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.
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Mission Area Publications
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Cave records reveal recent origin of North America’s deepest canyon Cave records reveal recent origin of North America’s deepest canyon
We explore how and when Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge (~2,400 m deep), formed, addressing these fundamental questions first posed by W. Lindgren [The Gold Belt of the Blue Mountains of Oregon (1901)]. Existing hypotheses about the canyon’s formation and timing of incision remain speculative due to a lack of direct constraints and geomorphic analysis in the canyon...
Authors
Matthew Morriss, Nate Mitchell, Brian Yanites, Lydia M. Staisch, Oliver Korup
Diagnostic success—A quick guide to quality carcass submissions for diagnostic services Diagnostic success—A quick guide to quality carcass submissions for diagnostic services
The U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center provides diagnostic services to determine causes of wildlife morbidity and mortality events to State, Federal, and Tribal partners. To accomplish this, we rely on the timely collection and evaluation of submitted carcasses and the epidemiologic information relayed from personnel in the field. Our current submission criteria can...
Authors
Barbara L. Bodenstein, Shelby Jo Weidenkopf
Infrasonic directivity of monopole, dipole, and bipole ground-surface reflected sources Infrasonic directivity of monopole, dipole, and bipole ground-surface reflected sources
Infrasound (acoustic waves below 20 Hz) can be used to detect, locate and quantify activity in the atmosphere such as volcanic eruptions and anthropogenic explosions. Attempts to quantify volcanic eruption parameters such as exit velocity, plume height and mass flow rate using infrasound data depend strongly on assumptions of the acoustic source type. Infrasonic sources may produce...
Authors
Alexandra M. Iezzi, Robin S. Matoza, Emma V. Opper, Keehoon Kim
Serological assessment of pathogen exposure among desert bighorn sheep in southwestern Arizona Serological assessment of pathogen exposure among desert bighorn sheep in southwestern Arizona
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are influenced by infectious diseases. Although Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae has been the main focus of bighorn sheep managers since early 2010, other pathogens may also influence bighorn sheep populations. We sampled desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) captured for a study on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona, USA...
Authors
Colton J. Padilla, James W. Cain, Matthew E. Gompper, Paul R. Krausman, JIM Devos
Cultivating reciprocity and supporting Indigenous lifeways through the cultural transformation of natural resource management in North America Cultivating reciprocity and supporting Indigenous lifeways through the cultural transformation of natural resource management in North America
Recent decades have seen increasing calls for implementing Indigenous Knowledges (IK) in natural resource management (NRM). However, efforts have been limited by the cultural incommensurabilities between (1) NRM institutions, which are rooted in worldviews that prioritize extraction for dominant cultures and assume dominance over nature and (2) Indigenous worldviews that prioritize...
Authors
Jonathan J. Fisk, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Jonathan W. Long, Jacobs. Lara, Lily M. van Eeden, Melinda Adams, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Jazmin Murphy, Michael C. Gavin, Chris K Williams, Jonathan Salerno, Bas Verschuuren, Nathan Bennett, Rodrigue Idohou, Alexander Mawyer
Performance comparisons for artificially propagated and wild Pacific lamprey juveniles and larvae Performance comparisons for artificially propagated and wild Pacific lamprey juveniles and larvae
Artificially propagated Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) are produced for restoration and for use in dam passage studies to reduce the demand for wild fish. Such uses require that animals are representative of their wild counterparts. Previous work indicated that this is true for Pacific lamprey larvae and juveniles reared in the hatchery with respect to the length of sustained...
Authors
Kinsey Frick, Mary L. Moser, Theresa Liedtke, Lisa K. Weiland, Alexa N. Maine, Aaron D. Jackson
Are wildfire risk mitigators more prepared to evacuate? Insights from communities in the western United States Are wildfire risk mitigators more prepared to evacuate? Insights from communities in the western United States
As the realized experiences of wildfires threatening communities increase, the importance of proactive evacuation preparation and wildfire risk mitigation on private property to reduce the loss of lives and property is shaping wildfire policy and programs. To date, research has focused on pre-wildfire evacuation preparation and risk mitigation independently. This paper examines the
Authors
Grant Webster, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, James Meldrum, Kelly Wallace, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink, Christine Taniguchi
Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations
Disease, alone or combined with other stressors such as habitat loss and contaminants, affects wildlife populations worldwide. However, interactions among stressors and how they affect demography and populations remain poorly understood. The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd) is a sometimes-lethal pathogen linked with population declines and extirpations of...
Authors
Morgan P. Kain, Blake R. Hossack, Kelly Smalling, Brian J. Halstead, Daniel A. Grear, David A. Miller, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Colleen Emery, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Robert N. Fisher, Elizabeth Gallegos, Duoa J. Lor, Patrick M. Kleeman, Erin L. Muths, Ty Pan, Christopher Pearl, Charles W. Robinson, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, Brian J. Tornabene, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Evan H. Campbell Grant
Protected from Pterygoplichthys? Predicting thermal habitat suitability for nonnative armored catfish in the Suwannee River Protected from Pterygoplichthys? Predicting thermal habitat suitability for nonnative armored catfish in the Suwannee River
Objective Nonnative fishes can modify ecosystems and harm economies when they are introduced to new environments. Climate change is likely to assist the spread and establishment of some nonnative fishes (e.g., warmwater species), but spatiotemporal gaps in water temperature monitoring and modeling may prevent ecologists and managers from forecasting thermal habitat suitability for these...
Authors
Andrew Kenneth Carlson
Predator-induced injury of a neonatal pronghorn cues abandonment of current reproductive investment Predator-induced injury of a neonatal pronghorn cues abandonment of current reproductive investment
Evolutionary theory predicts that parental care is favored when the fitness benefits outweigh the costs of providing care (Klug et al., 2012). In mammals, parental care is generally provided by females, who provide nourishment through lactation, protection from predators, aid in juvenile movement, or otherwise facilitate offspring survival (Balshine, 2012; Lent, 1974). However, in...
Authors
Marlin M. Dart, Matthew T. Turnley, Celine M.J. Rickels, Evan P. Tanner, M. Colter Chitwood, Randy W. DeYoung, W. Sue Fairbanks, Derek P. Hahn, Levi J. Heffelfinger, Robert Charles Lonsinger, H. George Wang, Michael J. Cherry
A review of standardization in Mississippi’s multidecadal inland fisheries monitoring program A review of standardization in Mississippi’s multidecadal inland fisheries monitoring program
Standardizing data collection, management, and analysis processes can improve the reliability and efficiency of fisheries monitoring programs, yet few studies have examined the operationalization of these tasks within agency settings. We reviewed the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Fisheries Bureau’s inland recreational fisheries monitoring program—a 30+-year...
Authors
Caleb A. Aldridge, Michael E. Colvin
A joint Gaussian process model of geochemistry, geophysics, and temperature for groundwater TDS in the San Ardo Oil Field, California, USA A joint Gaussian process model of geochemistry, geophysics, and temperature for groundwater TDS in the San Ardo Oil Field, California, USA
Decline in availability of fresh groundwater has expanded interest in brackish groundwater resources; however, the distribution of brackish groundwater is poorly understood. Water resources in sedimentary basins across the United States often overlie oil and gas development. Mapping of groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) using data from oil well geophysical logs has become an...
Authors
Michael J. Stephens, Will Chang, David H. Shimabukuro, Amanda Howery, Theron A. Sowers, Janice M. Gillespie