Publications
Below is a list of available NOROCK peer reviewed and published science. If you are in search of a specific publication and cannot find it below or through a search, please contact twojtowicz@usgs.gov.
Filter Total Items: 1334
Assessing predictions from optimal egg theory for an ectotherm relative to habitat duration Assessing predictions from optimal egg theory for an ectotherm relative to habitat duration
Optimal egg size theory predicts females must balance investment per offspring to maximize fitness based on environmental quality. In wetlands, environmental quality can be duration of water and predator presence. Ectotherms using habitats that dry or contain predators are likely under selection to optimize offspring production. We measured reproductive output of wood frogs (Rana...
Authors
Jon M. Davenport, Andrew Feltmann, LeeAnn Fishback, Blake R. Hossack
GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence GNSS reflectometry from low-cost sensors for continuous in situ contemporaneous glacier mass balance and flux divergence
Recent advances in remote sensing have produced global glacier surface elevation change data. Parsing these elevation change signals into contributions from the climate (i.e. climatic mass balance) and glacier dynamics (i.e. flux divergence) is critical to enhance our process-based understanding of glacier change. In this study, we evaluate three approaches for direct, continuous...
Authors
Albin Wells, David R. Rounce, Louis C. Sass, Caitlyn Florentine, Adam Garbo, Emily Baker, Christopher J. McNeil
Direct measurements of firn-density evolution from 2016 to 2022 at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska Direct measurements of firn-density evolution from 2016 to 2022 at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska
Knowledge of snow and firn-density change is needed to use elevation-change measurements to estimate glacier mass change. Additionally, firn-density evolution on glaciers is closely connected to meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff, which are key processes for glacier mass balance and hydrology. Since 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey Benchmark Glacier Project has recovered firn...
Authors
Max Stevens, Louis C. Sass, Caitlyn Florentine, Christopher J. McNeil, Emily Baker, Katherine Eleanore Bollen
Demographic risk factors vary in the invasion front of chronic wasting disease in West Virginia, USA Demographic risk factors vary in the invasion front of chronic wasting disease in West Virginia, USA
After detecting chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA, in 2005, we investigated the change of CWD apparent prevalence and potential factors influencing infection risk during the invasion front. Over eight sampling years (2006–2012 and 2017) during a 12-yr period within a 101-km2-area monitoring zone, we sampled...
Authors
Brian Scott Dugovich, Ethan P. Barton, James M. Crum, M. Kevin Keel, David E. Stallknecht, Mark G. Ruder
A case study and comparison of mid-winter warming and solar driven wet slab avalanche cycles A case study and comparison of mid-winter warming and solar driven wet slab avalanche cycles
Wet slab avalanches are poorly understood and often difficult to forecast. Yet, wet slab avalanches can be destructive and may become more common in a changing climate. As the onset of wet avalanches moves earlier in the winter season due to climate change, understanding snowpack and meteorological characteristics of wet slab avalanches will become increasingly important. In this study...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Cameron Johnson, Scott Savage, Zachary Miller, Zachary Hoppinen
Detecting avalanche path ground cover and vegetation change across multiple scales through time using remote sensing tools Detecting avalanche path ground cover and vegetation change across multiple scales through time using remote sensing tools
Large-magnitude avalanches often alter vegetation composition, avalanche path dimensions, and subsequent avalanche return periods. Understanding temporal changes in individual avalanche path trimlines, runout zones, and geomorphic characteristics helps forecasters, planners, and engineers estimate potential avalanche destructive size and impact on infrastructure or settlements in the...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Zachary Miller, Ron Simonhois, Ethan M. Greene
An analytical approach for simulating effects of avalanches on mountain goat population dynamics: Implications for management and conservation An analytical approach for simulating effects of avalanches on mountain goat population dynamics: Implications for management and conservation
Mountain environments with snow avalanche hazard cover about 6% of Earth’s land area and occur on all continents. Whereas human risks associated with avalanche hazard have been widely studied, little is known about how avalanche activity affects population dynamics in mountain wildlife. Globally, 32 species of mountain ungulates across 70 countries occupy avalanche-prone terrain...
Authors
Kevin White, Taal Levi, Eran W. Hood, Gabriel J. Wolken, Erich H. Peitzsch, Yves Buhler, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Chris Darimont
Structured science syntheses to inform decision making on Federal public lands Structured science syntheses to inform decision making on Federal public lands
The U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to develop a new type of science product: the structured science synthesis. Structured science syntheses are peer-reviewed reports that synthesize science information about a priority resource management issue on public lands. Structured science syntheses are developed explicitly to...
Authors
Emma I. Dietrich, Sarah K. Carter, Tait K. Rutherford, Megan A. Gilbert, Travis S. Haby, Aaron N. Johnston, Samuel E. Jordan, Nathan J. Kleist, Richard J. Lehrter, Elroy H. Masters, Claudia Mengelt, Alexandra L. Stoneburner, Elisabeth C. Teige, John C. Tull, Sarah E. Whipple, David J. A. Wood
Trends in plant cover derived from vegetation plot data using ordinal zero-augmented beta regression Trends in plant cover derived from vegetation plot data using ordinal zero-augmented beta regression
Questions
Authors
Arco van Strien, Kathryn Irvine, Cas Retel
Glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland Glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland
No abstract available.
Authors
D. Burgess, G. Wolken, B. Wouters, L.M. Andreassen, Caitlyn Florentine, J. Kohler, B. Luks, F. Palsson, Louis C. Sass, L. Thomson, T. Thorsteinsson
A unified approach to long-term population monitoring of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem A unified approach to long-term population monitoring of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Long-term wildlife research and monitoring programs strive to maintain consistent data collections and analytical methods. Incorporating new techniques is important but can render data sets incongruent and limit their potential to discern trends in demographic parameters. Integrated population models (IPMs) can address these limitations by combining data sources that may span different...
Authors
Matthew J. Gould, Justin Clapp, Mark A. Haroldson, Cecily M. Costello, J. Joshua Nowak, Hans Martin, Michael Ebinger, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Daniel Thompson, Justin A. Dellinger, Matthew A. Mumma, Paul Lukacs, Frank T. van Manen
Observing glacier elevation changes from spaceborne optical and radar sensors – an inter-comparison experiment using ASTER and TanDEM-X data Observing glacier elevation changes from spaceborne optical and radar sensors – an inter-comparison experiment using ASTER and TanDEM-X data
Observations of glacier mass changes are key to understanding the response of glaciers to climate change and related impacts, such as regional runoff, ecosystem changes, and global sea level rise. Spaceborne optical and radar sensors make it possible to quantify glacier elevation changes, and thus multi-annual mass changes, on a regional and global scale. However, estimates from a...
Authors
Livia Piermattei, Michael Zemp, Christian Sommer, Fanny Brun, Matthias H. Braun, Liss M. Andreassen, Joaquin M. C. Belart, Etienne Berthier, Atanu Bhattacharya, Laura Boehm Vock, Tobias Bolch, Amaury Dehecq, Ines Dussaillant, Daniel Falaschi, Caitlyn Florentine, Dana Floricioiu, Christian Ginzler, Gregoire Guillet, Romain Hugonnet, Andreas Kaab, Owen King, Christoph Klug, Friedrich Knuth, Lukas Krieger, Jeff La Frenierre, Robert McNabb, Christopher McNeil, Rainer Prinz, Louis C. Sass, Thorsten Seehaus, David Shean, Desiree Treichler, Anja Wendt, Ruitang Yang