WGSC contributes to HayWired
The GFSAD30 project accomplished their goal!
Dryland Management
Aridland Water Harvesting
Cienega Ranch
Semi-desert Native Grassland Restoration
Semi-desert Native Grassland Restoration
Western Geographic Science Center
The WGSC is responsible for research and applications to understand coupled human-environmental systems in the face of land change and delivering pertinent information to decision makers on the vulnerability and resilience of these systems. WGSC scientists collaborate with partners to advance the goals of the USGS Core Science Systems and Ecosystems Mission Areas and their programs.
Dr. Prasad Thenkabail visits India in Scientist Exchange Program
Dr. Prasad Thenkabail visits India in Scientist Exchange Program
Congratulations to Dr. Prasad Thenkabail, Research Geographer at WGSC, who represented the Department of Interior at the NASA and Indian Space Research Organization Professional Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program. Congratulations Prasad!
Dr Laura Norman wins the Farouk El-Baz Award
Dr Laura Norman wins the Farouk El-Baz Award
Congratulations to Dr. Laura Norman, who won the Farouk El-Bak Award for desert research!
Projects and teams at WGSC
Projects and teams at WGSC
Just a few examples of WGSC projects and science teams.
- Hazards Vulnerability Team
- Global Food Security-Support Analysis Data at 30 m (GFSAD30)
- Hazards Societal Consequences and Risk Communication
- Land-Use and Climate Change Team (LUCC)
- Aridlands Water Harvest Study
- Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
- Patterns in the Landscape – Analyses of Cause and Effect (PLACE)
News
The Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project held its 4th Workshop at the U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff Science Center
The Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project held its 4th Workshop at the U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff Science Center
Causes and Consequences of Flooding in California’s Central Valley
Causes and Consequences of Flooding in California’s Central Valley
Ecological Thresholds, Abiotic Stress, and Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework
Ecological Thresholds, Abiotic Stress, and Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework
Publications
Estimated average annualized losses from potential building damage and fatalities due to earthquake-generated tsunamis in the United States Estimated average annualized losses from potential building damage and fatalities due to earthquake-generated tsunamis in the United States
Earthquake-generated tsunamis represent substantial economic threats to states and territories in the United States (U.S.), but we are unaware of any effort to quantify potential impacts at the national level. This gap is partially due to the lack of nationally consistent data on tsunamigenic sources and associated return periods. This study addresses this issue and provides estimates of...
RUSH: Rapid remote sensing Updates of land cover for Storm and Hurricane forecast models RUSH: Rapid remote sensing Updates of land cover for Storm and Hurricane forecast models
Coastal vegetated ecosystems, including tidal marshes, vegetated dunes, and shrub- and forest-dominated wetlands, can mitigate hurricane impacts such as coastal flooding and erosion by increasing surface roughness and reducing wave energy. Land cover maps can be used as input to improve simulations of surface roughness in advanced hydro-morphological models. Consequently, there is a need...
Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands
Coastal soil salinization patterns are changing due to drought, sea level rise (SLR), and changing freshwater inflow. These changes are expected to impact coastal wetland plant health and ecosystem function, such as changes to biomass and productivity. These impacts have led to greater interest in how we monitor soil salinization across spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing is a...
Science
USGS research on coastal and nearshore ecosystems informs wildlife and fisheries management
Coastal ecosystems are where the land and sea meet. USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems. USGS helps decision-makers navigate complex ecosystem challenges.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
A Return On Investment Approach for Evaluating Great Basin Fuel Break Priorities
Linear fuel breaks are a primary type of fuel treatment used to reduce the likelihood and damages from wildland fire to values at risk in rangelands in the western US. However, based on past research and a recent case study, there is likely a large amount of variation in burn probability reduction among fuel breaks due to prevailing winds, fuel conditions, and proximity to other fuel breaks. We...
Supporting energy and mineral development through successful reclamation
Federal lands of the US contain important reserves of oil, gas and other resources important for Unleashing American Energy (SO 3418). After development of these resources is complete, successfully reclaiming disturbed lands is a necessary step towards restoring wildlife habitat, forage production, and maintaining natural resources for future use. To improve reclamation outcomes on these lands and...