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.
Science Quality and Integrity
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
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.
Filter Total Items: 176717
Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park
Authors
Kathleen B. Springer, Jeffrey S. Pigati, David Bustos, Thomas M. Urban, Matthew R. Bennett
Fragmentation as a population rate-changer: A field experiment Fragmentation as a population rate-changer: A field experiment
Experimental and observational studies of effects of fragmentation on biodiversity and population dynamics have produced mixed results, with some reviews concluding strong evidence of negative effects and others concluding small positive effects. In addition, many factors (e.g., interspecific interactions, edge effects, nutrient cycling) have been identified as potential explanations...
Authors
James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Robert L. Hinz, Janet Hinz
Frameworks for assessing tsunami hazard and risk Frameworks for assessing tsunami hazard and risk
Tsunamis are multiscale phenomena resulting from a water column displacement that may be induced by multiple sources, and range from local scale inundation processes to ocean-wide scale wave propagation. Different strategies may be required to model tsunami evolution at different scales and to characterize various intensity measures. Research in tsunami hazard and risk has focused mostly...
Authors
Natalia Zamora, Anita Grezio, Maria Papathoma-Kohle, Fatemeh Jalayer, Dimitra Salmanidou, Thomas E. Parsons, Eric L. Geist, Jacopo Selva, Mathilde B. Sørensen, Irina Rafliana
From collision to subduction: Thermal-kinematic inversions constrain plate boundary structure and dip-slip activity in southwestern New Zealand From collision to subduction: Thermal-kinematic inversions constrain plate boundary structure and dip-slip activity in southwestern New Zealand
Constraints on three-dimensional fault system geometry and kinematics are required to understand both long-term tectonics and contemporary seismic hazard. In many cases, these parameters must be inferred from a combination of different data or analyses. Here, we invert low-temperature thermochronological data to quantitatively parameterize both the crustal-scale geometry and late...
Authors
A. M. Mere, N. C. Barth, D. Seward, Devin McPhillips
From landslide susceptibility to risk assessment in the conterminous U.S. From landslide susceptibility to risk assessment in the conterminous U.S.
Understanding the spatial distribution of landslide prone-areas and what consequences they may have is important for risk management and land-use planning. In the United States, although landslides occur in every state, a comprehensive landslide risk assessment is still missing. Existing efforts, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s National Risk Index, rely on...
Authors
Francesco Caleca, Luigi Lombardo, Benjamin B. Mirus, Ashok Dahal, Nicola Casaglia, Veronica Tofani
From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation
Landslide runout and debris-flow inundation can disrupt areas well beyond their initial sources, causing widespread damage and extensive fatalities. Understanding where they start and how far they might travel is essential in many locations worldwide. However, most landslide susceptibility maps focus on initiation areas and fail to incorporate runout areas. Furthermore, hazards vary...
Authors
Mark E. Reid, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Dianne L. Brien, Isaac Henry Leb, Andrew J. Cyr
From understanding to action: Integrating new and old methodologies to manage marine infectious disease From understanding to action: Integrating new and old methodologies to manage marine infectious disease
Marine diseases can have far-reaching effects on population, community and ecosystem health; however, our ability to track, predict and manage these diseases has, historically, been poor. As a result, the fields of disease ecology and epidemiology have developed at a slower pace for marine than terrestrial systems [1]. New methodologies, including genomic tools for diagnostics [2,3]
Authors
Maya L. Groner, David James Páez, Alyssa-Lois M. Gehman
Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors
Microbes, as the planet’s most abundant and diverse organisms, drive soil functions globally and are vulnerable to environmental stressors triggered by global change. Yet, knowledge regarding the impacts of multiple environmental stressors on their functional profiles as well as the consequences for soil functionality largely remains unknown. Here, we analyze two global-scale datasets...
Authors
Ruirui Chen, Shuhong Luo, Youzhi Feng, Fernando T. Maestre, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Nicholas Gross, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Victoria Ochoa, Beatriz Gózalo, Emilio Guirado, Miguel García-Gómez, Enrique Valencia, Sergio Asensio, Jaime Martínez-Valderrama, Betty J. Mendoza, Sebastian Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Matt Barrett, Miguel Berdugo, José Luis Blanco Pastor, Niels Blaum, Bazartseren Boldgiv, Matthew A. Bowker, Helena Castro, Haiyan Chu, Nick A. Cutler, Zhongmin Dai, Balázs Deák, Jorge Duran, Carlos Iván Espinosa, Alex Fajardo, Kunkun Fan, Ana Foronda, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Katja Geissler, Tina Grebenc, Elizabeth Gusmán-Montalván, Stephen C. Hart, Liana Kindermann, Melanie Köbel, Lauri Laanisto, Peter C. le Roux, Pierre Liancourt, Anja Linstädter, Michelle A. Louw, Petr Macek, Gillian Maggs-Kölling, Thulani P. Makhalanyane, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Eugene Marais, Daniel Montesinos, Juan P. Mora, Gerardo Moreno, Seth M. Munson, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Girish R. Nair, Sigrid Neuhauser, Alice Nunes, César Plaza, Yolanda Pueyo, Pedro J. Rey, Ana Rey, Asunción de los Ríos, Alexandra Rodríguez, Borja Rodriguez Lozano, Raul Roman, Jan C. Ruppert, Ayman Salah, Jay Singh, Heather L. Throop, Samantha K. Travers, Tina Unuk Nahberger, Munkhbat Uuganbayar, Orsolya Valkó, Lixin Wang, Mark A. Williams, Chao Xiong, Jianming Xu, Eli Zaady, Bin Ma, Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Functional traits can explain coordinated seedling responses to drought and freezing stress Functional traits can explain coordinated seedling responses to drought and freezing stress
Limited plant establishment creates demographic bottlenecks that can alter vegetation trajectories in changing environments, yet it is unclear how common eco-evolutionary indicators of plant strategy shape early response to key stressors. We evaluated how early functional traits, phylogeny, and adult climate niche jointly explain seedling drought and freezing tolerance across 49 semi...
Authors
Julie E. Larson, Bradley J. Butterfield, Seth M. Munson, Dylan F. Neuhaus, Stella M. Copeland
Future aquatic invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How climate change, human vectors, and natural history could bring southern and western species north Future aquatic invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How climate change, human vectors, and natural history could bring southern and western species north
As environmental conditions change, land managers are increasingly concerned about the potential for new aquatic invasive species to move into their jurisdictions. Because managers may have limited resources, detecting invasive species early is important as prevention is more effective and less costly than ongoing mitigation of established populations. Tools built to assist early...
Authors
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Peder Engelstad, Shelby K. LeClare, Richard D. Inman, Ian A. Pfingsten, Wesley M. Daniel
Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems
State and federal agencies are negotiating water-supply agreements that may govern water supply and storage in the Colorado River Basin through 2046. Current operating policies in the Colorado River primarily focus on water supply implications with less focus on the potential effects to other resources. Models that forecast the response of multiple resources over the short- and long-term...
Authors
John C. Schmidt, Charles B. Yackulic
Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change
Lithium is necessary for low-carbon technologies that combat climate change, but lithium extraction is water-intensive. Changes in temperature and precipitation arising from climate change are altering water distribution, which could further strain supplies for new mines and industry, farms, and households. Here we explored how climate change, water use, and mining siting could impact...
Authors
Jenna Nicole Trost, Nedal T. Nassar, Jennifer B. Dunn