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: 176717
Long-term predictive modeling of stream condition suggests wide-spread changes within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA Long-term predictive modeling of stream condition suggests wide-spread changes within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Stream ecosystems worldwide face ongoing degradation, underscoring the urgent need for conservation and restoration. Regional analyses of stream condition have been limited by sparse spatial and temporal data, particularly at long time scales. To address this gap, we used observed data to predict annual biological condition for 360,893 small, nontidal stream reaches in the Chesapeake Bay...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Benjamin P. Gressler, Lindsey J. Boyle, Alexander H. Kiser
Longitudinal variability of demographics and life history in an anadromous spawning population within a large, unimpeded East Coast, USA, watershed Longitudinal variability of demographics and life history in an anadromous spawning population within a large, unimpeded East Coast, USA, watershed
Objective The goal of this study was to characterize the variability in age, growth, and life history of sea-run fish throughout a large, East Coast, USA, watershed to improve the parameterization of longitudinal variation in demographics and spawning histories in an undammed river.Methods Both live and dead American Shad Alosa sapidissima were collected during spring 2020 and 2021. Sex...
Authors
Matthew Best, William E. Eakin, Daryl Pierce, Joseph D. Zydlewski, Daniel S. Stich
Los Planes watershed vegetation monitoring: Standard operating procedures Los Planes watershed vegetation monitoring: Standard operating procedures
This is a description of survey procedures for short term vegetation monitoring at Natural Infrastructure in Dryland Stream (NIDS) structure sites and control sites a ranch in the Los Planes, La Paz, Baja California Sur. This study design was modified from USGS Short Term Vegetation Response Study (Wilson et al. 2021) with the goal to quantify changes in species abundance/cover...
Authors
Natalie R. Wilson
Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future
Coastal wetlands are being transformed by global change, impacting the ecological and societal benefits provided by these ecosystems. Synthesizing knowledge of historical and expected future transformations in coastal wetlands can help inform forward-looking planning and stewardship efforts. Here, we review anticipated future ecological transformations in coastal wetlands of the...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, Kevin J. Buffington, Kristin Byrd, Joel Carr, Judith Z. Drexler, Nicholas Enwright, Neil K. Ganju, James B. Grace, Eric E. Grossman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kurt P. Kowalski, Ken W. Krauss, Jessica R. Lacy, Gregory B. Noe, Davina L. Passeri, Stephanie Romanach, Christopher F. Smith, Camille L. Stagg, Karen M. Thorne, Janet R. Keough
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, California Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Lost in translation: Reconciling different streamflow permanence data products Lost in translation: Reconciling different streamflow permanence data products
The objective of this study is to provide a framework to reconcile streamflow permanence products that provide information on whether a stream is perennial or nonperennial. Accurate classification of streams as perennial or nonperennial is important for a variety of land and water resource management decisions. However, resource managers are challenged with how to reconcile different...
Authors
Kristin Jaeger, Susan Wherry, Malia H. Scott, Audrey Marie Martinez, Roy Sando, Evan A. Thaler
Low streamflows in Massachusetts: Variability over space and time and relations with climatic and basin variables Low streamflows in Massachusetts: Variability over space and time and relations with climatic and basin variables
Streamflows in Massachusetts have set record lows in recent years despite generally wetter conditions than during the drought of the 1960s, and the reasons for this are not known. To analyse potential drivers of low streamflows in Massachusetts, six low-flow metrics were computed at 107 streamgages. These metrics represent low-flow magnitude, magnitude normalized to median flows, and...
Authors
Catherine A. Chamberlin, Glenn Hodgkins
Low-frequency earthquakes track the motion of a captured slab fragment Low-frequency earthquakes track the motion of a captured slab fragment
Accurate tectonic models are essential for assessing seismic hazard and fault interactions. However, the plate configuration at the complex Mendocino triple junction, where the San Andreas Fault and the Cascadia subduction zone meet, remains uncertain. We analyzed fault slip associated with a recently identified zone of tectonic tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) near the...
Authors
David R. Shelly, Amanda M. Thomas, Kathryn Z. Materna, Robert J. Skoumal
Lower Eastern Shore Tributary summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985-2023 Lower Eastern Shore Tributary summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985-2023
The Lower Eastern Shore Tributary Summary outlines change over time according to a suite of monitored tidal water quality parameters and associated potential drivers of those trends for the period 1985 – 2023, and provides a brief description of the current state of knowledge explaining these observed changes. Water quality parameters described include surface (above pycnocline) total...
Authors
Breck Maura Sullivan, Kaylyn S. Gootman, Gabriel Duran, Eva Smith, Renee Karrh, Cindy Johnson, Christopher A. Mason, Elgin Perry, Gopal Bhatt, Jennifer L. Keisman, James S. Webber, Jon Harcum, Mike Lane, Olivia Devereux, Qian Zhang, Rebecca Murphy, Tom Butler, Vanessa Van Note, Zhaoying Wei
Lowland tropical forests remain a methane sink under warming and long-term hurricane disturbance recovery Lowland tropical forests remain a methane sink under warming and long-term hurricane disturbance recovery
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas, and tropical forests account for roughly one–third of global atmospheric CH4 uptake by soils. Projected warming and more frequent hurricanes in these ecosystems may alter soil CH4 sink strength, as warmer and wetter soils enhance methanogenesis activity. We measured soil CH4 and CO2 efflux during the calendar summer months of 2023 and 2024...
Authors
Gabriele Larocca Conte, Lucia Zuvela, Rachel Cruz-Perez, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Nibia Becerra-Santillan, Sophia F. Campbell, Hieu P. Chu, Trung Dam, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Miriam Kleit, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Debjani Sihi, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell
Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field
Hydrothermal explosions are a significant geological hazard in some active volcanic systems; however, the timing and triggering mechanisms of these explosions are poorly constrained. This study applies luminescence dating techniques to hydrothermal explosion deposits in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field to constrain explosion chronologies and evaluate potential triggering mechanisms...
Authors
Karissa Cordero, Nathan Brown, Lauren N. Harrison, Shaul Hurwitz
Lunar analog study using portable gamma-ray neutron detector: Radiochemical mapping of silicic-to-basaltic volcanic terrains in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona Lunar analog study using portable gamma-ray neutron detector: Radiochemical mapping of silicic-to-basaltic volcanic terrains in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona
Studying lunar silicic volcanism provides key insights into the Moon’s crustal evolution, magmatic processes, and volcanic history. The Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer) mission will investigate the Gruithuisen domes, a unique lunar region hypothesized to have formed through silicic volcanism. Using instruments on a Firefly Aerospace lander and a Honeybee...
Authors
Deniz Ölçek, Craig Hardgrove, Thomas Prettyman, Amber L. Gullikson, Kristen A. Bennett, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Lena E. Heffern, Margaret E. Landis
Lunar-VISE landing site selection and characterization at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma Lunar-VISE landing site selection and characterization at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) was selected for a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) delivery to the Gruithuisen domes region of the Moon as part of NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigation on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program. The Gruithuisen domes are chemically and morphologically distinct from their surroundings with a thorium-rich...
Authors
Jean-Pierre Williams, Margaret E. Landis, Kristen A. Bennett, Sarah Valencia, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Adrienne Dove, Patrick O'Brien, Erwan Mazarico, Javier Benavente, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Lena Heffernan, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine, John S. Karcz, Maria E. Banks