kgeer@usgs.gov

U.S. Geological Survey scientists will conduct a high-resolution airborne survey to study the rock layers under a region of the south-central Upper Peninsula, Michigan, and parts of northeastern Wisconsin, starting in early April and lasting until as late as August. When the data analysis is complete, resulting geologic maps will help USGS researchers improve an assessment of mineral resources in the region.

As part of this research, a low-flying airplane will be used. Residents and visitors should not be alarmed to witness this airplane flying low to the ground near the broader Iron Mountain-Ralph-Escanaba-Menominee region. A similar USGS study will occur around the same time, but will produce a map at a different scale and spatial area.

The airplane is under contract to the USGS through EON Geosciences. The aircraft will be operated by experienced pilots who are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. All flights are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with U.S. law.

The survey area is known to contain historically significant iron deposits, as well as several other types of mineral deposits either known or suspected to be present.

“This study will help USGS and partnered scientists understand the region’s fundamental geology and mineral potential in much greater detail than is currently known,” said USGS scientist Benjamin Drenth, a Denver-based researcher leading the survey.

The airplane will carry instruments to measure variations in the Earth's magnetic field. Because different rock types vary in content of magnetic minerals, the resulting maps allow visualization of the geologic structure below the surface. The instruments carried on the aircraft only make passive measurements, and thus pose no health risk to humans or animals.

This survey will be flown in a grid pattern. North-south lines will be flown approximately 500-700 feet apart at elevations from 250-1000 feet above the ground, and 1 mile apart in an east-west direction. All survey flights will occur during daylight hours.

The Michigan Geological Survey is a technical partner with the USGS on the project, assisting with coordination with the Michigan geologic and elected community.

Original Article

USGS.gov

USGS.gov

https://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-second-round-usgs-studies-begin-define-what-minerals-lie-beneath-portions-upper

kgeer@usgs.gov

Beginning in early April and continuing for approximately two weeks, the U.S. Geological Survey will conduct an aerial survey designed to scan the upper part of the earth’s crust.

As part of this survey, a helicopter will be flying low to the ground towing equipment shaped like a giant hula-hoop beneath it. The flight region includes parts of upper Michigan, northern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. The survey, carried out under contract by Geotech Ltd., will fly along a series of widely spaced parallel profiles spanning over 1500 miles.

The survey will determine how well different rocks conduct electricity and ultimately help refine geologic maps of an area with significant mineral potential.

The survey is targeting a suite of rocks deposited 1.8 billion years ago in a deep-water marine environment when the region lay at the edge of a vast ocean. These rocks are a potential source of sulfur for many types of mineral deposits found throughout the region and have been mapped only at the surface throughout the survey area.

“The high electrical conductivity of these particular rocks makes them an ideal target for airborne electromagnetic studies,” said USGS scientist Paul Bedrosian, the study’s lead investigator. “This survey will enable us to map the geometry of these rocks deep into the subsurface.”

Map of upcoming USGS AEM study area in relation to state and county borders. The thick black lines are the intended flight profiles, and the shaded grey regions show the mapped extent of rocks deposited some 1.8 billion years ago. Mapping the subsurface geometry and distribution of these rocks is the primary goal of this survey. Image of the VTEM Plus AEM system from Geotech Ltd. in flight. A similar system will be flown during the upcoming USGS AEM study.

Original Article

USGS.gov

USGS.gov

https://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-usgs-goes-airborne-define-what-minerals-lie-beneath-upper-midwest

kgeer@usgs.gov

Today, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announce Visualize Your Water, a citizen science challenge for high school students who live in the Great Lakes basin and Chesapeake Bay watershed. This open competition in innovation, supported by a coalition of government agencies and private industry, aims to equip high school students with new skills in geographic analysis and help to broaden their understanding of nutrient management and pollution issues.

Plant nutrients can be valuable in agricultural and urban settings, but too much nutrient or too much at the wrong place or time will produce algal blooms, hypoxia, and other nutrient-related water quality issues that are particularly acute in the Great Lakes basin and Chesapeake Bay watershed. Nutrient pollution is the general term for high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in some of the nation’s waters. Nutrient pollution comes from sources such as urban and agricultural fertilizer runoff, municipal sewage treatment and leaking septic tanks, and even atmospheric deposition from factory and car nitrogen oxide emissions, with the relative balance of sources depending on location.

In this educational competition, students will use digital mapping technology from Esri (a leading geographic technology company) with data from the USGS, EPA, and other sources to analyze local water quality. They will then create a map that tells a story about the problem and suggests viable solutions. 

Today, January 13, marks the start of the competition. Contest submissions are due March 1. Winners will be announced on April 22. A free Esri ArcGIS Online school account is available to allow participating students to view and analyze relevant data and create maps. 

A grand prize of $2,500 will be awarded plus an opportunity to attend the 2016 Esri Education Conference in San Diego, California along with publication in Esri’s Mapping the Nation book. In addition, two regional first place prizes of $2,500 will be awarded for the Great Lakes basin and Chesapeake Bay watershed. National Geographic will recognize one visualization that will be promoted on National Geographic’s education website, and the author will receive a copy of the National Geographic Atlas of the World.

U.S. high school students in the following states are eligible to participate.

Great Lakes basin: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin   Chesapeake Bay watershed: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia

For further challenge details, visit the Visualize Your Water website.

Original Article

USGS.gov

USGS.gov

https://www.usgs.gov/news/visualize-your-water-citizen-science-challenge-high-school-students

kgeer@usgs.gov