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.
Filter Total Items: 175000
Influences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) Influences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Elevated concentrations of potassium (K) often occur in effluents from wastewater treatment plants, oil and gas production operations, mineral extraction processes, and from other anthropogenic sources. Previous studies have demonstrated that freshwater mussels are highly sensitive to K in acute and chronic exposures, and acute toxicity of K decreases with increasing water hardness...
Authors
Ning Wang, Rebecca A. Dorman, James L. Kunz, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery A. Steevens, Suzanne Dunn, David Martinez
Identification of seismo-volcanic regimes at Whakaari/White Island (New Zealand) via systematic tuning of an unsupervised classifier Identification of seismo-volcanic regimes at Whakaari/White Island (New Zealand) via systematic tuning of an unsupervised classifier
We present an algorithm based on Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) and k-means clustering to recognize patterns in a continuous 12.5-year tremor time series recorded at Whakaari/White Island volcano, New Zealand (hereafter referred to as Whakaari). The approach is extendable to a variety of volcanic settings through systematic tuning of the classifier. Hyperparameters are evaluated by...
Authors
B. Steinke, A.D. Jolly, R. Carniel, D.E. Dempsey, S.J. Cronin
Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) population abundance and distribution across the southeast Alaska stock, summer 2022 Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) population abundance and distribution across the southeast Alaska stock, summer 2022
In the summer of 2022, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and partners successfully completed the first single-year, aerial photo survey of sea otters across the entire Southeast stock of northern sea otters. This document presents the latest findings from the 2022 Southeast Alaska Sea Otter Survey, providing up-to-date information regarding occupancy, abundance and carrying capacity. We...
Authors
Paul Schuette, Joseph Michael Eisaguirre, Benjamin P Weitzman, Collin Power, Evan Wetherington, Jenipher Cate, Jamie N. Womble, Linnea Pearson, Daniel Melody, Chelsea Merriman, Kat Hanks, George G. Esslinger
Decision making for Centennial Valley Arctic Grayling conservation on Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge Decision making for Centennial Valley Arctic Grayling conservation on Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge
This report describes a decision analysis process that was conducted in support of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Assessment on Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) on Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley, Montana.
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Kyle Flynn, Donovan A. Bell, Matthew E. Jaeger, Jeff Warren, Ryan Kreiner, Jarrett Payne, Jaron Andrews, Andrew Brummond, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Sarah Nelson Sells
Results of validation exercise for Marine Benthic Index Results of validation exercise for Marine Benthic Index
Marine benthic invertebrates (benthos) are key components of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Because of their direct association living in, and sometimes consuming, sediments, benthos can be valuable sentinels of ecosystem health. Therefore, indicators of benthic invertebrate community health can serve as direct measures of sediment and water quality. In 2021, the Puget Sound Partnership...
Authors
Valerie Partridge, Donald Schoolmaster
Thematic accuracy assessment of the NLCD 2019 land cover for the conterminous United States Thematic accuracy assessment of the NLCD 2019 land cover for the conterminous United States
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD), a product suite produced through the MultiResolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) consortium, is an operational land cover monitoring program. Starting from a base year of 2001, NLCD releases a land cover database every 2–3-years. The recent release of NLCD2019 extends the database to 18 years. We implemented a stratified random sample to collect...
Authors
James Wickham, Stephen V. Stehman, Daniel G. Sorenson, Leila Gass, Jon Dewitz
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
The loss of ecosystem services due to climate change and coastal development is projected to have significant impacts on local economies and conservation of natural resources. Consequently, there has been an increase in coastal management activities such as living shorelines, oyster reef restoration, marsh restoration, beach and dune nourishment, and revegetation projects. Coastal...
Authors
Julien Martin, Matthew S. Richardson, Davina Passeri, Nicholas Enwright, Simeon Yurek, James Flocks, Mitchell J. Eaton, Sara Zeigler, Hadi Charkhgard, Bradley James Udell, Elise R. Irwin
Unravelling the influence of landscape alteration from flow alteration on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage response in the Delaware River Basin Unravelling the influence of landscape alteration from flow alteration on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage response in the Delaware River Basin
Quantifying the effects of streamflow alteration on assemblage response is central to understanding the role humans play in shaping aquatic environments. These changes represent a level of complexity that impedes developing quantitative links between flow and ecological response because stream hydrology is strongly intertwined with natural and anthropogenic factors. Better management...
Authors
Jonathan G. Kennen, Thomas F. Cuffney
Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex
Natural methane (CH4) emissions from aquatic ecosystems may rise because of human-induced climate warming, although the magnitude of increase is highly uncertain. Using an exceptionally large CH4 flux dataset (~19,000 chamber measurements) and remotely sensed information, we modeled plot- and landscape-scale wetland CH4 emissions from the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), North America’s...
Authors
Sheel Bansal, Max Post van der Burg, Rachel Fern, John Jones, Rachel Lo, Owen P. McKenna, Brian Tangen, Zhen Zhang, Robert A. Gleason
Magnetotelluric monitoring of the Geysers Steam Field, northern California: Phase 2 Magnetotelluric monitoring of the Geysers Steam Field, northern California: Phase 2
An original magnetotelluric (MT) survey collected in 2017 included 42 MT stations mainly in the northwestern part of The Geysers geothermal field in northern California. These data were modeled in 3D and imaged the electrically conductive cover, the electrically resistive steam field, and the electrically resistive Geysers plutonic complex (Peacock et al., 2020; Peacock et al. 2020a)...
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, David Alumbaugh, Michael Albert Mitchell, Craig Hartline
Indicators of the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems Indicators of the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems
Freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and wetlands, are responsive to climate change and other natural and anthropogenic stresses. These ecosystems are frequently hydrologically and ecologically connected with one another and their surrounding landscapes, thereby integrating changes throughout their watersheds. The responses of any given freshwater ecosystem to climate change...
Authors
Kevin C. Rose, Britta Bierwagen, Scott D. Bridgham, Daren M. Carlisle, Charles P. Hawkins, N. LeRoy Poff, Jordan Read, Jason Rohr, Jasmine E. Saros, Craig E. Williamson