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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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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
Comment on “The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake: Relic railroad offset reveals rupture” by Roger Bilham and Susan E Hough Comment on “The 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake: Relic railroad offset reveals rupture” by Roger Bilham and Susan E Hough
No abstract available.
Authors
Thomas Pratt, Martin C. Chapman, Qimin Wu
Validation of the U37K' paleotemperature proxy in the South Brazilian Bight from core-top sediments Validation of the U37K' paleotemperature proxy in the South Brazilian Bight from core-top sediments
The paleothermometer based on the alkenone unsaturation index (U37K′) is often used to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures (SST). In the SW Atlantic Ocean, however, a limited understanding of the seasonal and depth distribution of coccolithophores, which generates the U37K′ signal preserved in ocean sediments, hinders accurate estimates of past regional SSTs. We analyzed 45 core...
Authors
Felipe Stanchak, Julie N. Richey, Amanda Gerotto, Amelia Shevenell, Marcia C. Bicego, Felipe A. Toledo, Michel M. de Mahiques, Renata H. Nagai
Widespread occurrence of former anhydrite phenocrysts in Laramide-age magmas related to porphyry-skarn Cu mineralization at Santa Rita and Hanover-Fierro, New Mexico, USA Widespread occurrence of former anhydrite phenocrysts in Laramide-age magmas related to porphyry-skarn Cu mineralization at Santa Rita and Hanover-Fierro, New Mexico, USA
Reports of magmatic anhydrite are relatively rare, with only ~30 occurrences documented worldwide so far. However, magmatic anhydrite saturation is difficult to recognize because anhydrite decomposes rapidly in near-surface environments. In most cases, only anhydrite inclusions shielded within other phenocryst phases were able to survive. Alternatively, since anhydrite phenocrysts...
Authors
Andreas Audétat, Jia Chang, Sean Patrick Gaynor
Site-level connectivity identified from multiple sources of movement data to inform conservation of a migratory bird Site-level connectivity identified from multiple sources of movement data to inform conservation of a migratory bird
Migratory birds depend on a suite of sites across their annual cycles, making them vulnerable to a wide variety of anthropogenic pressures. Current area-based conservation measures have been found inadequate to safeguard migratory birds, in part due to a lack of consideration for the connectivity between sites mediated by the movements of individuals.To address this issue, we develop a...
Authors
M. Beal, J. Nightingale, J.R. Belo, C. Batey, H. Belting, P. Bocher, M. Burgess, T.B. Craft, N. Crockford, P. Delaporte, L. Donaldson, G. Gelinaud, J.A. Gill, T.G. Gunnarsson, B. J. Morrison, J.S. Gutierrez, J. Hooijmeijer, R.A. Howison, P. Hunke, L. Jomat, H. Lemke, J. P. Ludwig, F.A. Majoor, C. Marlow, J.A. Masero, J. Melter, I. Nicholson, M. Parejo, B. O'Mahony, E. Pasanen, J. Pessa, T. Piersma, A.D. Rocha, F. Robin, M. Roodbergen, P. Rousseau, V. Salewski, L. Schmidt, J. Smart, A. Staneva, T. Lee Tibbitts, S. Timonen, J.A. Alves, M.P. Dias
Physicochemical properties and bioreactivity of sub-10 µm geogenic particles: Comparison of volcanic ash and desert dust Physicochemical properties and bioreactivity of sub-10 µm geogenic particles: Comparison of volcanic ash and desert dust
Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of
Authors
Ines Tomašek, Julia Eychenne, David Damby, Adrian Hornby, Manolis N Romanias, Severine Moune, Gaëlle Uzu, Federica Schiavi, Maeva Dole, Emmanuel Gardes, Mickael Laumonier, Clara Gorce, Regine Minet-Quinard, Julie Durif, Corinne Belville, Ousmane Traore, Loic Blanchon, Vincent Sapin
Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: Environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: Environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux
Rapid warming in polar regions is causing large changes to ecosystems, including altering environmentally available mercury (Hg). Although subarctic freshwater systems have simple vertebrate communities, Hg in amphibians remains unexplored. We measured total Hg (THg) in wetland sediments and methylmercury (MeHg) in multiple life-stages (eggs to adults) of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and...
Authors
Blake R. Hossack, Jon M. Davenport, C. Kabryn Mattison, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, LeeAnn Fishback, Brian J. Tornabene, Kelly Smalling
The importance of peripheral populations in the face of novel environmental change The importance of peripheral populations in the face of novel environmental change
Anthropogenically driven environmental change has imposed substantial threats on biodiversity, including the emergence of infectious diseases that have resulted in declines of wildlife globally. In response to pathogen invasion, maintaining diversity within host populations across heterogenous environments is essential to facilitating species persistence. White-nose syndrome is an...
Authors
Samantha Hoff, Joseph R. Hoyt, Kate E. Langwig, Luanne Johnson, Elizabeth Olson, Danielle O’Dell, Casey Pendergast, Carl J. Herzog, Katy L. Parise, Jeffrey T. Foster, Wendy Christine Turner
Cooling perspectives on the risk of pathogenic viruses from thawing permafrost Cooling perspectives on the risk of pathogenic viruses from thawing permafrost
Climate change is inducing wide-scale permafrost thaw in the Arctic and subarctic, triggering concerns that long-dormant pathogens could reemerge from the thawing ground and initiate epidemics or pandemics. Viruses, as opposed to bacterial pathogens, garner particular interest because outbreaks cannot be controlled with antibiotics, though the effects can be mitigated by vaccines and...
Authors
Rachel Mackelprang, Robyn A. Barbato, Andrew M. Ramey, Ursel M. E. Schutte, Mark Waldrop
Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) use of a staging site in the Chesapeake Bay Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) use of a staging site in the Chesapeake Bay
In 2021, we initiated fieldwork to assess the relative importance of a staging area for Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) at a pier at the confluence of the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay, MD. During the post-breeding periods of 2021 through 2023, we resighted 378 banded Common Terns at this staging area, with individuals originating from 6 breeding colonies. Most banded individuals were...
Authors
Benjamin Springer, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Diann J. Prosser, Kyle Rambo, J. Jordan Price