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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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Detecting earthquakes in noisy real-time GNSS data with deep learning for improved PGD magnitude estimation Detecting earthquakes in noisy real-time GNSS data with deep learning for improved PGD magnitude estimation
To disseminate accurate and useful warnings, earthquake early warning (EEW) systems must quickly determine the size and location of an earthquake to estimate expected shaking. Traditional seismic‐based algorithms tend to underestimate the true magnitudes of large earthquakes, a phenomenon known as magnitude saturation. This limitation motivated the recent inclusion of Global Navigation...
Authors
Sydney N. Dybing, Diego Melgar, Amanda M. Thomas, Dara Elyse Goldberg, David Mencin, Brendan W. Crowell
Global change and threats to waterbirds in the Asian flyways Global change and threats to waterbirds in the Asian flyways
Avian migration represents one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena, providing critical ecological services and acting as an indicator of environmental change. Flyways are geographical ranges through which migrating bird species move, and the flyway concept has been used to identify countries that share species to highlight their collective responsibility for conservation. Of the nine...
Authors
John Y. Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, Shenglai Yin, Nyambayar Batbayar, Suresh Kumar, Zhijun Ma
The use of fluorite geochemistry and machine learning to identify critical mineral systems The use of fluorite geochemistry and machine learning to identify critical mineral systems
Fluorite (CaF2) is a potential pathfinder to critical mineral and rare earth element (REE) deposits but its application has been limited to a narrow range of mineralization types. I show that fluorite is a robust recorder of mineralization fertility by applying statistical and machine-learning methods to a new global fluorite geochemical database. Distinct median rare earth and trace...
Authors
Ian W. Hillenbrand
Global performance of remote sensing-based and reanalysis-driven models to estimate open water evaporation Global performance of remote sensing-based and reanalysis-driven models to estimate open water evaporation
Evaporation plays an essential role in the water cycle, influencing local and regional climates while directly impacting water availability in lakes. However, directly measuring evaporation over water bodies remains challenging due to the high costs of installing and maintaining the required in situ instrumentation. Although several remote sensing algorithms have been providing...
Authors
Julia B. Rossi, Ayan S. Fleischmann, Leonardo Laipelt, Bruno C. de Andrade, Joshua B. Fisher, Justin L. Huntington, Christopher Pearson, R. Iestyn Woolway, Roseilson Vale, Raoni A.S. Santana, Júlio Tota, Gabriel B. Senay, Huilin Gao, Anderson Ruhoff
Predicting disease spread from host movement data: Chronic wasting disease in North America as a case study Predicting disease spread from host movement data: Chronic wasting disease in North America as a case study
1. Rare long-distance movements can increase the spatial spread of invasive species and shifts in species ranges. However, in the context of wildlife disease spread, seasonal migrations only matter if they lead to transmission beyond an individual’s initial set of contacts, and the importance of juvenile dispersal depends on whether those juveniles become infected before they disperse. 2...
Authors
Paul C. Cross, Blake Lowrey, Matthew J. Kauffman, Evelyn Merrill
Modification of rod surface elevation tables for monitoring extreme elevation shifts in wetlands Modification of rod surface elevation tables for monitoring extreme elevation shifts in wetlands
Rod surface elevation tables (RSETs) are effective tools for measuring changes in ground surface height, but these are not designed to withstand large changes in height (e.g., ±50 cm). After extreme changes in elevation due to erosion or accretion, RSET sites may be deemed unusable; however, this equipment usually can function indefinitely with in-situ modifications. Here, we provide a
Authors
Ting Lei, John L. David, Beth A. Middleton
Connecting and coordinating conservation action across landscapes through regional planning processes and syntheses Connecting and coordinating conservation action across landscapes through regional planning processes and syntheses
Modern threats to conservation are often global; however, relevant conservation decisions and actions typically occur within local jurisdictions. The socio-ecological complexity of these problems requires collaboration across large landscapes, diverse community interests, and geopolitical boundaries, yet a lack of interoperability of planning products among decision makers, jurisdictions...
Authors
Rachael A. Carlberg, Steven J. Choy, Leon C. Hinz Jr., Mohammed A. Al-Saffar, Brett R. Andersen, Thomas W. Bonnot, Arthur R. Cooper, Lainet Garcia-Rivera, Steven Michael Gray, Ralph Grundel, Anthony R. Hewitt, Zachary Hurst, Brianna G. Kupsky, Eric Magedanz, Daniel Martin, Rua Mordecai, Anthony Mosinski, Douglas R. Pearsall, Jon Podoliak, Brandon P. Semel, Andrew C. Strassman, J. Scott Taylor, Ryan T. Theel, T. Casey Weathers, Andrew Allstadt, Jennifer Garland, Kiandra Rajala, Kimberly Sykes, Owen D. Boyle, John Carlson, Katy Fullin, Douglas Gorby, Bradly Potter, Faren R. Wolter, Nathan D. Muenks, Claire Beck, Kayla Feist, Katherin Parsons, Lorisa S. Smith, Kelley Myers Tymeson, Alexander D. Wright
Legacy of the fumigant 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in California groundwater Legacy of the fumigant 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in California groundwater
The fumigant pesticide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) was widely used in California agriculture during the 1960s and 1970s before being banned in 1979. Despite this ban, DBCP continues to contaminate groundwater due to its persistence and mobility. This study evaluates the distribution, historical trends, and projected persistence of DBCP in California using data from over 13,000...
Authors
Bryant C. Jurgens, Michael T. Wright, Kirsten Faulkner, George L. Bennett
The influence of tree canopy cover data choices on urban ecosystem accounting The influence of tree canopy cover data choices on urban ecosystem accounting
Because urban landscapes are heterogeneous, the methods and spatial resolution used to depict the land surface greatly influence the representation of urban features. Land cover products such as tree canopy cover (TCC) are particularly sensitive to the methodology and resolution used in their creation. Differences in TCC mapping have implications on the outcomes of ecosystem service (ES)...
Authors
Levi Sweet-Breu, Gregory Cermak, Lucila Marie Corro, Peter Christian Ibsen, Mehdi Heris, Raimundo Atal, Ryan McManamay, James E. Diffendorfer, Kenneth Bagstad
Assessing working lands as habitat for disturbance-dependent birds using autonomous recording units Assessing working lands as habitat for disturbance-dependent birds using autonomous recording units
Introduction
Authors
Dan H. Watson, James F. Renner, Elizabeth Ann Hunter
Predicted habitat use for reintroduced grizzly bears in the transboundary North Cascades ecosystem Predicted habitat use for reintroduced grizzly bears in the transboundary North Cascades ecosystem
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) were once numerous in the North Cascades transboundary region of Washington State (United States) and British Columbia (Canada); however, few remain today. To support ongoing reintroduction evaluations, we used simulations based on movement models developed in the Northern Rocky Mountains to predict habitat use by a small founding group of grizzly bears in...
Authors
Sarah Nelson Sells, Michelle McLellan, Jason I. Ransom, Andrea Lyons, Mackenzie Clarke, Clayton D. Apps
Habitat restoration efforts increase patch retention times in migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Habitat restoration efforts increase patch retention times in migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations have been declining across much of their range, often due to habitat alteration. Habitat alterations, including the introduction of non-native annual grasses and the expansion of pinyon–juniper (PJ) forests on sagebrush ecosystems, are changing resource availability compared to historical conditions. Extensive habitat restoration has been...
Authors
Jack Rasmussen, Kent Hersey, Daniel D. Summers, Erica Francis Stuber