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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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Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation

One Health initiatives have advanced zoonotic disease management by recognizing the interconnectedness of three sectors of governance (human, ecosystem, and animal) and by identifying options that can improve full-system health. Although One Health has had many successes, its full realization may be inhibited by a lack of strategies to overcome simultaneous impediments in decision making...
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Howard S. Ginsberg, Diann Prosser, Michael C. Runge

Chemostratigraphy of the Cretaceous Hue Shale in Arctic Alaska: Exploring paleoceanographic controls on trace element enrichment, organic matter accumulation, and source-rock evolution Chemostratigraphy of the Cretaceous Hue Shale in Arctic Alaska: Exploring paleoceanographic controls on trace element enrichment, organic matter accumulation, and source-rock evolution

We document chemostratigraphy in an outcrop of late Albian to early Campanian (∼103–82 Ma) marine source rocks to better understand paleoenvironmental controls on trace element (TE) enrichment and organic matter accumulation in the distal Colville foreland basin of Arctic Alaska and how those drivers are linked to arc volcanism and successions of Cretaceous oceanographic and climatic
Authors
Palma J. Botterell, Margaret M. Sanders, David W. Houseknecht, Richard O. Lease, William A. Rouse, Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, Rebecca A. Smith, Christina A. DeVera, Brett J. Valentine

An enigmatic wild passerine mortality event in the eastern United States An enigmatic wild passerine mortality event in the eastern United States

The ability to rapidly respond to wildlife health events is essential. However, such events are often unpredictable, especially with anthropogenic disturbances and climate-related environmental changes driving unforeseen threats. Many events also are short-lived and go undocumented, making it difficult to draw on lessons learned from past investigations. We report on the response to a...
Authors
Sabrina S. Greening, Julie C. Ellis, Nicole L. Lewis, David B. Needle, Cristina M. Tato, Susan Knowles, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Jaimie L. Miller, Daniel A. Grear, Jeffrey M. Lorch, David S. Blehert, Caitlin Burrell, Lisa A. Murphy, Erica A. Miller, C. Brandon Ogbunugafor, Andrea J. Ayala, W. Kelley Thomas, Megan S. Kirchgessner, Christine Casey, Ethan P. Barton, Michael J. Yabsley, Eman Anis, Roderick B. Gagne, Patrice Klein, Cindy P. Driscoll, Chelsea Sykes, Robert H. Poppenga, Nicole M. Nemeth

Understanding and predicting infection dynamics for an endangered amphibian using long-term surveys of wild and translocated frogs Understanding and predicting infection dynamics for an endangered amphibian using long-term surveys of wild and translocated frogs

Amphibians are a prominent component of Earth's sixth mass extinction and the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a primary driver of declines. Although Bd dynamics are well studied, the environmental drivers, exacerbating risk factors, and value of conservation interventions like translocations remain challenging to predict. Here, we present results from two decades...
Authors
Talisin T. Hammond, Adam R. Backlin, Elizabeth Gallegos, Debra M. Shier, Ronald R. Swaisgood, Robert N. Fisher

DNA metabarcoding of biocrust lichen-forming fungi detects responses to disturbance and invasion DNA metabarcoding of biocrust lichen-forming fungi detects responses to disturbance and invasion

Biocrusts dominated by bryophytes and lichens perform important functions in dryland ecosystems but monitoring these communities can be cost prohibitive over broad scales. We explored DNA metabarcoding as a potential tool for monitoring biocrust lichen communities at a site in Washington (U.S.A.) that had already been surveyed for lichen diversity and community composition. We developed...
Authors
Heather T Root, Bruce McCune, David A. Pyke, Steven D. Leavitt

Sampling mass mortality events to enable diagnoses: A protocol using freshwater mussels Sampling mass mortality events to enable diagnoses: A protocol using freshwater mussels

Many taxa around the globe are threatened by often unexplained mass mortality events (MMEs), which can decimate populations and compromise key ecosystem functions. One example of a highly threatened taxon facing frequent MMEs is freshwater mussels (Unionida).There has been a recent increase in interest in understanding the causes of freshwater mussel MMEs, but standardised methodologies...
Authors
Daniel A. Cossey, Michelle Dennis, Jordan C. Richard, Camilla D. Torre, Andrew McElwain, Diane L. Waller, Susan Knowles, Joshua I. Brian, Eric Leis, Ericka A. Burioli, David C. Aldridge

Reply to, “Comment on ‘The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake: Relic railroad offset reveals rupture,’ by Roger Bilham and Susan E. Hough” Reply to, “Comment on ‘The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake: Relic railroad offset reveals rupture,’ by Roger Bilham and Susan E. Hough”

We welcome this opportunity to respond to Pratt et al. (2024) (hereinafter P24). Bilham and Hough (2023) proposed a “first-cut” elastic deformation model for the 1886 earthquake, a quantitative source model constrained by identified coseismic constraints. A key observation was the measurement of a lateral offset of a railroad line south of Summerville, leading to a model with...
Authors
Roger Bilham, Susan E. Hough

Modelling and mapping burn severity of prescribed and wildfires across the southeastern United States (2000-2022) Modelling and mapping burn severity of prescribed and wildfires across the southeastern United States (2000-2022)

Background The southeastern United States (‘Southeast’) experiences high levels of fire activity, but the preponderance of small and prescribed fires means that existing burn severity products are incomplete across the region. Aims We developed and applied a burn severity model across the Southeast to enhance our understanding of regional burn severity patterns. Methods We used Composite...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Casey Elizabeth Menick, Joshua J. Picotte, Kevin Robertson, Holly Nowell, Chris Matechik, Todd Hawbaker

Geochemical processes related to mined, milled, or natural metal deposits in a rapidly changing global environment Geochemical processes related to mined, milled, or natural metal deposits in a rapidly changing global environment

The demand for metals and raw materials, such as nickel and copper, has been projected to expand in the coming decades, driven by the global energy transition, the need for green technologies, and expanding infrastructure. Consequently, the increasing extraction and production of mining waste can have adverse impacts on surrounding environments and human health. The aim of this thematic...
Authors
Annika Parviainen, Kimberly R. Beisner, Johanna Blake, Edel Mary O'Sullivan, Clare Miller, Carolina Rosca

Stream discharge determinations using slug additions and specific conductance Stream discharge determinations using slug additions and specific conductance

Stream discharge is often determined by wading the stream and measuring the velocity at fixed widths and depths. However, there are conditions when wading measurements are not safe or the measurements are poor because of high turbulence, rocky streambeds, shallow or sheet flow, aquatic plants, or inaccessibility due to ice. Under these conditions, it is often preferable to determine...
Authors
R. Blaine McCleskey, Robert L. Runkel, Sheila F. Murphy, David A. Roth

The ichnology of White Sands (New Mexico): Linear traces and human footprints, evidence of transport technology? The ichnology of White Sands (New Mexico): Linear traces and human footprints, evidence of transport technology?

A travois is crafted from one or more wooden poles and is one of the simplest pre-historic vehicles. Although these devices likely played vital roles in the lives of ancient peoples, they have low preservation potential in the archaeological record. Here we report linear features associated with human footprints, some of which are dated to ~22,000 years old, preserved in fine-grained...
Authors
Matthew R. Bennett, Thomas M. Urban, David Bustos, Sally C. Reynolds, Edward A. Jolie, Hannah C. Strehlau, Daniel Odess, Kathleen B. Springer, Jeffrey S. Pigati
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