Articles

Mining-related contaminants such as selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer through aquatic food webs, where they can exert toxic effect undermining the ecological health of aquatic resources. Yet, how Se and Hg co-distribute within food webs and within individual organisms remains poorly understood. We compiled muscle and ovary Se and Hg concentration...

Extensive mortalities of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), often called “Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome” (URMS), have been documented during the fall in creeks where water quality has been degraded by roadway runoff. The primary cause of mortality is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ; N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone)–an ozone transformation product that forms on all...

Distinguishing stream metal loading caused by mine features from that caused by natural background sources remains challenging, yet this distinction is essential for making effective remedial decisions at many legacy mine sites. We combine a stream tracer injection and synoptic sampling study with data from shallow near-stream groundwater wells to estimate left-bank versus right-bank...

Thousands of Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) die annually in the Upper Mississippi River System, USA, from intestinal infections after birds consume exotic faucet snails, Bithynia tentaculata, infected with introduced parasites, Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus. To date, the low frequency (biannual) and magnitude of mortality events from intestinal infections...

On Earth and Mars, aeolian transport causes sand grains to become abraded, resulting in mineralogic and textural changes. Understanding how sands evolve, or mature, with transport via experimental studies is important for understanding the origins, geologic history, and cycling of sediments, as well as dust production. Previous experimental works have used a variety of methods to...

This research focusses on three satellite-derived bathymetry methods and optical satellite instruments: (1) a stereo photogrammetry bathymetry module (SaTSeaD) developed for the NASA Ames stereo pipeline open-source software (version 3.6.0) using stereo WorldView data; (2) physics-based radiative transfer equations (PBSDB) using Landsat data; and (3) a modified composite band-ratio...

There has been a growing interest in integrating geological and ecological processes for sustainable river management and restoration. Lotic systems are shaped by diverse physical processes, including geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and interactions with terrestrial processes. However, restoration practices often prioritize specific habitats or river forms without fully considering...

The U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) have been designated due to significant environmental degradation, with multiple Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) requiring remediation before delisting. The “fish tumors or other deformities” BUI remains at the Sheboygan River and the Lower Green Bay and Fox River AOCs, necessitating evaluation in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), a...

The 29 July 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake was the sixth largest instrumentally recorded earthquake. This event was seismically well observed at regional and teleseismic distances, but publicly available near‐source data were sparse at the time of the event, presenting unique challenges for rapid source and impact characterization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National...

With frequent wildfires, powerful rainstorms, steep terrain, and dense population, California is particularly vulnerable to postfire hazards like flooding and debris flow. Major postfire flooding and debris-flow events can be more costly than the fire itself, causing dozens of fatalities and widespread damage (Chawner, 1934; Lancaster et al., 2021). Smaller events occur nearly every year...

No abstract available.

The management of acid mine drainage (AMD) impacted catchments, such as the Odiel River basin, in southwestern Spain, prioritizes reclamation to meet water resources needs. Assessing water composition across its watercourses is needed to identify major AMD contributors and potentially guide remediation efforts. An equilibrium-based mixing model was developed to simulate AMD pollutant...