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: 19035
Origins and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in groundwater Origins and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in groundwater
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater influences water quality and fuels microbial metabolism, but its origins, bioavailability and chemical composition are poorly understood. The origins and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bioavailable DOM were monitored during a long-term (2-year) study of groundwater in a fractured-rock aquifer in the Carolina slate belt...
Authors
Yuan Shen, Francis H. Chapelle, Eric W. Strom, Ronald Benner
Spatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA Spatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Lakes and streams in Class 1 wilderness areas in the western United States (U.S.) are at risk from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), and protection of these resources is mandated under the Federal Clean Air Act and amendments. Assessment of critical loads, which are the maximum exposure to pollution an area can receive without adverse effects on sensitive ecosystems...
Authors
David W. Clow, Heidi Roop, Leora Nanus, Mark Fenn, Graham A. Sexstone
Optimization techniques using MODFLOW-GWM Optimization techniques using MODFLOW-GWM
An important application of optimization codes such as MODFLOW-GWM is to maximize water supply from unconfined aquifers subject to constraints involving surface-water depletion and drawdown. In optimizing pumping for a fish hatchery in a bedrock aquifer system overlain by glacial deposits in eastern Wisconsin, various features of the GWM-2000 code were used to overcome difficulties...
Authors
Anna Grava, Daniel T. Feinstein, Paul M. Barlow, Tullia Bonomi, Fabiola Buarne, Charles Dunning, Randall J. Hunt
Limnology of the Green Lakes Valley: Phytoplankton ecology and dissolved organic matter biogeochemistry at a long-term ecological research site Limnology of the Green Lakes Valley: Phytoplankton ecology and dissolved organic matter biogeochemistry at a long-term ecological research site
Background: Surface waters are the lowest points in the landscape, and therefore serve as excellent integrators and indicators of changes taking place in the surrounding terrestrial and atmospheric environment. Aims: Here we synthesise the findings of limnological studies conducted during the past 15 years in streams and lakes in the Green Lakes Valley, which is part of the Niwot Ridge...
Authors
Matthew P. Miller, Diane M. McKnight
Hindcast of water availability in regional aquifer systems using MODFLOW Farm Process Hindcast of water availability in regional aquifer systems using MODFLOW Farm Process
Coupled groundwater and surface-water components of the hydrologic cycle can be simulated by the Farm Process for MODFLOW (MF-FMP) in both irrigated and non-irrigated areas and aquifer-storage and recovery systems. MF-FMP is being applied to three productive agricultural regions of different scale in the State of California, USA, to assess the availability of water and the impacts of...
Authors
Wolfgang Schmid, Randall T. Hanson, Claudia C. Faunt, Steven P. Phillips
Forecasting the combined effects of urbanization and climate change on stream ecosystems: from impacts to management options Forecasting the combined effects of urbanization and climate change on stream ecosystems: from impacts to management options
Streams collect runoff, heat, and sediment from their watersheds, making them highly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances such as urbanization and climate change. Forecasting the effects of these disturbances using process-based models is critical to identifying the form and magnitude of likely impacts. Here, we integrate a new biotic model with four previously developed physical...
Authors
Karen C. Nelson, Margaret A. Palmer, James E. Pizzuto, Glenn E. Moglen, Paul L. Angermeier, Robert H. Hilderbrand, Mike Dettinger, Katharine Hayhoe
Validation of streamflow measurements made with M9 and RiverRay acoustic Doppler current profilers Validation of streamflow measurements made with M9 and RiverRay acoustic Doppler current profilers
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Surface Water (OSW) previously validated the use of Teledyne RD Instruments (TRDI) Rio Grande (in 2007), StreamPro (in 2006), and Broadband (in 1996) acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) for streamflow (discharge) measurements made by the USGS. Two new ADCPs, the SonTek M9 and the TRDI RiverRay, were first used in the USGS Water Mission...
Authors
Justin A. Boldt, Kevin A. Oberg
Long-term changes in nitrate conditions over the 20th century in two Midwestern Corn Belt streams Long-term changes in nitrate conditions over the 20th century in two Midwestern Corn Belt streams
Long-term changes in nitrate concentration and flux between the middle of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century were estimated for the Des Moines River and the Middle Illinois River, two Midwestern Corn Belt streams, using a novel weighted regression approach that is able to detect subtle changes in solute transport behavior over time. The results show that the...
Authors
Valerie J. Kelly, Edward G. Stets, Charles G. Crawford
Dating base flow in streams using dissolved gases and diurnal temperature changes Dating base flow in streams using dissolved gases and diurnal temperature changes
A method is presented for using dissolved CFCs or SF6 to estimate the apparent age of stream base flow by indirectly estimating the mean concentration of the tracer in the inflowing groundwater. The mean value is estimated simultaneously with the mean residence times of the gas and water in the stream by sampling the stream for one or both age tracers, along with dissolved nitrogen and...
Authors
Ward E. Sanford, Gerolamo C. Casile, Karl B. Haase
Applied groundwater modeling, 2nd Edition Applied groundwater modeling, 2nd Edition
This second edition is extensively revised throughout with expanded discussion of modeling fundamentals and coverage of advances in model calibration and uncertainty analysis that are revolutionizing the science of groundwater modeling. The text is intended for undergraduate and graduate level courses in applied groundwater modeling and as a comprehensive reference for environmental...
Authors
Mary P. Anderson, William W. Woessner, Randall J. Hunt
Spatial and temporal migration of a landfill leachate plume in alluvium Spatial and temporal migration of a landfill leachate plume in alluvium
Leachate from unlined or leaky landfills can create groundwater contaminant plumes that last decades to centuries. Understanding the dynamics of leachate movement in space and time is essential for monitoring, planning and management, and assessment of risk to groundwater and surface-water resources. Over a 23.4-year period (1986–2010), the spatial extent of the Norman Landfill leachate...
Authors
Jason R. Masoner, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
General classification handbook for floodplain vegetation in large river systems General classification handbook for floodplain vegetation in large river systems
This handbook describes the General Wetland Vegetation Classification System developed as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element. The UMRR is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states of Illinois...
Authors
Jennifer J. Dieck, Janis Ruhser, Erin E. Hoy, Larry R. Robinson