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Geophysical Research and Development II

Many projects within the U.S. Geological Survey use geophysics as a tool for studying buried or concealed geologic features. The availability of modern geophysical instrumentation and data interpretation software is often critical to the success of these projects. However, most projects using geophysics lack the resources to evaluate, purchase, maintain, and provide training for geophysical equipment and software. In addition, the development of any new geophysical technology is a risky, long-term activity, that is well beyond the scope of most individual projects. The Geophysical Research and Development Project provides the geophysical equipment and software tools U.S. Geological Survey projects need today, and anticipates and develops new geophysical technologies that the Survey will need within the next five years. Technologies currently supported and under development fall within the general categories of geoelectrical methods, potential-field methods, and gamma-ray methods. These methods permit geophysical investigations at a broad range of scales from national and regional scales to local and site characterization scales, and at a range of depths from a few centimeters to tens of kilometers.

The Geophysical Research and Development Project supports the development of new and existing geophysical techniques for addressing critical geological problems. Research conducted under this project includes development of needed geophysical methods and software, development of new geophysical instrumentation, and applications of geophysical techniques to frontier areas of geology.

Supported geophysical methods include potential-field methods (gravity and magnetics), electrical methods (DC resistivity, induced polarization, and self-potential), electromagnetic methods (magnetotellurics (MT), ground penetrating radar (GPR), directional borehole radar, time-domain EM, and frequency-domain EM), shallow seismic methods (reflection, refraction, and surface-to-borehole), and gamma-ray geophysics.

Project Chief:

Jeffrey Phillips
Box 25046 Denver Federal Center MS 964
Denver, CO 80225-0046
Email address: jeff
Phone: 303-236-1206

Products

Posters

Phillips, J.D., Potter, C.J., and Saltus, R.W., 2006, Reanalysis of gravity data for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Northeastern Alaska: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No.5, p. 86. View Phillips 2006 abstract.
Phillips, J.D., and Saltus, R.W., 2005, Thickness of sedimentary rocks in the Yukon Flats basin, east central Alaska, as estimated using constrained iterative gravity inversion: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No.4, p. 94. View Phillips 2005 abstract.
Rodriguez, B.D. Sawyer, D.A., and Williams, J.M., 2006, Magnetotelluric soundings constrain interpretations of subsurface geology of the Española and Albuquerque basins, New Mexico, in McKinney, K.C., ed., Geologic and Hydrogeologic Framework of the Española Basin Proceedings of the 5th annual Española Basin workshop, Santa Fe, NM, March 7 8, 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006 1134, p. 27.
Rodriguez, B.D. and Williams, J.M., 2005, Preliminary electrical resistivity model across the La Bajada constriction for hydrogeologic framework studies in the Española and Santo Domingo basins, New Mexico, in McKinney, K.C., ed., Geologic and Hydrogeologic Framework of the Española Basin Proceedings of the 4th annual Española Basin workshop, Santa Fe, NM, March 1 3, 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005 1130, p. 23.
Wallin, E.L., Rodriguez, B.D., Williams, J.M., and Asch, T.H., 2006, Distribution of pre Tertiary hydrostratigraphic units based on magnetotelluric data, Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site: Underground Test Area Technical Working Group Information Exchange Meeting, May 4, 2006.

Presentations

Deszcz-Pan, M., Finn, C.A., and Anderson, E., 2006, Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey over Mount Adams volcano, Cascade Range, Washington: presented at Airborne Electromagnetic Workshop in Hannover, Germany, February 23-24, 2006.
Fitterman, D.V., 2006, Integration of helicopter electromagnetic data and auxiliary information (abs.): International Symposium on Airborne Geophysics (ISAG2006), 10-13 January 2006, Tsukuba, Japan.
Grauch, V.J.S., Hudson, Mark R., Minor, Scott A., and Caine, Jonathan S., 2006, Sources of along-strike variation in magnetic anomalies related to intrasedimentary faults: A case study from the Rio Grande Rift, USA, Proceedings, Australian Earth Science Conference 2006, July 2-6, 2006, Melbourne, Australia, 5 p.
Rodriguez, B.D. and Williams, J.M., 2005, Major crustal fault zones trend obliquely to mineral belts in the Great Basin: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 37, no. 7, p. 418. View Rodriguez 2007 abstract .
Rodriguez, B.D., Grauch, V.J.S., and Williams, J.M., 2005, Preliminary deep crustal investigations to locate the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone in the Great Basin, using magnetotellurics: Geological Society of Nevada 2005 Symposium Window to the World, Program with Abstracts, Reno, Nevada, May 14 18, 2005, p. 81.
Smith, B.D., Haung, H., Otton, J.K. Zielinski, R.A., Kharaka, Y.K., and Abbott, M.M., 2005, Electrical Geophysical Surveys of Oil Field Saline Water Contamination, Osage Skiatook Petroleum Environmental Research Site, Northeastern, Oklahoma: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, vol. 37, no. 7, p. 24. View Smith 2005 abstract.
Yager, Douglas B., McCafferty, Anne E., Stanton, Mark R., Diehl, Sharon F., and Driscoll, Rhonda, 2006, Mineralogical, geophysical, and geochemical studies related to the acid generating and neutralizing capacities of Animas River Watershed bedrocks near Silverton, Colorado, western USA: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and 7th Annual International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage Proceedings volume, 1 p.

Reports

Abraham, J.D., Anderson, E.D., Burton, B.L., and Lucius, J.E., 2006, Geophysical Investigations of Selected Infrastructure Sites within the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report 2006-LAI-05-0015, 275 pp.
Abraham, J.D., Deszcz-Pan, M., Fitterman, D.V., and Burton, B.L., 2006, Use of a handheld broadband EM induction system for deriving resistivity depth images, in Gamey, J., ed., 19th Annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Seattle, Washington, April 2 - 6, 2006, 18 p.
Anderson, E.D., Finn, C.A., Damaske, D., Abraham, J.D., Goldman, F., Goodge, J.W., and Braddock, P., 2006, Aeromagnetic and gravity data over the Central Transantarctic Mountains (CTAM): A website for the distribution of data and maps: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1255, 17 p.
Asch, T.A., Rodriguez, B.D., Sampson, J.A., Wallin, E.L., and Williams, J.M., 2006, Deep resistivity structure of Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1261, 33 p.
Asch, T.A., Rodriguez, B.D., Sampson, J.A., Williams, J.M., and Deszcz-Pan, M., 2006 Deep resistivity characterization of Rainier Mesa-Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1356, 49 p.
Ball, L.B., Lucius, J.E., Land, L.A., Lewis, A., and Teeple, A.P., 2006, Characterization of near-surface geology and possible voids using resistivity and electromagnetic methods at the Gran Quivira Unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, central New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5176, 101 p.
Burton, B.L. and Abraham, J.D., 2006, An integrated geophysical approach to aid remediation efforts at the Exell Helium Plant in Masterson, TX, in Gamey, J., ed., 19th Annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Seattle, Washington, April 2 - 6, 2006, 18 p.
Burton, B.L., Olhoeft, G.R., and Powers, M.H., 2004, Frequency spectral analysis of GPR data over a crude oil spill: in Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference of Ground Penetrating Radar, Delft, The Netherlands, 21-24 June, 2004, pp. 267-270.
Finn, C.A., Deszcz-Pan, M., Anderson, E.D., and John, D.,A., 2007, Three-dimensional geophysical mapping of rock alteration and water content at Mt. Adams, Washington; Implications for lahar hazards: Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 112, B10204, doi:10.1029/2006JB004783.
Finn, C.A., Goodge, J.W., Damaske, D., and Fanning, C.M., 2006, Scouting craton's edge in Paleo-Pacific Gondwana: in D. Fütterer, D. Damaske, G. Kleinschmidt, H. Miller, and F. Tessensohn (eds.), Antarctic Contributions to Global Earth Science, Proceedings of the IX International Symposium of Antarctic Earth Sciences, Alfred Wegener Institute Potsdam, pp. 165-174.
Finn, C.A., Müller, R.D., and Panter, K. 2005, A Cenozoic diffuse alkaline magmatic province (DAMP) in the Southwest Pacific without rift or plume origin: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 6, no. 1, doi:10.1029/2004GC000723.
Grauch, V.J.S., and Langenheim, V.J.S., 2006, The utility of gravity and magnetic methods for understanding subsurface hydrogeology in large alluvial watersheds: Examples from urbanized basins of the western United States: Proceedings, 19th Annual SAGEEP meeting, April 2-6, Seattle, Washington, pp. 938-951.
Hansen, R.O., Racic, Louis, and Grauch, V.J.S., 2005, Magnetic methods in near-surface geophysics, in Butler, Dwain K., ed., Near-surface Geophysics: Investigations in Geophysics No.13, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, pp. 151-175.
Hinze, W.J., Aiken, C., Brozena, J., Coakley, B., Dater, D., Flanagan, G., Forsberg, R., Hildenbrand, T., Keller, G.R., Kellogg, J., Kucks, R., Li, X., Mainville, A., Morin, R., Pilkington, M., Plouff, D., Ravat, D., Roman, D., Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J., Véronneau, M., Webring, M., and Winester, D., 2005, New standards for reducing gravity data: The North American gravity database: Geophysics, vol 70, no. 4, pp. J25-J32.
McCafferty, A.E., Yager, D.B., Horton, R.J., and Diehl, S.F., 2006, Magnetic properties, acid neutralization capacity, and net acid production of rocks in the Animas River watershed, Silverton, Colorado: Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society, 2006 Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, 10 p.
Nabighian, M.N., Ander, M.E., Grauch, V.J.S., Hansen, R.O., LaFehr, T.R., Li, Y., Pearson, W.C., Pierce, J.W., Phillips. J.D., and Ruder, M.E., 2005, The historical development of the gravity method in exploration: Geophysics, vol. 70, no. 6, pp.63ND-89ND.
Nabighian, M.N., Grauch, V.J.S., Hansen, R.O., LaFehr, T.R., Li, Y., Pearson, W.C., Pierce, J.W., Phillips. J.D., and Ruder, M.E., 2005, The historical development of the magnetic method in exploration: Geophysics, vol.70, no.6, pp. 33ND-61ND.
Phillips, J.D., 2005, Can we estimate total magnetization directions from aeromagnetic data using Helbig's integrals?: Earth, Planets and Space, vol. 57, no. 8, pp. 681-689.
Phillips, J.D., 2007, Geosoft eXecutables (GX's) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Version 2.0, with notes on GX development from Fortran code: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1355, 111 p.
Phillips, J.D., Hansen, R.O., and Blakely, R.J., 2007, The use of curvature in potential-field interpretation: Exploration Geophysics, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 111-119.
Powers, M.H., and Burton, B.L., 2007, Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 24. Seismic refraction tomography for volume analysis of saturated alluvium in the Straight Creek drainage and its confluence with the Red River, Taos County, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5166, 19 p.
Powers, M.H., and Burton, B.L., 2004, Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 1. Depth to bedrock determinations using shallow seismic data acquired in the Straight Creek drainage near Red River, New Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1236, 18 p.
Powers, M.H., and Oden, C.P., 2004, Migration of dispersive GPR data: in Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, Delft, The Netherlands, 21-24 June, 2004, pp.333-336.
Rodriguez, B.D., Deszcz Pan, M., and Sawyer, D.A., 2006, Electromagnetic studies and subsurface mapping of electrical resistivity, Chap. F in Minor, S.A., ed., The Cerrillos Uplift, the La Bajada Constriction, and Hydrogeologic Framework of the Santo Domingo Basin, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1720, pp. 121-163.
Rodriguez, B.D., Grauch, V.J.S., and Williams J.M., 2005, Preliminary deep crustal investigations, using magnetotellurics, to locate the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone in the Great Basin, in Rhoden, H.N., Steininger, R.C., and Vikre, P.G., eds., Symposium 2005 Window to the World, Symposium Proceedings: Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, May 14-18, 2005, vol. 1, pp. 13-18.
Sams, J.I., Smith, B.D., Lipinski, B., and Harbert, W., 2006, Applications of Airborne Electromagnetic Surveys to Improve Management of Produced Water in the Powder River Basin: Symposium on Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, Seattle WA, 2006 Annual Meeting Proceedings, 11 p.
Smith, B.D., Thamke, J.N, Tyrrell, C., 2006, Geophysical and Hydrologic Studies of Shallow Aquifer Contamination, East Poplar Oil Field Area, Northeastern Montana: Proceedings Symposium on Engineering and Environmental Geophysics Seattle WA, 10 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2005, Magnetotelluric Data In the Española Basin, West of Santa Fe, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1037, 263 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2005, Magnetotelluric data across the Pajarito fault, west of Santa Fe, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1054, 174 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2005, Magnetotelluric survey to locate the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone in north-central Elko County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1255, 183 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2006, Magnetotelluric data collected near geophysically logged boreholes in the Española and Middle Rio Grande Basins, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1120, 126 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2006, Magnetotelluric survey to locate the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone north of Wells, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1119, 98 p.
Williams, J.M., and Rodriguez, B.D., 2007, Magnetotelluric Data, Southern San Luis Valley, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1291, 208 p.
Williams, J.M. and Rodriguez, B.D., 2007, Magnetotelluric data, Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1123, 137 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, across Quartzite Ridge, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1242, 174 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1238, 174 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, north central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1243, 156 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, northern Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1240, 156 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, northern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1239, 120 p.
Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2005, Magnetotelluric data, southern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1241, 210 p.
Williams, J.M., Sampson, J.A., Rodriguez, B.D. and Asch, T.A., 2006, Magnetotelluric data, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1215, 243, p.
Williams, J.M., Wallin, E.L., Rodriguez, B.D., Lindsey, C.R., and Sampson, J.A., 2007, Magnetotelluric Data, Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1123, 137 p.
Yager, D.B., McCafferty, A.E., Stanton, M.R., Diehl, S.F., Driscoll, R.L., Fey, D.L., and Sutley, S.J., 2005, Net acid production, acid neutralizing capacity, and associated geophysical, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of Animas River watershed rocks near Silverton, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1433, 78 p.
Yager, D.B., McCafferty, A.E., Stanton, M.R., Diehl, S.F., Driscoll, R.L., and Fey, D.L., 2006, Acid Neutralization Capacity and Associated Geophysical, Mineralogical, and Geochemical Characteristics of Animas River Watershed Rocks, Silverton, Colorado, in Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (ICARD 7).

Theses

Burton, B.L., 2004, Attenuation analysis of ground penetrating radar data acquired over a crude oil spill: MS Thesis T-5952, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado.


Mineral Resources	Eastern / Central / Western / Alaska / Minerals Information
Mineral Resources	Crustal Imaging & Characterization / Spatial Data