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: 19021
Soil moisture product validation good practices protocol, version 1.0 Soil moisture product validation good practices protocol, version 1.0
The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) included soil moisture in the list of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) to express its important role in Earth’s water, energy and carbon cycle. Soil moisture has a major impact on agriculture, land surface hydrology, weather, and climate forecasting. This document is a community-based effort to provide recommendations on good practices for the
Authors
Carsten Montzka, Michael H. Cosh, Bagher Bayat, Ahmad Al Bitar, Aaron Berg, Rajat Bindlish, Heye Reemt Bogena, John D. Bolton, Francois Cabot, Todd Caldwell, Steven Chan, Andreas Colliander, Wade Crow, Narendra Das, Gabrielle De Lannoy, Wouter Dorigo, Steven R. Evett, Alexander Gruber, Sebastian Hahn, Thomas Jagdhuber, Scott F. Jones, Yann Kerr, Seung-bum Kim, Christian Koyama, Mehmed Kurum, Ernesto Lopez-Baeza, Francesco Mattia, Kaighin A. McColl, Susanne Mecklenburg, Binayak Mohanty, Peggy O’Neill, Dani Or, Thierry Pellarin, George P. Petropoulos, Maria Piles, Rolf H. Reichle, Nemesio Rodriguez-Fernandez, Christoph Rudiger, Tracy Scanlon, Robert C. Schwartz, Daniel Spengler, Prashant K. Srivastava, Swati Suman, Robin van der Schalie, Wolfgang Wagner, Urs Wegmuller, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Fernando Camacho, Jaime Nickeson
Carbon dioxide and methane flux in a dynamic Arctic tundra landscape: Decadal‐scale impacts of ice wedge degradation and stabilization Carbon dioxide and methane flux in a dynamic Arctic tundra landscape: Decadal‐scale impacts of ice wedge degradation and stabilization
Ice wedge degradation is a widespread occurrence across the circumpolar Arctic causing extreme spatial heterogeneity in water distribution, vegetation, and energy balance across landscapes. These heterogeneities influence carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes, yet there is little understanding of how they effect change in landscape‐level carbon (C) gas flux over time. We measured...
Authors
Kimberly P. Wickland, M.Torre Jorgenson, Joshua C. Koch, Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy, Robert G. Striegl
Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations
Growing worldwide concern over uranium contamination of groundwater resources has placed an emphasis on understanding uranium transport dynamics and potential toxicity in groundwater-surface water systems. In this study, we utilized novel in-situ sampling methods to establish the location and magnitude of contaminated groundwater entry into a receiving surface water environment, and to...
Authors
Patrick A. Byrne, Christopher C. Fuller, David L. Naftz, Robert L. Runkel, Niklas J Lehto, William L Dam
Ratios of methylmercury to total mercury in predator and primary consumer insects from Adirondack streams in New York State Ratios of methylmercury to total mercury in predator and primary consumer insects from Adirondack streams in New York State
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects aquatic biota in otherwise pristine settings such as the Adirondack region of New York State. Bioaccumulation of Hg is especially problematic in sensitive landscapes, where inorganic mercury from atmospheric deposition is readily converted, via natural processes, to methylmercury (MeHg), the toxic form that is taken up and biomagnified in...
Authors
Karen Riva-Murray
Mixotrophic iron-oxidizing Thiomonas isolates from an acid mine drainage-affected creek Mixotrophic iron-oxidizing Thiomonas isolates from an acid mine drainage-affected creek
Natural attenuation of heavy metals occurs via coupled microbial iron cycling and metal precipitation in creeks impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD). Here, we describe the isolation, characterization, and genomic sequencing of two iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) species: Thiomonas ferrovorans FB-6 and Thiomonas metallidurans FB-Cd, isolated from slightly acidic (pH 6.3), Fe-rich, AMD...
Authors
Denise M. Akob, Michelle Hallenbeck, Felix Beulig, Maria Fabisch, Kirsten Kusel, Jessica L Keffer, Tanja Woyke, Nicole Shapiro, Alla Lapidus, Hans-Peter Klenk, Clara Chan
Geochemical assessment of groundwater in the Big Chino subbasin, Arizona, 2011–18 Geochemical assessment of groundwater in the Big Chino subbasin, Arizona, 2011–18
A geochemical characterization of groundwater in the Big Chino subbasin of Arizona was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Prescott, the Town of Prescott Valley, and the Salt River Project, to understand groundwater evolution through the study area and the source of water to springs along the gaining reach of the Verde River just downstream from its...
Authors
Kimberly R. Beisner, Casey J. R. Jones
Hydrologic properties of a highly permeable firn aquifer in the Wilkins Ice Shelf, Antarctica Hydrologic properties of a highly permeable firn aquifer in the Wilkins Ice Shelf, Antarctica
We present measurements of the density, hydraulic conductivity, and specific discharge of a widespread firn aquifer in Antarctica, within the Wilkins Ice Shelf. At the field site, the aquifer is 16.2 m thick, starting at 13.4 m from the snow surface and transitioning from water‐saturated firn to ice at 29.6 m. Hydraulic conductivity derived from slug tests show a geometric mean value of...
Authors
Lynn Montgomery, C. Miege, Julie MIller, Bruce Wallin, Ted A. Scambos, Olivia L. Miller, D Kip Solomon, Richard Forster, Lora Koenig
Differences in neonicotinoid and metabolite sorption to activated carbon are driven by alterations to the insecticidal pharmacophore Differences in neonicotinoid and metabolite sorption to activated carbon are driven by alterations to the insecticidal pharmacophore
Widespread application of neonicotinoids has led to their proliferation in waters. Despite low neonicotinoid hydrophobicity, our prior studies implicated granular activated carbon (GAC) in neonicotinoid removal. Based on known receptor binding characteristics, we hypothesized that the insecticidal pharmacophore influences neonicotinoid sorption. Our objectives were to illuminate drivers...
Authors
Danielle T. Webb, Matthew R. Nagorzanski, Megan M Powers, David M. Cwiertny, Michelle L. Hladik, Gregory H. LeFevre
Nitrate in streams during winter low‐flow conditions as an indicator of legacy nitrate Nitrate in streams during winter low‐flow conditions as an indicator of legacy nitrate
Winter low‐flow (LF) conditions in streams provide a potential opportunity to evaluate the importance of legacy nitrate in catchments due to the dominance of slow‐flow transport pathways and lowered biotic activity. In this study, the concentration, flux, and trend of nitrate in streams during winter low‐flow conditions were analyzed at 320 sites in the conterminous United States. LF...
Authors
Henry M. Johnson, Edward G. Stets
Estimating the effects of forest structure changes from wildfire on snow water resources under varying meteorological conditions Estimating the effects of forest structure changes from wildfire on snow water resources under varying meteorological conditions
Modeling forest change effects on snow is critical to resource management. However, many models either do not appropriately model canopy structure or cannot represent fine‐scale changes in structure following a disturbance. We applied a 1 m2 resolution energy budget snowpack model at a forested site in New Mexico, USA, affected by a wildfire, using input data from lidar to represent...
Authors
C. David Moeser, Patrick Borxton, Adrian Harpold, Andrew J. Robertson
Statistical methods in water resources Statistical methods in water resources
This text began as a collection of class notes for a course on applied statistical methods for hydrologists taught at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Training Center. Course material was formalized and organized into a textbook, first published in 1992 by Elsevier as part of their Studies in Environmental Science series. In 2002, the work was made available online as a USGS...
Authors
Dennis R. Helsel, Robert M. Hirsch, Karen R. Ryberg, Stacey A. Archfield, Edward J. Gilroy