All Publications

Despite being long-lived and massive, giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) J. Bucholz) are susceptible to erosion given their relatively shallow root structure. Human-caused soil compaction and vegetation loss through social trails are primary drivers of erosion in giant sequoia groves, particularly for trees that are near formal trails and access roads. We develop a method...

Numerous mercury (Hg) sources can contribute to biological burdens within the Great Lakes, including atmospheric deposition (e.g., precipitation), non-point source land runoff (e.g., watershed), and legacy contamination. Due to these different environmental entry points, it is often difficult to ascertain if legacy Hg contamination contributes to contemporary fish consumption advisories...

Between the 1950s and 1980s, wastewater generated at the Idaho National Laboratory contained Iodine-129 (129I); this wastewater was discharged directly into the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer through a deep disposal well, unlined infiltration ponds, or leaked from distribution systems below industrial facilities. During 2021–22, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with...

Fieldwork is integral to geoscience but can come with risks that increase for fieldworkers who are pregnant. Consultation with medical staff and completion of risk assessments are essential steps, but pregnant individuals also benefit from supportive colleagues, reasonable accommodations, and the freedom to adapt plans as pregnancy progresses.

Background Unprecedented wildfire frequency, fueled by invasive annual grasses, threatens sagebrush ecosystems. To suppress wildfire and conserve sagebrush, land management agencies have installed fuel breaks across the sagebrush biome. However, despite the potential reduction in wildfire, fuel breaks may have ecological costs. Determining an acceptable balance between risks and benefits...

Damaging aquatic invasive species, such as the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), pose an ongoing concern for potential introduction and establishment in the western United States. Our study applied habitat suitability indices and network analysis to identify lakes critical to the continued westward spread and establishment of zebra mussels from a key invasion front in Texas. We...

The spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients is crucial for the water bird and whole floodplain wetland ecosystem in large lakes, and it is influenced by the dramatic water level changes and sedimentation progress in West Dongting Lake (WDL). Soil samples were collected at various soil depths along the Yuan River and Li River that feed into WDL. The concentrations of soil total organic...

Version 4.0 of the Saturated-Unsaturated Transport (SUTRA) software code provides the capability to simulate the freezing and thawing of groundwater during energy transport simulations under saturated and unsaturated conditions. In addition to the types of hydrogeologic processes that SUTRA has been able to simulate in the past, this version can be used to study the effects of the freeze...

Great Salt Lake is a critical habitat for migratory birds that is threatened by elevated metal concentrations, including mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), and is subject to severe hydrologic changes, such as declining lake level. When assessing metal profiles recorded in Great Salt Lake sediment, a large data gap exists regarding the sources of metals within the system, which is complicated by...

The Magnet Cove alkaline‑carbonatite complex (MCC), located in the Ouachita Mountains of south-central Arkansas in the United States, hosts an extensive variety of rare rock types and critical mineral resources with physical properties (density and magnetization) that contrast significantly with the sedimentary rocks into which they have intruded. Newly acquired ground-based gravity and...

A hydrologic model of the Silver Creek Basin in southwest Illinois, and a hydraulic model of a selected reach of Silver Creek and local tributaries on and near Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, were developed to assess the effects of temporal land-use development in the Silver Creek Basin, the potential effects of projected changes based on future precipitation, and the effects of added...

Introduction High-resolution elevation data for Kansas inform decision making to improve the State’s economy. Existing elevation data coverage is used to support State water planning initiatives, facilitate infrastructure management, and improve resilience to natural disasters. The expanding availability of current and more accurate elevation data helps better support natural resources