Publications
This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 19054
Dynamic modeling of nitrogen losses in river networks unravels the coupled effects of hydrological and biogeochemical processes Dynamic modeling of nitrogen losses in river networks unravels the coupled effects of hydrological and biogeochemical processes
The importance of lotic systems as sinks for nitrogen inputs is well recognized. A fraction of nitrogen in streamflow is removed to the atmosphere via denitrification with the remainder exported in streamflow as nitrogen loads. At the watershed scale, there is a keen interest in understanding the factors that control the fate of nitrogen throughout the stream channel network, with...
Authors
Richard B. Alexander, J.K. Bohlke, Elizabeth W. Boyer, Mark B. David, Judson W. Harvey, Patrick J. Mulholland, Sybil P. Seitzinger, Craig R. Tobias, Christina Tonitto, Wilfred M. Wollheim
Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona
An extreme, multiday rainfall event over southeastern Arizona during 27–31 July 2006 caused record flooding and a historically unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. An unusual synoptic weather pattern induced repeated nocturnal mesoscale convective systems over southeastern Arizona for five continuous days, generating...
Authors
Peter G. Griffiths, Christopher S. Magirl, Robert H. Webb, Erik Pytlak, Peter A. Troch, Steve W. Lyon
Comparison of alternative representations of hydraulic-conductivity anisotropy in folded fractured-sedimentary rock: Modeling groundwater flow in the Shenandoah Valley (USA) Comparison of alternative representations of hydraulic-conductivity anisotropy in folded fractured-sedimentary rock: Modeling groundwater flow in the Shenandoah Valley (USA)
A numerical representation that explicitly represents the generalized three-dimensional anisotropy of folded fractured-sedimentary rocks in a groundwater model best reproduces the salient features of the flow system in the Shenandoah Valley, USA. This conclusion results from a comparison of four alternative representations of anisotropy in which the hydraulic-conductivity tensor...
Authors
R. M. Yager, C.I. Voss, S. Southworth
Monitoring the removal of phosphate from ground water discharging through a pond-bottom permeable reactive barrier Monitoring the removal of phosphate from ground water discharging through a pond-bottom permeable reactive barrier
Installation of a permeable reactive barrier to intercept a phosphate (PO4) plume where it discharges to a pond provided an opportunity to develop and test methods for monitoring the barrier’s performance in the shallow pond‐bottom sediments. The barrier is composed of zero‐valent‐iron mixed with the native sediments to a 0.6‐m depth over a 1100‐m2 area. Permanent suction, diffusion, and...
Authors
T.D. McCobb, D.R. LeBlanc, A.J. Massey
GRS evidence and the possibility of paleooceans on Mars GRS evidence and the possibility of paleooceans on Mars
The Gamma Ray Spectrometer (Mars Odyssey spacecraft) has revealed elemental distributions of potassium (K), thorium (Th), and iron (Fe) on Mars that require fractionation of K (and possibly Th and Fe) consistent with aqueous activity. This includes weathering, evolution of soils, and transport, sorting, and deposition, as well as with the location of first-order geomorphological...
Authors
J. M. Dohm, V.R. Baker, W. V. Boynton, A.G. Fairen, J.C. Ferris, M. Finch, R. Furfaro, T.M. Hare, D.M. Janes, J.S. Kargel, S. Karunatillake, J. Keller, K. Kerry, K.J. Kim, G. Komatsu, W.C. Mahaney, D. Schulze-Makuch, L. Marinangeli, G.G. Ori, J. Ruiz, S.J. Wheelock
The effects of enhanced zinc on spatial memory and plaque formation in transgenic mice The effects of enhanced zinc on spatial memory and plaque formation in transgenic mice
There is considerable evidence suggesting that metals play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Reports suggest that elevated dietary metals may both precipitate and potentiate an Alzheimer's disease phenotype. Despite this, there remain few studies that have examined the behavioral consequences of elevated dietary metals in wild type and Alzheimer's disease animals...
Authors
D.H. Linkous, P.A. Adlard, P.B. Wanschura, K.M. Conko, J.M. Flinn
Modeled ground water age distributions Modeled ground water age distributions
The age of ground water in any given sample is a distributed quantity representing distributed provenance (in space and time) of the water. Conventional analysis of tracers such as unstable isotopes or anthropogenic chemical species gives discrete or binary measures of the presence of water of a given age. Modeled ground water age distributions provide a continuous measure of...
Authors
Linda R. Woolfenden, Timothy R. Ginn
Managing water to protect fish: A review of California's environmental water account, 2001-2005 Managing water to protect fish: A review of California's environmental water account, 2001-2005
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the landward reach of the San Francisco Estuary, provides habitat for threatened delta smelt, endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, and other species of concern. It is also the location of huge freshwater diversion facilities that entrain large numbers of fish. Reducing the entrainment of listed fishes into these facilities has required curtailment of...
Authors
L. R. Brown, W. Kimmerer, R. Brown
Climate and hydrological changes in the northeastern United States: recent trends and implications for forested and aquatic ecosystems Climate and hydrological changes in the northeastern United States: recent trends and implications for forested and aquatic ecosystems
We review twentieth century and projected twenty-first century changes in climatic and hydrologic conditions in the northeastern United States and the implications of these changes for forest ecosystems. Climate warming and increases in precipitation and associated changes in snow and hydrologic regimes have been observed over the last century, with the most pronounced changes occurring...
Authors
Thomas G. Huntington, Andrew D. Richardson, Kevin J. McGuire, Katharine Hayhoe
Carbon sequestration and its role in the global carbon cycle Carbon sequestration and its role in the global carbon cycle
For carbon sequestration the issues of monitoring, risk assessment, and verification of carbon content and storage efficacy are perhaps the most uncertain. Yet these issues are also the most critical challenges facing the broader context of carbon sequestration as a means for addressing climate change. In response to these challenges, Carbon Sequestration and Its Role in the Global...
Authors
Brian J. McPherson, Eric T. Sundquist
Order of functionality loss during photodegradation of aquatic humic substances Order of functionality loss during photodegradation of aquatic humic substances
The time course photodegradation of the Nordic aquatic fulvic and humic acids and Suwannee River XAD-4 acids subjected to UV irradiation with an unfiltered medium pressure mercury lamp was studied by liquid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. Photodecarboxylation was a significant pathway in all cases. Decreases in ketone, aromatic, and O-alkyl carbons were observed throughout the...
Authors
Kevin A. Thorn, Steven J. Younger, Larry G. Cox
Fluorescence-based proxies for lignin in freshwater dissolved organic matter Fluorescence-based proxies for lignin in freshwater dissolved organic matter
Lignin phenols have proven to be powerful biomarkers in environmental studies; however, the complexity of lignin analysis limits the number of samples and thus spatial and temporal resolution in any given study. In contrast, spectrophotometric characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is rapid, noninvasive, relatively inexpensive, requires small sample volumes, and can even be...
Authors
Peter J. Hernes, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Robert S. Eckard, Robert G.M. Spencer