Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Science Quality and Integrity
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
Filter Total Items: 172837
Assessment of undiscovered conventional and continuous oil and gas resources in the Escondido, Olmos, and San Miguel Formations of the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2023
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5 million barrels of oil and 25 billion cubic feet of gas in conventional reservoirs and 361 million barrels of oil and 10,978 billion cubic feet of gas in continuous reservoirs in the Western Gulf Basin Province of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Authors
William H. Craddock, John W. Counts, Colin A. Doolan, Marc L. Buursink, Celeste D. Lohr, Javin J. Hatcherian, Katherine L. French, Jared T. Gooley, Phuong A. Le, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Christopher J. Schenk
Evaluation of alternative coatings for U.S. Geological Survey water-quality samplers
Each year, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel collect approximately 52,000 water-quality samples from rivers and streams across the United States. Several samplers are used by the USGS for water-quality sample collection in riverine environments. These samplers are coated with Plasti Dip to protect the exterior of the sampler; however, Plasti Dip is susceptible to fraying and wear...
Authors
Alyssa M. Thornton
Anomalous shear stress variation in wet granular medium: Implications for landslide lateral faults
Landslide assessments typically focus on the mechanical properties of the basal shear zone, but lateral faults are frequently overlooked, possibly due to their lower normal stresses and variably saturated conditions. Using double-cylinder shear experiments on wet granular systems as analogs for landslide lateral faults, we observe anomalous shear stress variations with fluid volume...
Authors
Chengrui Chang, Kohei Ono, William Schulz, Tetsuo Yamaguchi
Estimation of baseflow and flooding characteristics for East Canyon Creek, Summit and Morgan Counties, Utah
An improved understanding of hydrologic responses to changing climatic conditions is needed to better inform water management practices. East Canyon Creek, a perennial, snowmelt-dominated stream in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah, is subjected to increasing development and demands on water in the Snyderville Basin and adjacent areas. In this study, streamflow and specific...
Authors
Jonathan Casey Root, Christine A. Rumsey
Volcanic gases reflect magma stalling and launching depths
Many open-vent arc volcanoes display two modes in their continuous gas emissions, one with a characteristic CO2/ ST ratio typical of periods of quiescent degassing and another punctuated by high CO2/ ST gas emitted in the weeks before eruption, a recently recognized eruption precursor. In this study we explore the origin of the two modes of degassing revealed by time-series gas data at...
Authors
Shuo Ding, Terry Plank, J. Maarten de Moor, Yves Moussallam, Maryjo Brounce, Peter J. Kelly
From hydrated silica to quartz: Potential hydrothermal precipitates found in Jezero crater, Mars
On Earth, silica-rich phases from opal to quartz are important indicators and tracers of geological processes. Hydrated silica, such as opal, is a particularly good matrix for the preservation of molecular and macroscopic biosignatures. Cherts, a type of silica-dominated rocks, provide a unique archive of ancient terrestrial life while quartz is the emblematic mineral of the Earth's...
Authors
P.S.A. Beck, O. Beyssac, E. Dehouck, S. Bernard, M. Pineau, L. Mandon, C. Royer, E. Clave, S. Schroder, O. Forni, R. Francis, N. Mangold, C.C. Bedford, A.P. Broz, E.A. Cloutis, J.R. Johnson, F. Poulet, T. Fouchet, C. Quantin-Nataf, C. Pilorget, W. Rapin, P.-Y. Meslin, Travis S.J. Gabriel, G. Arana, J.M. Madariaga, A.J. Brown, S. Maurice, S.M. Clegg, O. Gasnault, A. Cousin, R.C. Wiens, The SuperCam Team
Effects of chronic metal exposure and metamorphosis on the microbiomes of larval and adult insects and riparian spiders through the aquatic-riparian food web
The macroinvertebrate microbiome controls various aspects of the host's physiology, from regulation of environmental contaminants to reproductive output. Aquatic insects provide critical nutritional subsidies linking aquatic and riparian food webs while simultaneously serving as a contaminant pathway for riparian insectivores in polluted ecosystems. Previous studies have characterized...
Authors
Brittany G. Perrotta, Karen A. Kidd, Amy M. Marcarelli, Gordon Paterson, David Walters
Characterizing Meteor Crater impact melts through geochemistry and textural analysis
The U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center houses the Meteor Crater sample collection, an assemblage of over 2,500 meters of cuttings from 161 drill holes into Meteor Crater’s rim, flanks, and ejecta blanket. We have utilized this unique collection to study the composition and spatial distribution of impact-generated materials from within the ejecta blanket. Meteor Crater has...
Authors
Amber L. Gullikson, Tenielle A. Gaither, Justin J. Hagerty
Potential water-quality and hydrology stressors on freshwater mussels with development of environmental DNA assays for selected mussels and macroinvertebrates in Big Darby Creek Basin, Ohio, 2020–22
The richness and abundance of freshwater mussels in the Big Darby Creek Basin has declined in recent decades, according to survey results published by the Ohio Biological Survey. In October 2016, a major mussel die-off of undetermined cause reportedly affected over 50 miles of Big Darby Creek; however, fishes and other wildlife were not noticeably impacted. Pollution, habitat destruction...
Authors
Carrie A. Huitger, G.F. Koltun, Erin A. Stelzer, Lauren D. Lynch
Data gap analysis for estimation of agricultural return flows in the Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado
The Gunnison River and many tributaries in the Upper Gunnison River Basin provide water to irrigate agricultural crops. The application of irrigation water can recharge some aquifers locally by water percolating below the root zone and eventually flowing back to the stream or river through the subsurface. Diverting surface water for irrigation reduces streamflow during the irrigation...
Authors
Rachel G. Gidley, Quinn M. Miller, Wayne R. Belcher
Solution-collapse breccia pipe uranium deposits of the southern Colorado Plateau, northwestern Arizona, USA
Some of the highest-grade uranium deposits in the United States occur in breccia pipes that formed by solution and collapse of sedimentary strata, which occur in the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona. The host breccia pipes are up to 1200 m in vertical extent, average about 90 m in diameter, and can cross-cut strata from their base in the Mississippian...
Authors
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Susan Hall, Craig A. Johnson, William Benzel
Tapwater exposures, residential risk, and mitigation in a PFAS-impacted-groundwater community
Tapwater (TW) safety and sustainability are priorities in the United States. Per/polyfluoroalkyl substance(s) (PFAS) contamination is a growing public-health concern due to prolific use, widespread TW exposures, and mounting human-health concerns. Historically-rural, actively-urbanizing communities that rely on surficial-aquifer private wells incur elevated risks of unrecognized TW...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Lee Donahue, Mark P. Gaikowski, Randy K. Hines, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Stephanie Gordon, Keith Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Shannon M. Meppelink, Molly L. Schreiner