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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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Getting ahead of flash drought: From early warning to early action Getting ahead of flash drought: From early warning to early action
Flash droughts, characterized by their unusually rapid intensification, have garnered increasing attention within the weather, climate, agriculture, and ecological communities in recent years due to their large environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Because flash droughts intensify quickly, they require different early warning capabilities and management approaches than are typically...
Authors
Jason A. Otkin, Molly Woloszyn, Hailan Wang, Mark Svoboda, Marina Skumanich, Roger Pulwarty, Joel Lisonbee, Andrew Hoell, Mike Hobbins, Tonya Haigh, Amanda E. Cravens
Survival and growth of four floodplain forest species in an Upper Mississippi River underplanting Survival and growth of four floodplain forest species in an Upper Mississippi River underplanting
Forest restoration efforts commonly occur in degraded ecosystems. For the floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River, the combination of aging canopy trees and expansion of invasive species such as reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) can shift forested ecosystems to open meadows. Before this shift occurs, there may be opportunities to proactively underplant. Our study...
Authors
Marcella Windemuller-Campione, Molly Van Appledorn, Andrew R. Meier, Laura F. Reuling
Using Landsat and MODIS satellite collections to examine extent, timing, and potential impacts of surface water inundation in California croplands☆ Using Landsat and MODIS satellite collections to examine extent, timing, and potential impacts of surface water inundation in California croplands☆
The state of California, United States of America produces many crop products that are both utilized domestically and exported throughout the world. With nearly 39,000 km2 of croplands, monitoring unintentional and intentional surface water inundation is important for water resource management and flood hazard readiness. We examine inundation dynamics in California croplands from 2003 to...
Authors
Britt Windsor Smith, Christopher E. Soulard, Jessica J. Walker, Anne Wein
Shelf ecosystems along the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain prior to and during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Insights into the stratigraphic architecture Shelf ecosystems along the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain prior to and during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Insights into the stratigraphic architecture
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is the most pronounced global warming event of the early Paleogene related to atmospheric CO2 increases. It is characterized by negative δ18O and δ13C excursions recorded in sedimentary archives and a transient disruption of the marine biosphere. Sites from the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain show an additional small, but distinct δ13C excursion...
Authors
Monika Doubrawa, Peter Stassen, Marci M. Robinson, Tali Babila, James Zachos, Robert P. Speijer
Scat as a source of DNA for population monitoring Scat as a source of DNA for population monitoring
Sampling fecal droppings (scat) to genetically identify individual animals is an established method for monitoring mammal populations and could be highly useful for monitoring reptile populations. Whereas existing protocols for obtaining DNA from reptile scat focus on analyses of whole, fresh scat deposited during animal handling, the collection of scat naturally deposited by reptiles in...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Manning, Taylor Edwards, John Clemons, Daniel J. Leavitt, Caren S. Goldberg, Melanie Culver
The socioecology of fear: A critical geographical consideration of human-wolf-livestock conflict The socioecology of fear: A critical geographical consideration of human-wolf-livestock conflict
Animal fear can be an important driver of ecological community structure: predators affect prey not only through predation, but by inducing changes in behavior and distribution—a phenomenon evocatively called the “ecology of fear.” The return of wolves to the western United States is a notable instance of such dynamics, yet plays out in a complex socio-ecological system where efforts to...
Authors
Robert M. Anderson, Susan Charnley, Kathleen Epstein, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Jeff Vance Martin, Michael C Mcinturff
The future of fungi: Threats and opportunities The future of fungi: Threats and opportunities
The fungal kingdom represents an extraordinary diversity of organisms with profound impacts across animal, plant, and ecosystem health. Fungi simultaneously support life, by forming beneficial symbioses with plants and producing life-saving medicines, and bring death, by causing devastating diseases in humans, plants, and animals. With climate change, increased antimicrobial resistance...
Authors
Nicola T. Case, Judith Berman, David S. Blehert, Robert A. Cramer, Christina A. Cuomo, Cameron R. Currie, Iuliana V. Ene, Matthew C. Fisher, Lillian K. Fritz-Laylin, Aleeza C. Gerstein, N. Louise Glass, Neil A. R. Gow, Sarah J. Gurr, Chris Todd Hittinger, Tobias M. Hohl, Iliyan D. Iliev, Timothy Y. James, Hailing Jin, Bruce S. Klein, James W. Kronstad, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Victoria McGovern, Aaron P. Mitchell, Julia A. Segre, Rebecca S. Shapiro, Donald C. Sheppard, Anita Sil, Jason E. Stajich, Eva E. Stukenbrock, John W. Taylor, Dawn Thompson, Gerard D. Wright, Joseph Heitman, Leah E. Cowen
Toward next-generation lava flow forecasting: Development of a fast, physics-based lava propagation model Toward next-generation lava flow forecasting: Development of a fast, physics-based lava propagation model
During effusive volcanic crises, the eruption and propagation of lava flows pose a significant hazard to nearby populations, homes, and infrastructure. Consequently, timely lava flow forecasts are a critical need for volcano observatory and emergency management operations. Previous lava flow modeling tools are typically either too slow to produce timely forecasts, or are fast, but lack...
Authors
David M.R. Hyman, Hannah R. Dietterich, Matthew R. Patrick
Modeling protected species distributions and habitats to inform siting and management of pioneering ocean industries: A case study for Gulf of Mexico aquaculture Modeling protected species distributions and habitats to inform siting and management of pioneering ocean industries: A case study for Gulf of Mexico aquaculture
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) provides a process that uses spatial data and models to evaluate environmental, social, economic, cultural, and management trade-offs when siting (i.e., strategically locating) ocean industries. Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food sector in the world. The United States (U.S.) has substantial opportunity for offshore aquaculture development given the size...
Authors
Nicholas A Farmer, Jessica R Powell, James A Morris, Melissa S Soldevilla, Lisa C. Wickliffe, Jonathan A Jossart, Jonathan K MacKay, Alyssa L Randall, Gretchen E Bath, Penny Ruvelas, Laura Gray, Jennifer Lee, Wendy Piniak, Lance Garrison, Robert Hardy, Kristen Hart, Christopher Sasso, Lesley Stokes, Kenneth L Riley
Very high Middle Miocene surface productivity on the U.S. mid-Atlantic shelf amid glacioeustatic sea level variability Very high Middle Miocene surface productivity on the U.S. mid-Atlantic shelf amid glacioeustatic sea level variability
The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) provides important insights into how the climate system operates under elevated temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels. Few western North Atlantic paleotemperature or paleoecological records exist from the MCO, despite their importance for understanding both regional and global climate dynamics. Here we present quantitative MCO paleoecological data...
Authors
Marci M. Robinson, Harry J. Dowsett, Timothy D. Herbert
Assessing human resources development in volcano observatories using the knowledge, attitude, and practice survey Assessing human resources development in volcano observatories using the knowledge, attitude, and practice survey
The purpose of this study was to assess the role played by the International Training Course, given by the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV) at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, in the development of human resources for volcano observatory staff around the world. The study design included a literature review, interviews with representatives from 10 national volcano...
Authors
Juan Pablo Sarmiento, Catalina Sarmiento, David W. Ramsey, Darcy Bevens
Diversity in spawning habitat use among Great Lakes Cisco populations Diversity in spawning habitat use among Great Lakes Cisco populations
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) once dominated fish communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Restoring the abundance and distribution of this species has emerged as a management priority, yet our understanding of Cisco spawning habitat use is insufficient to characterise habitat needs for these populations and assess whether availability of suitable spawning habitat could be a constraint to...
Authors
Matthew R. Paufve, Suresh Sethi, Brian Weidel, Brian F. Lantry, Daniel L. Yule, Lars G. Rudstam, Jory L. Jonas, Eric K. Berglund, Michael J. Connerton, Dimitry Gorsky, Matthew Herbert, Jason Smith