USGS: Science Topics: climate change

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Climate change

Long-term alteration in the characteristic weather conditions of a region, such as changes in precipitation and temperature.

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Results 1 - 66 of 69 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]

USGS Global Change Science [More info]: Broad overview of USGS research and monitoring designed to understand current changes in the context of prehistoric and recent earth processes, distinguishing between natural and human-influenced changes, and recognizing ecological and physical responses
Climate Change and Wildlife Health: Direct and Indirect Effects [More info]: Addresses geographic range and distribution of wildlife diseases, plant and animal phenology, wildlife host-pathogen interactions, and disease patterns in wildlife.
Climate change in mountain ecosystems [More info]: Overview of interdisciplinary research studies in Glacier National Park to understand how this mountain wilderness responds to present climatic variability and other external stressors, such as air pollution, and links to detailed reports.
Biological resource status and trends: Climate change [More info]: Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on climate change
Effects of climate change and land use on water resources in the Upper Colorado River Basin [More info]: Information from climate model forecasts, projections of future flows, paleoclimatic indicators, timing of snowmelt, airborne dust, and the effects on vegetation of troublesome pest species indicate the nature and severity of problems looming.
Forecasting the effects of land-use and climate change on wildlife communities and habitats in the lower Mississippi Valley [More info]: Describes the analytical process by which spatial scientific information contributes to forecasts and models in support of regional and local decision-making.
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center [More info]: Coordinates our efforts to address challenges resulting from climate change and to empower natural resource managers with rigorous scientific information and effective tools for decision-making.
Prehistoric packrats piled up clues to climate change [More info]: Hoarding behavior preserved prehistoric materials we can use as clues to ancient climate and ecosystem changes.
Quantifying effects of climate change on the snowmelt-dominated groundwater resources of northern New England [More info]: Planned analysis of the sensitivity of groundwater levels to changes in air temperature and precipitation. Changes in groundwater recharge and discharge also will be correlated with other hydrologic indicators.
Regional climate change--Science in the Southeast [More info]: Research projects intended to create regional and national data that conform to conditions predicted by general circulation models, so that land and wildlife managers can understand the likely consequences of climatic changes in their areas of study.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Black Earth Creek Basin, Wisconsin [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Cathance Stream Basin, Maine [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Clear Creek Basin, Iowa [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--East River Basin, Colorado [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Feather River Basin, California [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Flint River Basin, Georgia [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Naches River Basin, Washington [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Pomperaug River Watershed, Connecticut [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Sagehen Creek Basin, California [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Sprague River Basin, Oregon [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Starkweather Coulee Basin, North Dakota [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Trout Lake Basin, Wisconsin [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Watershed scale response to climate change--Yampa River Basin, Colorado [More info]: Mathematical models predict overall streamflow, runoff, subsurface flow, groundwater flow, and soil moisture in this area in response to four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Assessing the impacts of climate variability and change on the Nation's resources [More info]: Site for a USGS project under the U.S. Global Change Research Program for a national assessment of the impacts of climate variability and change on resources with links to impacts in Alaska, western U.S., public lands, and water resources.
Climate Variability and Change [More info]: This fact sheet focuses on climate variability and change and how USGS research can strengthen the Nation with information needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Effects of Climate Variability and Change on Groundwater Resources of the United States [More info]: How climate change affects ground water is more complex than surface water because the residence time of ground water can range from days to tens of thousands of years. Discusses some broad climatic processes may affect groundwater resources.
Evidence of multidecadal climate variability in the Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Direct measurement of an important indicator of interannual variability is extended, using geological proxy measures, farther back in time to well before modern measurements were made. This tells us about the history of climate variability.
Why Study Paleoclimate? [More info]: It's the only way to understand global environmental conditions that were very different from the way they are today.
Changing Arctic Ecosystems-Measuring and forecasting the response of Alaska's terrestrial ecosystem to a warming climate [More info]: Combining genetic data with current and predicted climate scenarios, we are modeling the predicted future distributions of wildlife populations in the Arctic and identifying key environmental variables that determine important animal habitat.
Climate and land use change [More info]: Research that helps the Nation understand these global changes and their impacts on society, resource availability, and economic development.
Fifty-Year Record of Glacier Change Reveals Shifting Climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA [More info]: Accelerating loss of mass, weakening correlation with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and increasing mass turnover likely are the result of changes to warmer and drier climate conditions that are affecting three well-studied glaciers.
Global Change Hydrology Program (hydroclimatology) [More info]: 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.
Gulf of Mexico Climate-History Calibration Study [More info]: Proxy methods allow us to estimate ancient ocean temperatures but only if the method is calibrated using modern samples for which we measure the temperature. This is a proxy method using a sediment trap to collect planktonic foraminifera.
The role of climate in estuarine variability [More info]: Article from American Scientist on study of the San Francisco Bay estuary as a component of the global climate system showing that natural fluctuations might be mistaken for anthropogenic trends affecting waterflow and salinity.
A Climate Trend Analysis of Burkina Faso [More info]: Summer rains have remained steady over the past 20 years, but are less than historic highs. Temperature has increased, and while the farmland per person is decreasing, population growth has been offset with improved yields.
A climate trend analysis of Chad [More info]: Long-term reduction in rainfall and increasing temperature threaten Chad's future food production prospects; combined with rapid population growth and zones of substantial conflict, increasing numbers of people will be at risk.
A climate trend analysis of Ethiopia [More info]: Recent trends in March-June, June-September, and March-September rainfall and temperature, identifying significant reductions in rainfall and increases in temperature over time in this area.
A climate trend analysis of Kenya-August 2010 [More info]: Crop areas in west central Kenya are affected by decline in rainfall over several decades; the effects may be exacerbated by overall warming in the region
A climate trend analysis of Mali [More info]: Summer rains have remained steady for the past 20 years, but are below the long-term average. Current population and agricultural trends indicate increasing yields have offset population expansion, keeping per capita cereal production steady.
A Climate Trend Analysis of Niger [More info]: While summer rains have increased during the past 20 years, temperatures have increased as well, amplifying the effects of droughts. Crop yields are low but the population is growing, pointing to rising food insecurity.
A climate trend analysis of Senegal [More info]: Modest declines in rainfall, accompanied by increases in air temperatures, declining farmland per person, along with trends in population and agriculture could lead to a 30% reduction in per capita cereal production by 2025.
A climate trend analysis of Sudan [More info]: The data shown here depict drying trends in one of the world's most food insecure regions. Decreasing rainfall since 1980 accompanied increases in air temperature greater than global warming.
A climate trend analysis of Uganda [More info]: Long-term reduction in rainfall and increasing temperature threaten Uganda's future food production prospects; combined with rapid population growth these factors could increase the number of people who are at risk during the next 20 years.
Avian conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region, Northern Great Plains-Understanding the links between climate, ecosystem processes, wetland management, and bird communities [More info]: Small wetlands in this large area have hosted migratory birds for a long time, but with changes in agricultural practice and regional climate those habitats may not remain hospitable to the wild populations.
DOI Climate Science Centers--Regional science to address management priorities [More info]: Locations of USGS science centers focused on climate change, with a brief description of the scientific focus and regional partner organizations.
Framework for a U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Climate-Response Program in Maine [More info]: Discussion of the scientific measurements needed to understand the effects of climate change on the seasonal water cycle, with emphasis on Maine.
Hydro-Climatic Data Network (HCDN): streamflow data set, 1874 - 1988 [More info]: The Hydro-Climatic Data Network, or HCDN, consists of streamflow records for 1,659 sites throughout United States and its Territories. Records span the period 1874 through 1988, and represent a total of 73,231 water years of information.
Impacts of Low-Flow and Stream-Temperature Changes on Endangered Atlantic Salmon - Current Research [More info]: Recent physical changes over time, including trends toward earlier snowmelt runoff, decreasing river ice, and increasing spring water temperatures, may affect salmon populations; we want to know how important these effects are.
Response of lake chemistry to atmospheric deposition and climate in selected Class I wilderness areas in the western United States, 1993-2009 [More info]: Sulfate deposition to high-elevation areas has decreased here as a result of reductions in SO2 emissions. Nitrate deposition did not change, whereas ammonium deposition increased, particularly at sites near urban and agricultural areas.
Science Goals of the U.S. Department of the Interior Southeast Climate Science Center [More info]: A list of research topics we expect to undertake, with a short statement for each one explaining the rationale and benefit of pursuing that goal.
Terrestrial essential climate variables (ECVs) at a glance [More info]: Explains 16 distinct types of scientific information that are needed to understand climate change, including the specific parameters measured, why they are needed, who measures them, and the type and amount of information that are not yet available.
U.S. Department of the Interior South Central Climate Science Center [More info]: Explains the goals and strategies to be pursued by this organizational unit of the USGS along with partners and stakeholders.
USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network 2009 (HCDN?2009) [More info]: This updated subset of USGS streamgages for which the streamflow primarily reflects prevailing meteorological conditions for specified years, screened to exclude sites where human activity affects the natural flow of the watercourse.
Using observed warming to identify hazards to Mozambique maize production [More info]: Over 30 years of substantial warming, the timing of life cycle events in maize here has changed, threatening the crop yield by exposing the plant at sensitive phases in its life cycle to increased heat and drought, and lowering the weight of its grains.
A westward extension of the tropical Pacific warm pool leads to March through June drying in Kenya and Ethiopia [More info]: Analysis of sea-surface temperature in the Indian Ocean shows that warming correlates with east African rainfall; the effect on atmospheric convection and precipitation over the Indian Ocean is greater than that associated with El Niño (ENSO).
Coastal and Marine Geology Program [More info]: Home page for Coastal and Marine Geology with links to topics of interest (sea level change, erosion, corals, pollution, sonar mapping, and others), Sound Waves monthly newsletter, field centers, regions of interest, and subject search system.
Coral mortality and African dust [More info]: Report with mini-movie and photos on the hypothesis that the atmospheric transport of dust arising from the desertification in northern Africa led to algal infestation of corals, coral diseases, and the near extinction of associated sea urchins.
Deserts, geology and resources [More info]: Online edition of booklet describing desert geology and mineral resources.
Devils Hole, Nevada--A Primer [More info]: Explains the important paleoclimatic information we have obtained from this subaqueous cavern. The time-series data show important contrasts with what would be predicted from orbital theory, provoking extensive scientific discussion.
Earth Surface Processes [More info]: Homepage for Earth Surface Processes Team with research studies in two general categories: climate change and geologic mapping. Links to research activities, available data sets, workshop, and programs.
Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States [More info]: A systematic presentation of climatic and hydrogeologic framework of the area, regional analysis of ground-water recharge, and an overview of 8 site-specific case studies.
International Program at the Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center - environmental monitoring and information systems [More info]: Overview of the environmental monitoring component of the international program at the EROS Data Center using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, with links to data, partners, publications, and workshops.
Moderate-resolution sea surface temperature data and seasonal pattern analysis for the Arctic Ocean ecoregions [More info]: GIS data as grids, images, and shapefiles for monthly averages at 4km resolution from 1981 through 2009.
Science-Based Strategies for Sustaining Coral Ecosystems [More info]: Explains the environmental factors that affect coral reef habitats and ecosystems, focusing on those that pose urgent problems.
The carbon cycle in lakes of the Upper Mississippi Basin [More info]: 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.
The chronology for the d18O record from Devils Hole, Nevada, extended into the Mid-Holocene [More info]: This study extends the oxygen isotope record of this important paleoclimate record forward in time to cover more recent history, up to 4,500 years before present.

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