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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.

Filter Total Items: 175538

Multiscale framework for assessing land cover change on barrier islands from extreme storms and restoration Multiscale framework for assessing land cover change on barrier islands from extreme storms and restoration

Often found along the estuarine-marine interface, barrier islands and mainland coastal zones are shaped by tides, currents, extreme storms, and relative sea-level rise. These systems provide ecosystem services such as storm surge and wave attenuation, erosion protection to inland areas, habitat for fish and wildlife, recreation, and tourism. Given the importance of these ecosystems...
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, P. Soupy Dalyander, Casey M. Stuht, Minoo Han, Margaret L. Palmsten, Theresa M. Davenport, Christopher J. Kingwill, Gregory Steyer, Megan La Peyre

Numerical simulation of sound-side barrier-island inundation and breaching during Hurricane Dorian (2019) Numerical simulation of sound-side barrier-island inundation and breaching during Hurricane Dorian (2019)

Hurricane-induced morphological changes and associated community hazards along sandy, barrier-island coastlines have been studied primarily from the perspective of ocean-side attack by storm-driven ocean surge and large waves. Thus, our understanding of long-term barrier island morphological change focuses on beach erosion, overwash, and inlet formation. In contrast, outwash events with...
Authors
John C. Warner, Christopher R. Sherwood, Christie A. Hegermiller, Zafer Defne, Joseph B. Zambon, Ruoying He, George Xue, Daoyang Bao, Dongxiao Yin, Melissa Moulton

Near-surface geophysics: Environmental applications Near-surface geophysics: Environmental applications

The field of geophysics encompasses a broad and diverse compilation of methodologies that employs principles of physics to characterize properties of earth materials within the subsurface. While geophysical methods have a long history in resource exploration and studies of Earth’s interior, the subdiscipline of “near-surface geophysics” has evolved in recent decades for examination of...
Authors
Stephanie R. James, Dan R. Glaser, Alejandro Garcia

A coral core archive designed for transparency and accessibility A coral core archive designed for transparency and accessibility

No abstract available.
Authors
Avi Strange, Oliwia Jasnos, Lauren T. Toth, Nancy G. Prouty, Thomas M. DeCarlo

Effects of nest exclosure on nest and adult survival of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in the lower Platte River System, Nebraska Effects of nest exclosure on nest and adult survival of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in the lower Platte River System, Nebraska

Conservation of imperiled species often includes management strategies intended to improve specific vital rates. However, some management practices can have unforeseen consequences that negate the intended benefit. For example, nest exclosures are often used for ground-nesting avian species to reduce nest predation but may increase depredation of adults. Tradeoffs between nest survival...
Authors
Elsa M. Forsberg, Joel G. Jorgensen, Rose J. Swift, Larkin A. Powell, Mark P. Vrtiska

Streamflow regime characterization in the changing boreal ecosystem: Wildfire impacts from stream-to-regional scales Streamflow regime characterization in the changing boreal ecosystem: Wildfire impacts from stream-to-regional scales

The boreal ecosystem has experienced significant changes over recent decades as wildfires become more frequent, intense, and severe. As streams are highly prevalent and ecologically relevant, understanding interactions among wildfire and hydrologic patterns is important for effective aquatic ecosystem management. This study used a Bayesian mixture model to classify streamflow regimes...
Authors
Deanna D. Strohm, Christopher J. Sergeant, Josh D. Paul, Jeffrey A. Falke

Disparate groundwater responses to wildfire Disparate groundwater responses to wildfire

Post-wildfire investigations of groundwater response reveal a range of outcomes, varying from substantial increases to notable decreases in recharge and baseflow, with some studies indicating negligible or short-lived effects. This review assesses these varied responses within five critical categories: climate, vegetation, hydrogeology, fire characteristics, and the cryosphere, examining...
Authors
Michelle A. Walvoord, Brian A. Ebel, Trevor Fuess Partridge, David M. Rey, D.O. Rosenberry

Public supply water delivery analysis and estimation for the conterminous United States Public supply water delivery analysis and estimation for the conterminous United States

Public supply water withdrawals represent 14% of all withdrawals in the conterminous United States (CONUS), supplying approximately 87% of the population with fresh water. Deliveries for public water supply are crucial for associating water use amounts with populations because they often differ from total withdrawals due to wholesales, transfers, losses, and other factors. Understanding...
Authors
Joshua Larsen, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger, Donald Martin, Cheryl A. Buchwald, Cheryl A. Dieter, Carol L. Luukkonen, Jana S. Stewart, Scott Paulinski, Lisa D. Miller, Natalie Houston

Rapid emplacement of the Keaiwa Lava Flow of 1823 from the Great Crack in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano Rapid emplacement of the Keaiwa Lava Flow of 1823 from the Great Crack in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano

The Keaīwa Lava Flow of 1823 in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano is unusual for its expansive pāhoehoe sheet flow morphology and lack of constructive vent topography, despite having a similar tholeiitic basalt composition to other lavas erupted from Kīlauea. This lava flow issued from a ∼10-km-long continuous fissure now known as the Great Crack, and has an unusually thin sheet...
Authors
Andrea Tonato, Thomas Shea, Drew T. Downs, Karim Kelfoun

Expression of corticoid-regulatory genes in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr and smolt and during salinity acclimation Expression of corticoid-regulatory genes in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr and smolt and during salinity acclimation

In teleost fishes, cortisol is the major corticoid and has both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid actions. However, how fish tissues discriminate between these distinct corticosteroid actions is unclear. In mammals, the major factors responsible for intracellular corticosteroid regulation are glucocorticoid receptors (grs) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (mr), but their role in
Authors
Makoto Kusakabe, Takashi Yada, Graham Young, Amy M. Regish, Stephen D. McCormick

Soil-microbial communities respond less than plant communities to synthetic- or bio-herbicides applied to address the exotic grass-fire cycle in rangelands Soil-microbial communities respond less than plant communities to synthetic- or bio-herbicides applied to address the exotic grass-fire cycle in rangelands

The exotic grass-fire cycle is degrading semiarid rangelands, such as the vast areas of shrub-steppe in North America now invaded by fire-promoting cheatgrass. Chemical- or bio-herbicides are sprayed onto soils to inhibit the invaders, but information on chemical- or bio-herbicide impacts to soil microbial communities is limited. We asked how the soil-microbiome responded to the...
Authors
Brynne E Lazarus, Rebecca Mueller, Matthew Germino

Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate Navigating the possibilities and pitfalls of biocrust recovery in a changing climate

Biological soil crusts are complex communities composed of lichens, mosses, bacteria, and cyanobacteria that create a living skin on the soil surface across drylands worldwide. Although small in size, the vast area that biocrusts cover and the critical functions they provide make them a cornerstone of dryland health and resiliency. In addition to being important, biocrusts are...
Authors
Michala Lee Phillips, Kristina E. Young, Cara Marie Lauria, Sierra Jech, Ana Giraldo-Silva, Sasha C. Reed
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