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The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Browse more than 65,000 articles authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.
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National-scale remotely sensed lake surface temperature in the contiguous United States National-scale remotely sensed lake surface temperature in the contiguous United States
Temperature is a master variable in aquatic ecosystems. Despite its importance for ecosystem function, our capacity to measure temperature is often limited to focal systems with intensive in situ measurements or larger systems with readily accessible data from disparate data streams. These limitations are consequential for holistically understanding aquatic ecosystem status and change...
Authors
Michael Frederick Meyer, Timothy J. Stagnitta, Wilson Barg Salls, Brendan F Wakefield, Tyler King
Aging of biosolids in fields prolongs the release of biosolid-borne PFAS and promotes the release of select PFCA in water Aging of biosolids in fields prolongs the release of biosolid-borne PFAS and promotes the release of select PFCA in water
Land application of biosolids can introduce PFAS into croplands. Biosolids transported to surface waters through runoff may subsequently release PFAS into aquatic environments. The objective was to evaluate the effects of the aging of biosolids and the presence of sediment on the release of biosolid-borne PFAS to water at the water-sediment interface under anaerobic conditions. Through...
Authors
Qu Wen, Daniel S Snow, Nirupam Aich, Michelle M. Lorah, Kelly L. Smalling, John Hribljan, Paul Ayayee, Xudong Lin
Thermal habitat use of lake trout in Lake Erie Thermal habitat use of lake trout in Lake Erie
Understanding the thermal habitat use of fish populations is vital for effective rehabilitation or management, particularly in the face of climate change, given limited thermal tolerances of some species. In Lake Erie, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) rehabilitation efforts by means of stocking have been ongoing for four decades. However, high water temperatures and lengthening periods...
Authors
Tyler Reid Funnell, Travis O. Brenden, Susanna Q. Keilig, Corey Krabbenhoft, Richard Kraus, Tom MacDougall, James Markham, Charles Murray, Jason Robinson, Christopher C. Wilson, Christopher S. Vandergoot
DRIFteRS: A dataset of drift invertebrate densities in streams and rivers across western North America, 1997–2024 DRIFteRS: A dataset of drift invertebrate densities in streams and rivers across western North America, 1997–2024
Prey availability is among the most influential and highly variable determinants of fish growth and freshwater habitat carrying capacity, yet it remains understudied compared to physical habitat variables (Ouellet et al., 2025; Rosenfeld et al., 2014; Weber et al., 2017). We often lack a clear understanding of how much food is available to fishes, how it varies spatially and temporally...
Authors
Elsa K. Toskey, Toshio Matsuoka, Peter M. Kiffney, Sean M. Naman, Martin C. Liermann, Javan Bailey, David Beauchamp, J. Ryan Bellmore, Christopher A. Binckley, Steven C. Blumenshine, Timothy J. Caldwell, Michael P. Carey, Shannon Claeson, Chelsea Clawson, Rosa Cox, Cromwell. Kara J., Robert J. Danehy, Michael J. Dodrill, Jeffrey J. Duda, Jason B. Fellman, Adrianne Z. Grimm, Tyson B. Hallbert, Chris E. Jordan, Ernest R. Keeley, Brian P. Kennedy, Theodore Kennedy, Andre E. Kohler, Erin D. Lowery, Kate H Macneale, Kyle D. Martens, Sarah A. Morley, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Jason B. Neuswanger, Alison O'Dowd, Shelley Pneh, Mary E. Power, Suzanne J. Rhoades, Jordan Rosenfeld, Gabriel Rossi, Beth L. Sanderson, Katy K. Shelby, Thomas Starky-Owens, Jamie N. Thompson, Carol Volk, Jasmine S. Williamshen, Robert W. Wisseman
Deep learning models for mapping surficial geology in selected physiographic regions of New York Deep learning models for mapping surficial geology in selected physiographic regions of New York
Surficial geologic mapping is required for decisions including infrastructure and water-resource development and management. Deep learning, a type of machine learning that uses training data to self-learn and perform tasks, is explored as a tool to help increase efficiency of the labour- and time-intensive mapping process. Deep learning models were trained, and their potential to aid in...
Authors
Joshua C. Woda, Jason S. Finkelstein, William E. Odom, John H. Williams
At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam-regulated Colorado River At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam-regulated Colorado River
Premise
Authors
Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Claudia DiMartini, Tanyan Benson, Brooke Damon, Helen C. Fairley, Bradley J. Butterfield
Emergent headwater types for watershed monitoring, research, and planning Emergent headwater types for watershed monitoring, research, and planning
Headwaters—that is headwater streams and the watersheds they drain—strongly influence water quality, ecosystem services, and hydrologic connectivity, yet remain poorly mapped, monitored, and understood at large spatial scales. Using available spatial data to classify headwater “types” could therefore enhance the utility of sparse monitoring data to advance research and watershed planning...
Authors
Erin C. Seybold, John C. Hammond, Admin Husic, Hilary McMillan, Heather Golden, Jay R. Christensen, Catalina Segura, Margaret Zimmer, Adam N. Price, Kristin Jaeger, Li Li, D. Tyler Mahoney, Fred Cheng, C. Nathan Jones, Christa Kelleher, Roy Sando, Chuck Lane, Adam Ward
Permeability and compressibility of “seal” sediment overlying the B1 sand gas hydrate reservoir: Hydrate 02 Geo Data Well, Prudhoe Bay unit, Alaska North Slope Permeability and compressibility of “seal” sediment overlying the B1 sand gas hydrate reservoir: Hydrate 02 Geo Data Well, Prudhoe Bay unit, Alaska North Slope
An important element in evaluating the viability of extracting methane from a gas hydrate-bearing reservoir is establishing the effectiveness of the overlying bounding sediment as a seal to prevent gas loss, to enable effective depressurization, and to prevent fluid from entering the reservoir during production. This laboratory study presents results for index properties (e.g., grain...
Authors
Adrian V. Garcia, William F. Waite, Stephen C. Phillips, Jun Yoneda, Akihiro Hiruta, Timothy Collett
Core microbiomes as a potential fingerprinting method of Western USA dust sources Core microbiomes as a potential fingerprinting method of Western USA dust sources
Introduction: Changing frequency and intensity of dust emissions impacts ecosystems and human health. Dust carries microbes, nutrients, heavy metals, and other materials that may change environmental biogeochemistry at deposition sites. Identifying dust sources provides key information on where and when mitigation strategies should be employed. However, commonly used geochemical or...
Authors
DeTiare L. Leifi, Sarah C. Peterson, Jakob L. Young, Gregory T. Carling, Janice Brahney, Michael C. Duniway, Beth A. Newingham, Nicholas P. Webb, Travis W. Nauman, Zachary T. Aanderud
Estimating habitat availability for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) to inform reintroduction planning in the middle Snake River basin, USA Estimating habitat availability for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) to inform reintroduction planning in the middle Snake River basin, USA
Anadromous fishes have been blocked from the middle Snake River basin since the construction of flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric projects during the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating with the construction of Hells Canyon Dam (river kilometer [rkm] 398) in 1967. Seven large watersheds in the blocked area of the basin are under consideration for Pacific salmon reintroduction...
Authors
Jim Hatten, Jill Hardiman, Dennis Daw, Claire E. Couch, Tobias J. Kock
Strength, stiffness, and Poisson’s ratio measurements for cements used in the well completions for the extended-duration gas production test on the Alaskan North Slope Strength, stiffness, and Poisson’s ratio measurements for cements used in the well completions for the extended-duration gas production test on the Alaskan North Slope
As part of an extended-duration production test from a natural gas hydrate reservoir on the Alaska North Slope, a suite of optical-fiber sensors was encased in the completion cement to provide stable downhole monitoring around each of the four project wells. How the sensors respond to changes in the reservoir over time depends in part on properties of the LiteCRETE, ArcticCem, or Tuned...
Authors
Adrian V. Garcia, William F. Waite, Jun Yoneda, Jim Kirksey, Timothy Collett
Decoding the oxidative digestion mechanism for polystyrene nanoplastic detection in the Great Lakes using a customizable Raman spectral processing algorithm Decoding the oxidative digestion mechanism for polystyrene nanoplastic detection in the Great Lakes using a customizable Raman spectral processing algorithm
Despite the concerns surging around nanoplastics (NPs) regarding their prevalence and bioavailability in freshwater systems, robust detection of NPs in complex environmental matrices is hindered by the lack of standardized sample pretreatment and a mechanistic understanding of oxidative digestion. Here, we systematically investigate the interaction between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and...
Authors
Ziyan Wu, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael Tate, Bryce Adam Cook, Haoran Wei, Mohan Qin