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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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The systematics of stable hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes and tritium (3H) in the hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, USA The systematics of stable hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes and tritium (3H) in the hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, USA
To improve our understanding of hydrothermal activity on the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, we collected and analyzed a large data set of δ2H, δ18O, and the 3H concentrations of circum-neutral and alkaline waters. We find that (a) hot springs are fed by recharge throughout the volcanic plateau, likely focused through fractured, permeable tuff units. Previous work had stressed the...
Authors
Shaul Hurwitz, R. Blaine McCleskey, Bryant Jurgens, Jacob B. Lowenstern, Laura E. Clor, Andrew G. Hunt
Automated generation of an urban synthetic elevation checkpoint network across the North Carolina coastline, USA Automated generation of an urban synthetic elevation checkpoint network across the North Carolina coastline, USA
Lidar and structure from motion-derived digital elevation and surface models have widespread application. Consideration of a topographic model's vertical root mean squared error (RMSEz) and systematic directional bias is important for many of these applications, particularly landscape change detection and measurement. Due to logistic, resource, and time constraints, wide area remotely...
Authors
Alexander C. Seymour, Christine J. Kranenburg, Kara S. Doran
Future of coral bleaching research Future of coral bleaching research
Coral bleaching is the largest global threat to coral reef ecosystem persistence this century. Advancing our understanding of coral bleaching and developing solutions to protect corals and the reefs they support are critical. In the present article, we, the US National Science Foundation–funded Coral Bleaching Research Coordination Network, outline future directions for coral bleaching...
Authors
Andrea G. Grottoli, Ann M. Hulver, R. Vega Thurber, R. J. Toonen, E. R. Schmeltzer, Ilsa B. Kuffner, K. L. Barott, Iliana B. Baums, K. Castillo, Leila Chapron, M. A. Coffroth, D. J. Combosch, A. M.S. Correa, Eric D. Crandall, Megan Donahue, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez, Thomas Felis, C. Ferrier-Pages, Hugo B Harrison, Scott F. Heron, Danwei Huang, Adriana Humanes, Carly D. Kenkel, Thomas Krueger, Joshua Madin, Mikhail V Matz, Lisa C. McManus, Monica Medina, Erinn M. Muller, J. Padilla-Gamino, Hollie M. Putnam, Y Sawall, Tom Shlesinger, Michael J. Sweet, Christian Voolstra, V. M. Weis, Christian Wild, H. C. Wu
Ten more years of the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) on Maui, Hawaiian Islands Ten more years of the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) on Maui, Hawaiian Islands
Since the introduction of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) to Haleakalā volcano, Maui, three decades ago, subsequent reports have hinted at an expansion of this nascent population. We draw from a variety of data sources to learn about this pheasant's present status on Maui. First, forest bird surveys conducted every five years revealed that the frequency of Golden Pheasant...
Authors
Thane K Pratt, Christopher C Warren, Erika K Kekiwi, Kerri Fay, Richard J. Camp
Integrating contaminant source indicators, water quality measures, and ecotoxicity to characterize contaminant mixtures and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) variability in an urban watershed Integrating contaminant source indicators, water quality measures, and ecotoxicity to characterize contaminant mixtures and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) variability in an urban watershed
Thousands of chemical contaminants threaten watersheds but are time and cost prohibitive to monitor. Identifying their sources, transport, and ecological risk is limited in heterogeneous urban watersheds. We present an integrative watershed approach using source-specific indicator compounds, common water quality measures, and ecotoxicity assays to examine the distribution of contaminant...
Authors
J. R. Behrens, A.S. Joyce, P.L. Ferguson, Dana W. Kolpin, N. Jayasundara, N. Barbo, E.S. Bernhardt
Organic matter availability and the production of methane-derived dissolved organic carbon at methane seeps Organic matter availability and the production of methane-derived dissolved organic carbon at methane seeps
Methane seeps located along continental margins and slopes export sedimentary methane and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the ocean. The flux of these reduced carbon molecules from the seafloor into the ocean impacts ocean chemistry and supports deep-sea life. While significant effort has been made to understand how the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) regulates the release of...
Authors
Ellen Jennifer Lalk, John Pohlman, Laura Lapham
Contaminated stormwater sediment source tracking for polychlorinated biphenyls in an urban watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, United States Contaminated stormwater sediment source tracking for polychlorinated biphenyls in an urban watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, United States
Fine-grained sediment in stormwater acts as a vector for persistent organic pollutants, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), through mobilization from sources within drainage areas of impacted urban watersheds. This study implemented a novel approach to identify the relative contributions of various landscape and stream sources of sediment from the Back River watershed in eastern...
Authors
Ellie P. Foss, Zachary J. Clifton, Emily H. Majcher, Trevor P. Needham, Andrew W. Psoras
Estimating earthquake source depth using teleseismic broadband waveform modeling at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center Estimating earthquake source depth using teleseismic broadband waveform modeling at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center
The U.S. Geologic Survey National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) monitors global seismicity, producing a catalog of earthquake source parameters in near-real-time to provide information that can help mitigate the societal impact of earthquakes. The NEIC commonly relies on teleseismic observations to constrain earthquake source parameters (e.g., location, depth, magnitude, and...
Authors
William L. Yeck, Robert B. Herrmann, John Patton, William D. Barnhart, Harley M. Benz
Identification of novel hepaciviruses and Sylvilagus-associated viruses via metatranscriptomics in North American lagomorphs Identification of novel hepaciviruses and Sylvilagus-associated viruses via metatranscriptomics in North American lagomorphs
Cottontails (Sylvilagus spp.) and jackrabbits (Lepus spp.) within the Leporidae family are native to North America and are found in a wide range of habitats, including deserts, forests, and grasslands. Although there is a growing body of research describing the arrival of the highly virulent rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2, GI.2) on this continent, and its impact on native...
Authors
Maria Jenckel, Wei-Shan Chang, Emily A. Wright, Robert D. Bradley, Robert J. Dusek, Hon S. Ip, Robyn Hall, Ina Smith, Tanja Strive
2024 Surprise Inlet landslides: Insights from a prototype landslide‐triggered tsunami monitoring system in Prince William Sound, Alaska 2024 Surprise Inlet landslides: Insights from a prototype landslide‐triggered tsunami monitoring system in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Alaska's coastal communities face growing landslide hazards owing to glacier retreat and extreme weather intensified by the warming climate, yet hazard monitoring remains challenging. As part of ongoing experimental monitoring in Prince William Sound, we detected three large landslides (0.5–2.3 M m3) at Surprise Inlet on 20 September 2024, within the span of an hour. These events were...
Authors
Ezgi Karasozen, Michael E. West, Katherine R. Barnhart, John J. Lyons, Terry Nichols, Lauren N. Schaefer, Bohyun Bahng, Summer Ohlendorf, Dennis M. Staley, Gabriel J. Wolken
A newly identified creeping strand of the Concord fault, San Francisco Bay Area A newly identified creeping strand of the Concord fault, San Francisco Bay Area
The Concord fault constitutes a major branch of the Pacific–North America transform plate boundary in Northern California, bridging the strike‐slip Bartlett Springs ‐ Green Valley Fault system to the north with the Greenville and Calaveras Faults to the south. Like many faults in the San Francisco Bay Area its long‐term slip is partially accommodated by aseismic slip (creep). Although...
Authors
Austin John Elliott, Danielle Madugo, Jessica Vermeer
Estimating mortality of Lake Sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system using traditional age-based approaches and capture–recapture models Estimating mortality of Lake Sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system using traditional age-based approaches and capture–recapture models
Objective The Lake Winnebago system in Wisconsin supports a popular winter spear fishery for Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. Setting harvest caps for this fishery relies on estimating instantaneous natural mortality rate (M), which can be done using age-based approaches or capture–recapture models that incorporate recoveries of fish with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags or...
Authors
Jeremiah S. Shrovnal, Margaret H. Stadig, Joshua K. Raabe, Daniel A. Isermann