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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Science Quality and Integrity
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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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Global methane budget 2000-2020 Global methane budget 2000-2020
Understanding and quantifying the global methane (CH4) budget is important for assessing realistic pathways to mitigate climate change. CH4 is the second most important human-influenced greenhouse gas in terms of climate forcing after carbon dioxide (CO2), and both emissions and atmospheric concentrations of CH4 have continued to increase since 2007 after a temporary pause. The relative...
Authors
Marielle Saunois, Adrien Martinez, Benjamin Poulter, Zhen Zhang, Peter A. Raymond, Pierre Regnier, Josep G. Canadell, Robert B. Jackson, Prabir K. Patra, Philippe Bousquet, Philippe Ciais, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Xin Lan, George H. Allen, David Bastviken, David J. Beerling, Dmitry Belikov, Donald R. Blake, Simona Castaldi, Monica Crippa, Bridget Deemer, Fraser Dennison, Giuseppe Etiope, Nicola Gedney, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Meredith A. Holgerson, Peter O. Hopcroft, Gustaf Hugelius, Akihiko Ito, Atul K. Jain, Rajesh Janardanan, Matthew S. Johnson, Thomas Kleinen, Paul B. Krummel, Ronny Lauerwald, Tingting Li, Xiangyu Liu, Kyle C. McDonald, Joe R. Melton, Jens Mühle, Jurek Müller, Fabiola Murguia-Flores, Yosuke Niwa, Sergio Noce, Shufen Pan, Robert J. Parker, Changhui Peng, Michel Ramonet, William J. Riley, Gerard Rocher-Ros, Judith A. Rosentreter, Motoki Sasakawa, Arjo Segers, Steven J. Smith, Emily H. Stanley, Joël Thanwerdas, Hanqin Tian, Aki Tsuruta, Francesco N. Tubiello, Thomas S. Weber, Guido R. van der Werf, Douglas E. Worthy, Yi Xi, Yukio Yoshida, Wenxin Zhang, Bo Zheng, Qing Zhu, Qiuan Zhu, Qianlai Zhuang
Hazards related to man-made structures: Buildings, noise, electric power Hazards related to man-made structures: Buildings, noise, electric power
Many man-made structures can form a hazard to avian wildlife. The most common hazard is one of collision, and this paper will look at problems with glass in buildings, power lines, and wind turbines all as sources of collision and trauma to avian wildlife. However, other anthropogenic factors that can adversely affect avian wildlife can be those that effectively eliminate suitable...
Authors
Glenn H. Olsen
Small waterbodies of large conservation concern: Towards an integrated approach to more accurately measuring surface water dynamics Small waterbodies of large conservation concern: Towards an integrated approach to more accurately measuring surface water dynamics
Millions of small waterbodies are dispersed throughout the middle of the North American continent, and billions of dollars have been invested to conserve, restore, and manage these waterbodies in the 20th and 21st centuries. Small waterbody conservation has been supported by different stakeholders aiming at improving water quality, enhancing floodwater storage, and supporting migratory...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna, Audrey Claire Lothspeich, Sara Vacek, Dawn MacDonald, Josh D. Eash, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Elyssa C. McCulloch, Caryn D. Ross, Sadia Sabrina, Joseph F. Knight
Bayesian mapping of regionally grouped, sparse, univariate earth science data Bayesian mapping of regionally grouped, sparse, univariate earth science data
Some earth science data are naturally grouped by region, and it is often desirable to map these data by region. However, if there are only a few samples within each region, then the map should be smoothed in an appropriate way to mitigate the problems that arise from having only a few samples. A smoothing algorithm based on a Bayesian hierarchical model is developed and presented in this...
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, Bronwen Wang, Margaret A. Goldman
Learning complex spatial dynamics of wildlife diseases with machine learning-guided partial differential equations Learning complex spatial dynamics of wildlife diseases with machine learning-guided partial differential equations
Emerging wildlife pathogens often display geographic variability due to landscape heterogeneity. Modeling approaches capable of learning complex, non-linear spatial dynamics of diseases are needed to rigorously assess and mitigate the effects of pathogens on wildlife health and biodiversity. We propose a novel machine learning (ML)-guided approach that leverages prior physical knowledge...
Authors
Juan Francisco Mandujano Reyes, Gina Oh, Ian McGahan, Ting Fung Ma, Robin Russell, Daniel P. Walsh, Jun Zhu
A partner-driven decision support model to inform the reintroduction of bull trout A partner-driven decision support model to inform the reintroduction of bull trout
Assessments of species reintroductions involve a series of complex decisions that include human perspectives and ecological contexts. Here, we present a reintroduction assessment involving bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) using a structured decision-making process. We approached this assessment by engaging partners representing public utilities, government agencies, and Tribes with...
Authors
Joseph R. Benjamin, Judith Neibauer, Hugh Anthony, Jose Vazquez, Ashley Rawhouser, Jason Dunham
Variability in hydrologic response to wildfire between snow zones in forested headwaters Variability in hydrologic response to wildfire between snow zones in forested headwaters
Rising temperatures and shifting fire regimes in the western United States are pushing fires upslope into areas of deep winter snowpack, where we have little knowledge of the likely hydrologic impacts of wildfire. We quantified differences in the timing and magnitude of stormflow responses to summer rainstorms among six catchments of varying levels of burn severity and seasonal snowpack...
Authors
Quinn Miller, David M Barnard, Megan Sears, John C. Hammond, Stephanie Kampf
Leveraging detection uncertainty to estimate Renibacterium salmoninarum infection status among multiple tissues and assays Leveraging detection uncertainty to estimate Renibacterium salmoninarum infection status among multiple tissues and assays
Effective disease surveillance relies on accurate pathogen testing and robust prevalence estimates. Diagnostic specificity (DSp), the probability that an uninfected animal tests negative, is high when false positives are low. Diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) is the probability an infected animal tests positive; higher DSe means fewer false negatives. However, sensitivity and false negatives...
Authors
Tawni B.R. Firestone, Eric R. Fetherman, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, John D. Drennan, Rebecca E. Brock, Brooke Yeatts, Dana L. Winkelman
Ultrasonic deterrents provide no additional benefit over curtailment in reducing bat fatalities at an Ohio wind energy facility Ultrasonic deterrents provide no additional benefit over curtailment in reducing bat fatalities at an Ohio wind energy facility
Wind energy is important for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions but also contributes to global bat mortality. Current strategies to minimize bat mortality due to collision with wind-turbine blades fall broadly into two categories: curtailment (limiting turbine operation during high-risk periods) and deterrence (discouraging bat activity near turbines). Recently, there has been...
Authors
Jeffrey Clerc, Manuela Huso, Michael R. Schirmacher, Michael D. Whitby, Cris D. Hein
Marginalizing time in habitat selection and species distribution models improves inference Marginalizing time in habitat selection and species distribution models improves inference
Aim Recent methodological advances for studying how animals move and use space with telemetry data have focused on fine-scale, more mechanistic inference. However, in many cases, researchers and managers remain interested in larger scale questions regarding species distribution and habitat use across study areas, landscapes, or seasonal ranges. Point processes offer a unified framework...
Authors
Joseph Michael Eisaguirre, Layne G. Adams, Bridget Borg, Heather E. Johnson
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Lower Cretaceous Hosston and Travis Peak Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2024 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Lower Cretaceous Hosston and Travis Peak Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2024
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 28 million barrels of oil and 35.8 trillion cubic feet of gas in conventional and continuous accumulations within the Lower Cretaceous Hosston and Travis Peak Formations of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Authors
Lauri A. Burke, Stanley T. Paxton, Scott A. Kinney, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Russell F. Dubiel, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
Organic matter composition versus microbial source: Controls on carbon loss from fen wetland and permafrost soils Organic matter composition versus microbial source: Controls on carbon loss from fen wetland and permafrost soils
Wetland and permafrost soils contain some of Earth's largest reservoirs of organic carbon, and these stores are threatened by rapid warming across the Arctic. Nearly half of northern wetlands are affected by permafrost. As these ecosystems warm, the cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the opportunities for microbial degradation are changing. This is particularly evident as the
Authors
Sommer F. Starr, Kimberly Wickland, Anne M. Kellerman, Amy M. McKenna, Martin M. Kurek, Aubrey Miller, Ariana Karsaras, Thomas A. Douglas, Rachel Mackelprang, Ashley L. Shade, Robert G.M. Spencer