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.
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Repeated coseismic uplift of coastal lagoons above the Patton Bay Splay Fault System, Montague Island, Alaska, USA Repeated coseismic uplift of coastal lagoons above the Patton Bay Splay Fault System, Montague Island, Alaska, USA
Coseismic slip on the Patton Bay splay fault system during the 1964 Mw 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake contributed to local tsunami generation and vertically uplifted shorelines as much as 11 m on Montague Island in Prince William Sound (PWS). Sudden uplift of 3.7–4.3 m caused coastal lagoons along the island's northwestern coast to gradually drain. The resulting change in depositional...
Authors
Jessica DePaolis, Tina Dura, Robert C. Witter, Peter J. Haeussler, Adrian Bender, Janet H. Curran, D. Reide Corbett
Assessing wild turkey productivity before and after a 14-day delay in the start date of the spring hunting season in Tennessee Assessing wild turkey productivity before and after a 14-day delay in the start date of the spring hunting season in Tennessee
Ten state wildlife management agencies in the United States, including six within the Southeast, have delayed their spring wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting seasons since 2017 by five or more days to address concerns related to the potential effects of hunting on wild turkey seasonal productivity. One hypothesis posits that if the spring hunting season is too early, there may be
Authors
Joseph O. Quehl, Lindsey M. Phillips, Vincent M. Johnson, Craig A. Harper, Joseph D. Clark, Roger D. Shields, David A. Buehler
Static and dynamic strain in the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake Static and dynamic strain in the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake
During the 1886 Mw 7.3 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake, three railroads emanating from the city were exposed to severe shaking. Expansion joints in segmented railroad tracks are designed to allow railroad infrastructure to withstand a few parts in 10,000 of thermoelastic strain. We show that, in 1886, transient contractions exceeding this limiting value buckled rails, and...
Authors
Roger Bilham, Susan E. Hough
Resilience is not enough: Toward a more meaningful rangeland adaptation science Resilience is not enough: Toward a more meaningful rangeland adaptation science
Rangeland ecosystems, and their managers, face the growing urgency of climate change impacts. Researchers are therefore seeking integrative social-ecological frameworks that can enhance adaptation by managers to these climate change dynamics through tighter linkages among multiple scientific disciplines and manager contexts. Social-ecological framings, including resilience and...
Authors
Hailey Wilmer, Daniel B. Ferguson, Maude Dinan, Eric Thacker, Peter B. Adler, Kathryn Bills Walsh, John B. Bradford, Mark Brunson, Justin D. Derner, Emile Elias, Andrew J Felton, Curtis A. Gray, Christina Greene, Mitchel P McClaran, Robert K. Shriver, Mitch Stephenson, Katharine Nash Suding
Large-scale assessment of genetic structure to assess risk of populations of a large herbivore to disease Large-scale assessment of genetic structure to assess risk of populations of a large herbivore to disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) can spread among cervids by direct and indirect transmission, the former being more likely in emerging areas. Identifying subpopulations allows the delineation of focal areas to target for intervention. We aimed to assess the population structure of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northeastern United States at a regional scale to inform...
Authors
W. David Walter, Alberto Fameli, Kelly Russo-Petrick, Jessie E. Edson, Christopher S. Rosenberry, Krysten L. Schuler, Michael J. Tonkovich
Updated range map of an endangered salamander and congeneric competitor reveals different niche preferences Updated range map of an endangered salamander and congeneric competitor reveals different niche preferences
Estimating distributions for cryptic and highly range-restricted species induces unique challenges for species distribution modeling. In particular, bioclimatic covariates that are typically used to model species ranges at regional and continental scales may not show strong variation at scales of 100s and 10s of meters. This limits both the likelihood and usefulness of correlated...
Authors
Jo Avital Werba, David A. W. Miller, Adrianne Brand, Evan H. Campbell Grant
Accuracy, accessibility, and institutional capacity shape the utility of habitat models for managing and conserving rare plants on western public lands Accuracy, accessibility, and institutional capacity shape the utility of habitat models for managing and conserving rare plants on western public lands
Public lands are often managed for multiple uses ranging from energy development to rare plant conservation. Habitat models can help land managers assess and mitigate potential effects of projects on rare plants, but it is unclear how models are currently being used. Our goal was to better understand how staff in the Bureau of Land Management currently use habitat models to inform their...
Authors
Ella M. Samuel, Jennifer K. Meineke, Laine E. McCall, Lea B. Selby, Alison C. Foster, Zoe M. Davidson, Carol A. Dawson, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Sarah K. Carter
Effects of episodic stream dewatering on brook trout spatial population structure Effects of episodic stream dewatering on brook trout spatial population structure
Stream dewatering is expected to become more prevalent due to climate change, and we explored the potential consequences for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) within a temperate forest ecosystem in eastern North America.We estimated fish density within stream pools (n = 386) from electrofishing surveys over 10 years (2012–2021) to compare a stream that exhibits episodic dewatering...
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Karli M. Rogers, Karmann G. Kessler, Martin A. Briggs, Jennifer H. Fair, Andrew C. Dolloff
The dominance and growth of shallow groundwater resources in continuous permafrost environments The dominance and growth of shallow groundwater resources in continuous permafrost environments
Water is a limited resource in Arctic watersheds with continuous permafrost because freezing conditions in winter and the impermeability of permafrost limit storage and connectivity between surface water and deep groundwater. However, groundwater can still be an important source of surface water in such settings, feeding springs and large aufeis fields that are abundant in cold regions...
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Craig T. Connolly, Carson Baughman, Marisa Repasch, Heather Best, Andrew G. Hunt
Metal mobilization from thawing permafrost to aquatic ecosystems is driving rusting of Arctic streams Metal mobilization from thawing permafrost to aquatic ecosystems is driving rusting of Arctic streams
Climate change in the Arctic is altering watershed hydrologic processes and biogeochemistry. Here, we present an emergent threat to Arctic watersheds based on observations from 75 streams in Alaska’s Brooks Range that recently turned orange, reflecting increased loading of iron and toxic metals. Using remote sensing, we constrain the timing of stream discoloration to the last 10 years, a...
Authors
Jonathan A. O’Donnell, Michael P. Carey, Joshua C. Koch, Carson Baughman, Kenneth Hill, Christian E. Zimmerman, Patrick F. Sullivan, Roman J. Dial, Timothy J. Lyons, David J. Cooper, Brett A. Poulin
Geographic drivers of mercury entry into aquatic food webs revealed by mercury stable isotopes in dragonfly larvae Geographic drivers of mercury entry into aquatic food webs revealed by mercury stable isotopes in dragonfly larvae
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions and subsequent transport and deposition are major concerns within protected lands, including national parks, where Hg can bioaccumulate to levels detrimental to human and wildlife health. Despite this risk to biological resources, there is limited understanding of the relative importance of different Hg sources and delivery pathways within protected...
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Christopher James Kotalik, James Willacker, Michael T. Tate, Colleen M Flanagan-Pritz, Sarah Nelson, David P. Krabbenhoft, David Walters, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
To mix or not to mix: Details of magma storage, recharge, and remobilization during the Pacheco stage at Misti Volcano, Peru (≤21–2 ka) To mix or not to mix: Details of magma storage, recharge, and remobilization during the Pacheco stage at Misti Volcano, Peru (≤21–2 ka)
We investigate ten of the most recent tephra-fall deposits emplaced between ≤21–2 ka from the Pacheco stage of Misti volcano, Peru, to elucidate magma dynamics and explosive eruption triggers related to magma storage, recharge, and remobilization. Whole-rock, glass, and mineral textures and compositions indicate the presence of broadly felsic, intermediate, and mafic magmas in a...
Authors
Marie K. Takach, Frank J. Tepley, Christopher Harpel, Rigoberto Aguilar, Marco Rivera