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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Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California
Background
Authors
Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Calvin A. Farris, Eamon Engber, Emma J. McClure, Anthony C. Caprio, MaryBeth Keifer
Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change
Lithium is necessary for low-carbon technologies that combat climate change, but lithium extraction is water-intensive. Changes in temperature and precipitation arising from climate change are altering water distribution, which could further strain supplies for new mines and industry, farms, and households. Here we explored how climate change, water use, and mining siting could impact...
Authors
Jenna Nicole Trost, Nedal T. Nassar, Jennifer B. Dunn
Assessing environmental influences on gene flow for a migratory ungulate in a fire-prone landscape Assessing environmental influences on gene flow for a migratory ungulate in a fire-prone landscape
Context
Authors
Elizabeth P Flesch, Tabitha A. Graves, Mark Biel
Geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic evidence for multi-stage genesis of the Hicks Dome REE + Y-HFSE-fluorite deposit, Illinois, USA Geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic evidence for multi-stage genesis of the Hicks Dome REE + Y-HFSE-fluorite deposit, Illinois, USA
Hicks Dome hosts breccias enriched in rare earth elements (REE), Y, Th, F, Ba, Ti, Nb, and Be, alongside spatially associated lamprophyre dikes (ca. 271 Ma). Hicks Dome is located within the Illinois–Kentucky Fluorspar District, which hosts fluorite, Pb–Zn, and barite resources. This study investigates the genetic relationships between Hicks Dome mineralization in breccias, alkaline...
Authors
Julia A. McIntosh, Allen K. Andersen, Mitchell M. Bennett, Jay M. Thompson, Craig A. Johnson, Albert H. Hofstra, Laurence Nuelle
Status and trends of pelagic and benthic prey fish populations in Lake Michigan, 2025 Status and trends of pelagic and benthic prey fish populations in Lake Michigan, 2025
Fall bottom trawl (fall BT) and lakewide acoustic (AC) surveys are conducted annually to generate indices of pelagic and benthic prey fish densities in Lake Michigan. The fall BT survey has been conducted each fall since 1973 using 12-m trawls at depths ranging from 9 to 110 m at fixed locations distributed across seven transects; this survey estimates densities of seven prey fish...
Authors
Ralph W. Tingley, Timothy P. O’Brien, Charles P. Madenjian, Peter C. Esselman, Patricia Dieter, Kristy Phillips, Ben Turschak, Dale Hanson, Steven A. Farha
Moment magnitude for small earthquakes in the Delaware basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico, USA Moment magnitude for small earthquakes in the Delaware basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico, USA
The Delaware Basin region of west Texas and southeast New Mexico has become one of the most prolific regions of seismic activity in the continental United States due to widespread hydraulic fracturing and wastewater disposal injection. In response to the increased number of earthquakes in this region, rapid and accurate characterization of earthquake sources is necessary to understand...
Authors
Sydney Gable, Yihe Huang, David R. Shelly, Justin L. Rubinstein
Demographic responses to experimental manipulation of an enclosed population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) Demographic responses to experimental manipulation of an enclosed population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis)
Understanding how invasive species populations respond to perturbations can give insight into effective management. However, opportunities to test theoretical population responses are rare, as experimental perturbations often run counter to management goals (e.g., suppression). On the island of Guam, a 5-ha outdoor enclosure (with no immigration or emigration) constructed in 2003 serves...
Authors
Amanda Marie Kissel, Robert Reed, Björn Lardner, Gordon H. Rodda, Julie A. Savidge, Amy A. Yackel Adams
Continuous and high-resolution longitudinal profiles of the water surface and riverbed elevation for 282 miles of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, Arizona, 2021 Continuous and high-resolution longitudinal profiles of the water surface and riverbed elevation for 282 miles of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, Arizona, 2021
Longitudinal profiles of water surface and riverbed elevations capture key geomorphic characteristics that can be affected by water infrastructure and natural processes. Continuous water surface profiles of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, a river influenced by two of the largest dams in the United States, have been measured infrequently. The water surface profile was first measured...
Authors
Shannon L. Sartain, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Keith Kohl, Katherine A. Chapman, Nathaniel D. Bransky, Joel B. Sankey, Paul E. Grams
From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation
Landslide runout and debris-flow inundation can disrupt areas well beyond their initial sources, causing widespread damage and extensive fatalities. Understanding where they start and how far they might travel is essential in many locations worldwide. However, most landslide susceptibility maps focus on initiation areas and fail to incorporate runout areas. Furthermore, hazards vary...
Authors
Mark E. Reid, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Dianne L. Brien, Isaac Henry Leb, Andrew J. Cyr
Streamflow and surface-water presence data availability across the conterminous United States: A review for headwater systems Streamflow and surface-water presence data availability across the conterminous United States: A review for headwater systems
Water is essential for life on Earth, supporting ecosystems, human health, and economic activities. Hydrology relies on observational data, and this paper discusses regional and national datasets for the conterminous United States (CONUS) publicly available as of 2023, focusing on headwaters, defined as first- and second-order streams at 1:24000 scale. It identifies 72 primary and...
Authors
Roy Sando, Kristin Jaeger, Christa Kelleher, John C. Hammond, Jay R. Christensen, Catalina Segura, Heather E. Golden, Frederick Y. Cheng, Admin Husic, C. Nathan Jones, Charles R. Lane, Li Li, D. Tyler Mahoney, Hillary McMillan, Adam N. Price, Erin C. Seybold, Adam Ward, Margaret Zimmer, Steven James Pestana
Understanding co-invading species’ ecological strategies and interactions with causal inference and simple dynamic models: Bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and Silver carp (H. molitrix) in the Illinois River, USA Understanding co-invading species’ ecological strategies and interactions with causal inference and simple dynamic models: Bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and Silver carp (H. molitrix) in the Illinois River, USA
Species interactions among multiple invasive species can present hidden challenges for management and eradication efforts. Bighead and Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and H. molitrix, respectively) are closely related species that have co-invaded the Mississippi River and many of its tributaries, including the Illinois River. We used a combination of causal inference and dynamic...
Authors
Donald R. Schoolmaster, James E. Garvey, Richard A. Erickson, Benjamin J. Mareck, David P. Coulter
An overview of the NASA Adaptation and Response in Drylands field experiment scoping study An overview of the NASA Adaptation and Response in Drylands field experiment scoping study
Drylands cover 41% of Earth’s land surface, support 36% of the global population, and contribute 60% of global food production. Despite these ecosystems’ importance and high vulnerability to droughts and heatwaves, drylands remain some of the most understudied systems on Earth. Monitoring drylands is challenging due to their complex ecosystem structure of visible soil mixed with diverse...
Authors
Andrew F. Feldman, Sasha C. Reed, Konrad Wessels, Dennis S. Ojima, David J.P. Moore, William K. Smith, Niall P. Hanan, Cibele Amaral, Flurin Babst, Joel A. Biederman, Marcy Litvak, Natasha MacBean, Benjamin Poulter, Russell L. Scott, Alicja Babst-Kostecka, Julia K. Green, Raymond F. Kokaly, Ryan Pavlick, Robert Swap, Shawn P. Serbin, Compton J. Tucker, Lixin Wang, Jennifer D. Watts, Alejandro Flores, James Rattling Leaf Sr., Robert A. Washington-Allen, Karen Prentice, Emily Kachergis, Julian Reyes, Jasmine Ryan, Michael D. SanClements, Henry W. Loescher, Allison K Leidner, Tyson Swetnam