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.
Filter Total Items: 175017
Integrating climate data and river modeling to reveal Chinook salmon habitat conditions in subarctic river basins Integrating climate data and river modeling to reveal Chinook salmon habitat conditions in subarctic river basins
Climatic extremes can impact the productivity of aquatic species, affecting ecosystems and fishery-dependent communities. Advances in climate products, such as gridded datasets and downscaled projections, may be useful for quantifying freshwater habitat conditions and predicting climate change effects on fish. However, limited guidance exists for selecting climate products to develop...
Authors
Rebecca Shaftel, Megan L. Feddern, Stephanie A. McAfee, Erik R. Schoen, Curry Cunningham, Vanessa R. von Biela, Josh Paul, Yifan Cheng, Andrew Newman, Margaret Perdue, Jon Schwenk, Al von Finster, Jeffrey A. Falke
Machine learning generated streamflow drought forecasts for the conterminous United States (CONUS): developing and evaluating an operational tool to enhance sub-seasonal to seasonal streamflow drought early warning for gaged locations Machine learning generated streamflow drought forecasts for the conterminous United States (CONUS): developing and evaluating an operational tool to enhance sub-seasonal to seasonal streamflow drought early warning for gaged locations
Forecasts of streamflow drought, when streamflow declines below typical levels, are notably less available than for floods or meteorological drought, despite widespread impacts. We apply machine learning (ML) models to forecast streamflow drought 1–13 weeks ahead at 3,219 streamgages across the conterminous United States. We applied two ML methods (Long short-term memory neural networks...
Authors
John C. Hammond, Phillip J. Goodling, Jeremy Alejandro Diaz, Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Aaron Joseph Heldmyer, Scott Douglas Hamshaw, Ryan R. McShane, Jesse Cleveland Ross, Roy Sando, Caelan Simeone, Erik A. Smith, Leah Ellen Staub, David Watkins, Michael Wieczorek, Kendall C. Wnuk, Jacob Aaron Zwart
Tectonic implications of transitional melting regimes from petrological, geochronological, and compositional characterization of the ophiolitic Seventymile terrane, Alaska, USA Tectonic implications of transitional melting regimes from petrological, geochronological, and compositional characterization of the ophiolitic Seventymile terrane, Alaska, USA
New geochemical, U-Pb geochronology, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope data provide evidence for the tectonic evolution of the Seventymile terrane in interior Alaska, USA. Ultramafic and mafic rocks of the Seventymile terrane are thought to represent components of a dismembered ophiolite and provide unique constraints on regional terrane evolution and accretion. The Seventymile ophiolite represents...
Authors
Erin Todd, Jonathan Saul Caine, Michael Bizimis, Andrew R.C. Kylander-Clark, Robert Reece Hammond, Alicja Wypych
Selenium and mercury tissue partitioning and trophodynamics in the Lake Koocanusa (USA–Canada) fish community Selenium and mercury tissue partitioning and trophodynamics in the Lake Koocanusa (USA–Canada) fish community
Mining-related contaminants such as selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer through aquatic food webs, where they can exert toxic effect undermining the ecological health of aquatic resources. Yet, how Se and Hg co-distribute within food webs and within individual organisms remains poorly understood. We compiled muscle and ovary Se and Hg concentration...
Authors
Noelie Moldert, James L. Dunnigan, Travis S. Schmidt, Trevor M. Selch, Brian Balmer, Molly A. Moloney, Jessica E. Brandt
Roadway runoff induced acute mortality in juvenile coho salmon during spring storm events Roadway runoff induced acute mortality in juvenile coho salmon during spring storm events
Extensive mortalities of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), often called “Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome” (URMS), have been documented during the fall in creeks where water quality has been degraded by roadway runoff. The primary cause of mortality is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ; N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone)–an ozone transformation product that forms on all...
Authors
Marlee L. Brown, Nathan Ivy, Melissa Gonzalez, Justin Blaine Greer, John D. Hansen, Edward Kolodziej, Jenifer K. McIntyre
Distinguishing natural from mining-related metal sources by including streambank groundwater data in a stream mass loading study Distinguishing natural from mining-related metal sources by including streambank groundwater data in a stream mass loading study
Distinguishing stream metal loading caused by mine features from that caused by natural background sources remains challenging, yet this distinction is essential for making effective remedial decisions at many legacy mine sites. We combine a stream tracer injection and synoptic sampling study with data from shallow near-stream groundwater wells to estimate left-bank versus right-bank...
Authors
Andrew H. Manning, Robert L. Runkel, Jean M. Morrison, Sara Warix, Richard B. Wanty, Katherine Walton-Day, Michael Snook
Is satellite-derived bathymetry vertical accuracy dependent on satellite mission and processing method? Is satellite-derived bathymetry vertical accuracy dependent on satellite mission and processing method?
This research focusses on three satellite-derived bathymetry methods and optical satellite instruments: (1) a stereo photogrammetry bathymetry module (SaTSeaD) developed for the NASA Ames stereo pipeline open-source software (version 3.6.0) using stereo WorldView data; (2) physics-based radiative transfer equations (PBSDB) using Landsat data; and (3) a modified composite band-ratio...
Authors
Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Minsu Kim, Bryan Eder, Gretchen Imahori, Curt D. Storlazzi
Assessment of the fish tumors or other deformities beneficial use impairment and associated risks at two Lake Michigan Areas of Concern Assessment of the fish tumors or other deformities beneficial use impairment and associated risks at two Lake Michigan Areas of Concern
The U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) have been designated due to significant environmental degradation, with multiple Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) requiring remediation before delisting. The “fish tumors or other deformities” BUI remains at the Sheboygan River and the Lower Green Bay and Fox River AOCs, necessitating evaluation in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), a...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Cheyenne Rose Smith, Heather L. Walsh, P.M. Mazik, M.R. Magee
Rapid characterization of the 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia earthquake Rapid characterization of the 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia earthquake
The 29 July 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake was the sixth largest instrumentally recorded earthquake. This event was seismically well observed at regional and teleseismic distances, but publicly available near‐source data were sparse at the time of the event, presenting unique challenges for rapid source and impact characterization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National...
Authors
Harriet Zoe Yin, Kate E. Allstadt, William D Barnhart, Samantha Ann Clapp, Paul S. Earle, Dara Elyse Goldberg, Alex R. Grant, Matt Herman, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Sara K. McBride, Adam T. Ringler, Max Schneider, Eric M. Thompson, Nicholas van der Elst, David Wald, Dun Wang, Charles Worden, William L. Yeck
Population densities and trends of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa Population densities and trends of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA), which protects some of the most intact tropical rainforest in the South Pacific, is exposed to recurring, intense tropical cyclones, including Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018. In combination with other anthropogenic pressures, cyclones represent a potential source of disturbance to landbird populations, particularly native frugivorous and seed...
Authors
Noah J. Hunt, Seth Judge, Richard J. Camp
Insights into widespread landsliding in southern Appalachia from Hurricane Helene Insights into widespread landsliding in southern Appalachia from Hurricane Helene
Between 23 and 27 September 2024, antecedent rain followed by Hurricane Helene produced one of the most damaging weather events in southern Appalachia history. The back-to-back storm events resulted in a maximum cumulative rainfall of 848 mm and hurricane-force wind gusts over 170 km/h in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. The resulting regional...
Authors
Lauren N. Schaefer, Francis K. Rengers, Benjamin Mirus, Liam Toney, Kate E. Allstadt, Richard Wooten, Patrick Moore, Paula Madeline Burgi, Anne Witt, Eric Leland Bilderback, Jennifer Bauer, David Korte, Matthew Crawford
Inventory of bat activity at Pearl Harbor National Memorial to inform historic preservation and compliance Inventory of bat activity at Pearl Harbor National Memorial to inform historic preservation and compliance
We examined ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, or Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus; Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), acoustic activity and surveyed potential roost trees at the Ford Island Chief Petty Officer’s (CPO) Bungalows Neighborhood of Pearl Harbor National Memorial (PERL) on the island of O‘ahu. We established four acoustic monitoring stations (PERL1–PERL4) that operated nightly to survey for ‘ōpe...
Authors
Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Karen Courtot