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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.
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New paleomagnetic constraints on the eruption timing, stratigraphy, and post-emplacement deformation of the Picture Gorge Basalt within the Columbia River Basalt Group New paleomagnetic constraints on the eruption timing, stratigraphy, and post-emplacement deformation of the Picture Gorge Basalt within the Columbia River Basalt Group
The Picture Gorge Basalt (PGB) is part of the Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The PGB, which outcrops in eastern Oregon, is considered coincident in time with the voluminous Grande Ronde Basalt. New radiometric ages have expanded the age‐range of the PGB, suggesting it began erupting prior to the Steens Basalt to its south and continued until after cessation of the Grande...
Authors
Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Margaret Susan Avery, Jonathan T. Hagstrum, Scott E.K. Bennett, Andrew T. Calvert
Predicting invasiveness of freshwater fishes imported into North America: Regional differences in models and outcomes Predicting invasiveness of freshwater fishes imported into North America: Regional differences in models and outcomes
Biological invasions driven by international trade heighten the urgency for development of invasion risk models, as the traits and parameters that consistently predict successful invasion remain unresolved. For four regions of North America that include parts of the United States and Canada (Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins, Lower Colorado River Basin, Great Lakes Region, Mid-Atlantic...
Authors
Jennifer G. Howeth, Sarah A. Amjad, Crysta A. Gantz, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Paul L. Angermeier, Michael P. Marchetti, Julian D. Olden, David M. Lodge
Predicting bat roosts in bridges using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees Predicting bat roosts in bridges using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees
Human-built structures can provide important habitat for wildlife, but predicting which structures are most likely to be used remains challenging. To evaluate the predictive capabilities of data-driven ensemble modeling approaches, we conducted surveys for bats and signs of bat use, such as urine and guano staining, at bridges across the southwestern United States. We developed a bat...
Authors
Jacob Oram, Amy Kristine Wray, Helen Trice Davis, Luz A. de Wit, Winifred F. Frick, Andrew B. Hoegh, Kathryn M. Irvine, Patrick Pollock, Andrea Nichole Schuhmann, Frank Charles Tousley, Brian E. Reichert
Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign
We stand at the threshold of a transformative era in Earth observation, marked by space-borne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometers that promise consistent global observations of ecosystem function, phenology, and inter- and intra-annual change. However, the full value of repeat spectroscopy, the information embedded within different temporal scales, and the...
Authors
K. Dana Chadwick, Frank W. Davis, Kimberley Miner, Ryan Pavlick, Mark Reynolds, Philip A. Townsend, Philip Brodrick, Christiana Ade, Jean Allen, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Yoseline Angel, Indra Boving, Kristin B. Byrd, Petya Campbell, Luke Carberry, Katherine Cavanaugh, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Kelly Easterday, Regina Eckert, Michelle M. Gierach, Kaitlin Gold, Erin Hestir, Fred Huemmrich, Maggie Klope, Raymond F. Kokaly, Piper Lovegreen, Kelly Luis, Conor McMahon, Nicholas Nidzieko, Francisco Ochoa, Anna Ongjoco, Elsa Ordway, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Natalie Queally, Dar A. Roberts, Clare Saiki, Fabian D Schneider, Alexey N. Shiklomanov, German Silva, Jordan Snyder, Michele Thornton, Anna Trugman, Nidhi Vinod, Ting Zheng, Dulcinea M. Avouris, Brianna Baker, Latha Baskaran, Tom Bell, Megan Berg, Michael Bernas, Niklas Bohn, Renato Braghiere, Zach Breuer, Andrew J. Brooks, Nolan Burkard, Julia Burmistrova, Kerry-Anne Cawse-Nicholson, John Chapman, Johana Chazaro-Haraksin, Joel Cryer, K.C. Cushman, Kyla M. Dahlin, Phuong Dao, Athena DiBartolo, Michael Eastwood, Clayton D. Elder, Angela Giordani, Kathleen Grant, Robert O. Green, Alexa Hanson, Brendan Heberlein, Mark Helmlinger, Simon Hook, Daniel J. Jensen, Emma Johnson, Marie Johnson, Michael Kiper, Christopher Kibler, Jennifer Y. King, Kyle Kovach, Aaron Kreisberg, Daniel Lacey, Evan Lang, Christine M. Lee, Amanda M Lopez, Brittany Lopez Barreto, Andrew Maguire, Elliott Marsh, Charles E. Miller, Dieu My Nguyen, Cassandra Nickles, Jonathan Ocón, Elijah Papen, Maria Park, Benjamin Poulter, Ann M. Raiho, Porter Reim, Timothy J. Robinson, Fernando Romero Galvan, Ethan Shafron, Brenen R. Skalitzky, Sydney Stroschein, Nicole Chin Taylor, David R. Thompson, Kate Thompson, Cecily Tye, Joelie Van Beek, Cecilia Vanden Heuvel, Jonathan Vellanoweth, Evert Vermeer, Claire Villanueva-Weeks, Kristen Zumdahl, David Schimel
Linking environmental variability to long-term demographic change of an endangered species using integrated population models Linking environmental variability to long-term demographic change of an endangered species using integrated population models
Understanding how species populations change with environmental conditions is important for implementing effective habitat management and conservation strategies. Challenges to evaluating population-level responses to environmental conditions arise when data are sparse or not spatiotemporally aligned, especially for at-risk species with small, declining numbers.We synthesized 30 years...
Authors
Marisa Takada Martinez, Laura D’Acunto, Stephanie Romanach
Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools Drought in the Delta: Socio-ecological impacts, responses, and tools
Droughts are frequent events in the western United States, and can disrupt water supply and degrade water quality, challenging water management in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta). This chapter for the State of Bay–Delta Science report describes what drought means for the Delta, how drought is managed in the Delta, and how drought management has changed over time. Projections of...
Authors
Rosemary Hartman, Noah Knowles, Amanda Fencl, Julia Ekstrom
Exploration of a piscicide delivery method for invasive Black Carp Exploration of a piscicide delivery method for invasive Black Carp
A piscicide delivery method was designed to selectively target Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, an invasive fish species in North America, which possesses pharyngeal teeth adapted for crushing mollusk prey. Many North American mollusks exist in small, fragmented populations susceptible to local extirpation. A Black Carp-selective toxic bait deployed properly could be used to protect...
Authors
Patrick Kroboth, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Duane Chapman
Reconstruction of Holocene and Last Interglacial vegetation dynamics and wildfire activity in Southern Siberia Reconstruction of Holocene and Last Interglacial vegetation dynamics and wildfire activity in Southern Siberia
Wildfires are a rapidly increasing threat to boreal forests. While our understanding of the drivers behind wildfires and their environmental impact is growing, it is mostly limited to the observational period. Here we focus on the boreal forests of southern Siberia and exploit a U–Th-dated stalagmite from Botovskaya Cave, located in the upper Lena region of southern Siberia, to document...
Authors
Jade Margerum, Julia Homann, Stuart Umbo, Gernot Nehrke, Thorsten Hoffmann, Anton Vaks, Aleksandr Kononov, Alexander Osintsev, Alena Maria Giesche, Andrew Mason, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Gideon M. Henderson, Ola Kwiecien, Sebastian F.M. Breitenbach
Hydrological whiplash: Highlighting the need for better understanding and quantification of sub-seasonal hydrological extreme transitions Hydrological whiplash: Highlighting the need for better understanding and quantification of sub-seasonal hydrological extreme transitions
In this commentary, we aim to (1) describe ways that hydrological intensification and hydrological whiplash (sub-seasonal transitions between hydrological extremes) may impact water management decision-making, (2) introduce the complexities of identifying and quantifying hydrological extreme transitions, (3) discuss the processes controlling hydrological transitions and trends in...
Authors
John C. Hammond, Bailey Anderson, Caelan Simeone, Manuela Brunner, Eduardo Munoz-Castro, Stacey A. Archfield, Eugene Magee, Rachael Armitage
A novel method for estimating pathogen presence, prevalence, load, and dynamics at multiple scales A novel method for estimating pathogen presence, prevalence, load, and dynamics at multiple scales
The use of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to monitor pathogens is common; however, quantitative frameworks that consider the observation process, dynamics in pathogen presence, and pathogen load are lacking. This can be problematic in the early stages of disease progression, where low level detections may be treated as ‘inconclusive’ and excluded from analyses. Alternatively, a...
Authors
John F. Gridder, Bradley James Udell, Brian E. Reichert, Jeffery T. Foster, William Louis Kendall, Tina L. Cheng, Winifred F. Frick
Specific conductance and water type as a proxy model for salinity and total dissolved solids measurements in the Upper Colorado River Basin Specific conductance and water type as a proxy model for salinity and total dissolved solids measurements in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Salinity levels in streams and tributaries of the Colorado River Basin have been a major concern for the United States and Mexico for over 50 years as the water is used by millions of people for domestic and industrial purposes. Recently, the United States Geological Survey expanded stream monitoring networks including the number of sites where continuous (15-min) specific conductance is...
Authors
R. Blaine McCleskey, Charles A. Cravotta, Matthew P. Miller, Tanner William Chapin, Fred D. Tillman, Gabrielle L. Keith
Spatial variation in landlocked Atlantic Salmon smolt survival associated with dam passage, avian predation, and stocking location Spatial variation in landlocked Atlantic Salmon smolt survival associated with dam passage, avian predation, and stocking location
Objective We evaluated survival differences between upstream and downstream stocking for landlocked Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar smolts in a tributary to Lake Champlain.Methods We radio-tagged smolts and stocked them concurrently with 22,000 smolts at two release sites in 2 years. The downstream location (DS, river kilometer 16, no dam passage) was a historically used site in a dam...
Authors
Kurt C. Heim, William R. Ardren, Jonah L. Withers, Zachery Eisenhauer, Matthew A. Mensinger, Theodore Castro-Santos