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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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
Wildfire-induced shifts in groundwater discharge to streams identified with paired air and stream water temperature analyses Wildfire-induced shifts in groundwater discharge to streams identified with paired air and stream water temperature analyses
Within the western United States, increasingly severe and frequent wildfires may alter the magnitude, timing, and quality of water exported from burned areas by streams. Post-fire hydrologic studies often focus on peak stream flow responses to shifts in runoff generation or on annual streamflow yield response to changes in evapotranspiration following fire. However, the magnitude and...
Authors
David M. Rey, Martin A. Briggs, Michelle A. Walvoord, Brian A. Ebel
The benefits of big-team science for conservation: Lessons learned from trinational monarch butterfly collaborations The benefits of big-team science for conservation: Lessons learned from trinational monarch butterfly collaborations
Many pressing conservation issues are complex problems caused by multiple social and environmental drivers; their resolution is aided by interdisciplinary teams of scientists, decision makers, and stakeholders working together. In these situations, how do we generate science to effectively guide conservation (resource management and policy) decisions? This paper describes elements of...
Authors
James E. Diffendorfer, Ryan G. Drum, Greg W. Mitchell, Eduardo Rendon-Salinas, Victor Sánchez-Cordero, Darius J. Semmens, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Ignacio J. March
Free long wave transformation in the nearshore zone through partial reflections Free long wave transformation in the nearshore zone through partial reflections
Long waves play an important role in coastal inundation and shoreline and dune erosion, requiring a detailed understanding of their evolution in nearshore regions and interaction with shorelines. While their generation and dissipation mechanisms are relatively well understood, there are fewer studies describing how reflection processes govern their propagation in the nearshore. We...
Authors
Stephanie Contardo, Ryan J. Lowe, Francois Dufois, Jeff E. Hansen, Mark L. Buckley, Graham Symonds
Reconstructing the geomorphic evolution and sediment budget history of a dynamic barrier island: Anclote Key, Florida Reconstructing the geomorphic evolution and sediment budget history of a dynamic barrier island: Anclote Key, Florida
Decadal to centennial variations in sediment availability are a primary driver of coastal change within barrier systems. Models help explore how barrier morphology relates to past changes in magnitude of sediment availability, but this requires insights and validation from field efforts. In this study, we investigate the progradation of Anclote Key via its morphostratigraphy, a presently...
Authors
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie Bernier, Arnell S. Forde, Shannon A. Mahan