USGS Newsroom

USGS Finds No Influence of Oil Platforms on Contaminant Levels in California Fishes

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 2 Apr 2013 17:09:17 EDT

Fishes residing near oil platforms in southern California have similar contaminant levels as fishes in nearby natural sites, according to two recent reports by the U.S. Geological Survey, which were conducted to assist the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in understanding potential consequences of offshore energy development.

Since the underwater portion of many offshore oil and gas platforms often provides habitat to a large number of fishes and invertebrates, some stakeholders have called for ocean managers to consider a "rigs-to-reefs" option during the decommissioning phase of a platform. This option would maintain some of the submerged structure to function as an artificial reef after oil and gas production has ended. The findings of this study address questions regarding how the industrial legacy of this kind of artificial reef may affect local fish populations.

Scientists analyzed the amount of contaminants from crude oil exposure present in three species of fish residing at oil platforms within the Santa Barbara Channel and the San Pedro Basin in California. The amount of contaminants present in fish tissue samples at seven platform sites was compared to samples at natural nearby sites. The brand new and recent USGS reports are available online.

"As part of this study, we developed methods capable of detecting the extremely low levels of contaminants that we anticipated in these ocean fishes, especially since they avoid natural oil seeps," said USGS scientist Robert Gale. "These results will assist decision-makers in helping to protect the environment off the coast of California."

Some of the most important contaminants related to oil operations are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Several PAHs are probable human carcinogens and many are toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Scientists were able to develop a new, more accurate method of sampling small traces of PAHs that may have been ingested and broken down within the fish. Samples were taken from species thought to be most sensitive to PAH contamination. These species, including Pacific sanddab, kelp rockfish, and kelp bass, also tend to be targeted by fishermen. PAH concentrations were either very low or undetectable in all fish sampled for this study.

"These important results suggest two things," said BOEM marine biologist Donna Schroeder. "First, existing offshore oil platforms provide food and shelter to local fishes without increasing their background contaminant loads. Second, since there is no detectable PAH signal from ongoing operations, we would expect that if the State of California wanted to implement a rigs-to-reefs program, there would likely be no change, pollution-wise, in the quality of the offshore environment, which appears to be pretty good."

Scientists also looked at industrial chemicals in the Pacific sanddab species, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), flame retardants (polybrominated diphenylethers, PBDEs), and pesticides (OCPs). These contaminants were also found at low levels in all fish sampled, with no observed pattern between natural and platform habitats.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy. While the agency is responsible for analyzing the potential environmental impacts of removing oil and gas platforms in federal waters, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement approves applications for decommissioning and ensures that they are conducted safely and in compliance with federal regulations. For additional information on BOEM activities, visit http://www.boem.gov/.

Water Quality Differences Affect Aquatic Health of Urban Streams in Kansas City and Independence, Missouri

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:17:59 EDT

Downstream areas of the Blue River and Little Blue River basins are highly affected by urban development, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study that compares the aquatic-life status of streams in the Kansas City, Mo. metropolitan area using macroinvertebrate populations as an indicator of stream health.

This study increases our understanding of aquatic life and water quality in urban streams. The differences in aquatic-life status of the Blue River and Little Blue River indicate how stormwater, wastewater discharges, and upstream reservoirs affect urban streams.

Macroinvertebrates, or animals without a backbone that are visible to the unaided eye, were collected in the Blue River basin in Kansas City, Mo., and the Little Blue River and Rock Creek basins in Independence, Mo., as part of two urban water-quality studies to assess the aquatic-life status of urban streams. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, which include insects, worms, mussels, and crayfish, are at the base of the food chain in aquatic environments. They are the main food source for many other animals such as fish and ducks, so scientists commonly use them to study the ability of a stream to support aquatic life.

"None of the samples collected from the Blue River had characteristics considered to be fully able to support aquatic life," said USGS co-author Heather Krempa. "However, about one out of ten spring samples and about four out of ten fall samples from the Little Blue River did have characteristics considered to be fully supporting of aquatic life."

Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from streams and analyzed several ways, including counting the total number and types of macroinvertebrates collected, grouping them based on feeding methods, and calculating the tolerance of the macroinvertebrates to pollution and environmental stress. Samples were scored to provide information about the stream at the sample location and were compared among sites. The aquatic-life status scores for the Little Blue River and its tributaries were higher, indicating more optimal conditions, than for the Blue River and its tributaries.

A Stream Condition Index that combines several different measures of macroinvertebrate populations was used to describe and assign three categories to the stream sites: non-, partially, and fully biologically supporting.

Wastewater-treatment plant discharges during low flows and combined sewer overflows into the Blue River lower aquatic-life scores and likely reduce water quality. Separate stormwater sewer system and reservoir releases to the Little Blue River may raise water quality and aquatic-life scores.

The study, "Assessment of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Adjacent Urban Stream Basins, Kansas City, Missouri, Metropolitan Area, 2007 through 2011," has been released as USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5284 and is available online.

Iowa Meteorite Crater Confirmed

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 5 Mar 2013 9:01:00 EDT

USGS Airborne Surveys Back Up Previous Decorah Research

Recent airborne geophysical surveys near Decorah, Iowa are providing an unprecedented look at a 470- million-year-old meteorite crater concealed beneath bedrock and sediments.

The aerial surveys, a collaboration of the U.S. Geological Survey with the Iowa and Minnesota Geological Surveys, were conducted in the last 60 days to map geologic structures and assess the mineral and water resources of the region.

"Capturing images of an ancient meteorite impact was a huge bonus," said Dr. Paul Bedrosian, a USGS geophysicist in Denver who is leading the effort to model the recently acquired geophysical data. "These findings highlight the range of applications that these geophysical methods can address."

In 2008-09, geologists from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' (Iowa DNR) Iowa Geological and Water Survey hypothesized what has become known as the Decorah Impact Structure. The scientists examined water well drill-cuttings and recognized a unique shale unit preserved only beneath and near the city of Decorah. The extent of the shale, which was deposited after the impact by an ancient seaway, defines a "nice circular basin" of 5.5 km width, according to Robert McKay, a geologist at the Iowa Geological Survey.

Bevan French, a scientist the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, subsequently identified shocked quartz - considered strong evidence of an extra-terrestrial impact - in samples of sub-shale breccia from within the crater.

"The recognition of this buried geological structure was possible because of the collaboration of a local geologist, water well drillers, the USGS STATEMAP program, and the support of the Iowa DNR concerning research on fundamental aspects of Iowa geology," said McKay.

The recent geophysical surveys include an airborne electromagnetic system, which is sensitive to how well rocks conduct electricity, and airborne gravity gradiometry, which measures subtle changes in rock density. The surveys both confirm the earlier work and provide a new view of the Decorah Impact Structure. Models of the electromagnetic data show a crater filled with electrically conductive shale and the underlying breccia, which is rock composed of broken fragments of rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix.

"The shale is an ideal target and provides the electrical contrast that allows us to clearly image the geometry and internal structure of the crater," Bedrosian said.

More analysis of the data will provide additional detail. These data show the impact as a nearly circular region distinct from the surrounding area to a depth of several hundred meters.

"These data, when coupled with physical property measurements on drill core samples, will form the basis for modeling efforts to constrain the impact geometry and energy of the meteorite," said Dr. Andy Kass, a USGS geophysicist working on the effort.

The Iowa and Minnesota airborne geophysical surveys are targeting an igneous intrusion, known as the Northeast Iowa Igneous Intrusive complex, that may be similar to the Duluth layered igneous complex exposed in the Lake Superior region of northern Minnesota. Known copper, nickel, and platinum group metal resources were deposited during the formation of the Duluth complex. Both of these complexes are associated with a large structural feature known as the Midcontinent Rift, which is exposed in the Lake Superior Region but is covered by younger rocks as it extends to the south through Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri.

This geophysical survey is part of a larger USGS effort to evaluate the concealed mineral resource potential of the greater Midcontinent Rift region that formed about 1.1 billion years ago.

Areas of Elevated Contaminants in Groundwater Determined from Regional Assessment in the Midwest

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT

Editor's note: This story is of particular interest to media outlets in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan

At least one contaminant was found at levels of human-health concern in about one third of untreated groundwater samples collected from wells in the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system, according to a recent report by the U.S. Geological Survey. When radon concentrations greater than 300 picocuries per liter are included, 64 percent of wells sampled contain a contaminant concentration above a human-health benchmark.

The Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system is ranked ninth in the nation for public supply water withdrawals from principal aquifers. The aquifer supplies water to many parts of the northern Midwest, including areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as the major cities of Minneapolis, Rockford and Chicago.

Many of the public and private wells sampled contain natural or manmade contaminants, including; radium, radon, boron, strontium, manganese, barium, nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Radon and radium are naturally occurring radioactive elements and known carcinogens. The deeper parts of the aquifer system in Illinois, Iowa, and eastern Wisconsin are vulnerable to high concentrations of radium, boron, and strontium. The shallow areas of the aquifer system in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are vulnerable to radon and manganese. The study was conducted as part of an ongoing systematic assessment of some of the Nation’s most important aquifer systems by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Results are available online.

"The USGS puts scientific findings and trends on water quality into the public domain so that citizens, water managers, and public officials can decide on appropriate and effective actions to address current or emerging issues that may be cause for concern now or in the future," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Both the quality of our water and scientific understanding of what is useful to monitor evolve over time, hence the need for the USGS to constantly update our water quality reports."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates public wells, and elevated concentrations of contaminants are reduced or removed from the water before people drink it," said John Wilson, USGS hydrologist and author of the study. "This study examined contaminants that pose human-health concerns, including some that are not regulated, and findings can help water utility managers make decisions about future monitoring and treatment needs."

Human-health benchmarks used to evaluate the significance of contaminant concentrations in raw water samples included EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and USGS Health-Based Screening Levels (HBSLs) for unregulated contaminants, developed by USGS in collaboration with the EPA. Concentrations were also compared to EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations established for aesthetic quality or other non-health reasons. In relating measured concentrations to health benchmarks, this study offers a preliminary assessment of potential health concerns and identifies conditions that may warrant further investigation. The research is not a substitute for comprehensive risk and toxicity assessments.

Radium and strontium levels in domestic and public-supply wells from the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system are higher and more frequently exceed the human-health benchmark than in any of the other 30 principal aquifers studied by NAWQA. Arsenic levels frequently exceed the human-health benchmark in domestic and public-supply wells of many of the other principal aquifers studied by NAWQA, but arsenic did not exceed the benchmark in any samples from the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system.

Major findings included:

Water quality of the aquifer system can vary greatly between areas where the aquifers are shallow and deep. Natural contaminants such as major ions, trace elements, and radium tend to occur at higher concentrations in deeper areas. Human caused contaminants, such as pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and nitrate, are detected more often in shallow areas.

Radon-222 and radium were most frequently measured at concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks, but geographic distributions were related to different depths of the aquifer system. Radon levels exceeded the proposed MCL of 300 picocuries per liter in 43 percent of 140 wells, of which 90 percent were in regionally shallow areas. Radium levels exceeded the MCL of 5 picocuries per liter in 40 percent of 88 wells, of which 89 percent were in regionally deeper areas.

The trace elements strontium, manganese, and barium exceeded a human-health benchmark in at least one sample. Strontium levels exceeded the HBSL in nine percent of 107 wells, and manganese levels exceeded the HBSL in four percent of 154 wells. Barium levels exceeded the MCL in one of 136 wells sampled by NAWQA. Concentrations of strontium were significantly higher in regionally deeper areas, and concentrations of manganese and barium were significantly higher in shallow areas.

Nitrate was detected at a concentration greater than one milligram per liter (mg/L) in 21 percent of the wells sampled by NAWQA. Concentrations of nitrate greater than 1 mg/L were assumed to be influenced by human activity. All but one of the wells were in regionally shallow areas, indicating that the shallower areas of the aquifer system are more susceptible to manmade contaminants. Nitrate levels exceeded the MCL of 10 mg/L in approximately four percent of 154 wells sampled by NAWQA.

Nine different pesticides were detected in wells sampled by NAWQA from 2002 through 2007, but usually at concentrations significantly below human-health benchmarks. No pesticide concentration exceeded a human-health benchmark. Water samples were analyzed for as many as 83 pesticides, but atrazine and its degradate deethylatrazine accounted for 67 percent of all pesticide detections. Eighty-six percent of wells with a pesticide detection were in shallow areas.

The USGS NAWQA program began in 1991 and is the only source of nationally consistent monitoring data and information on chemical contaminants in groundwater. The program also conducts regional and national studies of the susceptibility and vulnerability of the nation’s most important aquifers.

A Big Day for Science: Citizens Have Contributed One Million Observations to Top Nature Database

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 3 May 2012 9:00:00 EDT

RESTON, Va. — Thanks to citizen-scientists around the country, the USA National Phenology Network hit a major milestone this week by reaching its one millionth nature observation.

The millionth observation was done by Lucille Tower, a citizen-scientist in Portland, Ore., who entered a record about seeing maple vines flowering. Her data, like all of the entries, came in through USA-NPN’s online observation program, Nature's Notebook, which engages more than 4,000 volunteers across the country to observe and record phenology – the timing of the recurring life events of plants and animals such as when cherry trees or lilacs blossom, when robins build their nests, when salmon swim upstream to spawn or when leaves turn colors in the fall.

Each record not only represents a single data point — the status of a specific life stage of an individual plant or animal on one day – but also benefits both science and society by helping researchers understand how plants and animals are responding to climate change and, in turn, how those responses are affecting people and ecological systems.

"My dream is that through the wonders of modern technology and the National Phenology Network we could turn the more than six billion people on the planet into components of our scientific observing system," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "We could make giant leaps in science education, improve the spatial and temporal coverage of the planet, lower the cost of scientific data collection, and all while making ordinary citizens feel a part of the scientific process."

Jake Weltzin, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist and the executive director of USA-NPN, concurs. "Hitting the one millionth observation is exciting because researchers and decision-makers need more information to understand and respond to our rapidly changing planet. More information means better-informed decisions that ensure the continued vitality of our natural areas that we all depend on and enjoy."

For example, said Weltzin, the data in Nature's Notebook are already being used to benefit society, including the development of more accurate indicators of spring, forecasting the onset of allergy seasons or the chances of western wildfires, managing wildlife and invasive plants, and setting goals for habitat restoration. Ultimately, such information can be used for better managing water resources, wildlife and ecosystem management, and even help farmers and ranchers across the nation.

Changes in phenology are among the most sensitive biological indicators of global change. Across the world, many springtime events are occurring earlier — and fall events happening later — than in the past. These changes are happening quickly for some species and more slowly, or not at all, for others, altering relationships and processes that have been dynamically stable for thousands of years. Some wildlife —like caribou and butterflies — are becoming mismatched from their plant food resources, which are responding differently. Migrations for some birds are changing too, as they can now overwinter instead of moving south for the winter, or as they fly north more quickly to keep pace with an advancing front of spring flowering.

Because of this, said Weltzin, scientists need more and better information about the pace and pattern of nature — locally to nationally — to answer important scientific and societal questions, and to build the tools and models needed to help people understand and adapt to the changes.

"So much of our improved understanding about global environmental changes is driven by varied and valuable sources of information that include networks of citizen-scientists," said John Wingfield, National Science Foundation’s assistant director for biological sciences. "The public at large has played an important role collecting observations and data for a hundred years and more. Knowledge and data gained from their work will continue to have a lasting effect on how we understand regularly recurring biological phenomena for hundreds of plant and animal species and contribute to the policy arena."

Gwen Lundburg in Seattle is one citizen-scientist who has contributed hundreds of entries into Nature’s Notebook. "Just noticing small changes like tiny purple lilac buds suddenly turning green has taught me to look more closely at my plants," Lundburg said. "I see things in my garden I never saw before."

With the help of citizen-scientist volunteers, working in concert with professionals, the USA-NPN, which was established in 2007, collects, stores and freely shares phenological data on more than 800 species of plants and animals. The Nature’s Notebook observing program has been in operation since 2009. The coordinating office of the organization is located at 1955 E. 6^th St., Tucson, Ariz., 85721. For more information, visit the USA National Phenology Network, or contact Jake Weltzin at 520-626-3821 or jweltzin@usgs.gov.

Interior Releases First-of-its-Kind Regional Study as Part of National Assessment of Carbon Storage in U.S. Ecosystems

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 18:39:22 EDT

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of the Interior today released the first in a series of regional studies measuring the amount of carbon stored in U.S. ecosystems. Published by Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the study examines the current and projected future carbon storage in the Great Plains region, as part of a nation-wide assessment.

Interior Releases First-of-its-Kind Regional Study as Part of National Assessment of Carbon Storage in U.S. Ecosystems

Groundwater Storage Losses Substantial Across Eight State Aquifer System

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 1 Dec 2011 13:10:46 EDT

More than 280 million acre-feet of groundwater has been withdrawn from the Mississippi embayment aquifer system between 1870-2007, according to a new water modeling tool developed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This cumulative withdrawal, which is the equivalent of five feet of water over 78,000 square miles, contributes to one of the largest losses of groundwater storage anywhere in the United States.

The new USGS modeling tool was designed to help resource managers find a balance between water supply and demand for future economic and environmental uses. The three-dimensional model provides a holistic picture of how water flows below ground and how it relates to surface-water. The Mississippi embayment aquifer system encompasses approximately 78,000 square miles in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. A report documenting past and current groundwater conditions, and tools to forecast regional response to human use, climate variability, and land-use changes are all available online.

"Our groundwater aquifers are nature's own natural method for storing water safely long term where it is less vulnerable to loss through evaporation and surface contamination," explained USGS director Marcia McNutt. "We should be as concerned about loss of groundwater as we are about dropping levels in reservoirs behind dams, because in the depths of the worst drought, when the rivers run dry, it is only the groundwater that will sustain us."

"This model can assist water resource managers faced with increasing management challenges and constraints," said USGS hydrologist, Brian Clark. "This model could be used to evaluate regional issues, such as streamflow declines from groundwater pumping or conservation scenarios to lessen water level declines."

The Mississippi embayment aquifer system includes one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions, with an annual value of $3 billion per year. Two of the region’s most important aquifers lie beneath the Mississippi embayment. The pumping from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer accounts for more than 12 percent of all groundwater pumped in the United States.

"This model will help officials find ways to better manage the area's present and future groundwater resources," said USGS Arkansas Water Science Center Director, Dave Freiwald. "This is the most recent large-scale, comprehensive assessment of groundwater resources in the area."

This report is a product of a four-year study being funded by the USGS Groundwater Resources Program. Information derived from this and future studies of more than 30 regional aquifers will provide a collective assessment of America's groundwater availability.

To develop the model, scientists examined more than 2,600 geophysical logs, some dating back to the early 1960’s. Researchers examined groundwater and surface-water data from the early 1900’s to 2007, groundwater withdrawal information, and thousands of miles of surface-water bodies to illustrate how the water system works and how supplies have changed.

A comprehensive report detailing the research, “Groundwater Availability of the Mississippi Embayment,” and a factsheet, “A New Tool to Assess Groundwater Resources in the Mississippi Embayment,” are available online.

Map showing the Mississippi embayment aquifer system area. (Larger image)

USGS Groundwater Study Needs Help from Vienna Area Locals

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 7 Nov 2011 11:40:53 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey will be seeking permission from select local residents near Vienna, Mo. to conduct groundwater measurements in their domestic wells.

USGS scientists will be measuring water levels, which will be used to develop maps that will show groundwater flow directions in the area. Scientists will also collect water quality samples from wells. This beneficial information will also be shared with each individual well owner.

The cooperation of landowners with private wells is a vital component to the success of the study. USGS scientists will be working in the area during November and December and will be asking landowners for permission to access their well. The USGS employees participating in the study will be driving U.S. Government tagged vehicles and will have a U.S. Government picture ID readily visible.

The gathered information is useful not only to the USGS, but is also helpful for the well owner. Groundwater levels typically fluctuate throughout the year. Water levels are usually highest during the winter and early spring and then gradually drop throughout the summer and fall months. Water drawdown in wells may be larger than usual because of the recent abnormally hot and dry summer, and the current water level may be of interest to the well owner.

Measuring water levels typically takes about five to ten minutes and is a fairly simple process with the proper equipment. The well is accessed at the wellhead by either removing the vent plug (if the well was drilled before about 1990), or loosening 3 to 4 small bolts to remove the well cap. A metal probe, which is about six inches long and 3/8 inch diameter, is lowered into the well until it reaches the top of the water table. When the probe reaches the water, a buzzer sounds on the reel. The distance is then measured to determine the water level.

Scientists will be collecting water samples to test for the presence of volatile organic compounds, such as those that have been detected in the public-supply wells in Vienna. This sampling requires that the water be allowed to flow from the hydrant nearest the well for about 20 to 30 minutes before the sample is collected. This purging process allows new water from the aquifer to flush any stagnant water that has been retained in the stand-pipe of the well, the pressure tank, or any other plumbing before the sample is collected. The sampling results will be shared with the landowner when the analyses are completed.

Groundwater is similar to surface water in that it flows from a higher altitude to a lower altitude. The altitude of the groundwater table at a specific location can be calculated if the altitude of land surface and the depth to groundwater is known at that location. Land surface altitude can be determined from topographic maps and depth to groundwater can be determined from water level measurements made in area wells.

This work is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of a 3-year study that began earlier this year. The study area is bounded by the Gasconade River to the east and the Maries River to the west and approximately 3 miles to the north and south of Vienna.

The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

Flood Risk Determines Wetland Restoration Potential Along Missouri River

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:48:44 EDT

High or low flood risks can determine where wetland restoration might occur on the lower Missouri River, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center and the Nature Conservancy’s Missouri River Program.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has projected record flooding through mid-August for the lower Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam, Yankton, S.D.

Areas along the lower Missouri River that have a greater risk of high floods tend to have a larger potential for wetlands restoration whereas those areas with a low potential for wetland restoration have a lower flood risk, the study’s authors noted. Consequently, restoring wetlands in the high-risk areas could lower flood costs and increase the ecological benefits of the river. The study is published in the journal Wetlands Ecology and Management and is available online.

"This study can be used by agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, to help balance protecting the public from flood hazards and restoring wetland ecosystems," said USGS scientist and senior author of the study, Robert Jacobson, Ph.D. "Land managers can also use studies like this to assist them in making informed decisions about their property, farms and livelihood."

The study revealed that wetland restoration potential is not uniform along the river For example, areas just downstream of Gavins Point Dam have a lack of sediment, which has caused the river channel to deepen, leaving the floodplain in that area high and usually dry. These eroded areas have low potential for restoring wetlands and a relatively low flood hazard.

The amount of channel erosion begins to decrease about 60 miles downstream of the dam, resulting in more opportunity to get water to potential floodplain wetlands, and more flood risk. The stretch of the river with the highest wetland restoration potential is between Omaha, Neb. and St. Joseph, Mo. This area is also more susceptible to flooding than the remainder of the lower Missouri River.

More information about the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center is available online.

To learn more about the Nature Conservancy's Missouri River Program, visit their website.

Lichens May Aid in Combating Deadly Chronic Wasting Disease in Wildlife

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:00:50 EDT

MADISON, Wis. – Certain lichens can break down the infectious proteins responsible for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a troubling neurological disease fatal to wild deer and elk and spreading throughout the United States and Canada, according to U.S. Geological Survey research published today in the journal PLoS ONE.

Like other "prion" diseases, CWD is caused by unusual, infectious proteins called prions. One of the best-known of these diseases is "mad cow" disease, a cattle disease that has infected humans. However, there is no evidence that CWD has infected humans. Disease-causing prions, responsible for some incurable neurological diseases of people and other diseases in animals, are notoriously difficult to decontaminate or kill. Prions are not killed by most detergents, cooking, freezing or by autoclaving, a method used to sterilize medical instruments.

"When prions are released into the environment by infected sheep or deer, they can stay infectious for many years, even decades," said Christopher Johnson, Ph.D., a scientist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and the lead author of the study. "To help limit the spread of these diseases in animals, we need to be able to remove prions from the environment."

The researchers found that lichens have great potential for safely reducing the number of prions because some lichen species contain a protease enzyme (a naturally produced chemical) capable of significantly breaking down prions in the lab.

"This work is exciting because there are so few agents that degrade prions and even fewer that could be used in the environment without causing harm," said Jim Bennett, Ph.D., a USGS lichenologist and a co-author of the study.

CWD and scrapie in sheep are different than other prion diseases because they can easily spread in sheep or deer by direct animal-to-animal contact or through contact with contaminated inanimate objects like soil. Chronic wasting disease was first diagnosed in the 1960s and has since been detected in 19 states and two Canadian provinces. CWD has been detected in wild elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and moose in North America.

Lichens, said Johnson, produce unique and unusual organic compounds that aid their survival and can have antibiotic, antiviral and other chemotherapeutic activities. In fact, pharmaceutical companies have been examining the medicinal properties of lichens more closely in recent years.

Lichens - which are often mistaken for moss - are unusual plant-like organisms that are actually a symbioses of fungi, algae and bacteria living together. They usually live on soil, bark, leaves and wood and can live in barren and unwelcoming environments, including the Arctic and in deserts.

Future work will examine the effect of lichens on prions in the environment and determine if lichen consumption can protect animals from acquiring prion diseases.

The study, “Degradation of the disease-associated prion protein by a serine protease from lichens,” was published in PLoS ONE and is freely accessible to the public. The study was authored by USGS scientists Christopher Johnson, James Bennett and Tonie Rocke, as well as authors from Montana State University and the University of Wisconsin.

Satellite Images Display Extreme Mississippi River Flooding from Space

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:24:56 EDT

Recent Landsat satellite data captured by the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA on May 10 show the major flooding of the Mississippi River around Memphis, Tenn. and along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas as seen from 438 miles above the Earth.

The flood crest of 47.87 feet on May 10 is the second highest rise in recent history; the highest being 48.7 feet in 1937. Five counties surrounding Memphis have been declared disaster areas, and the costs of the flooding are expected to approach $1 billion. The Mississippi River crest continues to move south and is expected to occur in the Greenville, Miss. area around May 16 to finally crest in New Orleans around May 23.

When natural hazards like flooding occur, the USGS provides the most recent Landsat data to local emergency managers.

“Landsat imagery is crucial in helping to monitor the flood rate and effects of the flooding in the region, and to aid in the decision making process regarding flood control. Such decisions include closing portions of the Mississippi River to shipping and opening flood gates outside of low-lying New Orleans in preparation for the flood wave as it makes its way slowly down the river to the Gulf of Mexico,” said Mark Anderson, Acting Director of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center.

Remotely sensed data are not the only science endeavors occurring due to floods. The USGS collects river data through its network of about 7,700 stream gages around the Nation. You can receive instant, customized updates about water conditions, including flooding, by subscribing to USGS WaterAlert.

General flood information is available at USGS Science Features and USGS Flood Information

Note to Editors: The associated image pairs show the Mississippi River in the Memphis, Tenn. area and along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas. The May 12, 2006 images (left) show the river in a more normal state, while the 2011 images (right) show the massive flooding. In the images, the dark blue tones represent water or flooded areas, the light green is cleared fields, and light tones are clouds.

[Access images for this release at: &amp;lt;a href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2011_05_13" _mce_href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2011_05_13"&amp;gt;http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2011_05_13&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;]

USGS Crews Measure Flooding in Missouri

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:12:11 EDT

Reporters: Do you want to accompany a USGS field crew as they measure flooding? Please contact Shane Barks at 573-308-3674.

Heavy rainfall of more than 10 inches during the last 24 hours has caused substantial flooding in parts of Southern Missouri.

Today, there are 19 U.S. Geological Survey scientists out in the field collecting critical streamflow data, which are vital for protection of life, property and the environment. These data are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) to develop flood forecasts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage flood control, and the various state and local agencies in their flood response activities.

In Missouri, there are more than 250 USGS-operated streamgages that measure water levels, streamflow and rainfall. Currently, 30 streamgage sites across the state are registering water levels above flood stage. The NWS is forecasting more rain across Southeastern Missouri over the next few days.

“USGS field teams work rapidly to make sure that emergency managers have accurate flood measurements when people’s lives are at risk,” said Shane Barks, USGS Missouri Water Science Center Deputy Director. “Up to date stream measurements are essential to reduce the risks to life, property and the environment.”

A map of real-time streamflow monitoring sites and graphs of flooding in Missouri from the past 7 days are available at the USGS Missouri Water Science Center real-time streamflow website.

For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the U.S. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk, and for many recreational activities.

Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS WaterWatch website. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert.

Media Advisory: Earthquakes: Ongoing Hazard Facing the Heartland

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 9 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EDT

Earthquakes pose an ongoing hazard to people, buildings, and infrastructure in St. Louis and surrounding areas.

One of the known sources of large earthquakes in the past is the New Madrid seismic zone. The central and eastern U.S. experienced a series of large earthquakes from this zone almost 200 years ago with magnitudes similar to, or larger than, the disastrous earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. St. Louis sits near the New Madrid seismic zone, a region of known faults and frequent small earthquakes along the central Mississippi River Valley.

While large damaging earthquakes are infrequent in the central U.S., the impacts would be serious. Community leaders, scientists, engineers, emergency managers, and business executives are gathering Feb. 11 at the Earthquakes: Mean Business Conference at Saint Louis University to kick off the New Madrid Earthquake Bicentennial commemoration to raise public awareness in the St. Louis area and around the region.

Damaging earthquakes are less likely in the central U.S. than in California, but their consequences are more widespread because, due to the nature of the Earth’s crust, strong shaking extends over a much larger area. Adding to the risk are the many unreinforced brick buildings in the central U.S. that were constructed 50 to 120 years ago and lack any provisions for earthquake shaking.

What:

Reporters are invited to interview earthquakes experts about the science behind the New Madrid Seismic Zone

Who:

David Applegate, USGS Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards

Rob Williams, USGS Eastern and Central U.S. Earthquake Hazards Coordinator

Jill McCarthy, Director, USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center, and Author, Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for the Central United States

Oliver Boyd, USGS Research Geophysicist

Where:

Saint Louis University Earthquake Center (1 block east of Earthquake Conference)
Visual opportunities available

When:

1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. (please call Jennifer LaVista to arrange a time)
Friday, Feb. 11, 2011

Visit the USGS Earthquakes Hazards website or the New Madrid Bicentennial website for more information.

Tattered Wings: Bats Grounded by White-Nose Syndrome's Lethal Effects on Life-Support Functions of Wings

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:47:54 EDT

Madison, Wisconsin—Damage to bat wings from the fungus associated with white-nose syndrome (WNS) may cause catastrophic imbalance in life-support processes, according to newly published research.

This imbalance may be to blame for the more than 1 million deaths of bats due to WNS thus far, proposes Carol Meteyer, a pathologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center and a lead author of the research published in BMC Biology.

Physiological problems caused by the novel fungus, may, in fact, represent a completely new disease paradigm for mammals, Meteyer and her colleagues wrote. Other skin infections in mammals due to fungi (ringworm, athlete’s foot) remain superficial and do not invade living tissue—typically they only affect the surface of skin, hair and nails.

Not so for the aptly named Geomyces destructans.

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“This fungus is amazingly destructive — it digests, erodes, and invades the skin — particularly the wings — of hibernating bats,” said Meteyer. “The ability of this fungus to invade bats’ wing skin is unlike that of any known skin fungal pathogen in land mammals.”

The authors examined nearly 200 bats that had died from WNS, and also reviewed the critical function and physiology of bat wings during hibernation. As a result, they propose that G. destructans may cause unsustainable dehydration in hibernating bats, triggering thirst-associated arousals. In addition to the direct damage to the wings that would alter flight control, the erosion and invasion of skin may also cause significant changes in circulation, body-temperature regulation and respiratory function.

Since signs of the disease were first observed in New York during the winter of 2006-07, the fungus has spread through 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces, resulting in the first sustained high-mortality disease affecting bats in recorded history. Biologists assume that as the disease spreads to new areas, cave-hibernating bats in those areas will also be at risk, including some that are endangered.

“The high number of bat deaths and range of species being affected far exceeds the rate and magnitude of any previously known natural or human-caused mortality event in bats, and possibly in any other mammals,” said Paul Cryan, a lead author of the paper and a USGS bat ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.

Although the powdery white muzzles of affected bats gave the disease its name, the authors believe that the skin of bat wings is the most significant, though often less obvious, target of the fungus.

The order of bats is called Chiroptera, Greek for “hand-wing,” appropriately named since bat wings are essentially modified arms. Imagine, for a moment, your human hand with its fingers spread apart. Then imagine your fingers are 6 feet long, and the whole skeletal affair is covered with two layers of thin, somewhat transparent membranes attached to the sides of your torso and legs. Sandwiched between the membranes are blood and lymphatic vessels, delicate nerves, muscles and special connective tissues that help you fly and help keep you physiologically healthy.

“The disproportionately large areas of exposed skin that make up bat wings play critical roles in maintaining safe internal body conditions during hibernation,” noted Cryan. “Healthy wings are essential for day-to-day survival, even during winter when bats are mostly just hanging around. Wings damaged by the fungus may not always look so bad to the naked eye, but under the microscope things get ugly fast.”

When Meteyer examined wings of diseased bats microscopically, she discovered wing damage was often so severe that it led her and her colleagues to suggest multiple life-threatening effects on hibernating bats.

“A bat’s wings,” said Meteyer, “are obviously critical for flying, but they also play a vital part in essential functions such as body temperature, blood pressure, water balance and blood and gas circulation and exchange.”

Healthy bats occasionally rouse themselves from hibernation, probably to change roosts, drink, mate and even overcome sleep deprivation, biologists think. But bats afflicted with WNS arouse much more often. In fact, a characteristic of hibernation sites with WNS is daytime flights of affected bats outside caves.

“The prevailing hypothesis is that daytime winter flight is a last-ditch effort for starving bats to find insect prey,” Cryan said. “What we propose is that thirst, and maybe not always hunger, is driving these arousals. Unusual thirst during hibernation may result from water essentially leaking out of wings damaged by the fungus.”

Anecdotally, bats at hibernacula affected by WNS are sometimes seen flying over and drinking from water surfaces or eating snow, highlighting the plausibility of this hypothesis, the authors noted.

Hibernation itself is one reason this emerging disease is so successful. During hibernation, a bat’s immune function and metabolism are dramatically reduced, and body temperature drops significantly. Also, some of the worst-affected bat species roost in humid areas in dense clusters to conserve energy and decrease moisture loss.

“These ideal environmental conditions, combined with the hibernating bat’s suppressed immune system, likely allow the fungus to invade body tissues for nutrients without resistance, making the hibernating bat a most accommodating host for this new disease,” Meteyer said.

The researchers compare the ability of this novel bat fungus to destabilize internal functions with the electrolyte imbalance that occurs in frogs infected by chytrid fungus, which, like G. destructans, is a novel disease of vertebrates. Chytrid infection impairs the ability of frog skin to regulate hydration and internal equilibrium, causing electrolyte imbalance and ultimately cardiac arrest.

“The skin plays a critical role in the physiology of both amphibians and bats,” Meteyer said. “We suggest that a similar, but less subtle, disturbance could be occurring in the wing membranes of bats with WNS.”

The journal article can be accessed online.

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Flood Peaks and Probability in the Midwest Assessed

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:26:09 EDT

New information and data will allow for the assessment of future flood potential in the Midwestern U.S., which can be used to make long-term planning decisions and help residents be better prepared for future floods in the region.

A recent U.S. Geological Survey report documents the flood peak and probability of occurrence at over 100 USGS streamgages that were operational during the Midwest floods of 2008. Such assessments are useful for citizens and officials in addressing flood-control, land-use, and flood insurance regulations.

“2008 was an incredible year for floods for the Midwest,” said Dr. Robert Holmes, USGS scientist and senior author of the report. “This flood probability information is crucial to flood risk assessment efforts.”

Peak-of-record streamflows were recorded at more than 147 USGS streamgages in 2008. Separate flooding events occurred in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and September of that year. Of those, the June floods were the most severe and widespread with the most substantial and, in some places, record flooding and damage occurring in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

“USGS hydrologists and hydrologic technicians work long hours during flood events like this to collect the necessary data to provide the public and other agencies with accurate, reliable streamflow information,” Holmes said. “One of the agencies that make significant use of the USGS data is the National Weather Service (NWS), which uses the data as input to computer models. These models are the basis for NWS flood forecasts at almost 4,000 locations across the United States.”

The report “Flooding in the United States Midwest, 2008” can be found online.