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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Vegetation cover and composition in environments surrounding uranium mines in the Grand Canyon ecosystem, Northern Arizona Vegetation cover and composition in environments surrounding uranium mines in the Grand Canyon ecosystem, Northern Arizona
Mining uranium from breccia-pipe deposits in the greater Grand Canyon region has occurred since the mid-1900s. However, possible ecosystem contamination with harmful levels of radionuclides may have occurred due to mining activities in the 21st century. In response, a 20-year Federal moratorium on new mining claims in the Grand Canyon watershed was initiated in 2012, to allow time to...
Authors
Rebecca K. Mann, Michael C. Duniway, Jo Ellen Hinck
Seasonal and decadal changes in winter body condition of four sympatric diving ducks Seasonal and decadal changes in winter body condition of four sympatric diving ducks
Winter body condition is an important driver of survival, reproductive output, and overall population health in waterfowl. Diving duck species use distinct habitats, exploit unique resources, and can collectively provide an integrated index of winter habitat quality. The San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of North America, serving as critical wintering...
Authors
Mason A. Hill, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Laurie Anne Hall, Stacy M. Moskal, John Y. Takekawa, John M. Eadie
Decadal trends and occurrence of geogenic constituents and mixtures in groundwater across the continental United States Decadal trends and occurrence of geogenic constituents and mixtures in groundwater across the continental United States
Worldwide, about 50% of the population is served by groundwater-sourced drinking water. Numerous groundwater quality assessments have found that geogenic constituents are among the most common contaminants in drinking-water aquifers. Documenting changing groundwater quality is a crucial aspect of water availability assessments. We assess trends and occurrence of geogenic constituent...
Authors
Melinda L. Erickson, Sarah M. Elliott, MaryLynn Musgrove, Elise Danica Hinman, Margaux Jeanne Sleckman, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Bruce D. Lindsey
ECCOE Landsat Quarterly Calibration and Validation Report—Quarter 2, 2025 ECCOE Landsat Quarterly Calibration and Validation Report—Quarter 2, 2025
Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote- sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat...
Authors
Md Obaidul Haque, Nahid Hasan, Ashish Shrestha, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Mark Lubke, Daniel Steinwand, Paul Bresnahan, Jerad L. Shaw, Kathryn Ruslander, Esad Micijevic, Michael J. Choate, Cody Anderson, Jeff Clauson, Kurt Thome, Amit Angal, Raviv Levy, Jeff Miller, Leibo Ding, Cibele Teixeira Pinto
Latest Pleistocene to 19th-century earthquakes on bending-moment reverse faults of the Seattle fault zone, Washington Latest Pleistocene to 19th-century earthquakes on bending-moment reverse faults of the Seattle fault zone, Washington
Fault-related folds and their associated secondary faults play a critical yet often underrecognized role in accommodating strain and generating earthquakes in active fold-and-thrust belts. In the Seattle fault zone (SFZ), Washington, USA, we present new paleoseismic, geomorphic, and geophysical evidence for late Pleistocene and Holocene earthquakes on shallow, south-dipping secondary...
Authors
Stephen J. Angster, Brian L. Sherrod, Jessie K. Pearl, Lydia M. Staisch, Wes Johns, Richard J. Blakely
A matter of timing: Sagebrush steppe restoration seeding outcomes altered by species responses to warmer spring temperatures and interannual weather variation A matter of timing: Sagebrush steppe restoration seeding outcomes altered by species responses to warmer spring temperatures and interannual weather variation
Introduction Restoration outcomes in cold desert ecosystems like sagebrush steppe are affected by weather variability, particularly during the spring, a critical time period for seedling establishment. Seedling emergence phenology is also highly variable among species in these ecosystems. Seed-based restoration outcomes are likely affected by the emergence timing of species in seed mixes...
Authors
Stella M Copeland, Jonathan D Bates, Kirk W Davies, Matthew Germino
Single receiver target localization in mobile marine acoustic telemetry Single receiver target localization in mobile marine acoustic telemetry
Many marine ecological studies track animal movement and migration using acoustic telemetry, in which animals are implanted with acoustic transmitters broadcasting a unique ID code. Receivers detect and decode these transmissions and provide an estimate of the animal’s location. As transmissions can be detected at distances of hundreds of meters to even several kilometers, localization...
Authors
Eric M. Gaskell, Tyler Reid Funnell, Christopher M. Holbrook, Darryl W. Hondorp, Xiaobo Tan
Sea-level rise in a coastal marsh: Linking increasing tidal inundation, decreasing soil strength and increasing pond expansion Sea-level rise in a coastal marsh: Linking increasing tidal inundation, decreasing soil strength and increasing pond expansion
Coastal marsh conversion into ponds, which may be triggered by sea-level rise, is considered an important driver of marsh loss and their valuable ecosystem services. Previous studies have focused on the role of wind waves in driving the expansion of interior marsh ponds, through lateral erosion of marsh edges surrounding the ponds. Here, we propose another mechanism between sea-level...
Authors
Mona Huyzentruyt, Lennert Schepers, Matt L. Kirwan, Glenn Guntenspergen, Stijn Temmerman
Global framework for communication of biological invasion risks Global framework for communication of biological invasion risks
Biological invasions, driven by the spread of non-native species, have become a critical global issue because of their far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Effective communication of the risks of biological invasions is essential for implementing robust policy and legislation and gaining public support for conservation efforts. However, current policies often suffer from
Authors
Lorenzo Vilizzi, Vettath R. Suresh, Daniela Giannetto, Jeffrey E. Hill, Wesley M. Daniel, João G. Monteiro, Lennart Edsman, Hassan Sh Elmi, Ahmed Ibrahim Awale, Elnaz Najafi-Majd, Ramazan Mammadov, Sapto Andriyono, Djumanto, Mohammad Noor Azmai, Abdulwakil Saba, Belma K. Stroil, Avdul Adrović, Anna Vila-Gispert, Dani Boix, Oldřich Kopecký, Vilém Pavlu, Dragana Milošević, Danka Caković, Henrik Holbech, Kim Lundgreen, Juliane Lukas, Harald Ahnelt, Merike Linnamägi, Mehis Rohtla, David Almeida, Roberto Mendoza, Allan S. Gilles, Richard Thomas D. Pavia, Elisabeth Knudsen, Leivur J. Hansen, Philippe Goulletquer, Amelia Curd, Ivan Špelić, Jón E. Jónsson, Höskuldur Thráinsson, Angela Boggero, Mihails Pupins, Artūrs Škute, Lukas Petrulaitis, Ilona Jukonienė, Gábor Herczeg, Árpád Ferincz, Hugo Verreycken, Rob S.E.W. Leuven, Martin Malmstrøm, Gaute Velle, Trobjon Makhkamov, Akramjon Yuldashev, Dariusz Pietraszewski, Lidia Marszał, João Canning-Clode, Mariele Pasuch de Camargo, Cristina Preda, Daniyar Memedemin, Rigers Bakiu, Silvia Bakiu, Kristína S. Švolíková, Barbora Števove, Luka Duniš, Petra Kristan, Predrag Simonović, Radoslav Dekić, Riikka Puntila-Dodd, Miia Jauni, Karin H. Olsson, Kieu Anh Ta, Thuyet D. Bui, Baran Yoğurtçuoğlu, Sevan Ağdamar, Bahadir Yuldashov, Peyzulla Khydyrov, Leonidas Vardakas, Nicholas Koutsikos, Costas Perdikaris, Dzmitry Lukashanets, Oleg Borodin, Eliza Uzunova, Dimitriy Dashinov, Georgii Lazkov, Myskalai Ganybaeva, Daniya Ualiyeva, Raushan Zharmukhametova, Milica Ristovska, Aleksandra Cvetkovska Gjorgjievska, Burenbaatar Ganbaatar, Solongo Khadbaatar, Vadim E. Panov, Oleh Marenkov, Nurali Saidov, Mekhrovar Okhonniyozov, Yuriy Kvach, Volodymyr Yuryshynets, Marine Arakelyan, Hasmik Khachatryan, Levan Mumladze, Bella Japoshvili, Renanel Pickholtz, Tal Gavriel, Usman Atique, Muhammad Altaf, Sonia Iqbal, Zainab Al-Wazzan, Sahar Chebaane, Mohammad Hamid Hamdard, Abdul Rahman Osmani, Seyed Daryoush Moghaddas, Jamileh Javidpour, Mariyam Nashath, Faruhana Abdullah, Hari Prasad Sharma, Bharat Babu Shrestha, Vandana Vibhakaran, Shams M. Galib, Md. Abdul Gofur Khan, Udaya Priyantha Epa, Nadiya Cassim, Mahanama De Zoysa, Ratcha Chaichana, Kamalaporn Kanongdate, Nyein Chan, La Minn Ko Ko, Jigdrel Dorji, Chhimi Dorji, Khaml Inkhavilay, Chanhvilay Somvongsa, Kim Soben, Yutha Nida, Yohannes B. Tesfay, Bikila W. Dullo, Chulhong Oh, Youngjun Park, Shan Li, Hui Wei, Akihiko Koyama, Atsuhiko Isobe, Marina Piria
Recent scientific contributions by the U.S. Geological Survey in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary Recent scientific contributions by the U.S. Geological Survey in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary
Introduction The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary (hereafter, Bay-Delta) is the largest estuary on the West Coast of the United States. The Bay- Delta covers more than 1,600 square miles and drains a watershed of more than 75,000 square miles, which is greater than 40 percent of California. The region surrounding the Bay- Delta is home to about 10 million people...
Authors
Judith Z. Drexler, Jake Weltzin
Multi-year cut-to-drown management limits Phragmites australis growth, belowground resources, and rhizome viability in Great Lakes wetlands Multi-year cut-to-drown management limits Phragmites australis growth, belowground resources, and rhizome viability in Great Lakes wetlands
The distribution and abundance of Phragmites in the Great Lakes coastal zone has expanded in part due to its unique ventilation physiology and its ability to take advantage of changes in lake levels over the past several decades. During an extended period of low lake levels in the early 2000s, Phragmites expanded into vast shallow water areas as lake bottoms were exposed. Many of those...
Authors
Wesley A. Bickford, Kaira A. Schaefer, Spenser L. Widin, Kurt P. Kowalski
Teach me how to pycap: A high-capacity well decision support tool using analytical solutions in Python Teach me how to pycap: A high-capacity well decision support tool using analytical solutions in Python
Regulatory agencies in humid temperate environments rely on timely evaluations of streamflow depletion and drawdown to protect aquatic ecosystems and existing water users. Numerical models offer detailed insights, but their complexity and time demands often preclude their practical use in rapid decision-making. We present pycap-dss, an open-source Python package that implements a suite...
Authors
Michael N. Fienen, Aaron Pruitt, Howard W. Reeves