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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

Tracing the cycling and fate of the munition, Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine in a simulated sandy coastal marine habitat with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[RDX] Tracing the cycling and fate of the munition, Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine in a simulated sandy coastal marine habitat with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[RDX]

Coastal marine habitats become contaminated with the munitions constituent, Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-trazine (RDX), via military training, weapon testing and leakage of unexploded ordnance. This study used 15N labeled RDX in simulated aquarium-scale coastal marine habitat containing seawater, sediment, and biota to track removal pathways from surface water including sorption onto
Authors
Thivanka Ariyarathna, Mark Ballentine, Penny Vlahos, Richard W. Smith, Christopher Cooper, J.K. Bohlke, Stephen Fallis, Thomas J. Groshens, Craig R. Tobias

An exploratory Bayesian network for estimating the magnitudes and uncertainties of selected water-quality parameters at streamgage 03374100 White River at Hazleton, Indiana, from partially observed data An exploratory Bayesian network for estimating the magnitudes and uncertainties of selected water-quality parameters at streamgage 03374100 White River at Hazleton, Indiana, from partially observed data

An exploratory discrete Bayesian network (BN) was developed to assess the potential of this type of model for estimating the magnitudes and uncertainties of an arbitrary subset of unmeasured water-quality parameters given the measured complement of parameters historically measured at a U.S. Geological Survey streamgage. Water-quality data for 27 water-quality parameters from 596 discrete
Authors
David J. Holtschlag

Brackish groundwater and its potential as a resource in the southwestern United States Brackish groundwater and its potential as a resource in the southwestern United States

Secure, reliable, and sustainable water resources are fundamental to food production, energy independence, and the health of humans and ecosystems. But the large-scale development of fresh groundwater resources has stressed aquifers in some areas, causing declines in the amount of groundwater in storage and decreases in discharge to surface-water bodies like rivers and springs (Reilly...
Authors
David W. Anning, Kimberly R. Beisner, Angela P. Paul, Jennifer S. Stanton, Susan A. Thiros

Metal reactivity in laboratory burned wood from a watershed affected by wildfires Metal reactivity in laboratory burned wood from a watershed affected by wildfires

We investigated interfacial processes affecting metal mobility by wood ash under laboratory-controlled conditions using aqueous chemistry, microscopy, and spectroscopy. The Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico experiences catastrophic wildfires of devastating effects. Wood samples of Ponderosa Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, and Quaking Aspen collected from this site were exposed...
Authors
Asifur Rahman, Eliane El Hayek, Johanna M. Blake, Rebecca J. Bixby, Abdul-Mehdi Ali, Michael Spilde, Amanda A. Otieno, Keely Miltenberger, Cyrena Ridgeway, Kateryna Artyushkova, Viorel Atudorei, Jose M. Ceratto

Tritium deposition in precipitation in the United States, 1953–2012 Tritium deposition in precipitation in the United States, 1953–2012

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen (half-life is equal to 12.32 years). Since it is part of the water molecule, tritium can be used to track and date groundwater and surface water when the history of tritium in precipitation and recharge is known. To facilitate that effort, tritium concentrations in precipitation were reconstructed from measurements and correlations for 10...
Authors
Robert L. Michel, Bryant C. Jurgens, Megan B. Young

Review and development of ASABE Engineering Practice 621: “Guidelines for calibrating, validating, and evaluating hydrologic and water quality models” Review and development of ASABE Engineering Practice 621: “Guidelines for calibrating, validating, and evaluating hydrologic and water quality models”

In 2010, the Natural Resources and Environmental Systems Hydrology Committee (NRES-21) of ASABE initiated a long-term process to develop guidelines to improve modeling practice through better understanding of the calibration, validation, and evaluation process across applications and more effective interpretation and communication of model performance. This effort generated a compilation...
Authors
R. Daren Harmel, Claire Baffaut, Kyle R. Douglas-Mankin

A novel high-frequency groundwater quality monitoring system A novel high-frequency groundwater quality monitoring system

High-frequency, long-term monitoring of water quality has revolutionized the study of surface waters in recent years. However, application of these techniques to groundwater has been limited by the ability to remotely pump and analyze groundwater. This paper describes a novel autonomous groundwater quality monitoring system which samples multiple wells to evaluate temporal changes and...
Authors
John Franco Saraceno, Justin T. Kulongoski, Timothy M. Mathany

Evaluating and managing environmental water regimes in a water-scarce and uncertain future Evaluating and managing environmental water regimes in a water-scarce and uncertain future

While the number of environmental flows and water science programmes continues to grow across the globe, there remains a critical need to better balance water availability in support of human and ecological needs and to recognise the environment as a legitimate user of water. In water‐stressed areas, this recognition has resulted in friction between water users in the public and private...
Authors
Jonathan Kennen, Eric D. Stein, J. Angus Webb

Recent advances in environmental flows science and water management—Innovation in the Anthropocene Recent advances in environmental flows science and water management—Innovation in the Anthropocene

The implementation of environmental flow regimes offers a promising means to protect and restore riverine, wetland and estuarine ecosystems, their critical environmental services and cultural/societal values.This Special Issue expands the scope of environmental flows and water science in theory and practice, offering 20 papers from academics, agency researchers and non‐governmental...
Authors
Angela H Arthington, Jonathan Kennen, Eric D. Stein, J. Angus Webb

Patterns and magnitude of flow alteration in California, USA Patterns and magnitude of flow alteration in California, USA

Quantifying the natural flow regime is essential for management of water resources and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the degree to which anthropogenic activities have altered flows is critical for developing effective conservation strategies. Assessing flow alteration requires estimates of flows expected in the absence of human influence and under current land use and...
Authors
Julie Zimmerman, Daren M. Carlisle, Jason May, Kirk Klausmeyer, Theodore E. Grantham, Larry R. Brown, Jeanette K. Howard

Simulation of zones of groundwater contribution to wells south of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, New York Simulation of zones of groundwater contribution to wells south of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, New York

A steady-state three-dimensional groundwater-flow model that simulates present conditions was coupled with the particle-tracking program MODPATH to delineate zones of contribution to wells pumping from the Magothy aquifer near a chlorinated volatile organic compound (VOC) plume. This modeling was part of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Naval Facilities...
Authors
Paul E. Misut
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