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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How low is too low? Partnering with stakeholders and managers to define ecologically based low-flow thresholds in a perennial temperate river How low is too low? Partnering with stakeholders and managers to define ecologically based low-flow thresholds in a perennial temperate river
Managing aquatic ecosystems for people and nature can be improved by collaboration among scientists, managers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. Many collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches have been developed to address the management of freshwater ecosystems; however, there are still barriers to overcome. We worked as part of a regional stakeholder group comprising...
Authors
Laura Rack, Mary Freeman, Ben N. Emanuel, Laura S. Craig, Stephen W. Golladay, Carol Yang, Seth J. Wenger
Automated Cropland Fallow Algorithm (ACFA) for the Northern Great Plains of USA Automated Cropland Fallow Algorithm (ACFA) for the Northern Great Plains of USA
Cropland fallowing is choosing not to plant a crop during a season when a crop is normally planted. It is an important component of many crop rotations and can improve soil moisture and health. Knowing which fields are fallow is critical to assess crop productivity and crop water productivity, needed for food security assessments. The annual spatial extent of cropland fallows is poorly...
Authors
Adam Oliphant, Prasad Thenkabail, Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla, Itiya Aneece, Daniel Foley, Richard L. McCormick
Dryland soil recovery after disturbance across soil and climate gradients of the Colorado Plateau Dryland soil recovery after disturbance across soil and climate gradients of the Colorado Plateau
Drylands impacted by energy development often require costly reclamation activities to reconstruct damaged soils and vegetation, yet little is known about the effectiveness of reclamation practices in promoting recovery of soil quality due to a lack of long-term and cross-site studies. Here, we examined paired on-pad and adjacent undisturbed off-pad soil properties over a 22-year...
Authors
Kathryn Delores Eckhoff, Sasha C. Reed, John B. Bradford, Nikita C. Daly, Keven Griffen, Robin H. Reibold, Randi Lupardus, Seth M. Munson, Aarin Sengsirirak, Miguel L. Villarreal, Michael C. Duniway
GRAPES: Earthquake early warning by passing seismic vectors through the grapevine GRAPES: Earthquake early warning by passing seismic vectors through the grapevine
Estimating an earthquake's magnitude and location may not be necessary to predict shaking in real time; instead, wavefield-based approaches predict shaking with few assumptions about the seismic source. Here, we introduce GRAph Prediction of Earthquake Shaking (GRAPES), a deep learning model trained to characterize and propagate earthquake shaking across a seismic network. We show that...
Authors
Timothy Hugh Clements, Elizabeth S. Cochran, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Sarah E. Minson, Clara Yoon
Influence of four veterinary antibiotics on constructed treatment wetland nitrogen transformation Influence of four veterinary antibiotics on constructed treatment wetland nitrogen transformation
The use of wetlands as a treatment approach for nitrogen in runoff is a common practice in agroecosystems. However, nitrate is not the sole constituent present in agricultural runoff and other biologically active contaminants have the potential to affect nitrate removal efficiency. In this study, the impacts of the combined effects of four common veterinary antibiotics (chlortetracycline
Authors
Matthew V. Russell, Tiffany L. Messer, Deborah A. Repert, Richard L. Smith, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Ariel Reed
Potential climate and human water-use effects on water-quality trends in a semiarid, western U.S. watershed: Fountain Creek, Colorado, USA Potential climate and human water-use effects on water-quality trends in a semiarid, western U.S. watershed: Fountain Creek, Colorado, USA
Nutrients, total dissolved solids (TDS), and trace elements affect the suitability of water for human and natural needs. Here, trends in such water-quality constituents are analyzed for 1999–2022 for eight nested monitoring sites in the 24,000 km2 Fountain Creek watershed in Colorado, USA, by using the weighted regressions on time, discharge, and season (WRTDS) methodology. Fountain...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Manya Helene Ruckhaus, Erin K. Hennessy
Ion exchange processes for CO2 mineralization using industrial waste streams: Pilot plant demonstration and life cycle assessment Ion exchange processes for CO2 mineralization using industrial waste streams: Pilot plant demonstration and life cycle assessment
An attractive technique for removing CO2 from the environment is sequestration within stable carbonate solids (e. g., calcite). However, continuous addition of alkalinity is required to achieve favorable conditions for carbonate precipitation (pH>8) from aqueous streams containing dissolved CO2 (pH
Authors
Steven Bustillos, Mario Christofides, Bonnie McDevitt, Madalyn S. Blondes, Ryan J. McAleer, Aaron M. Jubb, Bu Wang, Gaurav Sant, Dante Simonetti
Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2014–November 30, 2015 Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2014–November 30, 2015
Executive Summary A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954 (New Jersey v. New York, 347 U.S. 995), established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes the diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from specific reservoirs owned by New York City be...
Authors
Kendra L. Russell, William J. Andrews, Vincent J. DiFrenna, J. Michael Norris, Robert R. Mason,
Land-use interactions, Oil-Field infrastructure, and natural processes control hydrocarbon and arsenic concentrations in groundwater, Poso Creek Oil Field, California, USA Land-use interactions, Oil-Field infrastructure, and natural processes control hydrocarbon and arsenic concentrations in groundwater, Poso Creek Oil Field, California, USA
Like many hydrocarbon production areas in the U.S., the Poso Creek Oil Field in California includes and is adjacent to other land uses (agricultural and other developed lands) that affect the hydrology and geochemistry of the aquifer overlying and adjacent to oil development. We hypothesize that the distributions of hydrocarbons and arsenic in groundwater in such areas will be controlled...
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Michael J. Stephens, Kimberly A. Taylor, Michael Wright, Angela Hansen, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, David H. Shimabukuro, Theron A. Sowers, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew G. Hunt, Ruta Karolyte, Darren J. Hillegonds, Chris J. Ballentine
Assessment and characterization of ephemeral stream channel stability and mechanisms affecting erosion in Grand Valley, western Colorado, 2018–21 Assessment and characterization of ephemeral stream channel stability and mechanisms affecting erosion in Grand Valley, western Colorado, 2018–21
The Grand Valley in western Colorado is in the semiarid Southwest United States. The north side of the Grand Valley has many ungaged ephemeral streams, which are of particular interest because (1) the underlying bedrock geology, Late Cretaceous Mancos Shale, is a sedimentary rock deposit identified as a major salinity contributor to the Colorado River and (2) despite infrequent...
Authors
Joel William Homan
When do we need multiple infectious disease models? Agreement between projection rank and magnitude in a multi-model setting When do we need multiple infectious disease models? Agreement between projection rank and magnitude in a multi-model setting
Mathematical models are useful for public health planning and response to infectious disease threats. However, different models can provide differing results, which can hamper decision making if not synthesized appropriately. To address this challenge, multi-model hubs convene independent modeling groups to generate ensembles, known to provide more accurate predictions of future outcomes...
Authors
La Keisha Wade-Malone, Emily Howerton, William J.M. Probert, Michael C. Runge, Cecile Viboud, Katriona Shea
Impounded sediment and dam removal: Erosion rates and proximal downstream fate Impounded sediment and dam removal: Erosion rates and proximal downstream fate
Sediment management is an important aspect of dam removal projects, often driving costs and influencing community acceptance. For dams storing uncontaminated sediments, downstream release is often the cheapest and most practical approach and can be ecologically beneficial to downstream areas deprived of sediment for years. To employ this option, project proponents must estimate the...
Authors
Matthias J. Collins, Matthew E. Baker, Matthew J. Cashman, Andrew Miller, Stephen Van Ryswick