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The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Browse preprint publications authored by USGS scientists.
Filter Total Items: 47
Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system
Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of Virginia’s Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis conducted on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore shows that groundwater...
Authors
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
A snapshot of Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) stand structure in the eastern Mojave Desert of California A snapshot of Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) stand structure in the eastern Mojave Desert of California
The long-term viability of the iconic Joshua tree of the Mojave Desert is being evaluated. In 2022, we measured the abundance and heights of Joshua tree stems on 62 1000 m2 plots in the eastern Mojave Desert of California. The 2022 plots were represented by 33 plots in a population of western Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) and 29 plots in a population of eastern Joshua trees (Y...
Authors
Kathryn A. Thomas
Regional characterization of coal resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast Regional characterization of coal resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast
There is increasing interest in extracting critical minerals (CM), including rare earth elements (REE), from coals in the United States to address the overreliance on imported REE. The U.S. Gulf Coast and the Williston basins are the two major lignite-bearing basins within the country. Recent REE and CM studies of the lignite in these basins have indicated that the coals may be a viable...
Authors
Peter D. Warwick, Robert C. Reedy, Bridget R. Scanlon
Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a growing concern in freshwater environments. These blooms can lead to degraded water quality, ecosystem disruptions, and public health threats due to the production of potent cyanotoxins. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (California, USA; the Delta) has experienced CHABs since 1999, including CHABs that produce cyanotoxins at...
Authors
Keith Bouma-Gregson, Lisa Lucas, Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Emily T. Richardson, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Tamara E. C. Kraus
Present and future coastal flooding hazard for Long Island, NY and Long Island Sound (NY/CT), USA Present and future coastal flooding hazard for Long Island, NY and Long Island Sound (NY/CT), USA
Coastal flooding and the associated damages due to storms are increasing with sea level rise around the world, with regional variability in the severity of impacts., Researchers and resource managers need to better understand and predict the future shifts in coastal flooding due to these processes to plan for resilient and sustainable communities. Here we present an analysis of long-term
Authors
Salme Ellen Cook, Liv M. Herdman
Simulation of the impacts of spring fiversions on streamflow in the Strawberry Creek watershed, San Bernardino County, California, using an integrated hydrological model Simulation of the impacts of spring fiversions on streamflow in the Strawberry Creek watershed, San Bernardino County, California, using an integrated hydrological model
The Strawberry Creek watershed, situated in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, features a group of natural springs known as Arrowhead Springs that have been augmented with diversions in the form of sub-horizontal borings and tunnels. Understanding the impact of these structures on streamflow through groundwater capture is crucial for managing surface-water resources in...
Authors
Derek W. Ryter, Joseph A. Hevesi, Linda R. Woolfenden
Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States
Rangelands are extensive ecosystems, providing important ecosystem services while undergoing continuous change. As a result, improved monitoring technologies can help better characterize vegetation change. Satellite remote sensing has proven effective in this regard, tracking vegetation dynamics at broad and fine scales. We leveraged the spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of...
Authors
Brady W. Allred, Sarah E. McCord, Timothy J. Assal, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Chad S. Boyd, Alexander C. Brooks, Samantha M. Cady, Michael C. Duniway, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Shane A. Green, Georgia R. Harrison, Eric R. Jensen, Emily J. Kachergis, Anna C. Knight, Chloe M. Mattilio, Brian A. Mealor, David E. Naugle, Dylan O’Leary, Peter J. Olsoy, Erika S. Peirce, Jason R. Reinhardt, Robert K. Shriver, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Ashley M. Tanner, Evan P. Tanner, Dirac Twidwell, Nicholas P. Webb, Scott L. Morford
Understanding abundances and behaviors of shorebirds in coastal Louisiana Understanding abundances and behaviors of shorebirds in coastal Louisiana
Barrier islands provide resources and ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests, such as protection of coastal infrastructure and provision of wildlife habitat. Over time, barrier islands may become eroded and experience land loss, which can require management actions to restore island integrity. Barrier island restoration can create or modify habitats...
Authors
Theodore J. Zenzal, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Nicholas Enwright, Hana R. Thurman, Wyatt C. Cheney, Delaina LeBlanc, Robert C. Dobbs, Brock Geary, Hardin Waddle
A systematic literature review of forecasting and predictive models of harmful algal blooms in flowing waters A systematic literature review of forecasting and predictive models of harmful algal blooms in flowing waters
Occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in rivers challenge the belief that rivers are not susceptible to HABs because of their short residence times and fluctuating hydrology. Here we present a systematic literature review of predictive and forecasting models for HABs in flowing waters, including rivers, flowing in-stream reservoirs (e.g., run-of-river reservoirs and lock-and-dam...
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Rebecca Michelle Gorney, Lisa Lucas, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Jennifer L. Graham
Machine learning generated streamflow drought forecasts for the Conterminous United States (CONUS): Developing and evaluating an operational tool to enhance sub-seasonal to seasonal streamflow drought early warning for gaged locations Machine learning generated streamflow drought forecasts for the Conterminous United States (CONUS): Developing and evaluating an operational tool to enhance sub-seasonal to seasonal streamflow drought early warning for gaged locations
Forecasts of streamflow drought, when streamflow declines below typical levels, are notably less available than for floods or meteorological drought, despite widespread impacts. To address this gap, we apply machine learning (ML) models to forecast streamflow drought 1-13 weeks into the future at > 3,000 streamgage locations across the conterminous United States (CONUS). We applied two...
Authors
John C. Hammond, Phillip J. Goodling, Jeremy Alejandro Diaz, Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Aaron Joseph Heldmyer, Scott Douglas Hamshaw, Ryan R. McShane, Jesse Cleveland Ross, Roy Sando, Caelan Simeone, Erik Smith, Leah Ellen Staub, David Watkins, Michael Wieczorek, Kendall C. Wnuk, Jacob Aaron Zwart
Assessment of natural gas pipeline construction on stream temperature and turbidity in southwestern Virginia, 2017—25 Assessment of natural gas pipeline construction on stream temperature and turbidity in southwestern Virginia, 2017—25
The natural gas pipeline network in the United States is extensive and often intersects streams and other sensitive habitats, yet there are limited case studies utilizing a comparative upstream-downstream approach to evaluate potential short- and long-term effects of pipeline stream crossing construction from pre-construction to post-site restoration. In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey...
Authors
Brendan M. Foster, Carly Marcella Maas, Alejandra Logan Flota
Relationships between water quality, stream metabolism, and water stargrass growth in the lower Yakima River, 2018 to 2020 Relationships between water quality, stream metabolism, and water stargrass growth in the lower Yakima River, 2018 to 2020
Since the early 2000s, water clarity on the lower Yakima River has improved. Changes in best management practices combined with a total maximum daily load for suspended sediment led to these improved conditions. As water clarity improved, so did conditions for aquatic plants; the clearer the water, the better the light penetration, and dramatic increases in plant biomass were observed...
Authors
Rich W. Sheibley, Marcella Appel, James R. Foreman