Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
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Pleistocene porcupine (Erethizontidae) records in arid southwestern North America and comparisons with the modern distribution of Erethizon dorsatum in southern California and Arizona Pleistocene porcupine (Erethizontidae) records in arid southwestern North America and comparisons with the modern distribution of Erethizon dorsatum in southern California and Arizona
he North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is widely distributed throughout many ecosystems on the continent from northern Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, except for the southeastern portion of the United States. Habitats include the arid Desert Southwest region where modern records are generally sparse. The paleogeographic range in the Desert Southwest is not unlike the modern...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, George T. Jefferson
Status of Clear Lake Hitch in Lower Blue Lake, Lake County, California Status of Clear Lake Hitch in Lower Blue Lake, Lake County, California
No abstract available.
Authors
Jordan Mae-Jean Buxton, Marissa L. Wulff, Veronica L. Violette, Danielle L. Palm, Matthew J. Young, Frederick Feyrer
Toward an efficient framework for remote sensing of river bathymetry: Comparing sensors and algorithms on an inaccessible proglacial river in Alaska Toward an efficient framework for remote sensing of river bathymetry: Comparing sensors and algorithms on an inaccessible proglacial river in Alaska
Remote sensing can provide reliable information on river depths and this approach might be particularly valuable in areas that are difficult to survey via conventional field methods. In this study, we assessed the potential to map the bathymetry of an inaccessible proglacial river in Alaska from both aerial orthophotos and a multispectral satellite image. In addition, we evaluated a...
Authors
Carl J. Legleiter, Christina M. Leonard, Paul A. Burger, Addison G. Pletcher, Paul J. Kinzel
Ecovoltaic solar energy development effects to microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture in panel array interspaces in a warm desert Ecovoltaic solar energy development effects to microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture in panel array interspaces in a warm desert
Solar energy development is increasing in warm deserts of the southwestern United States, and ecovoltaics has emerged as an approach to maintain ecosystem function within solar facilities while meeting increasing regional energy demands. The Solar Gemini Project, located in the northeastern Mojave Desert, USA, is one of largest photovoltaic facilities incorporating an ecovoltaics...
Authors
Juan Pinos, Seth Munson, Claire C Karban, Matthew D. Petrie
Satellite radar advances could transform global snow monitoring Satellite radar advances could transform global snow monitoring
The recent SnowEx campaign and the new NISAR satellite mission are lighting the way to high-resolution snowpack monitoring and improved decisionmaking in critical river basins around the world.
Authors
Randall Ray Bonnell, Jack Tarricone, Hans-Peter Marshall, Elias Deeb, Carrie Vuyovich
Using visualization science to inform the design of environmental decision-support tools—A case study of the U.S. Geological Survey Waterwatch Using visualization science to inform the design of environmental decision-support tools—A case study of the U.S. Geological Survey Waterwatch
Environmental decision-support tools are increasingly being used to serve both expert and non-expert audiences. Many existing tools are primarily expert-focused, and redesigning them can be challenging because experts and non-experts interact with tools differently, existing users may be resistant to changes, and there is little guidance on how to prioritize redesign efforts and...
Authors
Michael D. Gerst, Melissa A. Kenney, Emily Read
Between a rock and a hard place: Experiences of the chronic wasting disease management community Between a rock and a hard place: Experiences of the chronic wasting disease management community
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a widespread and incurable cervid disease. Despite continuing investments, the logistical challenges of CWD have required wildlife managers and researchers to navigate changing priorities with conflicting public perceptions. When overcoming difficult management problems, leveraging exploratory methods may identify previously unrecognized hypotheses. In...
Authors
Patrick Roan, Brad Milley, Nicholas W. Cole
A 10-year continuous daily simulation of chloride flux from a suburban watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA A 10-year continuous daily simulation of chloride flux from a suburban watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
Increasing levels of chloride in surface water are associated with detrimental effects on water quality, aquatic ecosystems, infrastructure, and human health. Numerous mass-balance studies have inferred watershed transport processes by interpreting chloride inputs and outputs, but few represent internal dynamics explicitly. We constructed a coupled water/chloride mass balance model to...
Authors
Jeffrey G. Chanat, Christopher Allan Custer
Potential interactions between birds and floating photovoltaic solar energy: Spatially informed species vulnerabilities, techno-ecological risks, and sustainability trade-offs Potential interactions between birds and floating photovoltaic solar energy: Spatially informed species vulnerabilities, techno-ecological risks, and sustainability trade-offs
Floating photovoltaics (floating solar panels; FPV) can reduce the negative impacts of solar energy development in terrestrial environments, but their effects on freshwater ecosystems remain poorly understood. We examined potential FPV interactions with avian biodiversity, using previously modeled technical potential of FPV in the northeastern United States. We developed a vulnerability...
Authors
Allison D. Binley, Adam Gallaher, Amanda D. Rodewald, Steven Mark Grodsky
Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection
A substantial body of evidence exists demonstrating that exposure to environmental contaminants can alter animal behavior. Moreover, methodological and technological advancements, as well as increasing standardization, mean that behavioral ecotoxicity studies are more rigorous and reliable than ever before. Despite this, behavioral data are still seldom used in the risk assessment and...
Authors
Michael G. Bertram, Marlene Ågerstrand, Jack A. Brand, Bryan W. Brooks, ZhiChao Dang, Alex T. Ford, Henner Hollert, Matthew K. LeFauve, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Marcus Michelangeli, Maria Moiron, Eleanor R. Moore, Holly J. Puglis, Andrew Sih, Jeffery A. Steevens, Eli S.J. Thoré, Bob B.M. Wong, Lauren Zink, Tomas Bodin
The value of reducing uncertainties to support the management of a high‐elevation endemic salamander The value of reducing uncertainties to support the management of a high‐elevation endemic salamander
Many salamander populations are declining, and methods to determine how best to allocate limited resources to slow or reverse these declines could support land managers in their decision‐making processes. Multiple types of uncertainty may delay management decisions, including when (1) knowledge of a species' ecology is incomplete, (2) climate change effects on environmental covariates...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jo A. Werba, Riley Olivia Mummah, Adrianne Brand
Assessing environmental drivers and protist community dynamics that shaped the historic August 2022 Heterosigma akashiwo bloom in San Francisco Bay, California Assessing environmental drivers and protist community dynamics that shaped the historic August 2022 Heterosigma akashiwo bloom in San Francisco Bay, California
San Francisco Bay, California, typically has chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentrations below 10 µg L−1, despite nutrient loadings exceeding those in many estuaries with recurring harmful algal blooms (HABs). However, in August 2022 there was a Heterosigma akashiwo (raphidophyte) bloom with chl-a concentrations exceeding 450 µg L−1, resulting in widespread hypoxia and fish die-off. We used...
Authors
Schuyler Crain Nardelli, Keith Bouma-Gregson, David Senn, Daniel Killam, Ariella Chelsky, Erica S. Kress, Emily T. Richardson, Timothy Otten, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Brian A. Bergamaschi