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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 preprint publications authored by USGS scientists.
Filter Total Items: 91
Regional characterization of coal resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast Regional characterization of coal resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast
There is increasing interest in extracting critical minerals (CM), including rare earth elements (REE), from coals in the United States to address the overreliance on imported REE. The U.S. Gulf Coast and the Williston basins are the two major lignite-bearing basins within the country. Recent REE and CM studies of the lignite in these basins have indicated that the coals may be a viable...
Authors
Peter D. Warwick, Robert C. Reedy, Bridget R. Scanlon
Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a growing concern in freshwater environments. These blooms can lead to degraded water quality, ecosystem disruptions, and public health threats due to the production of potent cyanotoxins. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (California, USA; the Delta) has experienced CHABs since 1999, including CHABs that produce cyanotoxins at...
Authors
Keith Bouma-Gregson, Lisa Lucas, Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Emily T. Richardson, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Tamara E. C. Kraus
Present and future coastal flooding hazard for Long Island, NY and Long Island Sound (NY/CT), USA Present and future coastal flooding hazard for Long Island, NY and Long Island Sound (NY/CT), USA
Coastal flooding and the associated damages due to storms are increasing with sea level rise around the world, with regional variability in the severity of impacts., Researchers and resource managers need to better understand and predict the future shifts in coastal flooding due to these processes to plan for resilient and sustainable communities. Here we present an analysis of long-term
Authors
Salme Ellen Cook, Liv M. Herdman
Simulation of the impacts of spring diversions on streamflow in the Strawberry Creek watershed, San Bernardino County, California, using an integrated hydrological model Simulation of the impacts of spring diversions on streamflow in the Strawberry Creek watershed, San Bernardino County, California, using an integrated hydrological model
The Strawberry Creek watershed, situated in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, features a group of natural springs known as Arrowhead Springs that have been augmented with diversions in the form of sub-horizontal borings and tunnels. Understanding the impact of these structures on streamflow through groundwater capture is crucial for managing surface-water resources in...
Authors
Derek W. Ryter, Joseph A. Hevesi, Linda R. Woolfenden
Wetter winters, drier summers: Quantifying the change in hydrological response around the Puget Sound area using the wflow_sbm hydrological model and CMIP6 projections Wetter winters, drier summers: Quantifying the change in hydrological response around the Puget Sound area using the wflow_sbm hydrological model and CMIP6 projections
Climate change is expected to impact hydrological regimes worldwide, including the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This study investigates how climate change will affect river discharge in the Puget Sound region of the State of Washington, with a focus on King and Pierce Counties. We simulated river discharge under historical and future conditions using the physically based...
Authors
Joost Buitink, Brendan Dalmijn, Kai Alexander Parker, Cornelis M. Nederhoff, Eric E. Grossman
Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States
Rangelands are extensive ecosystems, providing important ecosystem services while undergoing continuous change. As a result, improved monitoring technologies can help better characterize vegetation change. Satellite remote sensing has proven effective in this regard, tracking vegetation dynamics at broad and fine scales. We leveraged the spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of...
Authors
Brady W. Allred, Sarah E. McCord, Timothy J. Assal, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Chad S. Boyd, Alexander C. Brooks, Samantha M. Cady, Michael C. Duniway, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Shane A. Green, Georgia R. Harrison, Eric R. Jensen, Emily J. Kachergis, Anna C. Knight, Chloe M. Mattilio, Brian A. Mealor, David E. Naugle, Dylan O’Leary, Peter J. Olsoy, Erika S. Peirce, Jason R. Reinhardt, Robert K. Shriver, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Ashley M. Tanner, Evan P. Tanner, Dirac Twidwell, Nicholas P. Webb, Scott L. Morford
Understanding abundances and behaviors of shorebirds in coastal Louisiana Understanding abundances and behaviors of shorebirds in coastal Louisiana
Barrier islands provide resources and ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests, such as protection of coastal infrastructure and provision of wildlife habitat. Over time, barrier islands may become eroded and experience land loss, which can require management actions to restore island integrity. Barrier island restoration can create or modify habitats...
Authors
Theodore J. Zenzal, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Nicholas M. Enwright, Hana R. Thurman, Wyatt C. Cheney, Delaina LeBlanc, Robert C. Dobbs, Brock Geary, J. Hardin Waddle
Space-based monitoring of penguin diet links sea ice, food webs, and population change Space-based monitoring of penguin diet links sea ice, food webs, and population change
Rapid environmental change poses a threat to Antarctic ecosystems. However, the spatial scale of Antarctica and its extreme environment have precluded a synoptic understanding of the links between environmental change and ecological responses. Combining tools from imaging spectroscopy, stable isotope analysis, and hierarchical statistical modeling, we developed a novel method to quantify...
Authors
Casey Youngflesh, Christian Joseph Che-Castaldo, Mathew R. Schwaller, Michael J. Polito, Shawn P. Serbin, Heather J. Lynch
Using distribution and movement of invasive channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the San Juan River to inform removal efforts Using distribution and movement of invasive channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the San Juan River to inform removal efforts
Invasive channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) pose threats to native fishes through predation and competition. A channel catfish removal program in the San Juan River was implemented in the 1990s, but exploitation was insufficient to cause population declines. Because knowledge of movement timing and spatial aggregations of channel catfish could inform future removal efforts and...
Authors
Keegan C. Epping, Keith B. Gido, Rachel E. Grey, Stephani L. Clark Barkalow, Sophia Marie Bonjour, John Cleveland, Justin Furby, Casey A. Pennock, Matthew R. Bogaard, Tracy A. Diver
A systematic literature review of forecasting and predictive models of harmful algal blooms in flowing waters A systematic literature review of forecasting and predictive models of harmful algal blooms in flowing waters
Occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in rivers challenge the belief that rivers are not susceptible to HABs because of their short residence times and fluctuating hydrology. Here we present a systematic literature review of predictive and forecasting models for HABs in flowing waters, including rivers, flowing in-stream reservoirs (e.g., run-of-river reservoirs and lock-and-dam...
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, Rebecca M. Gorney, Lisa V. Lucas, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Jennifer L. Graham
A system dynamics model to understand the integrated ecological and human dimension aspects of wildlife health and disease management A system dynamics model to understand the integrated ecological and human dimension aspects of wildlife health and disease management
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) presents an ongoing challenge for the management of deer populations and sustaining harvest opportunities across North America. Existing disease models often fail to fully capture the complex interplay between disease dynamics, host ecology, and socio-economic factors. We developed a comprehensive system dynamics (SD) model that integrates demographic...
Authors
Stephanie R. Penk, Christine Anhalt-Depies, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Thomas S. Fiddaman, Kawika Pierson, Jennifer L. Price Tack, Bryan Richards, Erica Rieder, Daniel J. Storm, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh
Beyond the mangroves: A global synthesis of tidal forested wetland types, drivers and future information opportunities Beyond the mangroves: A global synthesis of tidal forested wetland types, drivers and future information opportunities
There is increasing awareness of the global diversity of tidal forested wetlands (TFWs) and their significance in the provision of ecosystem services. These ecosystems, including mangrove forests, tidal freshwater forested wetlands, supratidal forests and transitional forests together span multiple climatic zones, geomorphic settings, and inundation and salinity regimes. We utilise case...
Authors
J. J. Kelleway, Gregory B. Noe, Ken W. Krauss, L.S. Brophy, W. H. Conner, J. A. Duberstein, D. A. Friess, K. Gedan, E. White, M. F. Adame, J. B. Adams, R. C. Carvalho, A. Freddie, I. N. Ikenna, E. R. Ocasio, C. J. Owers, S. Sasmito, A. Swales, P. Stewart-Sinclair, R. D. Ward, I. Zabarte-Maeztu