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
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.
Filter Total Items: 174842
The biosphere in the Anthropocene The biosphere in the Anthropocene
Earth’s biosphere is in a period of rapid change, resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, habitat loss and species translocation and extinction. The extraordinary pace of change has led to the suggestion that we live in a new geological epoch of time called the Anthropocene. In this theme issue, we explore the major changes to the terrestrial and marine biospheres...
Authors
Mark Williams, Mary L. McGann, Moriaki Yasuhara, Chhaya Chaudhary, Lisa Barber, Kerry Allen
An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears An energetic tradeoff best explains parturition timing in grizzly bears
Timing of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) parturition during hibernation has been explained by ancestral traits (delayed implantation, altricial young, obligate maternal denning), but the ultimate driver underlying precise timing has not been fully explored. Capitalizing on an observed latitudinal increase in denning duration among four populations in interior North America, we tested two...
Authors
C. M. Costello, L. L. Roberts, D. D. Bjornlie, M. D. Cameron, J. G. Clapp, Mark Haroldson, G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, W. Kasworm, J. M. Nicholson, T. Radandt, M. S. Sorum, J. E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen, M. A. Vinks
Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and habitat use of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020–24 summary report Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and habitat use of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020–24 summary report
Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with a summary of abundance, breeding activity, demography, and habitat use of endangered Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California (MCBCP or Base). The report presents results of vireo surveys and monitoring in 2024 and summarizes a subset of data collected from...
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Alexandra Houston, Barbara E. Kus, Shannon M. Mendia
Comparison of two precipitation gage networks in Cook County, Illinois Comparison of two precipitation gage networks in Cook County, Illinois
The Cook County Precipitation Network is a set of 25 precipitation gages established within Cook County, Illinois, on approximately a 5- to 7-mile square grid and used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help account for diversions of water from Lake Michigan to the State of Illinois. The transition from the precipitation gage network operated by the Illinois State Water Survey to the
Authors
Kevin K. Johnson
Widespread terrestrial ecosystem disruption at the onset of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum Widespread terrestrial ecosystem disruption at the onset of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Mya) interval was marked by massive 13C-depleted carbon emissions into the ocean/atmosphere system, manifested as a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) in sedimentary components, and ~5 °C global average warming. Episodes of hydrological perturbations and soil-erosion have been widely documented for the PETM but their link with...
Authors
Mei Nelissen, Debra A. Willard, Han Konijnenburg-van Cittert, Gabriel J. Bowen, Teuntje Hollaar, Appy Sluijs, Joost Frieling, Henk Brinkhuis
Toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides on Pacific salmon: Assessing lethal and sublethal effects Toxicity of anticoagulant rodenticides on Pacific salmon: Assessing lethal and sublethal effects
To restore native biodiversity on island ecosystems containing invasive rodents, partial- and whole-island eradications generally rely on broadcast baiting with anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). This approach can result in bait pellets entering aquatic environments, raising concerns about effects to non-target fish. Salmonids are a dominant group of fishes on many temperate islands...
Authors
Lillian M. Pavord, Melissa K. Driessnack, Aaron B. Shiels, Steven Volker, Barnett A. Rattner, Jenifer McIntyre
Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field Luminescence dating of hydrothermal explosions in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field
Hydrothermal explosions are a significant geological hazard in some active volcanic systems; however, the timing and triggering mechanisms of these explosions are poorly constrained. This study applies luminescence dating techniques to hydrothermal explosion deposits in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field to constrain explosion chronologies and evaluate potential triggering mechanisms...
Authors
Karissa Cordero, Nathan Brown, Lauren N. Harrison, Shaul Hurwitz
Genomic evidence for local adaptation to elevation and climate sheds new light on variable responses to global change in American pikas (Ochotona princeps) Genomic evidence for local adaptation to elevation and climate sheds new light on variable responses to global change in American pikas (Ochotona princeps)
No abstract available.
Authors
Erik A. Beever, Elizabeth Osterhoudt, Ethan B. Linck
Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef eegradation Coral reef protection may help avert risks to people, property, and economic activity caused by projected reef eegradation
Degradation of coral reefs over the past several decades has caused regional-scale erosion of the shallow seafloor that serves as a protective barrier against coastal hazards along southeast Florida, USA. How future change in coral reefs may affect coastal flooding, however, has been less attended than other factors contributing to increasing risks such as sea-level rise and more intense...
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja Reguero, Kimberly Yates, Kristen Alkins, James B. Shope, Camila Gaido-Lasserre, Theresa Fregoso, Michael W. Beck
Hydrologic dynamics of ephemerally flooded playas in a dryland environment Hydrologic dynamics of ephemerally flooded playas in a dryland environment
Ephemerally flooded playas are common in the southwestern United States and globally in drylands. Often formed in closed basins, playas are depressions which inundate infrequently from local precipitation and streamflow produced near the playa or from upland areas. Few studies have quantified the hydrologic connectivity between upland catchments and playas using observations. Here, we...
Authors
Charles R. Kimsal, Enrique R. Vivoni, Osvaldo E. Sala, H. Curtis Monger, Owen P. McKenna
An integrated mudstone facies classification scheme and revised interpretation of the sedimentologic processes driving carbon burial in the Cenomanian–Turonian Greenhorn Formation, Colorado, U.S.A. An integrated mudstone facies classification scheme and revised interpretation of the sedimentologic processes driving carbon burial in the Cenomanian–Turonian Greenhorn Formation, Colorado, U.S.A.
Standardizing facies descriptions has proven key to integrating interpretations of depositional processes and environments from sedimentologic observations with geochemistry data for mudstone lithologies. Because of their fine-grained nature, high degree of compaction, and heterogeneous composition, standardizing methods for mudstone descriptions has proven difficult, but it is critical...
Authors
Jason A. Flaum, Katherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Kira K. Timm
Groundwater tracing used to delineate recharge areas and map karst groundwater pathways for subterranean streams at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Groundwater tracing used to delineate recharge areas and map karst groundwater pathways for subterranean streams at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve in southwestern Oregon is a 4,554-acre area managed by the National Park Service that is home to several cave systems, including Oregon Caves, which is the longest cave in Oregon, with 3.03 miles of mapped passages. Because of the interconnected nature of karst hydrologic systems, it is critical to understand the areas that can influence water...
Authors
Benjamin V. Miller