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.
Science Quality and Integrity
Science Quality and Integrity
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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.
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Birdwatching preferences reveal synergies and tradeoffs among recreation, carbon, and fisheries ecosystem services in Pacific Northwest estuaries, USA Birdwatching preferences reveal synergies and tradeoffs among recreation, carbon, and fisheries ecosystem services in Pacific Northwest estuaries, USA
Coastal ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services that are valued in diverse ways. The Nisqually River Delta (the Delta), an estuary in Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A., is co-managed by the Nisqually Indian Tribe and the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. In an ecosystem services assessment, we used different service-appropriate methods including citizen science...
Authors
Kristin B. Byrd, Isa Woo, Laurie Anne Hall, Emily Pindilli, Monica Moritsch, Anthony Good, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Melanie J. Davis, Glynnis Nakai
Event classification, seismicity, and eruption forecasting at Great Sitkin Volcano, Alaska: 1999–2023 Event classification, seismicity, and eruption forecasting at Great Sitkin Volcano, Alaska: 1999–2023
The frequency content of volcanogenic seismicity is often used to classify events and their spatial and temporal progression is then used to map subsurface volcanic processes. The progression of volcano-seismic events and associated source processes also plays a critical role in eruption forecasting. Here we develop and evaluate a computerized methodology for characterizing volcano...
Authors
John Power, Diana Roman
Grammar To Graph, an approach for semantic transformation of annotations to triples Grammar To Graph, an approach for semantic transformation of annotations to triples
Linguistic representation of geographic knowledge is semantically complex and particularly challenging when employing geographic information technology to automate interpreted analysis dealing with unstructured knowledge. This study describes an approach called GrammarToGraph (G2G) that applies dependency grammar rules through natural language processing to transform annotation data into
Authors
Dalia E. Varanka, Emily Abbott
U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions
Executive Summary Climate is the primary driver of environmental change and is a key consideration in defining science priorities conducted across all mission areas in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Recognizing the importance of climate change to its future research agenda, the USGS’s Climate Science Steering Committee requested the development of a Climate Science Plan to identify...
Authors
Tamara Wilson, Ryan P. Boyles, Nicole DeCrappeo, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin D. Kroeger, Rachel A. Loehman, John M. Pearce, Mark P. Waldrop, Peter D. Warwick, Anne M. Wein, Sara L. Zeigler, Beard
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Energy Resources Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Alaska Science Center, California Water Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Volcano Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data
Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and...
Authors
Oliver N. Shipley, Anna J. Dabrowski, Gabriel J. Bowen, Brian Hayden, Jonathan N. Pauli, Christopher Jordan, Lesleigh Anderson, Adriana Bailey, Clement P. Bataille, Carla Cicero, Hilary G. Close, Craig Cook, Joseph A. Cook, Ankur R. Desai, Jaivime Evaristo, Tim R. Filley, Christine France, Sora Lee Kim, Sebastian H. Kopf, Julie Loisel, Philip J. Manlick, Jamie M. McFarlin, Bailey C. McMeans, Tamsin C. O’Connel, Brice X. Semmens, Chris Stantis, Paul Szejner, Suzanne E. Pilaar Birch, Annie L. Putman, Craig A. Stricker, Tara L.E. Trammell, Mark D. Uhen, Samantha Weintraub-Leff, Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Williams, Christopher T. Yarnes, Hanna B. Vander Zanden, Seth D. Newsome
Functional turnover in a prairie-river fish community over 130 years Functional turnover in a prairie-river fish community over 130 years
Objective In many Great Plains rivers, functional turnover—the change in proportional dominance of members in biological communities that fill certain ecological roles—has occurred due to impoundment and habitat alteration. The Powder River of Montana and Wyoming remains one of the few unregulated prairie rivers, but long-term monitoring is limited, so we analyzed changes over time at...
Authors
Niall G. Clancy, Jonathan A. McFarland, Megan G. Ahern, Annika W. Walters
Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California
This study investigates the effects of post-wildfire sediment runoff on giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) populations in Malibu, California, following the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The research utilizes satellite data and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to assess changes in sediment delivery and its correlation with reduced kelp abundance. Findings indicate a significant decrease in...
Authors
Lori A Berberian, Christine M. Lee, Erin L. Hestir, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Amanda M Lopez, Carmen Blackwood, Dulcinea Marie Avouris
Science target prioritization framework for remote sensing Science target prioritization framework for remote sensing
Behind the scenes of a remote sensing mission there are complex decision making and planning operations. Streamlining these operations, with a quantitative scientific value framework, aids efficient and optimized science data collection. While there have been previous efforts to quantify the science value for specific science scenarios, our work aims to develop a general framework which...
Authors
Vinay Ravindra, Douglas Caldwell, Meghan Chandarana Saephan, Bryan Duncan, Sarah A. Strode, William Swartz, Kristen L. Manies, Jeremy Frank, Richard Levinson, Eugene Turkov
Chloride concentrations in groundwater from the western part of the Southern Hills regional aquifer system, Louisiana, 2021–22 Chloride concentrations in groundwater from the western part of the Southern Hills regional aquifer system, Louisiana, 2021–22
Groundwater is heavily used for public supply and industrial uses in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area. Lowered water levels resulting from groundwater withdrawals have induced the movement of saltwater towards wells in East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge Parishes. Saltwater intrusion has the potential to affect water supply infrastructure, reduce water availability for some uses, and...
Authors
M.A. Lindaman
Life on land needs fresh water (SDG 15) Life on land needs fresh water (SDG 15)
Terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, and the inland waters within them, such as bogs, floodplains, lakes, rivers, springs, and wetlands, are foundational for life on earth. They provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon storage and sequestration, clean water, primary production, pollination, soil fertility, and erosion control. The human footprint on terrestrial and...
Authors
Gretchen L. Stokes, Abigail J. Lynch, Samuel J. Smidt, E. Ashley Steel, Scott Dowd, Robert Britton, Xue Bai, Trista Brophy Cerquera, Genaro Guerrero, Jeantel Cheramy, Aaron A. Koning, Fatemeh F. Maghsood, Ashley M. Piccillo, Grace Schuppie
The U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Science Center’s response plan for significant volcanic events The U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Science Center’s response plan for significant volcanic events
This publication describes the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Science Center (VSC) Response Plan for Significant Volcanic Events (hereinafter referred to as “the plan”) that has been developed for U.S volcano observatories over the past several years in consultation with the lead scientist, or Scientist-in-Charge (SIC), of each of the five U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcano...
Authors
Seth C. Moran, Christina A. Neal, Thomas L. Murray
Aspects of the demography of a relict population of southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) in a West Mojave Desert stream in California Aspects of the demography of a relict population of southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) in a West Mojave Desert stream in California
We studied Actinemys pallida (Southwestern Pond Turtle) in Amargosa Creek, near Palmdale, CA, from 1997 to 2023. The population in the upper creek was the focus of a mark–recapture study from 1997 to 2003 during monitoring required by a road-construction project. An estimated 193 (95% CI = 142–256) turtles were present in 1997 or recruited to the upper creek population between 1997 and...
Authors
David Muth, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Rodrigo Macip-Rios, Doug Gomez, Kristy L. Cummings, Michele R. Puffer, Charles B. Yackulic