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Publications

The following list of California Water Science Center publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists.

Filter Total Items: 1829

Environmental changes in the Tule Lake basin, Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California, from 3 to 2 million years before present Environmental changes in the Tule Lake basin, Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California, from 3 to 2 million years before present

Pollen and diatom analyses of a core from the town of Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California, for the period between 3 and 2 Ma reveal a paleoclimatic and paleolimnologic sequence recording a long, warm time interval that lasted from about 2.9 to 2.6 Ma and had a short, cooler interval within it. During this warm interval, the regional vegetation surrounding ancient Tule Lake was a mixed...
Authors
David P. Adam, J. Platt Bradbury, Hugh J. Rieck, Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki

Ground-water flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California; II, Quantitative hydrologic assessment Ground-water flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California; II, Quantitative hydrologic assessment

Ground-water-flow modeling was used to estimate ground-water-flow paths and traveltimes to quantitatively assess the hydrologic processes affecting ground water and solute movement to drain laterals. Modeling results were used to calculate the depth distribution of ground water flowing into drain laterals at 1.8 meters (drain lateral 1) and 2.7 meters (drain lateral 2) below land surface...
Authors
J.L. Fio, S. J. Deverel

Storm-runoff generation in the Permanente Creek drainage basin, west central California - An example of flood-wave effects on runoff composition Storm-runoff generation in the Permanente Creek drainage basin, west central California - An example of flood-wave effects on runoff composition

Variations in the isotopic and chemical composition of storm runoff in the 10.6-km2 Permanente Creek basin, Santa Clara County, California, indicate that changes in water composition lag behind changes in streamflow. This lag occurs even though field observations and rainfall-runoff modeling indicate that much of the storm runoff must be composed of "new" water running off impervious...
Authors
K.M. Nolan, B. R. Hill

Remarkable invasion of San Francisco Bay (California, USA), by the Asian clam Potamocorbula amurensis. I. Introduction and dispersal Remarkable invasion of San Francisco Bay (California, USA), by the Asian clam Potamocorbula amurensis. I. Introduction and dispersal

The euryhaline bivalve mollusc Potamocorbula amurensis (family Corbulidae), a native of China, Japan, and Korea, has recently appeared and become very abundant in San Francisco Bay. This clam appears to have been introduced as veliger larvae in the seawater ballast of cargo vessels. It was first collected in northern San Francisco Bay in late 1986. P, amurensis then spread throughout the...
Authors
James T. Carlton, Janet K. Thompson, Laurence E. Schemel, Frederic H. Nichols

Hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopes of ground and surface waters from two adjacent closed basins, Atacama Desert, northern Chile Hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopes of ground and surface waters from two adjacent closed basins, Atacama Desert, northern Chile

The geochemistry and stable isotopes of groundwaters, surface waters, and precipitation indicate different sources of some dissolved constituents, but a common source of recharge and other constituents in two adjacent closed basins in the Atacama Desert region of northern Chile (24°15′–24°45′S). Waters from artesian wells, trenches, and ephemeral streams in the Punta Negra Basin are...
Authors
Charles N. Alpers, Donald O. Whittemore

Stable isotopes of carbon dioxide in soil gas over massive sulfide mineralization at Crandon, Wisconsin Stable isotopes of carbon dioxide in soil gas over massive sulfide mineralization at Crandon, Wisconsin

Stable isotope ratios of oxygen and carbon were determined for CO2 in soil gas in the vicinity of the massive sulfide deposit at Crandon, Wisconsin with the objective of determining the source of anomalously high CO2 concentrations detected previously by McCarthy et al. (1986). Values of δ13C in soil gas CO2 from depths between 0.5 and 1.0 m were found to range from −12.68‰ to −20.03‰...
Authors
Charles N. Alpers, D. L. Dettman, K.C. Lohmann, D. Brabec

Selenium speciation methods and application to soil saturation extracts from San Joaquin Valley, California Selenium speciation methods and application to soil saturation extracts from San Joaquin Valley, California

Methods to determine soluble concentrations of selenite, selenate, and organic Se were evaluated on saturation extracts of soil samples collected from three sites on the Panoche Creek alluvial fan in the western San Joaquin Valley, California. The methods were used in combination with hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry for detection of Se, and included a selective chemical...
Authors
John L. Fio, Roger Fujii

Spatial, seasonal and diel distribution of fishes in a California reservoir dominated by native fishes Spatial, seasonal and diel distribution of fishes in a California reservoir dominated by native fishes

During 21 months of sampling with various techniques, we captured 24 species of fish in Britton Reservoir. Nine species comprised over 96% of the number of fish captured and approximately 88% of the biomass. Five native non-game species accounted for over 77% of the catches. The native non-game fishes have maintained large populations in the reservoir despite continued introductions of...
Authors
Bruce C. Vondracek, Donald M. Baltz, Larry R. Brown, Peter B. Moyle

Spatial and temporal variability in South San Francisco Bay (USA). II. Temporal changes in salinity, suspended sediments, and phytoplankton biomass and productivity over tidal time scales Spatial and temporal variability in South San Francisco Bay (USA). II. Temporal changes in salinity, suspended sediments, and phytoplankton biomass and productivity over tidal time scales

Short-term variability of a conservative quantity (salinity) and two nonconservative quantities (chlorophyll a, suspended particulate matter) was measured across a sampling grid in the South San Francisco Bay estuary. Surface measurements were made every 2 h at each of 29 (or 38) sites, on four different dates representing a range of tidal current regimes over the neap-spring cycle. From...
Authors
J. E. Cloern, T.M. Powell, L.M. Huzzey

Paleohydrologic evolution and geochemical dynamics of cumulative supergene metal enrichment at La Escondida, Atacama Desert, northern Chile Paleohydrologic evolution and geochemical dynamics of cumulative supergene metal enrichment at La Escondida, Atacama Desert, northern Chile

Quantitative limonite mapping within the leached capping of the porphyry copper deposit at La Escondida, Chile, permits reconstruction of the paleohydrologic and chemical evolution of a well-developed supergene ore-forming system. The mineralogy, textures, and relative abundance of supergene limonite minerals (hematite, goethite, and jarosite) are used to reconstruct the former ratio of...
Authors
Charles N. Alpers, G.H. Brimhall

Retention and transport of nutrients in a third-order stream in northwestern California; hyporheic processes Retention and transport of nutrients in a third-order stream in northwestern California; hyporheic processes

Chloride and nitrate were coinjected into the surface waters of a third—order stream for 20 d to examine solute retention, and the fate of nitrate during subsurface transport. A series of wells (shallow pits) 0.5—10 m from the adjacent channel were sampled to estimate the lateral interflow of water. Two subsurface return flows beneath the wetted channel were also examined. The...
Authors
F.J. Triska, V. C. Kennedy, R.J. Avanzino, G. W. Zellweger, K.E. Bencala
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