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: 78915
Retrospective stepwise prioritization of chemicals detected in Great Lakes tributaries (2008–2018) Retrospective stepwise prioritization of chemicals detected in Great Lakes tributaries (2008–2018)
Through the U.S. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a 10-year, multiagency chemical monitoring effort was undertaken across the Great Lakes. In this effort, 586 chemicals were monitored and 334 were detected in grab/composite water samples. To help inform potential future actions, a stepwise prioritization framework was used to identify compounds for which publicly accessible water...
Authors
Erin M. Maloney, Steven R. Corsi, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Laura A. DeCicco, John R. Frisch, Niel Fuller, Austin K. Baldwin, Kimani Kimbrough, Michael Edwards, Stephanie L. Hummel, Natalia G. Vinas, Daniel L. Villeneuve
Deep critical zone controls on shallow landslides Deep critical zone controls on shallow landslides
The deep critical zone (CZ) has long been recognized for its importance in influencing shallow landslides but was not considered feasible to include in slope stability models at the watershed scale. In this study, we demonstrate that simple approximations of the CZ in a fully coupled hydrologic and soil slope stability model can effectively capture the location, timing, and likely size...
Authors
Seulgi Moon, Giuseppe Formetta, Justin T. Higa, Riccardo Busti, Dino G. Bellugi, David G. Milledge, Brian A. Ebel, William E. Dietrich
Moose indifferent to canopy loss from forest disturbance by bark beetles Moose indifferent to canopy loss from forest disturbance by bark beetles
Conifer forests have experienced widespread disturbance following the infestation of bark beetles (Dendroctonus spp.). Tree mortality and resulting canopy loss have altered forest composition in ways that could affect moose (Alces alces), including potential benefits from increased understory forage and drawbacks through the loss of refuge from heat and deep snow. We examined the...
Authors
Alexander B. May, Rebecca L. Levine, Lee Knox, Corey Class, Matthew J. Kauffman, Kevin L. Monteith
Is new actually better? A structural comparison of collaborative governance structures for the management of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Maine Is new actually better? A structural comparison of collaborative governance structures for the management of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Maine
Collaborative governance structures (CGS) have been increasingly adopted to address joint-jurisdictional management challenges. While the establishment of CGSs has been widely studied, their practical development has remained a conspicuous gap. CGSs are variable systems with several developmental stages (activation, collectivity, and institutionalization) which eventually lead to...
Authors
Melissa E. Flye, Carly C. Sponarski, Danielle Frechette, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Behavioral shifts mask the success of legislation and outreach for endangered species recovery Behavioral shifts mask the success of legislation and outreach for endangered species recovery
A fundamental challenge in conservation is assessing the efficacy of recovery actions to optimize endangered species management. Considerable recent attention has focused on effective measures to counter the endangerment of avian scavengers, which have declined worldwide, primarily due to poisoning. One iconic example is efforts to recover the critically endangered California condor...
Authors
Victoria J. Bakker, Daniel F. Doak, Alacia Welch, L. Joseph Burnett, María C. Porras Peña, Joseph Brandt, Sharon A. Poessel, Steve Kirkland, Rachel Wolstenholme, Daniel Ryan, Mike Stake, Arianna Punzalan, Nacho Vilchis, Melissa A. Braham, Myra E. Finkelstein
Moving toward a more human-oriented analysis of urban heat: Examining differences of heat exposure intensity at busy commuting locations Moving toward a more human-oriented analysis of urban heat: Examining differences of heat exposure intensity at busy commuting locations
Examining urban thermal environments has become a critical area of research spanning epidemiology, urban planning, and ecology. While traditional metrics like air temperature (Tair) and satellite-derived surface temperature dominate urban heat studies, these measures often fail to reflect how people actually experience thermal exposure intensity. More human-oriented metrics, such as mean...
Authors
Peter Christian Ibsen, Melissa R. McHale, Priyanka deSouza, Logan Steinharter, Carl Green, James E. Diffendorfer, Travis Warziniak
New constraints on northeast Seattle basin structure from converted seismic waves New constraints on northeast Seattle basin structure from converted seismic waves
The Seattle basin is a deep sedimentary basin in the Seattle–Bellevue, Washington metropolitan area within the Puget Lowland of Washington State. We determine the structure of a portion of the basin and the underlying basement using analysis of P waves converted from direct S incident from below. A deep local crustal event beneath Monroe, about 35 km northeast of Seattle, was recorded by...
Authors
Frederick Pollitz, Ian P. Stone, Audrey M. Dunham, Erin A. Wirth
Regreening, restoring, and reconnecting a southwestern wetland ecosystem – the Zeedyk wetland Regreening, restoring, and reconnecting a southwestern wetland ecosystem – the Zeedyk wetland
Alluvial wetland ecosystems are vital as biodiversity hotspots but are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors and drought. These pressures are especially acute in arid and semi-arid regions, where eco-hydrologic connectivity is fragile and recovery is slow. This study quantifies the efficacy of nature-based solutions, particularly the ‘Zeedyk approach,’ which employs low-tech...
Authors
Roy E. Petrakis, Laura M. Norman, Maryann McGraw, Steve Carson, Craig Sponholtz, Cameron Weber, Bill D. Zeedyk
The Global Observation System for Mercury dataset for mercury stable isotope signatures in environmental media The Global Observation System for Mercury dataset for mercury stable isotope signatures in environmental media
The natural variability in the abundance ratios of stable isotopes of mercury (Hg), which collectively forms its isotopic composition, provides information on Hg sources and biogeochemical pathways. Modern mass spectrometry has allowed for measurement of Hg isotope ratios across atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial compartments, often at trace levels. Since realizing the utility of Hg...
Authors
Jeroen E Sonke, Sae Yun Kwon, Jason D. Demers, Wang Zheng, Moonkyoung Cho, Hoin Lee, Demetra A. Williams, Ryan Lepak, Sarah E. Janssen
Unprecedented burning in tropical peatlands during the 20th century compared to the previous two millennia Unprecedented burning in tropical peatlands during the 20th century compared to the previous two millennia
Tropical peatland wildfire incidence has risen in recent decades, driven by drainage for land use and intensified by severe droughts with global climate change. These disturbances have altered vegetation structure, disrupted ecosystem functioning, and increased carbon emissions, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, the long-term history and characteristics of wildfires in tropical...
Authors
Yuwan Wang, Ted R. Feldpausch, Graeme T. Swindles, Patrick Moss, Hamish A. McGowan, Thomas G. Sim, Paul J. Morris, Adam Benfield, Colin Courtney-Mustaphi, David Wahl, Encarni Montoya, Esther N. Githumbi, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Femke Augustijns, Gert Verstraeten, Jess O'Donnell, John Tibby, Juan C. Benavides, K. Anggi Hapsari, Karsten Schittek, Khairun Nisha Mohamed Ramdzan, Kunshan Bao, Lydia E. Cole, Lysanna Anderson, Mariusz Galka, Orijemie Emuobosa Akpo, Paul Strobel, Prabhakaran Ramya Bala, Rene Dommain, Rob Marchant, Raman Sukumar, Sakonvan Chawchai, Sarath Pullyottum Kavil, Scott Mooney, Thomas J. Kelly, Yang Gao, Apostolos Voulgarakis, Arnoud Boom, Chantelle Burton, Juan Carlos Berrio, Kelly Ribeiro, Liana O. Anderson, Mark Hardiman, Molly Spater, Susan E. Page, Angela Gallego-Sala
Sackung at Bald Eagle ridge, central Colorado: An updated interpretation of ridge-spreading movement, structures, and mechanisms from 50 years (1975–2025) of U.S. Geological Survey research Sackung at Bald Eagle ridge, central Colorado: An updated interpretation of ridge-spreading movement, structures, and mechanisms from 50 years (1975–2025) of U.S. Geological Survey research
Slow gravitational failures of mountain peaks and ridges are poorly understood. Herein, we report on 50 years of studies at a slowly spreading castellate ridge in the Sawatch Range in central Colorado. The orientations of geomorphic-structural features indicate that the fractured Precambrian granitic rock underlying the ridge has extended and spread northwestward toward the formerly...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Coe, Nikita N. Avdievitch, Kate E. Allstadt, Elaine A. Collins, Erin K. Jensen, Olivia J. Hoch, Lauren N. Schaefer, Chester A. Ruleman, Jonathan W. Godt, Vince Matthews
Current and near-future conditions of aquatic spatial data for use in ecological models in the United States Current and near-future conditions of aquatic spatial data for use in ecological models in the United States
To address increasing demand for ecological models of aquatic species that can inform the management of national freshwater resources, we leveraged manager input to develop suites of environmental data layers characterizing freshwater habitats for the contiguous United States. Using the National Hydrography Dataset, these new data cover lentic and lotic systems under current and near...
Authors
Grace C. Henderson, Peder Engelstad, Cameron J. Reimer, Shelby K. LeClare, Linnea S. Fraser, Demetra A. Williams, Keana S. Shadwell, Wesley M. Daniel, Ian A. Pfingsten, Catherine S. Jarnevich