Publications

Geochronological and thermochronological data are essential for constraining the timing and rates of geological processes, supporting geologic mapping, natural hazard assessment, and resource exploration. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geochron Database is a centralized, relational database that integrates USGS and State geological survey data in accordance with the National Geologic...

Detailed and accurate historical data are crucial to characterizing landscape change, whether it is caused by natural phenomena or of anthropogenic origin. Aerial imagery has been periodically collected by government and nongovernment agencies, for a broad range of purposes, since the early 20th century. The acquisition of aerial images involves using standardized equipment with large...

Tree islands are patchy upland forested habitats in Florida's Everglades that face degradation and disappearance due to altered hydrologic patterns. The U.S. Geological Survey coordinated with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida to co-develop a decision-support tool based on tree-island hydrologic conditions. Everglades managers can use this tool...

A mineral systems approach to mineral exploration provides a comprehensive framework for understanding ore deposit formation by examining the geodynamic, magmatic, hydrothermal, and sedimentary processes responsible for mineralization, alteration, and remobilization of economic mineral deposits. Temporal and thermal constraints on ore genesis are crucial for refining mineral system...

This report is a user guide for the 0.1.2 release of the Python Hyperspectral Analysis Tool (PyHAT) and its graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI is intended to provide an intuitive front end to allow users to apply sophisticated preprocessing and analysis methods to spectroscopic data. Though the PyHAT package has been developed with a particular focus on laser-induced breakdown...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and MITRE ran a 12-week machine learning competition aimed at accelerating development of AI tools for critical mineral assessments. The Artificial Intelligence for Critical Mineral Assessment Competition solicited innovative solutions for two challenges: 1)...

Species inventories are crucial for conservation but are difficult to assemble and maintain. Bioblitzes, which encourage the public to document biodiversity in a particular area and timeframe, may offer useful information but their integration with other datasets poses challenges. We investigated the potential contribution of bioblitzes to natural resource management using observations...

Coastal imaging systems have been developed to measure wave runup and total water level (TWL) at the shoreline, which is a key metric for assessing coastal flooding and erosion. However, extracting quantitative measurements from coastal images has typically been done through the laborious task of hand-digitization of wave runup timestacks. Timestacks are images created by sampling a...

The U.S. Geological Survey Community for Data Integration annually funds small projects focusing on data integration for interdisciplinary research, innovative data management, and demonstration of new technologies. This report provides a summary of the 12 projects funded in fiscal year 2020, outlining their goals, activities, and accomplishments.

Urban land cover types influence the urban microclimates. However, recent work indicates the magnitude of land cover's microclimate influence is affected by aridity. Moreover, this variation in cooling and warming potentials of urban land cover types can substantially alter the exposure of urban areas to extreme heat. Our goal is to understand both the relative influences of urban land...

The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of how the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing decision-support tools (DSTs) by documenting successes and barriers across all levels of USGS scientific tool creation and outreach. These findings will help streamline future tool design and development processes. We provide a synthesis of lessons learned and best practices...

Knowing subsurface drainage (tile-drain) extent is integral to understanding how landscapes respond to precipitation events and subsequent days of drying, as well as how soil characteristics and land management influence stream response. Consequently, a time series of tile-drain extent would inform one aspect of land management that complicates our ability to explain streamflow and water...