Publications

The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val (Calibration and Validation) Center of Excellence is a global leader in improving the accuracy, precision, and quality of remote-sensing data. Calibration is the process of quantitatively defining a system’s response to known and controlled signal inputs. Validation is the process of assessing, by independent...

The San Francisco Bay supports thousands of breeding waterbirds annually and hosts large populations of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), and Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri). These three species have relied largely on former commercial salt ponds in south San Francisco Bay, which provide wetland foraging habitat and island nesting...

Following a heavy, multiday rainfall event that took place between June 20 and June 22, 2024, widespread flooding occurred in parts of northwestern Iowa. Ten U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages with periods of record ranging from 56 to 99 years in length experienced new peaks of record, three of which were more than double the previous peak-of-record: 06483500 (Rock River near Rock...

Understanding how climatic variables impact host-pathogen relationships in temperature-sensitive ectothermic host organisms is crucial under global change. Few studies have explored how temperature gradients generate inter-individual variation in epidemiological traits like host susceptibility or pathogen replication. Here, we develop a mathematical model to explore a novel hypothesis...

Experimental and observational studies of effects of fragmentation on biodiversity and population dynamics have produced mixed results, with some reviews concluding strong evidence of negative effects and others concluding small positive effects. In addition, many factors (e.g., interspecific interactions, edge effects, nutrient cycling) have been identified as potential explanations...

A new oceanographic radar instrument package was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to measure storm waves and water levels in the nearshore, capable of being deployed rapidly and transmitting data in near real-time. To test the performance and accuracy of the sensor, multiple years of data were collected over various hydrodynamic conditions and compared to long-term...