Study of the distribution of chemical elements and natural compounds on the earth and in the atmosphere and the chemical processes that affect the earth.
Overview of chemical analyses, tracer studies, gas geochemistry, stable isotopes analyses, organic chemistry, and thermometry capabilities at major USGS laboratories with links to technique, equipment, and contacts for each procedure.
Maps and text (Word or PDF format) and database (Excel or HTML format) for bedrock, forest floor, and mineral soil sampling in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota to establish the background and baseline geochemistry and terrestrial mercury sources.
Brief review of some of the fundamentals of stable isotope geochemistry including definitions, basic principles, standards, and guidelines on reporting data.
Description of the Denver Organic Geochemistry Laboratory where chemical and geological data is used to research the physical and chemical processes of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation, with links to programs, personnel, and products.
The Organic Geochemistry Research Group of the Kansas District focuses on the fate and transport of organic contaminants in the environment with links to objectives, analytical methods, laboratory methods, publications, events, photos, and personnel.
Site to obtain currently available geochemical reference materials, certificates for reference materials no longer available, reference materials in production, and order and processing information. Some documents in PDF format.
Manual of chemical sediment analysis using Coulometer and CHN Analyzers to measure carbon content, spectrometric analysis for biogenic silica, and radiochemistry to measure isotopes. Includes techniques,sample preparation, and safety procedures.
Links to maps of New Jersey showing nitrate levels, pesticides, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and radium in wells and land use of the 1970s.
This report presents geochemical data generated during mineral and environmental assessments for the Bureau of Land Management in northern Nevada, northeastern California, southeastern Oregon, and southwestern Idaho, along with metadata and maps.
Access to map of data collection sites of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) with links to other maps and reports on wet atmospheric deposition (chemicals deposited via rain, sleet and snow).
Site with a series of articles showing how chemists and geologists use analytical chemistry to determine the age of the Earth, determine Earth's history, predict volcanic eruptions, observe long-term atmospheric change and study pollution.
Overview of the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program role in investigating the occurrence and fate of agricultural chemicals with links to investigations, headlines, on-line fact sheets, new publications, bibliographies and photo gallery.
Project of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program that evaluates the transport and sedimentation of contaminates through the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River delta to the near-shore Gulf of Mexico. Includes aerial photographs.
Boston Harbor/Massachusetts Bay Studies research project conducted as part of Boston Harbor cleanup to predict the fate of contaminants and sediments introduced to Massachusetts' coastal waters from sources that include Boston sewage outfall.
An explanation of toxic carbon dioxide emissions at Mammoth Mountain in Long Valley caldera, and a description of magmatic helium discharge at the Mammoth Mountain fumarole with photos, maps, and links to other studies.
Report of research on the Carolina slate belt and gold deposits in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia with geologic mapping, mineralogic, geochemical, and fluid evolution studies, radiogenic dating, and stable isotope studies.
Site for programs of the Central Region Mineral Resources Team with links to products, personnel, projects and programs of land stewardship, regional geochemistry, analytical chemistry, geology and resources assessment and remote sensing.
Crustal imaging and characterization home with links to projects on earth science technologies including geophysical, geochemical, and isotope studies, online publications and data, and newsletter Minerals News.
Description of chemical research on meteorites to understand the formation processes of chondrite meteorites and chondrules. Site has link to issues of Meteoritical Bulletin and signup for e-mail notification of new meteorites.
Report describing the results of an interdisciplinary environmental study of the World Trade Center (WTC) area after the attack on September 11, 2001. The investigations included imaging spectroscopy mapping and laboratory analysis.
Overview with links to studies on the effects of human activity on the San Francisco estuary with loss of historic fresh and saltwater tidal marshes reducing habitats, introducing contaminants in waste, and creating dredging problems.
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--When can natural processes to reduce, or even destroy, contaminants at toxic waste sites be relied on?
Collection of six short papers related to the mercury geochemical society, the study of mercury in coal, concentrations in sediment, soil, water, and fish collected near mercury and gold mines, and volanic emissions of mercury.
Homepage about the Geology Discipline with links to what's new, publications, real-time hazards information, partnerships, fellowship program, and major science programs.
Access to USGS on-line geologic publications of the western United States categorized by state, region USGS series, geologic maps, and software with links to state geologic survey publications.
Review of the Global Change Hydrology Program components relating to hydroclimatology and studies of the biogeochemistry of greenhouse gases with links to research activities, datasets, fact sheets, and other publications and websites.
Provides geologic, geophysical, and geochemical framework studies that will aid in a reassessment of energy commodities (coal, gas, and oil) in the Gulf Coast Region.
Website of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program to understand the framework and processes of the Gulf of Mexico using Tampa Bay as a pilot study. Links to publications, digital library, water chemistry maps, epiphytes, and field trips.
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--biosolids have high concentrations of household contaminants compared to treated liquid wastewater effluent.
Tide stage, specific conductance, water temperature, and freshwater inflow at selected Hudson River (New York) gages updated every 4-hours to measure the effects of freshwater withdrawals and upstream movement of the salt front.
This publication focuses on the geological framework and sedimentary processes of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and provides links to interactive tools, regional research, and sediment data in GIS formats for display and analysis.
Description of research studies of the Lake Roosavelt-Upper Columbia area on contaminants and effects on environmental health with links to publications and products, partners, related links, project summaries, and contacts.
Handbook on monitoring methods for lake management, including program design, sampling methods and protocol, biota and chemical sampling methods, laboratory methods, preservation of data and samples, glossary, and bibliography. (PDF file, 92 pp.)
Links to real-time data for total dissolved gas, temperature, and barometric pressure in lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington and to project reports.
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--highly variable conditions cause the production of toxic methyl mercury in the environment which accumulates in fish.
Homepage for the Missouri District Water-Quality Data & Analysis Section with links to data networks, projects, data availability, mobile laboratories, sampling boat, quality assurance practices, and real-time water-quality data.
Multiple studies addressing urban water-quality issues, to describe biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of urban water resources over time, and relate those characteristics to natural processes and human activities
The National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) is a full-service laboratory that specializes in environmental analytical chemistry and has a primary role to develop new analytical methods. Links to directory, publications, and standards.
Primary homepage for the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program studying water quality in river, aquifer and coastal water basins throughout the nation. Links to reports, data, models, maps and national synthesis studies.
The Great and Little Miami River Basins form a National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program study unit for studying the status, trends, and changes affecting the nation's water quality. Site links to data, publications, maps, and results.
Program to compile data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program study units to study national trends with links to sediment coring sites, video on Salt Lake City, study units identification, and publications.
Data warehouse for national water quality program with links to chemical, biological, and physical data for water, sediment and animal tissues, nutrient, pesticide, and VOC levels, streamflow, and ground water levels from national study units.
Links to online data retrieval, information on MTBE and gasoline oxygenates, VOCs analysis, VOC publications, news features, and featured online publications.
Brief discussion of two water quality studies in the state of New Jersey with links to the Long-Island-New York Coastal Drainages study unit and the Delaware River Basin study unit.
Description of project studying hydrologic and chemical processes that affect the movement and fate of nitrogen within the shallow aquifers of the La Pine region of central Oregon.
Results (*.pdf) of a 1998 targeted reconnaissance survey on the sources of radium, polonium, and lead radionuclides, data collection and laboratory methods, existing occurrences in drinking water, risk assessments, and compliance monitoring.
Branch of Quality Systems monitors the consistent collection and reporting of water-quality data with documentation of field and laboratory methods and proficiency testing. Links to standard reference samples and quality assurance standards.
Part A of a complex report on the results of ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance analysis of a large sample base from more than 70 wells located in three oil-rich California petroleum basins in order to study the formation of oil deposits.
Part B of a complex report on the results of geochemical analysis of 75 shale samples from the Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Joaquin Basins to gather observations relevant to exploration regarding the formation of oil deposits in these basins.
Explanation of chemical contaminants released into aquatic environments by popular sealcoating compounds used in parking lots, with frequently-asked questions, links, and contact information.
A synthesis of the Mineral Resources Program's past and future research directions in the western U.S. on metal contamination due to mineral deposits and mining and the environmental effects on living organisms. Chapters 1, 4, and 6 as PDF files.
An "image map" periodic table and short notes about many isotopes and their applications to illustrate the uses of assorted isotopes in hydrology, geology, and biology.
Description and photos related to the Picher Mining District in Oklahoma, once a primary U.S. source of lead and zinc and now the largest superfund site in the U.S. with millions of cubic yards of mine tailings (locally known as "chat") remaining.
Database provides information on petroleum reservoirs, type and abundance of constituents dissolved in produced water, geochemical reactions between the water and rock, hydrology and geologic, spatial distribution of petroleum production areas.
Report on the use of regression equations from measurements made by water quality monitors and analytical results of manually collected samples estimating nutrient, bacteria, and other constituent concentrations to study streams in Kansas.
Site on the Chlorofluorocarbon Laboratory and its analytical services for CFCs, sulfur hexafluoride, dissolved gases including nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and helium, and tritium/helium-3 dating.
The Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory conducts research on the use of isotope ratio measurements in studies of water resources and environmental quality.
Online abstracts of reports on the hydrology of Oklahoma with a few on minerals and geology, which have not been fully digitized. Complete publications are available in libraries and some are still available for purchase.
Characterize the quality of selected rivers and aquifers used as a source of supply to community water systems in the United States to determine the occurrence of about 280 primary unregulated anthropogenic organic compounds.
Provides links to the data, models and maps on the biology, ecology, geology, mapping, hydrology, and chemistry of research studies in southern Florida.
Standard reference samples for laboratory quality assurance testing and are available to purchase for internal quality control. The majority of samples are prepared with water from Colorado streams.
Report on the status of the biota and ecological factors of the inland lakes of the Great Lakes Cluster Parks: Indiana Dunes, Sleeping Bear Dunes,and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores and Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks. (PDF file, 321 p.)
Overview of interdisciplinary research on the Tampa Bay estuary of the Gulf of Mexico with links to digital library, interactive mapping, reports, posters, water chemistry maps, meetings and conferences, scientist directory, and field trips.
Summary of part of the USGS interdivisional Mississippi Basin Carbon project that will study the changes in climate and the environment through carbon cycle changes recorded in lake sediments in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
Homepage for the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, which provides scientific information on contaminated sites and on human and environmental health. Links to news, topical information, investigations, meetings, publications, and photos.
Report (PDF format) on an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of contaminated ground water from a metals refinery adjacent to the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska testing water and sediments for contaminants and toxicity.
Overview of project assessing water quality of the Tualatin River basin near Portland, Oregon with links to reports on chemical and nutrient levels and selected data on streamflow, water temperature, weather and precipitation.
Listing of USGS research and monitoring projects on mine drainage, in order to promote cooperation and collaboration among scientists working on problems related to mining and the environment.
Describes and provides links to USGS research in the location of the estuary and coast of Long Island, New York, to map the sea floor and to study sediment transport, contaminants, and sand resources and coastal vulnerability.
Homepage of the Office of Water Quality programs on the quality of the Nation's surface water and ground water resources, with links to general information, quality assurance, software, data, publications, USGS facilities, techniques, and programs.
Thirty year database of water-quality data, visual data displays, and project information on the San Francisco Bay directed towards following and understanding changes in the water quality of San Francisco Bay.
This section of the San Francisco Bay website allows the extraction, tabulation, and downloading of specific subsets of water-quality data collected by the USGS creating either HTML formatted tables of data or comma delimited ASCII files.
Brief descriptions of categories of USGS research programs and projects on water resources in Michigan with links to more detailed information on projects.
Overview of a project in Virginia to develop a program for assessing public supply source waters to determine their susceptibility to contamination and to determine which systems need detailed source-water assessments.
Description of project to study the distribution of saline water in the aquifers of the Coastal Plain of Virginia and the potential for saline water intrusion by evaluating chloride concentrations and the factors affecting chloride distribution.
Description of river input monitoring project's collecting and analyzing water-quality data to calculate and explain load and trend estimates of selected nutrients and suspended solids for five major river basins in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Primary homepage for USGS programs in water resources with links to water data, publications and products, technical resources, major programs, and water information services.
Educational site for elementary school students on the properties of water with links to a true/false quiz, common water measurements, pH, and water facts.
Homepage for USGS water quality information. The NWISWeb discrete sample database is a compilation of over 3.5 million historical water quality analyses in the USGS district databases. Also includes access to real-time data and a tutorial.
Links to published materials produced by the Watershed Processes and Modeling Project on watershed model TOPMODEL, compilation of STATSGO soils data, climate change, landscape heterogeneity in ecoregions, and other links.
Western Mineral Resources home page with links to projects to assess the mineral resources and mineral related environmental problems of the western region of the United States. Also links to products, offices, facts, FAQs and newsletter.
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--chemical reactions between nitrate, iron, and oxygen can affect the mobility of trace amounts of arsenic.