
Alternative Flows Might Mitigate Negative Impacts
A newly published, three-volume “Remote Sensing Handbook” is a comprehensive coverage of all remote sensing topics written by over 300 leading global experts.
With the release of new US Topo maps for Illinois and South Dakota, the USGS has completed the second, three-year cycle of revising and updating electronic US Topo quadrangles. This means that since late 2009, the USGS has published nearly every map in the conterminous U.S., twice.
On average, streams in the Niobrara-Mowry Play of eastern Wyoming, Fayetteville Play of Arkansas, and Barnett Play of Texas ranked most vulnerable to unconventional oil and gas development, but for different reasons, according to recent U.S. Geological Survey coauthored research.
Social Media
Locations
Astrogeology Science Center
Phone: 928-556-7000
Fax: 928-556-7014
Southwest Biological Science Center - Flagstaff, AZ, Headquarters
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
Western Geographic Science Center - Tucson Project Office
Western Geographic Science Center - Flagstaff Project Office
Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson Office
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
yvowebteam@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8906
Southwest Biological Science Center - Tucson, AZ, Research Station
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Arizona Water Science Center, Flagstaff Office
Phone: (928) 556-7136
Fax: (928) 556-7112
Arizona Water Science Center, Yuma Office
Phone: (928) 343-8100
Arizona Water Science Center, Glendale Office
Phone: 623-773-6200
Fax: 623-773-6480