Articles
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
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.
Filter Total Items: 77319
Monitoring Pacific walrus coastal haulouts by satellite to estimate herd abundance and distribution Monitoring Pacific walrus coastal haulouts by satellite to estimate herd abundance and distribution
The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) has a single, panmictic stock that ranges across the Bering and Chukchi Seas. However, its seasonal distribution is incompletely described, particularly in autumn when herds gather on shore, and abundance is of interest to management entities. We monitored walrus herds using satellite imagery on shore across their summer and autumn range...
Authors
Anthony S. Fischbach, Rebecca L. Taylor, David C. Douglas
Late Pleistocene kinematics of the Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone, Puerto Rico Late Pleistocene kinematics of the Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone, Puerto Rico
Several onshore faults in southern Puerto Rico have recently been recognized as Quaternary active. However, the kinematics of these faults, particularly any lateral component, remain largely unconstrained. It is difficult to characterize low strain‐rate faults, partially due to extensive erosional and anthropogenic landscape modification, steep relief, and frequent landsliding, limiting...
Authors
Emerson Madelyn Lynch, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, M. Morow Tan, Victor Ortega Díaz, K. Stephen Hughes
Treading water: How 6PPD-quinone makes it to our local water bodies & what it means for sensitive fish species Treading water: How 6PPD-quinone makes it to our local water bodies & what it means for sensitive fish species
No abstract available.
Authors
Rachael F. Lane, Justin Blaine Greer, Stephanie E. Gordon, Brianna Williams, Kelly Smalling
Earthquake magnitude and source parameter estimation with a distributed acoustic sensing dataset in the Gorda subduction zone Earthquake magnitude and source parameter estimation with a distributed acoustic sensing dataset in the Gorda subduction zone
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems offer a cost‐effective way to create large‐scale strainmeter arrays for seismological applications using fiber‐optic cables. DAS‐based strain measurements are known to be influenced by various factors, bringing into question their general reliability for accurate earthquake characterization. A 15‐km‐long DAS deployment in northern California was
Authors
Andrew J. Barbour, Jeffrey J. McGuire, Martin Karrenbach, Robert McPherson, Mark Hemphill-Haley, Connie Stewart
Spatiotemporal overlap of mallards with poultry farms is associated with greater risk of avian influenza wild bird spillover events Spatiotemporal overlap of mallards with poultry farms is associated with greater risk of avian influenza wild bird spillover events
Animal movement influences local transmission and geographic spread of pathogens. Waterfowl are known reservoirs of pathogens, including H5 goose/Guangdong lineage (H5 GsGd) highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This HPAI virus lineage causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in domestic poultry and many wild bird species. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are a generalist waterfowl...
Authors
Joshua Alexander Cullen, Nicholas Masto, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Cory Highway, Kelly A. Patyk, Mary-Jane McCool, Mia Kim Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Rebecca L. Poulson, Deborah Carter, Jamie Feddersen, Bradley S. Cohen, Diann Prosser
One hundred ninety-nine dead birds: Review of the scientific basis of ecological incident reporting requirements for pesticide registrants under Fifra § 6(A)(2) One hundred ninety-nine dead birds: Review of the scientific basis of ecological incident reporting requirements for pesticide registrants under Fifra § 6(A)(2)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticide use in the United States. The EPA is charged by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with ensuring that a pesticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. Incident reports (documentation of exposure and injury from pesticide applications) can serve as a reality check on...
Authors
Nimish B. Vyas, Cynthia Palmer
Acoustic response of bats to the Brood X Periodical Cicada (Magicicada spp.) emergence Acoustic response of bats to the Brood X Periodical Cicada (Magicicada spp.) emergence
Periodical cicada emergences can positively affect vertebrate reproduction and breeding behavior, yet this response is not well studied for bats. We examined the acoustic response of 6 species/phonic groups of bats in 2021 to the emergence of Brood X periodical cicadas, along the Potomac River corridor, in Maryland and Virginia. Using a before-after-control-impact study design, we...
Authors
Amber S. Litterer, Samuel R. Freeze, W. Mark Ford
Disentangling the historical impacts of warming and fishing on exploited freshwater fish populations Disentangling the historical impacts of warming and fishing on exploited freshwater fish populations
Worldwide, exploited fish populations are increasingly affected by the combined effects of warming and fishing. Disentangling the relative effects of these factors is challenging yet crucial for designing management strategies. We used a temperature-dependent population dynamics model to assess the impacts of lake warming and fishing on 521 freshwater fish populations in the Midwestern...
Authors
Luoliang Xu, Holly Susan Embke, Christopher Free, Gretchen Hansen, Abigail J. Lynch, Craig P. Paukert, Nicholas Sievert, Olaf P. Jensen
Fluid inclusion constraints on the geometry of the magmatic plumbing system beneath Mauna Loa – Part I: Lavas and tephras Fluid inclusion constraints on the geometry of the magmatic plumbing system beneath Mauna Loa – Part I: Lavas and tephras
There are few petrological constraints on magma storage depths at Mauna Loa, Hawai‘i. Yet understanding the geometry of the magmatic plumbing system is critical for interpreting geophysical signals of unrest at this very high-threat volcano. We address this gap by examining CO₂-rich fluid inclusions (FI) in lava and tephra from seven eruptions (8870 ± 56 14C yr BP, 1852, 1855, 1868, 1949...
Authors
Penny E. Wieser, Sarah C. Shi, Matthew Gleeson, Berenise Rangel, Charlotte DeVitre, Alexander T. Bearden, Kendra J. Lynn, Marie Camille-Caumon
Impact of a place-based role-playing exercise on student sense of classroom community and science identity in a hydrology class Impact of a place-based role-playing exercise on student sense of classroom community and science identity in a hydrology class
Fostering a sense of classroom community in earth science classes supports students’ sense of belonging within the classroom and the broader scientific community, helping them build a sense of identity as a geoscientist. This study examines the effects of incorporating a 2-week, collaborative role-playing activity on sense of classroom community and science identity in an introductory...
Authors
Megan Plenge, Wayana Dolan, Alexa Tomlinson, Bryant Hutson, Tamlin Pavelsky
Triple-oxygen isotopic evidence of prolonged direct bioleaching of pyrite with O2 Triple-oxygen isotopic evidence of prolonged direct bioleaching of pyrite with O2
Sulfate is often touted as containing atmospheric oxygen whose isotopic signature can constrain redox, environmental conditions, and biological activity. Yet, the amount and isotopic fractionation associated with air-O2 incorporation during sulfate formation is still debated, making its verification difficult. In this study, we identify a distinct, microbially dominated environment with...
Authors
Issaku Kohl, Bryan Alan Killingsworth, Karen Zeigler, Edward D. Young, Max Coleman
Estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) Prediction for Eagle Ford Shale using integrated datasets and artificial neural networks Estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) Prediction for Eagle Ford Shale using integrated datasets and artificial neural networks
The estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) is an important parameter for forecasting oil and gas production and informing decisions regarding field development strategies. In this study, we combined site-specific geologic, completion, and operational parameters with the predictive capabilities of machine learning (ML) models to predict EURs of the wells for the Eagle Ford Marl Continuous Oil...
Authors
C. Ozgen Karacan, Steven T. Anderson, Steven M. Cahan