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
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Genetic and environmental factors associated with survival of a rare songbird in a fragmented urban landscape Genetic and environmental factors associated with survival of a rare songbird in a fragmented urban landscape
The coastal Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) persists in small and fragmented populations throughout southern California that are subject to genetic drift and inbreeding. We combined individual banding and resighting data and genotyped individuals at 22 microsatellite loci to assess whether heterozygosity was associated with survival across three regional Cactus Wren...
Authors
Amy Vandergast, Anna Mitelberg, Barbara Kus, Kristine Preston, Suellen Lynn, Alexandra Houston, Robert Klinger
SURF: An automated method for building nonplanar 3D fault models from earthquake hypocenters SURF: An automated method for building nonplanar 3D fault models from earthquake hypocenters
Accurately characterizing 3D fault geometry is vital for improving our understanding of earthquake behavior and informing the development of seismic hazard models. Despite their importance, subsurface fault structures tend to be poorly constrained because of limitations in observational data. Improvements to the seismic networks and earthquake detection algorithms have increased the...
Authors
Travis Vincent Alongi, Austin J. Elliott, Robert Skoumal, David Shelly, Alexandra Hatem
New maps of natural radioactivity reveal critical minerals and more New maps of natural radioactivity reveal critical minerals and more
High-resolution airborne radiometric surveys are covering more ground than ever to provide insights into unseen geology, mineral resource potential, and possible health hazards.
Authors
Anjana Shah, Daniel Doctor, Chloe Danielle Gustafson, Alan D Pitts
Estimating recruitment of Largemouth Bass to exceptional weights using angler-reported catches Estimating recruitment of Largemouth Bass to exceptional weights using angler-reported catches
ABSTRACTObjective Although most facets of Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans ecology have been researched, the upper tiers of weight distributions (i.e., ≥3.6 kg; herein, “lunkers”) have received little attention due to the challenges of collecting sufficient sample sizes. Our aim was to estimate Largemouth Bass recruitment to higher weights after reaching 3.6 kg and to identify...
Authors
Leandro Miranda, Frank Griffin, Natalie Goldstrohm, J. Neal, Thomas Lang
Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl
Emerging infectious diseases pose threats to wildlife populations, as exemplified by recent outbreaks of avian influenza viruses in wild birds. Climate change can affect infection dynamics in wildlife through direct effects on pathogens (e.g., environmental decay rates) and changes to host ecology, including shifting migration patterns. Here, we adapt an existing mechanistic model that...
Authors
Claire Teitelbaum, Michael Casazza, Cory Overton, Elliott Matchett, Diann Prosser
RioM-1: A new calcite reference material for U-Pb LA-ICP-MS geochronology RioM-1: A new calcite reference material for U-Pb LA-ICP-MS geochronology
Determining absolute ages of carbonate diagenesis, faulting, fossil formation, speleothem growth, carbonate-hosted hydrocarbon deposits, vein mineralisation and hydrothermal alteration has become increasingly accessible through LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of calcite, complementing traditional isotope dilution methods still applicable to certain materials (e.g., speleothems via micro-drilling)...
Authors
Marco Silva, Cristiano Lana, Ricardo Scholz, Ian Buick, Sandra K. Kamo, Nick Roberts, Axel Gerdes, Michael Wiedenbeck, Blair Schoene, Francisco Apen, Sean Gaynor
Synthesis of observed field salinity ranges for oyster and seagrass species in the U.S. Synthesis of observed field salinity ranges for oyster and seagrass species in the U.S.
Oyster and seagrass are important sessile, habitat-forming species that may be impacted by changes in salinity regimes from anthropogenic or climatic drivers. While salinity tolerance literature is focused on controlled experiments, observed field salinity ranges of species are more disparate. The salinity ranges in which organisms are observed in the field may not align exactly with...
Authors
Charlotte Lee, Simeon Yurek, David Eggleston, Natalie Nelson
Diel and spatial variability in cyanobacterial composition, gene abundance, and toxin concentration: A pilot study Diel and spatial variability in cyanobacterial composition, gene abundance, and toxin concentration: A pilot study
We designed a pilot field study to assess relations between sunlight, cyanobacteria, and cyanotoxins. In 2021, we collected day (07:00 h, 10:00 h, 13:00 h, 16:00 h) and night samples (19:00 h, 22:00 h, 01:00 h, 04:00 h) at two locations in Kabetogama Lake, MN, USA. One sample set was collected from the lakeward end of a boat dock and the other on the nearby shoreline. Cyanobacterial...
Authors
Victoria Christensen, Leon Katona, Jaime LeDuc, Ryan Maki, Hayley Olds, James Smith, Hailey Elizabeth Trompeter
Modeling diverse environmental responses of reservoirs to floating photovoltaic systems Modeling diverse environmental responses of reservoirs to floating photovoltaic systems
Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems are emerging as a promising strategy for large-scale clean energy production worldwide. However, by altering key physical drivers such as solar radiation and wind mixing, FPV installations may have also unintended consequences for lakes and reservoirs. Given the wide diversity of freshwater systems globally, understanding the consistency in direction...
Authors
Evan Bredeweg, Ivan Arismendi, Christina Murphy, Sarah Henkel
Submarine groundwater discharge creates cold‐water refugia that can mitigate exposure of heat stress in nearshore corals Submarine groundwater discharge creates cold‐water refugia that can mitigate exposure of heat stress in nearshore corals
Coral reef mortality around the world is accelerating due to human activities and rising sea temperatures that cause bleaching, which is expected to become more frequent. Our ability to predict which corals will be most resilient, however, remains limited due to insufficient information characterizing nearshore temperature and habitat conditions. In this study, we examine how submarine...
Authors
Eric Grossman, Ferdinand Oberle, Curt Storlazzi
Assessing flood water infiltration and storage in a restored floodplain Assessing flood water infiltration and storage in a restored floodplain
In urban areas, floodplain restoration is gaining prominence as a strategy for restoring the natural functions of floodplain ecosystems and reducing flood risk. This has spurred research into potential interactions between floodwaters, the hyporheic zone, and the floodplain aquifer. An urban restored stream in Wisconsin, USA, was used as a case study to examine four methods to estimate...
Authors
Nicholas Corson-Dosch, Faith Fitzpatrick, Paul Juckem, James Blount, Wonsook Ha
Widespread anhydrite saturation in Laramide-age arc magmas of southwestern USA Widespread anhydrite saturation in Laramide-age arc magmas of southwestern USA
Anhydrite is considered a rare mineral phase in magmas, with only ∼33 documented occurrences worldwide. However, anhydrite readily decomposes in the near-surface environment, making it difficult to recognize its former presence in rocks collected at or near Earth’s surface. In such samples, only small anhydrite inclusions fully shielded within other minerals can have survived. During a...
Authors
Andreas Audétat, Jia Chang, Sean Gaynor