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Filters: Tags: {"type":"USGS Scientific Topic Keyword"} (X) > partyWithName: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase (X) > partyWithName: Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (X)

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To test if reflectance increases to sedimentary organic matter (vitrinite) caused by broad ion beam (BIB) milling were related to molecular aromatization and condensation, we used Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies to evaluate potential compositional changes in the same vitrinite locations pre- and post-BIB milling. The same locations also were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine topographic changes caused by BIB milling (as expressed by the areal root-mean-square roughness parameter Rq). Samples consisted of four medium volatile bituminous coals. We used a non-aggressive BIB milling approach with conditions of [(5 min, 4 keV, 15°incline, 360° rotation at 25 rpm and 100%...
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Several canals in southern Florida run from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and feed water to the northern Everglades. Agricultural and water-management practices affect the water quality of these canals. Fertilizers added in the EAA flow into the canals and are transported to treatment areas which remove much of the phosphorous in the water, but are not as effective in removing dissolved sulfate. Elevated sulfate concentrations, found downstream in the Water Conservation Areas in the northern Everglades, can stimulate sulfur-reducing bacteria which can also convert inorganic mercury to methyl mercury, a bioaccumulative neurotoxin. Chemistry data at 25 canal sites in southern Florida...
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This data release contains apatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track data for six samples collected along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States, from Virginia to the Georgia-South Carolina border. The data resolve phases of rapid exhumational cooling in the Permo-Triassic, additional cooling in the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous and slower cooling since the middle of the Cretaceous. The data are also compatible with an episode of burial/magmatic heating in the Triassic-Jurassic. Overall, these data may explain the lack of preserved Upper Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous strata beneath onshore areas of the southeastern United States.
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Petroleum within unconventional source-rock reservoirs is hosted in organic matter and mineral pore space as well as in voids and microfractures. Recent work has shown that for source-rock reservoirs in the dry gas window, significant portions of methane (CH4), the main component of petroleum at elevated maturities, can be stored within fine organic matter porosity. However, within reservoirs at lower thermal maturities (e.g., peak oil or wet-gas conditions), the distribution and behavior of CH4 and the higher alkanes that comprise gas condensates across pore sizes is unclear, especially for fine pores with diameters <50 nm. Understanding CH4 within these settings provides insight for petroleum generation, movement,...
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This dataset was created to document the natural occurrence of helium and carbon dioxide throughout the United States. This dataset is sourced primarily from publicly available data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Federal Helium Program and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Federal Helium Program, which originally began in 1925 under the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has analyzed thousands of gas samples during its history. These analyses were reported in several publications (Moore and Sigler, 1987; Hamak and Gage, 1992; Hamak and Sigler, 1991, 1993; Sigler, 1994; Hamak and Driskill, 1996; Gage and Driskill, 1998, 2003, 2005; Driskill, 2008), and additional unpublished data residing in an internal BLM...
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of exchangeable hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt.% total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock samples from the Eocene lacustrine Green River Mahogany zone oil shale were pyrolyzed under hydrous and anhydrous conditions at temperatures between 300 and 370°C for 72 hrs. Petrographic approaches including optical microscopy, reflectance, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, supplemented...
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This data release contains data on historical water use, spatial land disturbance, and spatial aquifer disturbances related to in situ recovery (ISR) uranium extraction per unit of uranium produced. These data were compiled from published and publicly available references including journal articles, government reports, industry reports and company reporting documents for regulatory compliance and financial reporting requirements. Six uranium ISR mines are represented: Alta Mesa, Kingsville Dome, Mt. Lucas, Palangana, Palangana Dome, and Rosita.
The Andes Mountains of South America host significant porphyry copper deposits. The region is the major global source of copper and an area of active mining, exploration, and development. The Andes region was included in USGS global compilations of porphyry deposits published by Singer and others in 2005 and 2008. Since that time, many new discoveries and new resource data have become available. This compilation includes new and updated location, references, and grade and tonnage data for porphyry copper deposits in the Andes along with grade and tonnage data from the previous compilations. The data release includes a data table, references, and shapefiles of porphyry copper locations and political boundaries.
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This data release contains reflectance measurements for eight samples submitted to the USGS Organic Petrology Laboratory in Reston. Samples include two artificial rock samples made from cement with organic matter added (samples 001-002), a coal and shale sample (samples 003-004, respectively), and hydrous pyrolysis residues for samples 001-004. The hydrous pyrolysis experiments were conducted at 330°C for 72 hours at the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Denver Federal Center. Samples were mounted into 1-inch circular briquettes in USGS-Reston according to ASTM D2797 for organic petrographic analysis. Cement plugs (samples 001-002, and pyrolysis residues 005-006) were crushed to approximately 1 mm top-size...
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This study presents Raman spectroscopic data paired with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess solid bitumen composition and porosity development as a function of solid bitumen texture and association with minerals. A series of hydrous pyrolysis experiments (1-103 days, 300-370°C) using a low maturity (0.25% solid bitumen reflectance, BRo), high total organic carbon [(TOC), 14.0 wt. %] New Albany Shale sample as the starting material yielded pyrolysis residues designed to evaluate the evolution of TOC, solid bitumen aromaticity, and organic porosity development with increasing temperature and heating duration. Solid bitumen was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy wherein point data was collected from accumulations...
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Proppants used during hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells are manufactured to maximize petroleum yield by controlling the size, shape, density, and strength of the proppant material. The most common types of proppants are mined silica sand and manufactured ceramics, some of which are further modified with organic resin coatings to improve performance. Much of the work on the environmental and human health effects of proppant releases into the environment has focused on occupational silicosis, with little attention given to the potential effects from the organic coatings on these materials. This oversight is especially relevant in the context of dumping of unwanted proppant on the land surface, which has been...
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The storage assessment unit (SAU) is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources project for the assessment of geologic CO2 storage resources. The SAU is shown here as a geographic boundary interpreted, defined, and mapped by the geologist responsible for the assessment interval. Individual SAUs are defined on the basis of common geologic and hydrologic characteristics. The resource that is assessed is the mass of CO2 that can be stored in the technically accessible pore volume of a storage formation. The technically accessible storage resource is one that may be available using present-day geological and engineering knowledge and technology for CO2 injection...
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Research examining organic-matter hosted porosity has significantly increased during the last ten years due to greater focus on understanding hydrocarbon migration and storage in source-rock reservoirs, and technological advances in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) capabilities. The examination of nanometer-scale organic-matter hosted porosity by SEM requires the preparation of exceptionally flat geologic samples beyond the abilities of traditional mechanical polishing which can deform or otherwise obscure organic surfaces. To meet this demand, broad ion beam (BIB) milling was introduced as a sample preparation technique for SEM petrographic analysis of geologic samples. But like with any sample preparation technique,...
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The dataset consists of geochemical and isotopic data from fine-grained sediments and glendonite crystals collected at Carter Creek on the North Slope of Alaska. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values in the measured section were found to range between 0.5 and 3.5%, with a shift towards lower values in the uppermost 5 m of the section. Stable isotopes (13C) in organic matter were relatively stable throughout the section, ranging between -25.5 and -26, with a slight 0.3 per mil positive shift within this range approximately 57 m from the base of the section. Glendonites themselves were analyzed for δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb, with δ18O values relatively consistent between -0.22 and +1.28, and a much wider range of δ13C values...
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Coal and coal byproducts may be economically important resources if enriched in critical minerals such as rare earth elements. The organic carbon they contain could be converted to gas using stimulated microbial methanogenesis. In this study, samples were collected from two underground mine sites in the bituminous region of southwest Pennsylvania to assess the potential for these uses from different types of stockpiled coal, including raw coal, clean coal, and refuse coal. Samples were analyzed for coal quality using proximate, ultimate, and sulfur forms analyses, and for major and trace elements. These data complement previous USGS studies on coal waste conducted in Pennsylvania and the Illinois Basin.
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These data represent laboratory reflectance measurements conducted on a suite of sandstone, tuffaceous mudstone and claystone rocks and sediment, which are known host and source materials for roll front Uranium deposits mined throughout the South Texas Coastal Plains. Visible through Near Infrared through Shortwave Infrared (~0.4 - 2.5 microns) reflectance were measured using an artificial light source attached to an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectrometer. A total of 125 spectra were measured and analyzed, representing samples from nine former open-pit mine sites excavating rocks from four different mapped geologic units, including rocks and sediments from the Jackson Group, Catahoula, Oakville and Goliad...
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Electron microprobe analyses of sphalerite (ZnS) and hemimorphite (Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O) from sampled historical waste piles were conducted with a specific focus on germanium (Ge). In mine wastes at the Tar Creek Superfund Site, Oklahoma, USA, Ge is associated with ZnS (sphalerite) as expected, but weathering in the waste piles has led to a significant amount of Ge being incorporated into a zinc-silicate, hemimorphite. Data and methods reported are part of a research study published here: White, S.J.O., Piatak, N.M., McAleer, R.J., Hayes. S.M., Seal, R.R. II, Schaider, L.A., Shine, J.P. Germanium redistribution during weathering of Zn mine wastes: implications for environmental mobility and recovery of a critical...
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Pollen morphology and pollen morphology in conjunction with other characteristics have elucidated the origin and evolution of various plant groups. Many studies of fossil pollen rarely discuss the effects of diagenesis and sample preparation on pollen characteristics. This paper examines the relationship of diagenesis, sample preparation (e.g., acetolysis), and staining techniques on the preservation and interpretation of pollen characteristics viewed with light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Based on empirical studies, different species under similar experimental conditions have different reflectance values, indicating the individual species respond differently to diagenetic events. The quantitative...
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Oxidation state and bonding environment of Ge and Cu in ZnS and Zn mineral concentrates from a variety of sources [Central Tennessee mining district (TN), Metaline mining district, (WA), and Red Dog mine (AK)] were determined by linear combination fits from x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis. Sphalerites from the East Tennessee mining district contained Ge in concentrations that were too low to generate a X-ray absorption spectra with an edge step. When applicable, Ge content in quartz was determined using XAS edge steps. Data and methods reported are part of a research study published in the 'Related External Resources' section below.
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High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualization of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) is widely utilized in the geosciences for evaluation of microscale rock properties relevant to depositional environment, diagenesis, and the processes of fluid generation, transport, and storage. However, despite thousands of studies which have incorporated SEM approaches, the inability of SEM to differentiate SOM types has hampered the pace of scientific advancement. In this study, we show that SEM-cathodoluminescence (CL) properties can be used to identify and characterize SOM at low thermal maturity conditions. Eleven varied mudstone samples with a broad array of SOM types, ranging from the Paleoproterozoic to...


map background search result map search result map Investigating the effects of broad ion beam milling to sedimentary organic matter Chemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project Apatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track geochronologic and thermochronologic data along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States Natural Gas Compositional Analyses Dataset of Gases from United States Wells Data Compiled on historical water use, spatial land disturbance, aquifer disturbance and uranium produced by In Situ Recovery of Uranium from Sandstone Hosted Uranium Deposits in the South Texas Coastal Plain, USA TOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany zone Reflectance and spectral fluorescence data from the effect of diagenesis on the preservation of morphology and ultrastructural features of pollen Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) and Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Spectra of Select Rock Cores and Waste Material from Nine Uranium Mine Sites in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas Electron microprobe analyses of sphalerite and hemimorphite from mine wastes from the Tar Creek Superfund Site, Tri-State Mining District, Oklahoma, U.S.A. Textural occurrence and organic porosity of solid bitumen in shales Porphyry copper deposits and prospects in the Andes Mountains of South America Molecular-scale speciation of germanium and copper within sphalerite from Central Tennessee mining district (TN), Red Dog mining district (AK), and Metaline mining district (WA) Reflectance measurements for eight samples submitted to the USGS Organic Petrology Laboratory in Reston Evaluation of pore-like features in sedimentary organic matter Chemistry data from leachates of hydraulic fracturing proppants collected from southeastern New Mexico, 2018-2019 Total neutron scattering of methane in Niobrara Formation samples at the wet-gas maturity level Geochemical Data for Coal Wastes from Bituminous Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, 2022 SEM-CL investigation of sedimentary organic matter samples Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources-Wind River Basin: Chapter O, Spatial Data Total neutron scattering of methane in Niobrara Formation samples at the wet-gas maturity level Geochemical Data for Coal Wastes from Bituminous Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, 2022 Electron microprobe analyses of sphalerite and hemimorphite from mine wastes from the Tar Creek Superfund Site, Tri-State Mining District, Oklahoma, U.S.A. Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska Chemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources-Wind River Basin: Chapter O, Spatial Data TOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany zone Apatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track geochronologic and thermochronologic data along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States Textural occurrence and organic porosity of solid bitumen in shales Reflectance measurements for eight samples submitted to the USGS Organic Petrology Laboratory in Reston Chemistry data from leachates of hydraulic fracturing proppants collected from southeastern New Mexico, 2018-2019 Data Compiled on historical water use, spatial land disturbance, aquifer disturbance and uranium produced by In Situ Recovery of Uranium from Sandstone Hosted Uranium Deposits in the South Texas Coastal Plain, USA Investigating the effects of broad ion beam milling to sedimentary organic matter Porphyry copper deposits and prospects in the Andes Mountains of South America Evaluation of pore-like features in sedimentary organic matter Molecular-scale speciation of germanium and copper within sphalerite from Central Tennessee mining district (TN), Red Dog mining district (AK), and Metaline mining district (WA) Natural Gas Compositional Analyses Dataset of Gases from United States Wells SEM-CL investigation of sedimentary organic matter samples Reflectance and spectral fluorescence data from the effect of diagenesis on the preservation of morphology and ultrastructural features of pollen