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.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
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Assessing the influence of conservation implementation on water quality during surface runoff events at edge-of-field monitoring sites located in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin Assessing the influence of conservation implementation on water quality during surface runoff events at edge-of-field monitoring sites located in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin
The Laurentian Great Lakes are a vital freshwater resource in the United States, and nonpoint source (NPS) nutrient pollution, specifically phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), from agricultural land use continues to negatively impact water quality throughout the Great Lakes basin. One focus of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a mechanism to coordinate conservation efforts in...
Authors
Brittany Rose Hanrahan, Matthew W. Diebel, Rebecca B. Carvin, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Matthew John Hardebeck, Andrew Jason Kowalczk, Chad A. Toussant, Matthew J. Komiskey
Strength of depensation not influenced by fish population productivity Strength of depensation not influenced by fish population productivity
A long-held assumption in the management of exploited fisheries is that fish populations will compensate with increased recruit survival to replenish the population when adult stock size is reduced through harvest. Observations of depensatory recruitment (reduced recruit survival at low adult stock size) and critical depensatory thresholds have challenged the compensation assumption...
Authors
Greg S. Sass, Joesph T. Mrnak, Stephanie L Shaw, Zachary S. Feiner, Colin J. Dassow, Andrew L. Rypel, Holly Susan Embke
Mountain goat declines in a protected, interior, native population Mountain goat declines in a protected, interior, native population
A shifting climate poses threats to alpine-adapted species including mountain goats. We used long-term (12 years) citizen science monitoring data and Bayesian N-mixture modeling to estimate population trends and drivers of population metrics among mountain goats in Glacier National Park (GNP). Median goats per site (n = 37 sites) declined by 45% (95% credible interval [CRI] = 32%, 57%)...
Authors
Tabitha A. Graves, William Michael Janousek, Michael Yarnall, Jami Belt
Miocene evolution of the Humboldt Current Miocene evolution of the Humboldt Current
Diatom records from the East Pisco Basin (EPB) of southern Peru and offshore Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 682 A reveal stepwise increases in the primary productivity of the Humboldt Current during the middle and late Miocene. Although diatoms are present back through the late middle Eocene, successively enhanced diatom production occurs during the Miocene in four steps. The first...
Authors
John A. Barron, Thomas J. DeVries, Jason J. Coenen
Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning Compilation of a nationwide river image dataset for identifying river channels and river rapids via deep learning
Remote sensing enables large-scale, image-based assessments of river dynamics, offering new opportunities for hydrological monitoring. We present a publicly available dataset consisting of 281,024 satellite and aerial images of U.S. rivers, constructed using an Application Programming Interface (API) and the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The dataset includes...
Authors
Nicholas Brimhall, Kelvyn K. Bladen, Tom Kerby, Carl J. Legleiter, Cameron Swapp, Hannah Fluckiger, Julie E Bahr, Makenna Roberts, Kaden Hart, Christina L. Stegman, Brennan Bean, Kevin Moon
The biosphere in the Anthropocene The biosphere in the Anthropocene
Earth’s biosphere is in a period of rapid change, resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, habitat loss and species translocation and extinction. The extraordinary pace of change has led to the suggestion that we live in a new geological epoch of time called the Anthropocene. In this theme issue, we explore the major changes to the terrestrial and marine biospheres...
Authors
Mark Williams, Mary L. McGann, Moriaki Yasuhara, Chhaya Chaudhary, Lisa Barber, Kerry Allen
An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears
Timing of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) parturition during hibernation has been explained by ancestral traits (delayed implantation, altricial young, obligate maternal denning), but the ultimate driver underlying precise timing has not been fully explored. Capitalizing on an observed latitudinal increase in denning duration among four populations in interior North America, we tested two...
Authors
C. M. Costello, L. L. Roberts, D. D. Bjornlie, M. D. Cameron, J. G. Clapp, Mark Haroldson, G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, W. Kasworm, J. M. Nicholson, T. Radandt, M. S. Sorum, J. E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen, M. A. Vinks
Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and habitat use of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020–24 summary report Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and habitat use of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020–24 summary report
Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with a summary of abundance, breeding activity, demography, and habitat use of endangered Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California (MCBCP or Base). The report presents results of vireo surveys and monitoring in 2024 and summarizes a subset of data collected from...
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Alexandra Houston, Barbara E. Kus, Shannon M. Mendia
Comparison of two precipitation gage networks in Cook County, Illinois Comparison of two precipitation gage networks in Cook County, Illinois
The Cook County Precipitation Network is a set of 25 precipitation gages established within Cook County, Illinois, on approximately a 5- to 7-mile square grid and used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help account for diversions of water from Lake Michigan to the State of Illinois. The transition from the precipitation gage network operated by the Illinois State Water Survey to the
Authors
Kevin K. Johnson
Widespread terrestrial ecosystem disruption at the onset of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum Widespread terrestrial ecosystem disruption at the onset of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Mya) interval was marked by massive 13C-depleted carbon emissions into the ocean/atmosphere system, manifested as a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) in sedimentary components, and ~5 °C global average warming. Episodes of hydrological perturbations and soil-erosion have been widely documented for the PETM but their link with...
Authors
Mei Nelissen, Debra A. Willard, Han Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Gabriel J. Bowen, Teuntje Hollaar, Appy Sluijs, Joost Frieling, Henk Brinkhuis
Toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides on Pacific salmon: Assessing lethal and sublethal effects Toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides on Pacific salmon: Assessing lethal and sublethal effects
To restore native biodiversity on island ecosystems containing invasive rodents, partial- and whole-island eradications generally rely on broadcast baiting with anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). This approach can result in bait pellets entering aquatic environments, raising concerns about effects to non-target fish. Salmonids are a dominant group of fishes on many temperate islands...
Authors
Lillian M. Pavord, Melissa K. Driessnack, Aaron B. Shiels, Steven Volker, Barnett A. Rattner, Jenifer McIntyre
Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field
Hydrothermal explosions are a significant geological hazard in some active volcanic systems; however, the timing and triggering mechanisms of these explosions are poorly constrained. This study applies luminescence dating techniques to hydrothermal explosion deposits in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field to constrain explosion chronologies and evaluate potential triggering mechanisms...
Authors
Karissa Cordero, Nathan Brown, Lauren N. Harrison, Shaul Hurwitz