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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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A late Cenozoic kinematic model for fault motion within greater Cascadia A late Cenozoic kinematic model for fault motion within greater Cascadia
Widely accepted tectonic reconstructions indicate at least 100 km of coast-parallel northwestward translation of the Sierra Nevada block of California and 15–20° clockwise rotation of most of Oregon since the current phase of Basin and Range extension began ∼17 Ma. These reconstructions require at least 100 km of convergence between the central Coast Range of Oregon and rigid North...
Authors
Douglas S. Wilson, Patricia A. McCrory
Temporal mismatch in space use by a sagebrush obligate species after large-scale wildfire Temporal mismatch in space use by a sagebrush obligate species after large-scale wildfire
The increase in size and frequency of wildfires in sagebrush steppe ecosystems has significant impacts on sagebrush obligate species. We modeled seasonal habitat use by female greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Trout Creek Mountains of Oregon and Nevada, USA, to identify landscape characteristics that influenced sage-grouse habitat selection and to create predictive...
Authors
Elizabeth M. Schuyler, Christian A. Hagen, Christopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Katie M. Dugger
Quantitative SWOT analysis: A structured and collaborative approach to reintroduction site selection for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse Quantitative SWOT analysis: A structured and collaborative approach to reintroduction site selection for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse
Species extinction and loss of biodiversity are major crises in the Anthropocene. Translocations of threatened and endangered species, the movement of individuals to augment existing or establish new populations, are increasingly important conservation tools, but have historically had limited success. Selection of a suitable receiver site is essential to translocation success, with poor...
Authors
Rachel Y. Chock, William B Miller, Shauna N D King, Cheryl S. Brehme, Robert N. Fisher, Hans Sin, Peggy Wilcox, Jill Terp, Scott Tremor, Matthew R Major, Korie Merrill, Wayne D Spencer, Sherri Sullivan, Deborah M Shier
Efficacy of secondary electric fences at preventing direct contact among white-tailed deer Efficacy of secondary electric fences at preventing direct contact among white-tailed deer
Free-ranging and captive cervid herds are at risk for chronic wasting disease transmission from direct contacts at fences, so we explored the use of a secondary electric fence to prevent contacts in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Using a captive herd of white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania, USA, we tested the efficacy of two electric fence designs (one three-strand and one six...
Authors
Renee M. Khouri, Donald C. Wagner, W. David Walter
A conceptual framework to integrate biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem service models A conceptual framework to integrate biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem service models
Global biodiversity and ecosystem service models typically operate independently. Ecosystem service projections thus may be overly optimistic because they do not account for the role of biodiversity in maintaining ecological functions underpinning their provision. We review models used in recent global model intercomparison projects and develop a novel model integration framework to more...
Authors
Sarah R. Weiskopf, Bonnie J.E. Myers, Maria Isabel Arce-Plata, Julia L. Blanchard, Simon Ferrier, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Mike Harfoot, Forest Isbell, Justin A. Johnson, Akira S. Mori, Ensheng Weng, Zuzana Harmáčková, Maria Cecilia Londono-Murcia, Brian W. Miller, Laura M. Pereira, Isabel M.D. Rosa
Coupling near-surface geomorphology with mangrove community diversity at the estuarine scale: A case study at Dongzhaigang Bay, China Coupling near-surface geomorphology with mangrove community diversity at the estuarine scale: A case study at Dongzhaigang Bay, China
Coastal wetlands are key features of the Earth’s surface and are characterized by a diverse array of coupled geomorphological and biological processes. However, the links between the distribution of biodiversity (e.g., species and structural diversity) and the formation of coastal geomorphology are not well understood on a landscape scale most useful to coastal zone managers. This study...
Authors
Guogui Chen, Wei Hong, Xuan Gu, Ken Krauss, Kaiyuan Zhao, Haifeng Fu, Luzhen Chen, Mao Wang, Wenqing Wang
Impacts of ocean-atmosphere teleconnection patterns on the south-central United States Impacts of ocean-atmosphere teleconnection patterns on the south-central United States
Recent research has linked the climate variability associated with ocean-atmosphere teleconnections to impacts rippling throughout environmental, economic, and social systems. This research reviews recent literature through 2021 in which we identify linkages among the major modes of climate variability, in the form of ocean-atmosphere teleconnections, and the impacts to temperature and
Authors
Robert V. Rohli, Gregg Snedden, Elinor R. Martin, Kristine L. DeLong
New generation hyperspectral data From DESIS compared to high spatial resolution PlanetScope data for crop type classification New generation hyperspectral data From DESIS compared to high spatial resolution PlanetScope data for crop type classification
Thoroughly investigating the characteristics of new generation hyperspectral and high spatial resolution spaceborne sensors will advance the study of agricultural crops. Therefore, we compared the performances of hyperspectral Deutsches Zentrum fur Luftund Raumfahrt- (DLR) Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) and high spatial resolution PlanetScope in classifying eight crop types...
Authors
Itiya P. Aneece, Daniel Foley, Prasad Thenkabail, Adam Oliphant, Pardhasaradhi G. Teluguntla
Engaging stakeholders to develop a decision support model of conservation risk and management capacity to prioritize investments in Bull Trout recovery Engaging stakeholders to develop a decision support model of conservation risk and management capacity to prioritize investments in Bull Trout recovery
Rarely are sufficient resources available to support the full suite of management actions to promote recovery of a species across their entire distribution. Decision support models are a tool that can inform natural resource management decisions with consideration of the perspectives from a variety of stakeholders who work across large geographic and jurisdictional extents. We offer an...
Authors
William R. Brignon, M. Brian Davis, Stephanie Gunkel, Jason B. Dunham, Michael H. Meeuwig, Chris S Allen, Shaun Clements
Characterization of vegetated and ponded wetlands with implications towards coastal wetland marsh collapse Characterization of vegetated and ponded wetlands with implications towards coastal wetland marsh collapse
Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services; yet these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to climate change stressors, especially excessive flooding from sea-level rise and storm events. This study highlights the important contribution of vegetation belowground biomass to marsh stability and identifies loss of vegetation as a critical driver of marsh collapse. We...
Authors
Jack A. Cadigan, Navid H. Jafari, Camille Stagg, Claudia Laurenzano, Brian D. Harris, Amina E. Meselhe, Jason Dugas, Brady Couvillion
From data to interpretable models: Machine learning for soil moisture forecasting From data to interpretable models: Machine learning for soil moisture forecasting
Soil moisture is critical to agricultural business, ecosystem health, and certain hydrologically driven natural disasters. Monitoring data, though, is prone to instrumental noise, wide ranging extrema, and nonstationary response to rainfall where ground conditions change. Furthermore, existing soil moisture models generally forecast poorly for time periods greater than a few hours. To...
Authors
Aniruddha Basak, Kevin M. Schmidt, Ole Mengshoel
Stratigraphy and eruption history of maars in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California Stratigraphy and eruption history of maars in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California
The Clear Lake Volcanic Field (CLVF) is the northernmost and youngest field in a chain of volcanic provinces in the California Coast Range mountains. Effusive and explosive volcanic activity in the field has spanned at least 2.1 million years, with the youngest eruptions comprising a series of maar craters at the edges of, and within, Clear Lake itself. This work documents the first...
Authors
Jessica L. Ball