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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 volcanic deformation in Hawaii using trustworthy multimodal deep learning techniques Detecting volcanic deformation in Hawaii using trustworthy multimodal deep learning techniques
Monitoring volcanoes involves a variety of data sources and methods to maintain complete continuity of coverage. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) are commonly used complementary methods to assess the deformation state of a volcano as magma migrates beneath the surface. The amount of data these methods produce, however, is...
Authors
Tyler Grant Paladino, Emily K. Montgomery-Brown, Marco Bagnardi, Michael Poland, R. Lopaka Lee
Chronic exposure to waterborne nickel significantly reduced growth of juvenile crayfish (Faxonius virilis) Chronic exposure to waterborne nickel significantly reduced growth of juvenile crayfish (Faxonius virilis)
Crayfish are critical functional components of aquatic ecosystems. Previous research has documented adverse effects of mineral extraction on crayfish. Here, we characterize potential risks of mining-derived waterborne nickel (Ni) to crayfish by documenting the effects of dissolved Ni on growth and food consumption of juvenile virile crayfish (Faxonius virilis) in a 28-day chronic...
Authors
Adrian Parr Moore, Mark L. Wildhaber, Zachary D Beaman, Kendell Ray Bennett, Karlie K Ditter, Danielle M. Cleveland, J. Blanton, Tyler J. Grant
Tidal forested wetlands can be incorporated into blue carbon conservation and restoration strategies Tidal forested wetlands can be incorporated into blue carbon conservation and restoration strategies
Purpose of Review Blue carbon is an important concept for environmental policy. Blue carbon strategies (conservation and restoration for carbon gain) have been primarily implemented with mangroves, though are likely to be suitable for other tidal forested wetlands. Here, we discuss the expanding definition of blue carbon encompassing all tidal forested wetlands, synthesize ecological and...
Authors
Daniel A. Friess, Maria F. Adame, Jeffrey Kelleway, Ken W. Krauss, Gregory B. Noe
Trust-building as a keystone activity in beaver-related restoration practice Trust-building as a keystone activity in beaver-related restoration practice
North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are increasingly being used to achieve restoration goals, prompting practitioners to engage with private landowners in efforts to promote beaver coexistence. Through 23 semi-structured interviews with restoration practitioners in Oregon, USA, we explored how practitioners from government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), service
Authors
Brian D. Erickson, Megan Siobhan Jones
Communicating darkness: Visitor preferences for dark sky interpretation Communicating darkness: Visitor preferences for dark sky interpretation
Utah parks are attracting an increasing number of visitors due to the quality dark sky viewing opportunities. Despite increasing engagement in nighttime recreation, limited research exists on visitor interest in interpretation for dark skies in state and national parks. Nighttime visitors at nine Utah state and national park units certified as dark sky parks were surveyed to evaluate...
Authors
Zachary A. Russell, J. Adam Beeco, Zachary D. Miller, Emily J. Wilkins, Anna B. Miller, Chase C. Lamborn, Jordan W. Smith
American kestrel population trends and vital rates at the continental scale American kestrel population trends and vital rates at the continental scale
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius, hereafter referred to as kestrel) has declined across much of its North American range since at least the mid-1960s. Kestrel population dynamics have been explored through a multitude of local studies and two broad reviews of available data. Across large geographic extents, however, the demographic cause(s) of kestrel population declines remain(s)...
Authors
Paige E. Howell, Abigail Jean Lawson, Davis Kristin P., Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Orin J. Robinson, Matthew A. Boggie, Mitchell J. Eaton, Fitsum Abadi, Jessi L. Brown, Julie A. Heath, John A. Smallwood, Karen Steenhof, Ted Swem, Brian W. Rolek, Christopher J.W. McClure, Jean-Francois Therrien, Karl E. Miller, Brian A. Milsap
Genetic structure in a previously extirpated population of gray wolves following reintroduction and natural recolonization Genetic structure in a previously extirpated population of gray wolves following reintroduction and natural recolonization
Genetic structuring in wildlife populations is driven by barriers that restrict gene flow as well as the history of population demography. Mechanisms driving genetic structuring can be nuanced in group-living species, such as gray wolves (Canis lupus). Behavioral factors, such as social affiliation and resistance, natal habitat imprinting, and trade-offs between dispersal from natal...
Authors
Heather R. Clendenin, David Edward Ausband, Jennifer R. Adams, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Lisette P. Waits
Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State
Smoke from new fire regimes driven by climate change may affect biodiversity in new regions of the world. Wildfires that occurred in eastern Canada in 2023 burned nearly 7.8 million hectares of forest, sending smoke throughout the northeastern United States. We leveraged passive acoustic monitoring to investigate real-time effects of wildfire smoke on vocalization behavior of globally...
Authors
Trifosa I. Simamora, Timothy J. Boycott, Conner M. Wood, Steven Mark Grodsky
Diverse cyanopeptides follow distinct temporal succession patterns in freshwater harmful algal blooms Diverse cyanopeptides follow distinct temporal succession patterns in freshwater harmful algal blooms
Toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) threaten freshwater resources globally and are intensifying with increasing eutrophication. Bloom toxicity is strongly influenced by intraspecific variation in the biosynthetic repertoires of toxic cyanobacteria, yet few studies examine the diversity of cyanobacterial cyanopeptides beyond hepatotoxic microcystins. To understand the...
Authors
Lauren N. Hart, Reagan Errera, Casey Godwin, Keith Loftin, Zachary R. Laughrey, Leon R. Katona, Emma C. Johnson, Rose M. Cory, E. Anders Kiledal, Paul Den Uyl, Jenan J. Kharbush, David H. Sherman, Gregory J. Dick
Generating geochemical and mineralogy distributions of soil in the conterminous United States using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models Generating geochemical and mineralogy distributions of soil in the conterminous United States using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models
Characterizing geochemical and mineralogical soil distributions across large spatial extents is essential for understanding mineral resources, ecosystem processes, and environmental risks. Rasters of soil geochemical distributions for the conterminous United States, however, are limited. We present a Bayesian modeling workflow and tool for generating predictive geochemical and mineralogy
Authors
Kristin J. Bondo, Tiffany M. Wolf, W. David Walter
Seasonal drivers of density in a subarctic population of northern red-backed voles Seasonal drivers of density in a subarctic population of northern red-backed voles
Northern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys rutilus) are an important species in the boreal forest ecosystem, both as herbivores and as a key food source for many mammalian and avian predators. They exhibit dramatic inter- and intra-annual population fluctuations, for which causes are not entirely known. We monitored northern red-backed vole densities in Denali National Park and Preserve...
Authors
Sarah Swanson, Melanie J. Flamme, Joshua H. Schmidt, Shawn M. Crimmins, Carl A. Roland, Knut Kielland
Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes
The temperature-size rule states that species living in warmer temperatures will grow faster and mature earlier at smaller sizes. While several studies have documented patterns in average body size consistent with the temperature-size rule in wild populations, a comprehensive test is lacking. Here, we use age and length data of 1.4 million fish across 7 species from 2704 lakes to...
Authors
George C. Brooks, Paul N. Frater, Olaf P. Jensen, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Craig Paukert, Michael Verhoeven, Lyndsie Wszola, Luoliang Xu, Zachary S. Feiner