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Book Chapters

Browse more than 5,500 book chapters 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: 6197

Maximizing the utility of monitoring to the adaptive management of natural resources Maximizing the utility of monitoring to the adaptive management of natural resources

Data collection is an important step in any investigation about the structure or processes related to a natural system. In a purely scientific investigation (experiments, quasi-experiments, observational studies), data collection is part of the scientific method, preceded by the identification of hypotheses and the design of any manipulations of the system to test those hypotheses. Data...
Authors
William L. Kendall, Clinton T. Moore

Measuring rotational ground motions in seismological practice Measuring rotational ground motions in seismological practice

No abstract available.
Authors
William H. K. Lee, John R. Evans, B. S. Huang, C. R. Hutt, C.-J. Lin, C.-C. Liu, R. L. Nigbor

Mechanics of debris flows and rock avalanches: Chapter 43 Mechanics of debris flows and rock avalanches: Chapter 43

Debris flows are geophysical phenomena intermediate in character between rock avalanches and flash floods. They commonly originate as water-laden landslides on steep slopes and transform into liquefied masses of fragmented rock, muddy water, and entrained organic matter that disgorge from canyons onto valley floors. Typically including 50%–70% solid grains by volume, attaining speeds >10...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson

Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems and fire Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems and fire

No abstract available.
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, William J. Bond, Ross A. Bradstock, Juli G. Pausas, Philip W. Rundel

Mercury cycling in terrestrial watersheds Mercury cycling in terrestrial watersheds

This chapter discusses mercury cycling in the terrestrial landscape, including inputs from the atmosphere, accumulation in soils and vegetation, outputs in streamflow and volatilization, and effects of land disturbance. Mercury mobility in the terrestrial landscape is strongly controlled by organic matter. About 90% of the atmospheric mercury input is retained in vegetation and organic...
Authors
James B. Shanley, Kevin Bishop

Methods Methods

Detecting declines in population size is one of the highest priorities of the shorebird initiatives in Canada and the United States. The quantitative goal is 80% power to detect a 50% decline, occurring during no more than 20 years, with a significance level of 0.15, using a two-tailed test, and incorporating effects of potential bias into the estimator. The Arctic PRISM program was...
Authors
Jonathan Bart, Victoria Johnston, Paul A. Smith, Ann Manning, Jennie Rausch, Stephen Brown
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