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: 77868
Evaluation of remote mapping techniques for earthquake-triggered landslide inventories in an urban subarctic environment: A case study of the 2018 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake Evaluation of remote mapping techniques for earthquake-triggered landslide inventories in an urban subarctic environment: A case study of the 2018 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake
Earthquake-induced landslide inventories can be generated using field observations but doing so can be challenging if the affected landscape is large or inaccessible after an earthquake. Remote sensing data can be used to help overcome these limitations. The effectiveness of remotely sensed data to produce landslide inventories, however, is dependent on a variety of factors, such as the...
Authors
Sabrina N. Martinez, Lauren N. Schaefer, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson
Spatial ecology of invasive Burmese pythons in southwestern Florida Spatial ecology of invasive Burmese pythons in southwestern Florida
Understanding the spatial ecology of an invasive species is critical for designing effective control programs. Determining and quantifying home range estimates and habitat associations can streamline targeted removal efforts for wide-ranging, cryptic animals. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is a large-bodied constrictor snake with an established and expanding invasive population...
Authors
Ian A. Bartoszek, Brian J. Smith, Robert Reed, Kristen Hart
A massive rock and ice avalanche caused the 2021 disaster at Chamoli, Indian Himalaya A massive rock and ice avalanche caused the 2021 disaster at Chamoli, Indian Himalaya
On 7 Feb 2021, a catastrophic mass flow descended the Ronti Gad, Rishiganga, and Dhauliganga valleys in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India, causing widespread devastation and severely damaging two hydropower projects. Over 200 people were killed or are missing. Our analysis of satellite imagery, seismic records, numerical model results, and eyewitness videos reveals that ~27x106 m3 of rock and...
Authors
D. H. Shugar, Mylene Jacquemart, D. Shean, S. Bhushan, K. Upadhyay, A. Sattar, W. Schwanghart, Sara K. McBride, M. Van Wyk de Vries, M. Mergili, A. Emmer, C. Deschamps-Berger, M. McDonnell, R. Bhambri, S. Allen, E. Berthier, J.L. Carrivick, J.J. Clague, M. Dokukin, S.A. Dunning, Herbert Frey, S. Gascoin, U. K. Haritashya, C. Huggel, A. Kaab, J.S. Kargel, J.L. Kavanaugh, P. Lacroix, D. N. Petley, S. Rupper, M.F. Azam, S.J. Cook, A.P. Dimri, M. Eriksson, D. Farinotti, J. Fiddes, K.R. Gnyawali, S. Harrison, M.K. Jha, M. Koppes, S. Kumar, S. Leiness, U. Majeed, S. Mai, A. Muhuri, J. Noetzli, F. Paul, I. Rashid, K. Sain, J. Steiner, F. Ugalde, C.S. Watson, M.J. Westoby
A near-real-time model for estimating probability of road obstruction due to earthquake-triggered landslides A near-real-time model for estimating probability of road obstruction due to earthquake-triggered landslides
Coseismic landslides are a major source of transportation disruption in mountainous areas, but few approaches exist for rapidly estimating impacts to road networks. We develop a model that links the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) near-real-time earthquake-triggered landslide hazard model with Open Street Map (OSM) road network data to rapidly estimate segment-level obstruction risk...
Authors
B.H. Wilson, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson
Evidence for variable precipitation and discharge from Upper Cretaceous–Paleogene fluvial deposits of the Raton Basin, Colorado–New Mexico, U.S.A. Evidence for variable precipitation and discharge from Upper Cretaceous–Paleogene fluvial deposits of the Raton Basin, Colorado–New Mexico, U.S.A.
The Raton Basin of Colorado–New Mexico, USA, is the southeasternmost basin of the Laramide intraforeland province of North America. It hosts a thick succession (4.5 km or 15,000 ft) of Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene marine and continental strata that were deposited in response to the final regression of the Western Interior Seaway and the onset of Laramide intraforeland deformation. The...
Authors
Theresa Maude Schwartz, Marieke Dechesne, Kristine L. Zellman
Age-structured Jolly-Seber model expands inference and improves parameter estimation from capture-recapture data Age-structured Jolly-Seber model expands inference and improves parameter estimation from capture-recapture data
Understanding the influence of individual attributes on demographic processes is a key objective of wildlife population studies. Capture-recapture and age data are commonly collected to investigate hypotheses about survival, reproduction, and viability. We present a novel age-structured Jolly-Seber model that incorporates age and capture-recapture data to provide comprehensive...
Authors
Nathan J. Hostetter, Nicholas J. Lunn, Evan S. Richardson, Eric V. Regehr, Sarah J. Converse
Confirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945, United States Confirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945, United States
Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease’s reported emergence.
Authors
Jeffrey M. Lorch, Steven J. Price, Julia S. Lankton, Andrea N. Drayer
Trophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum Trophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum
Instream barriers can constrain dispersal of nonnative fishes, creating opportunities to test their impact on native communities above and below these barriers. Deposition of sediments in a river inflow to Lake Powell, USA resulted in creation of a large waterfall prohibiting upstream movement of fishes from the reservoir allowing us to evaluate the trophic niche of fishes above and...
Authors
Casey A. Pennock, Zachary T. Ahrens, Mark McKinstry, Phaedra E. Budy, Keith B. Gido
Hydropeaking intensity and dam proximity limit aquatic invertebrate diversity in the Colorado River Basin Hydropeaking intensity and dam proximity limit aquatic invertebrate diversity in the Colorado River Basin
River biodiversity is threatened globally by hydropower dams, and there is a need to understand how dam management favors certain species while filtering out others. We examined aquatic invertebrate communities within the tailwaters 0–24 km downstream of seven large hydropower dams in the Colorado River Basin of the western United States. We quantified aquatic invertebrate dominance...
Authors
Erin Abernathy, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Theodore Kennedy, Jonathan D. Tonkin, Richard Van Driesche, David A. Lytle
Disease or drought: Environmental fluctuations release zebra from a potential pathogen-triggered ecological trap Disease or drought: Environmental fluctuations release zebra from a potential pathogen-triggered ecological trap
When a transmission hotspot for an environmentally persistent pathogen establishes in otherwise high-quality habitat, the disease may exert a strong impact on a host population. However, fluctuating environmental conditions lead to heterogeneity in habitat quality and animal habitat preference, which may interrupt the overlap between selected and risky habitats. We evaluated spatio...
Authors
Yen-Hua Huang, Hendrina Joel, Martina Küsters, Zoe R. Barandongo, Claudine C. Cloete, Axel Hartmann, Pauline L. Kamath, J. Werner Kilian, John K.E. Mfune, Gabriel Shatumbu, Royi Zidon, Wayne M. Getz, Wendy Christine Turner
Migration patterns and wintering distribution of common loons breeding in the Upper Midwest Migration patterns and wintering distribution of common loons breeding in the Upper Midwest
Identification of geographic linkages among breeding, migratory and wintering common loon Gavia immer populations is needed to inform regional and national conservation planning efforts and compensation of loons lost during marine oil spill events. Satellite telemetry and archival geolocator tags were used to determine the migration patterns and wintering locations of breeding adult and...
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Brian R. Gray, Darryl J. Heard, Michael W. Meyer, Timothy J. Fox, Robert Kratt, Scott L. Ford, Anette Gendron-Fitzpatrick, Carrol L. Henderson
Biotic vs abiotic controls on temporal sensitivity of primary production to precipitation across North American drylands Biotic vs abiotic controls on temporal sensitivity of primary production to precipitation across North American drylands
Dryland net primary productivity (NPP) is sensitive to temporal variation in precipitation (PPT), but the magnitude of this ‘temporal sensitivity’ varies spatially. Hypotheses for spatial variation in temporal sensitivity have often emphasized abiotic factors, such as moisture limitation, while overlooking biotic factors, such as vegetation structure.We tested these hypotheses using...
Authors
Andrew J Felton, Robert K Shriver, John B. Bradford, Katharine N. Suding, Brady W Allred, Peter B. Adler