USGS Newsroom

Crowd-Sourcing the Nation: Using Volunteers for Enhanced Data Collection

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 1 Apr 2013 18:41:01 EDT

The USGS is expanding the involvement of volunteers to enhance data collection about structures for The National Map.

This program, known as The National Map Corps, focuses on encouraging citizens to collect data relating to structures by both adding new features and/or correcting existing data within The National Map database. These structures can include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public places.

Collaborative pilot projects in Colorado were recently used to test the concept of crowd-sourcing. While the project is on-going, early indications point to positive results and show the success of using TNMC volunteers to enhance data sets.

Over a trial period of ten months, 143 volunteers collected, improved, or deleted data on more than 6,400 structures in Colorado. The volunteers’ actions were accurate and exceeded USGS quality standards. In the Colorado pilot project the volunteer-collected data showed an improvement of approximately 25 percent in both location and attribute accuracy for existing data points. Completeness, or the extent to which all appropriate features were identified and recorded, was nearly perfect.

The significant results of the Colorado pilot have led to a phased, nation-wide expansion of the crowd-sourcing /volunteer project. The states in the first expansion of TNMC are: Arkansas, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia

After an evaluation of the quality and procedures of the first group of states, the second set will be made available. Ultimately, by the end of 2013, the third batch of states will complete the expansion of the program.

"The response by volunteers in Colorado exceeded our expectations both in terms of the number of volunteers and the quality of the data they collected”, said Kari Craun, the Director of the USGS National Geospatial Technical Operations Center. “The Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) community represents a fantastic, untapped resource to assist USGS in maintaining data that are part of The National Map.”

While some familiarity with the area that a volunteer chooses is helpful, one doesn’t have to live near a particular place to contribute. The tools on TNMC website, along with ancillary information available on the Internet, are generally sufficient to edit a distant area.

There have been several instances of crowd-sourced geographic information making significant contributions to research and databases in government, private sector, and non-profit organizations. The goal of the TNMC is to provide data for the nation’s primary federal mapping agency in its effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial data via the web-based National Map.

The citizen geographers/cartographers who participate in this program will make a significant addition to the USGS’s ability to provide accurate information to the public. Data collected by volunteers become part of TNM Structures dataset which is available to users free of charge.

Without a network of volunteers, the desired information would not be collected this year and the existing data would not be updated. TNMC volunteers perform important work that otherwise will not be accomplished in the foreseeable future.

Becoming a volunteer for TNMC is easy; go to the National Map Corps website to learn more and to sign up as a volunteer. If you have access to the Internet and are willing to dedicate some time to editing map data, we hope you will consider participating!

New USGS Report Updates Decline of High Plains Aquifer Groundwater Levels

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 7:48:52 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains Aquifer. The report presents water-level change data in the aquifer in two separate periods: from 1950–the time prior to significant groundwater irrigation development–to 2011, and 2009 to 2011.

In 2011, the total water stored in the aquifer was about 2.96 billion acre-feet, an overall decline of about 246 million acre-feet (or 8 percent) since pre-development. Change in water in storage from 2009 to 2011 was an overall decline of 2.8 million acre-feet. The overall average water-level decline in the aquifer was 14.2 feet from pre-development to 2011, and 0.1 foot from 2009 to 2011.

The study used water-level measurements from 3,322 wells for pre-development to 2011 and 7,376 wells for 2009 to 2011.

The High Plains Aquifer, also known as the Ogallala Aquifer, underlies about 112 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight states Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The USGS, at the request of the U.S. Congress, has published reports on water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer since 1988. Congress requested these reports in response to substantial water-level declines in large areas of the aquifer.

This multi-state, groundwater-level monitoring program has allowed water-level changes in all eight states to be tracked over time and has provided data critical to evaluating different options for groundwater management. This level of coordinated groundwater-level monitoring is unique among major, multi-state regional aquifers in the country.

The report "Water-Level and Storage Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2011 and 2009–11" is available online.

Lidar Yields New Insights into Desert Fire Ecologies

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EDT

MENLO PARK, Calif. —New insights into the differences between fire ecologies of the Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts in the southwestern United States are coming through the use of terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging, or lidar, technology. Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey show that while fire is detrimental to some areas of the desert, it is beneficial to others.

“Just as some ecosystems require periodic flooding for their rebirth and health maintenance, this new lidar information shows that some grasslands depend on periodic fires to give the native vegetation a competitive advantage," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This new science is important in informing management because the natural human tendency is to suppress hazardous events like floods and fires.”

Scientists used terrestrial or ground-based lidar to study the soil and vegetation characteristics of two desert ecosystems. In the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, historically a grassland, they confirmed that fire can prevent the incursion of invasive shrub vegetation, while in parts of the Mojave Desert that are historically covered in shrubs, they showed that fire can harm the fertile shrub mounds, leading to loss of vegetation and increased erosion.

“Fire can hinder conservation in areas naturally covered by shrubland, but may help remove shrubs and restore native vegetation in areas naturally covered by grasslands,” said USGS geographer Chris Soulard. “These research studies are collaborative efforts aimed at building a long-term, ecosystem specific understanding of the ecological effects of fire and the possible beneficial roles of fire in land management.”

Terrestrial lidar uses lasers typically mounted on tripods to generate high-resolution, three-dimensional models of the sampled area. The level of detail is higher than in aerial lidar, aerial photography, or satellite imaging and T-lidar scanning instruments are easier and faster to deploy.

The Chihuahuan Desert study area was in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge of New Mexico, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In spring 2007, sample plots were burned, clipped, or left undisturbed, and in the summer of 2011 terrestrial lidar was used to measure soil and vegetation characteristics. In their burn experiments, a team of scientists including Joel Sankey of the USGS and Sujith Ravi with the University of Arizona, observed shrub-vegetated areas disappearing and the formation of numerous, small grass-dominated areas indicating the progression of the system towards a state more characteristic of the native grasslands found in this area.

Woody plant encroachment can degrade desert grasslands, leading to areas of shrub vegetation surrounded by patches of nutrient-depleted bare soil. “The results of our Chihuahuan Desert study suggest that fire (prescribed, accidental, or natural) might reverse the shrub encroachment process, if it occurs in the early stages of vegetation shift,” said Sankey, a USGS research physical scientist. “This may inform the use and role of fire in the context of changing disturbance regimes and climate.”

The Mojave Desert project study area was in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona. Prescribed fires were set in 1998, and in 2009 T-lidar data was collected on both burned and unburned sample plots by a team of USGS scientists. The recovering vegetation in the burned sites had smaller dimensions, which exposed the soil mounds to erosion. Consequently, post-fire erosion led to the reduction in the soil mound volume and surface roughness in these sites. Soil surface changes alter physical and nutrient conditions that promote shrub health, and lead to decreased chances of seed germination and decreased ability to retain water.

For more information, see the full journal articles. The Chihuahuan Desert study, “Quantifying soil surface change in degraded drylands: shrub encroachment and effects of fire and vegetation removal in a desert grassland”, was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research and is authored by J.B. Sankey, S. Ravi, C.S.A. Wallace, R.H. Webb, and T.E. Huxman. The Mojave Desert study, “The role of fire on soil mounds and surface roughness in the Mojave Desert” was published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms and is authored by Chris Soulard, Todd Esque, Dave Bedford, and Sandra Bond.

Volcanism in the American Southwest

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EDT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Experts in volcano hazards and public safety have started a conversation about volcanoes in the southwestern United States, and how best to prepare for future activity. Prior to this meeting, emergency response planning for volcanic unrest in the region had received little attention by federal or state agencies.

Though volcanic eruptions are comparatively rare in the American Southwest, the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah host geologically-recent volcanic eruption deposits and are vulnerable to future volcanic activity. Compared with other parts of the western U.S., comparatively little research has been focused on this area, and eruption probabilities are poorly understood.

“A volcanic eruption in the American southwest is an example of a low-probability, but high-impact event for which we should be prepared to respond,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “No one wants to be exchanging business cards during an emergency, and thus a small investment in advance planning could pay off in personal relationships and coordination between scientists and first responders.”

"The goal of the conference is to increase awareness of volcanism and vulnerabilities in the American Southwest, and to begin coordination among volcano scientists, land managers, and emergency responders regarding future volcanic activity," said Dr. Jacob Lowenstern, one of the organizers of the conference, and the U.S. Geological Survey Scientist-In-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. "This is the first time these federal, state, and local agencies have met to discuss their roles, responsibilities, and resources, should an eruption occur."

The "Volcanism in the American Southwest" conference on Oct. 18-19 in Flagstaff, Ariz. was organized by the USGS, Northern Arizona University, University at Buffalo, and New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, the meeting included interdisciplinary talks, posters, and panel discussions, providing an opportunity for volcanologists, land managers, and emergency responders to meet, converse, and begin to plan protocols for any future volcanic activity.

More information about the meeting, including presentation abstracts, is online.

Modeling Predicts Excessive Nitrate and Arsenic in Southwestern U.S. Aquifers

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EDT

Modeling results from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that groundwater in basin-fill aquifers (sediment-filled valleys) beneath about 2.4 percent of the area in the southwestern U.S. may equal or exceed the drinking-water standard for nitrate, and groundwater beneath about 43 percent of the area may equal or exceed the standard for arsenic. These aquifers are an important resource, providing about 40 percent of the water used in that region. While several compounds occur in groundwater from these aquifers, nitrate and arsenic are among those most frequently found to exceed drinking-water standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for protection of human health.

While public water supplies are treated to ensure that water reaching the tap of households meets federal requirements, there are no such requirements for private supplies. The results highlight the importance of private well owners testing and potentially treating their water. All of the contaminants identified in the aquifers can be reduced or eliminated through a variety of treatments.

"The alluvial basins of the American Southwest can provide a valuable water resource to growing populations who often lack other sources of fresh water," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "However, the results of this modeling study raise a cautionary flag for private well owners of the need to test water to ensure its safety and to take action to remediate any contamination that is found."

Areas where nitrate concentrations are predicted to equal or exceed the EPA drinking-water standard (10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen) occur in several basins in central Arizona near Phoenix; the southern part of California’s Central Valley; as well as several basins near Los Angeles along the southern coast; and the San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado.

Much of the area where arsenic concentrations are predicted to equal or exceed the drinking-water standard (10 micrograms per liter) is within several basins in parts of southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, western Nevada, and western Utah. Most of the area with predicted high arsenic concentrations is in sparsely populated rangeland, whereas most of the area with predicted high nitrate concentrations occurs where agricultural or urban communities are located.

The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program study, which included parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, applied a statistical modeling approach that extrapolates nitrate and arsenic occurrence from areas where concentrations are known, to other areas where such data are unavailable. The extrapolation is based on nitrate and arsenic analyses from well-water samples collected from 1980 to 2010, and a wide variety of hydrologic, geologic, climatic, soil, land use, water use, agricultural, and biotic conditions that local-scale geochemical studies have found to be relevant to nitrate or arsenic occurrence in groundwater.

Results from this study are available online.

USGS Installs Early Flood Warning Network in Aftermath of Little Bear Fire

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 12:40:48 EDT

RUIDOSO, N.M. — The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed installation of seven rain and stream gages in the burned areas of New Mexico’s Little Bear fire, where flood danger continues to be very high during the monsoons for residents downstream around the fire area. The gages transmit data via satellite to the National Weather Service, which provides warnings to communities that may be affected by flooding. The gages can provide advance warning of up to 60 minutes before impending floods.

The Little Bear fire scorched more than 44,000 acres, and claimed 242 residential or commercial structures and 12 outbuildings in or around the Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso, N.M. The fire was started by lightning on June 4, 2012.

Though the fire was fully contained on July 4, attention has been focused on preparing for post-fire flooding with the onset of monsoon season. While Lincoln County and the U.S. Forest Service have contributed significantly to the broad-scale, multi-agency emergency response effort, communities downstream from burned watersheds remain at risk of flash flooding and debris flows due to the loss of vegetation and the burned soil’s reduced ability to absorb water.

USGS scientists, working in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Army National Guard, installed rain gages at six locations within the burned area, including near Nogal Peak, near Runnell’s Stables on the Rio Bonito, Bluefront-Crest-South Fork Trails Junction, Buck Mountain, and Skyview Recreation Site.

A lake-stage/precipitation station now exists at Bonito Lake, and a streamflow-gaging station at Rio Bonito at the Highway 48 Bridge. All of the precipitation gages are in the upper portions of the affected watersheds to maximize the time available to emergency managers to respond to larger rainfall events.

The new gages became operational during the week of July 8, 2012, and data are now available on USGS websites.

USGS and U.S. Forest Service recently hosted a workshop near Alto, N.M., to show emergency managers how to access the data provided by the new gages and answer questions about the water alert system.

“We could not have installed the gages without the funding provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,” said Anne Marie Matherne, USGS Hydrologist and the project’s team leader. “On the ground, the U.S. Forest Service and the Army National Guard were outstanding, providing helicopter and logistical support that was essential to getting the job done.”

In addition to providing advance warning of flooding, the gages collect important data that will allow scientists and emergency managers to evaluate the increased risk of flooding resulting from the burned areas within watersheds. Gage data can also be used to determine the rate of a watershed’s recovery.

USGS’s WaterAlert service sends email or text messages to notify users about precipitation or rising water in nearby rivers and streams. The service allows users to receive notifications about water levels at any of over 4,600 USGS real-time streamgages around the country. There is no cost to users for this notification service.

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The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on National Forest System land help to sustain more than 200,000 full- and part-time jobs and contribute more than $13 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

President Obama Honors Justin Hagerty for Helping to Explain the Formation and Evolution of the Moon

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:15:58 EDT

USGS scientist Justin Hagerty was one of the 2012 recipients of the President's Early Career Award for Science and Engineering.

Dr. Justin Hagerty, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, was named one of President Obama's recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Hagerty, an accomplished research geologist, studied the formation of the Moon and discovered the answer to a long-standing riddle of the Moon’s early history. His use of chemical tracers and remote sensing data allowed him to discover why certain elements are concentrated in some areas and not in others, a puzzle which had complicated the primary theory of how the Moon came to be.

"Discoveries in science and technology not only strengthen our economy, they inspire us as a people." President Obama said. "The impressive accomplishments of today’s awardees so early in their careers promise even greater advances in the years ahead."

The Presidential early career awards embody the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the Nation's goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy.

"It is a tremendous and highly unexpected honor to receive such a prestigious award, and I am very grateful for all of the opportunities and support I have received throughout my career, particularly at the USGS," said Hagerty. "Because my research is based on combining data from a variety of disciplines, I have had the opportunity to work with many talented colleagues from varied backgrounds who have helped to shape my career."

"The USGS traces its program in astrogeology back nearly 50 years to the Nation's need to train astronauts destined for the Moon in lunar geology," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "The President's recognition of Justin Hagerty for his contributions to explaining long-standing paradoxes concerning the early evolution of the only extraterrestrial body to which man has yet ventured is one of the highest honors yet for this exceptional program."

The commonly accepted theory of how the Moon formed hypothesized that a Mars-sized planetary body collided with a proto-Earth. This massive collision led to the creation of the Moon and the Earth as we know them today. However, one major issue with this theory is that, based on models of such a collision, there should be an even, global distribution of certain elements like potassium, uranium, thorium, and the rare earth elements.

Instead, these elements are mostly concentrated in the hemisphere of the Moon that faces the Earth. To learn why, Hagerty studied expanses of geologic materials on the far side of the Moon called basalt ponds.

Lunar basalts are much like basalts on the Earth in that they are a product of melting the mantle, which is the area between the crust and the core of the Moon. Given this information, it is possible to use compositional data derived from the basalts to learn about the composition of the lunar interior. Much focus has been placed on basalts on the near side of the Moon, primarily because the Apollo missions only returned samples from that part of the lunar surface. However, it is now possible (and necessary) to use a combination of lunar sample analysis and remote sensing observations to investigate materials on the lunar far side, thus giving us a global context.

His research shows that another major impact event on the Moon, now known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, greatly disrupted the early formation of the Moon, resulting in the migration and eventual concentration of these elements to the side of the Moon that faces the Earth.

"I have also used the methodology of combining sample and remote sensing data to investigate other unresolved issues in lunar science," added Hagerty. "In particular, I worked with several colleagues to establish the existence of silicic volcanic domes on the Moon."

It was previously thought that silicic volcanoes, which erupt silica-rich materials like quartz, instead of the more common basalts, were not possible on the Moon. To explain the origin of these features, Hagerty developed a new model for how such features could be produced in the unique lunar environment. This model demonstrates that silicic lunar volcanoes can be produced quite easily and likely comprise a much larger portion of the lunar crust than was thought. These results have important implications for crustal formation models and calculations of the bulk composition of the Moon.

Hagerty's results are critical to understanding the early history and evolution of our closest celestial neighbor.

"Prior to graduate school, I, like many people, had assumed that the Moon was a dull, lifeless body," said Hagerty. "However, after having the opportunity to learn from experts in lunar science and to examine lunar sample and remote sensing data myself, it quickly became apparent that the Moon is an extraordinary planetary body and that we have only scratched the surface of truly understanding how the Moon formed and evolved. To have an opportunity to play a role in shaping our cumulative knowledge of the Moon is a humbling experience."

Hagerty is currently the curator of the USGS Meteor Crater Sample Collection, as well as the Chair of NASA's Regional Planetary Image Facility Network.

The USGS Meteor Crater Sample Collection is an ongoing project funded by NASA that analyzes drill samples from Meteor Crater and makes the samples available to the planetary science community. The NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility Network is an international system of planetary data libraries that maintains a wide range of data products from NASA planetary missions including photographs, maps, films, engineering plans, and historical documents and artifacts. The overriding mission of the Network is to make these materials available to the public.

Hagerty earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 2004; his M.S. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 2001, and his B.S. in Earth and Planetary Sciences, with Honors, from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 1998. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2004-2007, where he studied lunar geochemistry.

Hagerty came to the USGS in 2007, joining the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. He has been the principal investigator on eight NASA studies and collaborated on an additional four studies. His research has examined not only lunar geochemistry, but also lunar mapping, asteroid mapping, and impact cratering.

Hagerty’s official citation from the Award reads:

Department of Interior/US Geological Survey
Justin J. Hagerty
U.S. Geological Survey

For cutting edge research fusing remote-sensing data of the Moon with laboratory measurements to establish a new coherent model of the lunar crust and mantle and for leadership and service contributions for an international network of 17 Regional Planetary Image Facilities.

The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers was established by President Clinton in 1996, and are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

Responding to Whitewater-Baldy Fire, USGS Installs Early Flood Warning Network

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:05:18 EDT

TUCSON, Ariz. —On Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey finished installing six early-flood-warning units—rain and stream gages—in the burned areas of New Mexico’s Whitewater-Baldy Fire. The gages transmit data via satellite to the National Weather Service, which provides warnings to communities that may be affected by flooding. The gages can provide up to 60 minutes advance warning of impending floods.

“The tragedy of fire does not end when the flames are extinguished, but extends for years until new growth can re-establish flood control that protects communities when all-too-common copious rain events happen in the Southwest,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “The USGS and our partners are installing extra monitoring to help warn communities at risk downslope of the burned regions to help save lives and property.”

The Whitewater-Baldy Fire was started by lightning and burned about 300,000 acres of the Gila National Forest, making it the largest fire in New Mexico’s history.

Now that the fire is largely contained, attention has shifted to preparing for post-fire flooding with the onset of monsoon season. Communities downstream from burned watersheds are at risk of flash flooding and debris flows because of the loss of vegetation and the burned soil’s reduced ability to absorb water.

USGS scientists installed rain gages at Mogollon Baldy Lookout and Hummingbird Saddle in the Gila Wilderness Area. Additional rain gages and two streamflow gages were installed at Bear Wallow Lookout, Sheridan Corral, Whitewater Creek, and Mineral Creek. All of the units are in the upper portions of the affected watersheds to maximize the time available to emergency managers.

As the new gages became operational throughout the week, data were made available from USGS websites.

“People in the community are really excited to get the gage data on their home computers so that they can track the situation independently and make decisions,” said Al Koff, Whitewater-Baldy Fire Burned Area Emergency Response Team Public Information Officer. “We have appreciated USGS’s expertise and how quickly they were able to get the monitoring network in place.”

On Friday, July 6, the USGS and U.S. Forest Service will host a community workshop in Glenwood, New Mexico, to show residents how to access the data provided by the new gages and answer questions about the alert system. The workshop will be held at the Glenwood Community Center and will begin at 6:00 p.m.

The installation of the early warning gages was a cooperative effort by local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that emergency managers have the critical information they need to help the residents located downstream of the fire protect themselves and their homes from potential flooding.

“Getting the gages installed in less than a week was truly a team effort. We could not have installed the gages without the funding provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management,” said Christopher Smith, the Deputy Director of the USGS Arizona Water Science Center and the project’s team leader. “On the ground, the U.S. Forest Service was outstanding, providing helicopter and logistical support that was essential to getting the job done.”

Not only do the gages provide advance warning of flooding, but they collect important data that will allow scientists and emergency managers to evaluate the increased risk of flooding resulting from the burned areas within watersheds. Gage data can also be used to determine the rate of a watershed’s recovery.

In addition to the funding provided by NRCS and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, other partners include the U.S. Forest Service; Catron County, New Mexico; and the New Mexico State Division of Forestry.

The USGS Arizona Water Science Center and USGS New Mexico Water Science Center will make the data from the new gages available.

USGS’s WaterAlert service sends email or text messages to notify users when waters are rising in nearby rivers and streams. The service allows users to receive notifications about water levels at any of over 4,600 USGS real-time streamgages around the country. There is no cost to users for this notification service.

[Access images for this release at: &amp;lt;a href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2012_07_05" _mce_href="http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2009_03_02"&amp;gt;http://gallery.usgs.gov/tags/NR2012_07_05&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;]

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.

Irrigation Causing Declines in the High Plains Aquifer

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:15:40 EDT

Groundwater withdrawals for crop irrigation have increased to over 16 million acre-feet per year in the High Plains Aquifer, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study.

The USGS study shows that recharge, or the amount of water entering the aquifer, is less than the amount of groundwater being withdrawn, causing groundwater losses in this already diminished natural resource. Crop irrigation is the largest use of groundwater in the aquifer, and, over the past 60 years, has caused severe water-level declines of up to 100 feet in some areas. The new USGS findings address concerns about the long-term sustainability of the aquifer.

"The High Plains Aquifer is Nature's nearly perfect water storage system: self-recharging, safe from natural disasters, readily accessed over a broad area, and with copious capacity," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "And yet in less than 100 years we are seriously depleting what took Nature more than 10,000 years to fill."

The High Plains aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of eight states – Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming – and is a major source of groundwater irrigation in the region. The High Plains region supplies approximately one-fourth of the nation’s agricultural production.

"Because groundwater losses are greater than recharge, water levels in many parts of the aquifer are currently declining," said Jennifer Stanton, USGS scientist and an author of the report. "Such information can inform groundwater management decisions made by state and local agencies."

The new USGS study also compares previously published data with new methods for estimating recharge and groundwater withdrawals and provides an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of those methods.

This USGS report is part of a larger study to evaluate groundwater availability of the High Plains Aquifer. The study is being conducted through the USGS Groundwater Resources Program to assist state and local groundwater management agencies and to assess the status of groundwater resources from a national perspective.

Click here to access the full report on line.

USGS Announces Mineral Research Grants for 2012

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:54:41 EDT

New research on mineral resources important to our economy, national security, and land-use decisions has been funded by more than $260,000 in grants from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Recipients of the 2012 USGS Mineral Resources External Research Program (MRERP) grants will study rare earth elements (REE), niobium, and tellurium. The principal investigators and a brief description of each of the successful proposals are provided below.

"Although the US is currently dependent on foreign imports for our supply of rare earths and other critical elements that are essential for the high tech industry, our nation is actually rich in deposits of these valuable minerals," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "The Mineral Research Grants help provide the basic research foundation to better develop our domestic resources and thus become less dependent on foreign imports."

Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Metamorphic Rocks of California
The University of California, Santa Barbara will focus on determining the origin of REE-bearing phosphate minerals in metamorphic rocks of the Music Valley region of California. This research is expected to provide a better understanding of how these phosphate minerals originally formed and provide insight on new geologic environments to target for REE exploration. The work is expected to help formulate better genetic models for REE-bearing mineral deposits and will decrease uncertainty in future assessments for these deposit types. The lead UC Santa Barbara scientist for this research is John Cottle.

The Rare Earth Element (REE) Potential of Igneous Rocks in Southern New Mexico
The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will conduct detailed mapping and geochemical studies in southern New Mexico to evaluate the potential for undiscovered thorium-REE-uranium vein deposits in the Caballo and Burro Mountains. The collection of new field data and laboratory analyses will help to fully assess the REE mineral resource potential of the rocks and associated veins in the region. The principal scientists on this research for the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will be Virginia McLemore and Nelia Dunbar.

A Buried Rare Earth Element (REE ) and Niobium Deposit in Southeast Nebraska
The University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will conduct a collaborative research project to examine the age and origin of the REE resources of the Elk Creek deposit in southeastern Nebraska by investigating previously collected drilling core. The Elk Creek REE deposit is found in a rare carbonate-rich igneous rock known as carbonatite. In addition to REEs, the Elk Creek carbonatite may comprise the largest niobium resource in the United States. Niobium is primarily used as an alloying element in steels and superalloys, such as materials used in high performance aircraft. This research is expected to yield data and information that will advance exploration and assessment models for similar REE deposits. The principal scientists for this research will be Lang Farmer of the University of Colorado and Matt Joeckel and Richard Kettler of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Understanding How Rare Earth Elements (REE) Migrate in the Weathering Environment
The University of Texas at El Paso will investigate the distribution of REE in shales of different climatic zones and characterize the chemical controls on the release and transport of REE during the weathering process. This work is expected to help evaluate the fate and transport of REEs during the weathering of continental shale and advance our understanding of the formation of REE-bearing sediments in oceans and rivers, as potential new REE resources to explore and assess. The principal scientists on this research for the University of Texas at El Paso will be Lixin Jin and Lin Ma.

Understanding Tellurium (Te) as a Critical Mineral Commodity
Iowa State University will conduct detailed laboratory analysis to improve our understanding on the formation of tellurium-bearing minerals, evaluate the effectiveness of current tellurium extraction procedures, and determine the weathering pattern of tellurium-bearing mineral phases, to help assess mineral environmental impact of tellurium resource development. Tellurium is a rare metal most often used in steel alloys, as well as cadmium-telluride solar cells. This research is expected to advance our understanding of tellurium-bearing mineral deposits and provide more robust genetic and mineral environmental models for the assessment of undiscovered tellurium-bearing resources. The principal scientist on this research for Iowa State University is Paul Spry.

The MRERP invited research proposals that will expand its efforts in critical minerals research on commodities that are of increasing importance to economic and national security and may be subject to disruption in supply. Proposals were accepted from academia, State agencies, industry, or other private sector organizations and scientists. For more information about the USGS Mineral Resources External Research Program, visit our website.

Dramatic Links Found Between Climate Change, Elk, Plants, and Birds

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EDT

Missoula, MT – Climate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing powerful and cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a groundbreaking study in Nature Climate Change.

The U.S. Geological Survey and University of Montana study not only showed that the abundance of deciduous trees and their associated songbirds in mountainous Arizona have declined over the last 22 years as snowpack has declined, but it also experimentally demonstrated that declining snowfall indirectly affects plants and birds by enabling more winter browsing by elk. Increased winter browsing by elk results in trickle-down ecological effects such as lowering the quality of habitat for songbirds.

The authors, USGS Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit scientist Thomas Martin and University of Montana scientist John Maron, mimicked the effects of more snow on limiting the ability of elk to browse on plants by excluding the animals from large, fenced areas. They compared bird and plant communities in these exclusion areas with nearby similar areas where elk had access, and found that, over the six years of the study, multi-decadal declines in plant and songbird populations were reversed in the areas where elk were prohibited from browsing.

"This study illustrates that profound impacts of climate change on ecosystems arise over a time span of but two decades through unexplored feedbacks," explained USGS director Marcia McNutt. "The significance lies in the fact that humans and our economy are at the end of the same chain of cascading consequences."

The study demonstrates a classic ecological cascade, added Martin. For example, he said, from an elk’s perspective, less snow means an increased ability to freely browse on woody plants in winter in areas where they would not be inclined to forage in previous times due to high snowpack. Increased overwinter browsing led to a decline in deciduous trees, which reduced the number of birds that chose the habitat and increased predation on nests of those birds that did choose the habitat.

"This study demonstrates that the indirect effects of climate on plant communities may be just as important as the effects of climate-change-induced mismatches between migrating birds and food abundance because plants, including trees, provide the habitat birds need to survive," Martin said.

The study, Climate impacts on bird and plant communities from altered animal-plant interactions, was published online on Jan. 8 in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Scientific Literature Review Finds Opportunities for More Research on Solar Energy Development and Impacts to Wildlife

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 9 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EDT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – More peer-reviewed scientific studies of the effects on wildlife of large-scale solar energy developments and operations are needed to adequately assess their impact, especially in the desert Southwest, according to a scientific literature review conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and published in the journal BioScience.

In their literature review, the authors of the paper, USGS scientist Jeffrey Lovich and Maryville College scientist Joshua Ennen, found that out of all the scientific papers they examined, going back well before the 1980s, only one peer-reviewed study addressed the direct impacts of large-scale solar energy development and operations on any kind of wildlife. Peer-reviewed studies are those that have been reviewed by experts in the same field of study and are then published in scientific journals.

One reason why there are few peer-reviewed studies is that the interest in developing alternative energy has grown exponentially in recent years and science has to “catch up.” Opportunities for hypothesis-driven research on solar energy facilities of this scale, particularly research looking at baseline conditions before development, impacts of operation, or conditions after development, have been limited.

The authors pointed out that a great deal of information exists in environmental compliance documents and other unpublished, non-peer-reviewed literature sources, but that more peer-reviewed studies are greatly needed.

"The dearth of peer-reviewed studies, as shown by the USGS review, can happen whenever society rapidly embarks on major undertakings, such as developing large-scale solar projects," explained USGS director Marcia McNutt. "Our goal is to raise the visibility and accessibility of information of impacts of solar energy impacts on wildlife as these important projects move forward."

According to Lovich and Ennen, these studies are particularly important in sensitive habitats such as the desert Southwest with its wildlife diversity and fragile arid desert lands. "For example," said Lovich, "the desert tortoise is an ecological engineer whose burrows provide much-needed shelter for many other desert species. Yet large areas of habitat occupied by Agassiz's desert tortoise and some other at-risk species have potential for large-scale solar-energy developments."

The review paper findings can help the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies charged with solar siting, development, and operational responsibilities to identify, prioritize, and resolve information gaps relative to development and operational impacts to wildlife, and direct monitoring efforts.

The paper does not contain any new scientific findings; rather, it examined peer-reviewed, already published articles. This is a common way to assess the state of published knowledge on a topic, identify information and research gaps, and focus future projects.

The paper, Wildlife conservation and solar energy development in the desert Southwest, is authored by Jeffrey E. Lovich and Joshua R. Ennen.

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

Navajo Memory Complements Science in Study of Climate Change

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:12:01 EDT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The sand dunes among which Navajos have eked out austere livings for generations are growing fast and becoming mobile as the climate changes, says U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dr. Margaret Hiza Redsteer, whose interviews with elders and historical research augment her decade-long research on Navajo Nation land.

Redsteer will discuss her work Friday, Oct. 21 at the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists in Miami, as part of a panel on "Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples on the Frontlines."

One third of the Navajo Nation is sand dunes, much of it stabilized to varying degrees by vegetation that holds moisture and provides livestock range. Some of the dunes are very old; others date from the 1950s, when drought and wind mobilized sediment from floods on the Little Colorado River. Now, after severe drought has gripped the region with varying but persistent severity from 1996 to 2011, new dunes are increasing in number and previously inactive dunes are on the move. The new dunes form downwind from rivers and washes, largely from dry, wind-blown river sediment. In the Grand Falls area of the southwest Navajo Nation, dunes have grown 70 percent since 1995 and are moving northeast at a rate of 115 feet per year.

Dune mobility can threaten roads and buildings, as well as the livestock raising vital to the Navajo economy and indispensable to its culture. It is one of many signs of the region’s increased aridity. Redsteer and the USGS Navajo Land Use Planning Project, under license to and in collaboration with the Navajo Nation, are mapping the area’s geology and documenting its changes to help Navajo leaders plan for the challenge.

In addition to using ground-based lidar measurements, meteorological monitoring, GPS and aerial and satellite imaging, Redsteer drew on more than 70 elders living in the southwestern Navajo Nation to record observed changes in land use practices, as well as weather, vegetation, location of water sources and the frequency of wind and dust storms. The interviews helped corroborate USGS science.

"Old men told me that they had seen grass grow in areas where no grass grows now," Redsteer said.

"We have aerial photographic surveys of the study area from 1934 and from 1954, but between those years there were big changes. Our interviewing not only provides another line of evidence, but it also fills in a lot of the data gaps."

Redsteer's work also points up the vulnerability of indigenous people who live on land she calls "just on the edge of being habitable."

"The annual moisture here has historically been just enough to get by. When there is even a small change, there is a huge effect," she said.

John Leeper, director of the Navajo Water Management Branch of the Navajo Nation in Fort Defiance, Ariz., called Redsteer's work "critical in understanding the magnitude of the climate challenges facing the Navajo Nation due to sand dune movement and other impacts. If the current trends she identifies continue, much of the Navajo Nation will be severely impacted, and much of the Navajo Nation will become uninhabitable," Leeper said.

"The Navajo Nation is intended to be a permanent homeland for the Navajo people," he said. "However, much of that homeland may be in jeopardy if these trends can not be successfully mitigated. Not only has Margaret's work identified and documented the current trends, her work also gives us perspective on the steps that can, and must, be taken to reverse many of the most damaging of these trends. Her work will help to ensure that the Navajo people will be able to find their livelihoods here long into the future."

As part of their work, Redsteer and the USGS have conducted pilot studies of mitigations to dune movement, such as placing 2m by 2m PLA sand barriers to stabilize dunes and seeding dune areas to encourage vegetation.

"If we're going to do research for people's benefit, we have to try to see what kind of solutions there are," she said.

Redsteer's research in the Great Falls dune area is described in the USGS fact sheet "Monitoring and Analysis of Sand Dune Movement and Growth on the Navajo Nation," available online.

Information on the SEJ conference is available online.