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Science Quality and Integrity
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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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Credit where credit is due Credit where credit is due
Credit is the currency of science. Scientists are evaluated and promoted in their jobs and professional communities on the basis of their recognized contributions to science. Unlike a financial contribution, a scientific contribution is difficult to measure. Traditionally, credit for scientific contributions has been given through authorship and citations in scientific literature as well...
Authors
Mark A. Parsons, Daniel S. Katz, Madison Langseth, Hampapuram Ramapriyan, Sarah Ramdeen
Earthquakes indicated stress field change during the 2006 unrest of Augustine Volcano, Alaska Earthquakes indicated stress field change during the 2006 unrest of Augustine Volcano, Alaska
To examine controls on the local stress field at Augustine Volcano, Alaska, before its 2006 eruption, we calculated fault plane solutions for volcano-tectonic earthquakes from 2002 to 2006. The P-axis orientation was first aligned to the regional maximum compression (NW) and then rotated by about 90° (perpendicular to the dike alignment) after the onset of surface deformation in mid...
Authors
Yan Zhan, Diana Roman, Helene Le Mevel, John Power
Value of information: Exploring behavioral and social factors Value of information: Exploring behavioral and social factors
There is growing interest within and beyond the economics community in assessing the value of information (VOI) used in decision making. VOI assessments often do not consider the complex behavioral and social factors that affect the perception, valuation, and use of information by individuals and groups. Additionally, VOI assessments frequently do not examine the full suite of...
Authors
Pierre D. Glynn, Scott J. Chiavacci, Charles Rhodes, Jennifer Helgeson, Carl D. Shapiro, Crista L. Straub
Late Cretaceous time-transgressive onset of Laramide arch exhumation and basin subsidence across northern Arizona−New Mexico, USA, and the role of a dehydrating Farallon flat slab Late Cretaceous time-transgressive onset of Laramide arch exhumation and basin subsidence across northern Arizona−New Mexico, USA, and the role of a dehydrating Farallon flat slab
Spatiotemporal constraints for Late Cretaceous tectonism across the Colorado Plateau and southern Rocky Mountains (northern Arizona−New Mexico, USA) are interpreted in regards to Laramide orogenic mechanisms. Onset of Laramide arch development is estimated from cooling recorded in representative thermochronologic samples in a three-step process of initial forward models, secondary HeFTy...
Authors
Jacob Thacker, Karl Karlstrom, Shari Kelley, Ryan S. Crow, Jerry Kendall
Evaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy Evaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt% total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock samples from the...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Aaron M. Jubb, Patrick L. Smith, Ryan J. McAleer, Brett J. Valentine, Javin J. Hatcherian, Palma J. Botterell, Justin E. Birdwell
Using a multi-model ensemble approach to determine biodiversity hotspots with limited occurrence data in understudied areas: An example using freshwater mussels in México Using a multi-model ensemble approach to determine biodiversity hotspots with limited occurrence data in understudied areas: An example using freshwater mussels in México
Species distribution models (SDMs) are an increasingly important tool for conservation particularly for difficult-to-study locations and with understudied fauna. Our aims were to (1) use SDMs and ensemble SDMs to predict the distribution of freshwater mussels in the Pánuco River Basin in Central México; (2) determine habitat factors shaping freshwater mussel occurrence; and (3) use...
Authors
Alexander H. Kiser, Kevin S. Cummings, Jeremy S. Tiemann, Chase H. Smith, Nathan A. Johnson, Roel R. Lopez, Charles R. Randklev
Long-term effects of prescribed fire on large tree growth in mixed conifer forests at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California Long-term effects of prescribed fire on large tree growth in mixed conifer forests at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Prescribed fire in dry coniferous forests of the western U.S. is used to reduce fire hazards. How large, old trees respond to these treatments is an important management consideration. Growth is a key indicator of residual tree condition, which can be predictive of mortality and response to future disturbance. Using a combination of long-term plot records and dendrochronological samples...
Authors
Zachary Wenderott, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Calvin A. Farris, Rosemary L. Sherriff
Temperature explains the formation of a metalimnetic oxygen minimum in a deep mesotrophic lake Temperature explains the formation of a metalimnetic oxygen minimum in a deep mesotrophic lake
Green Lake, a deep mesotrophic lake located in a primarily agricultural watershed in central Wisconsin, USA, has experienced annual metalimnetic oxygen minima since the early 20th century. However, the severity of the phenomenon has increased over time, and late-summer dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations have typically been
Authors
Cory P. McDonald, Mahta Naziri Saeed, Dale M. Robertson, Stephanie Prellwitz
Accessibility of environmental data for sharing: The role of UX in large cyberinfrastructure projects Accessibility of environmental data for sharing: The role of UX in large cyberinfrastructure projects
Incorporating user experience (UX) testing when creating research cyberinfrastructure is often overlooked, but if left too late, the cost of retrofitting is considerable, and the very clients the cyberinfrastructure was built to serve may be lost. Successfully integrating UX testing into the product development cycle can be difficult but rewarding. This paper describes how UX evaluations...
Authors
Rachel Volentine, Alison Specht, Suzie Allard, Mike Frame, Rachael Hu, Lisa Zolly
Quantifying the conservation status and abundance trends of wildlife communities with detection-nondetection data Quantifying the conservation status and abundance trends of wildlife communities with detection-nondetection data
Effective conservation requires understanding species' abundance patterns and demographic rates across space and time. Ideally, such knowledge should be available for whole communities, as variation in species' dynamics can elucidate factors leading to biodiversity losses. However, collecting data to simultaneously estimate abundance and demographic rates is often prohibitively time...
Authors
Matthew T Farr, Timothy O O’Brien, Charles B. Yackulic, Elise F. Zipkin
Evaluation for internal consistency in the thermodynamic network involving fluorite, cryolite and villiaumite solubilities and aqueous species at 25°C and 1 bar Evaluation for internal consistency in the thermodynamic network involving fluorite, cryolite and villiaumite solubilities and aqueous species at 25°C and 1 bar
Thermodynamic data are constrained by the interrelated thermodynamic equations in addition to the observational measurements and their uncertainties. The consequence is a network of thermodynamic properties that can be evaluated for their internal consistency. In this study, three fluoride minerals that can cause high fluoride concentrations in groundwaters are evaluated for their...
Authors
D. Kirk Nordstrom
Hybrid enrichment of adaptive variation revealed by genotype-environment associations in montane sedges Hybrid enrichment of adaptive variation revealed by genotype-environment associations in montane sedges
The role of hybridization in diversification is complex and may result in many possible outcomes. Not only can hybridization produce new lineages, but those lineages may contain unique combinations of adaptive genetic variation derived from parental taxa that allow hybrid-origin lineages to occupy unique environmental space relative to one (or both) parents. We document such a case of
Authors
Richard G.J. Hodel, Robert Massatti, L Lacey Knowles