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Publications

Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.

Filter Total Items: 174960

C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype C4 photosynthesis, trait spectra, and the fast-efficient phenotype

It has been 60 years since the discovery of C4 photosynthesis, an event that rewrote our understanding of plant adaptation, ecosystem responses to global change, and global food security. Despite six decades of research, one aspect of C4 photosynthesis that remains poorly understood is how the pathway fits into the broader context of adaptive trait spectra, which form our modern view of...
Authors
Russell K. Monson, Shuai Li, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth, Yuzhen Fan, John G. Hodge, Alan K. Knapp, Andrew D.B. Leakey, Danica Lombardozzi, Sasha C. Reed, Rowan F. Sage, Melinda D. Smith, Nicholas G. Smith, Christopher J. Still, Danielle A. Way

Sea Lamprey control reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic corresponds to rapid increase in Sea Lamprey abundance Sea Lamprey control reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic corresponds to rapid increase in Sea Lamprey abundance

The Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus control program in the Laurentian Great Lakes is one of the longest-running and most successful invasive species suppression programs in the world. Although several techniques are used to suppress Sea Lamprey, the control program relies heavily on regular application of lampricide to kill stream-dwelling larvae. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted...
Authors
Benjamin Marcy-Quay, Sean Alois Lewandoski, Ryan M. Booth, Michael J. Connerton, Aaron K. Jubar, Chris D. Legard, Brian O’Malley, Scott E Prindle, Alexandra W Sumner, Matthew J. Symbal, Andy Todd, Michael J. Yuille, Ted J. Treska, Michael J. Siefkes, Nicholas S. Johnson

Responses of larval fish and zooplankton to whole-lake 2,4-D herbicide treatments used to control Eurasian watermilfoil in northern Wisconsin lakes Responses of larval fish and zooplankton to whole-lake 2,4-D herbicide treatments used to control Eurasian watermilfoil in northern Wisconsin lakes

In North America, Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum is one of the most widespread non-native aquatic plant species in freshwater ecosystems. Applications of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicides are often utilized to control Eurasian watermilfoil. Herbicide applications may have unintended effects on non-target organisms like zooplankton and fish, but these effects...
Authors
Nicholas Rydell, Justin VanDeHey, Daniel Dembkowski, Kevin Gauthier, Scott Van Egeren, Jody A. Kubitz, Terry R. Naumann, Daniel A. Isermann

No magmatic driving force for Europan sea-floor volcanism No magmatic driving force for Europan sea-floor volcanism

The internal ocean of Jupiter’s moon Europa is thought to be a prime candidate for hosting extraterrestrial life. Europa’s silicate interior may contribute to habitability via the generation of reactants through hydrothermal activity, serpentinization, or other geological processes occurring on or just below Europa’s seafloor. However, silicate melting is thought to occur at >100 km...
Authors
A.P. Green, Catherine Elder, Michael Thomas Bland, Paul Tackley, Paul K. Byrne

Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing of hydrologic processes—Diverse deployments and new applications by the U.S. Geological Survey Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing of hydrologic processes—Diverse deployments and new applications by the U.S. Geological Survey

Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing instruments harness the temperature-dependent properties of glass to measure temperature continuously along optical fibers by using precise pulses of laser light. In the mid-2000s, this technology was refined for environmental monitoring purposes such as snowpack-air exchange, groundwater/surface-water exchange, and lake-water stratification...
Authors
Martin A. Briggs, David M. Rey, Chad C. Opatz, Neil Terry, Connor P. Newman, Lance R. Gruhn, Carole D. Johnson

Assessing earthquake risks to lifeline infrastructure systems in the United States Assessing earthquake risks to lifeline infrastructure systems in the United States

The security and economic stability of the United States rely heavily on robust lifeline infrastructure systems and yet the risks to such systems are seldom quantified at the national scale. For example, while earthquake risks to buildings in the United States have been investigated at the national scale regularly, such risks to gas pipelines have rarely been investigated nationally. In...
Authors
N. Simon Kwong, Kishor S. Jaiswal

The importance of sampling design for unbiased estimation of survival using joint live-recapture and live resight models The importance of sampling design for unbiased estimation of survival using joint live-recapture and live resight models

Survival is a key life history parameter that can inform management decisions and basic life history research. Because true survival is often confounded with emigration from the study area, many studies are forced to estimate apparent survival (i.e., probability of surviving and remaining inside the study area), which can be much lower than true survival for highly mobile species. One...
Authors
Maria C. Dzul, Charles Yackulic, William L. Kendall

Planting seeds for thriving data management Planting seeds for thriving data management

The volumes and varieties of data coming from all types of scientific instrumentation around the globe and beyond are rapidly growing. To reuse and capitalize on these data effectively, scientists must be able to share and access them efficiently, which requires the data to be well managed. Many scientists intuit that research data management (RDM) done well does not mean using dusty USB...
Authors
Abigail Benson, Stace Beaulieu, Bradley Wade Bishop, Stephen C. Diggs, Stephen Killfoile Formel

Bayesian calibration of the 40K decay scheme with implications for 40K-based geochronology Bayesian calibration of the 40K decay scheme with implications for 40K-based geochronology

The K/Ar and 40Ar/39Ar geochronometers are based on the naturally occurring radionuclide 40K. Their precision and accuracy are limited by uncertainties on the 40K decay constants and, in the case of the 40Ar/39Ar geochronometer, the isotopic composition of neutron fluence monitors. To address these limitations, we introduce a Bayesian calibration of the 40K decay scheme. We formulate...
Authors
Jack N. Carter, Caroline Hasler, Anthony Fuentes, Andrew Tholt, Leah E. Morgan, Paul R. Renne

An enhanced national-scale urban tree canopy cover dataset for the United States An enhanced national-scale urban tree canopy cover dataset for the United States

Moderate-resolution (30-m) national map products have limited capacity to represent fine-scale, heterogeneous urban forms and processes, yet improvements from incorporating higher resolution predictor data remain rare. In this study, we applied random forest models to high-resolution land cover data for 71 U.S. urban areas, moderate-resolution National Land Cover Database (NLCD) Tree...
Authors
Lucila Marie Corro, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Mehdi Heris, Peter Christian Ibsen, Karen Schleeweis, James E. Diffendorfer, Austin Troy, Kevin Megown, Jarlath P.M. O'Neil-Dunne

Properties of solid bitumen formed during hydrous, anhydrous, and brine pyrolysis of oil shale: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance in source-rock reservoirs Properties of solid bitumen formed during hydrous, anhydrous, and brine pyrolysis of oil shale: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance in source-rock reservoirs

Solid bitumen reflectance (BRo in %) is widely used as a thermal maturity proxy in source-rock reservoirs, yet solid bitumen texture and physical attributes may be affected by varying environmental constraints during its formation, e.g., water saturation, mineral catalysis, or salinity. Herein we investigated the development of solid bitumen properties during artificial maturation using...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Justin E. Birdwell, Ryan J. McAleer
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