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: 175041
Novel approach for ranking DEMs: Copernicus DEM improves one arc second open global topography Novel approach for ranking DEMs: Copernicus DEM improves one arc second open global topography
We present a practical approach to intercompare a range of candidate digital elevation models (DEMs) based on predefined criteria and a statistically sound ranking approach. The presented approach integrates the randomized complete block design (RCBD) into a novel framework for DEM comparison. The method presented provides a flexible, statistically sound, and customizable tool for...
Authors
Conrad Bielski, Carlos Lopez-Vazquez, Carlos H. Grohmann, Peter L. Guth, Laurence Hawker, Dean B. Gesch, Sebastiano Trevisani, Virginia Herrera-Cruz, Serge Riazanoff, Axel Corseaux, Hannes I. Reuter, Peter Strobl
Climate and landform interact to control the source and transport of nitrate in Pacific Northwest rivers Climate and landform interact to control the source and transport of nitrate in Pacific Northwest rivers
The hydrological effects of climate change are documented in many regions; however, climate-driven impacts to the source and transport of river nutrients remain poorly understood. Understanding the factors controlling nutrient dynamics across river systems is critical to preserve ecosystem function yet challenging given the complexity of landscape and climate interactions. Here, we...
Authors
Elizabeth J. Elmstrom, Gordon W. Holtgrieve, Mark David Scheuerell, Andrew J. Schauer, Karrin Leazer
GRACE and GRACE Follow-On gravity observations of intermediate-depth earthquakes contrasted with those of shallow events GRACE and GRACE Follow-On gravity observations of intermediate-depth earthquakes contrasted with those of shallow events
Earthquakes involve mass redistribution within the solid Earth and the ocean, and as a result, perturb the Earth's gravitational field. For most of the shallow ( 8.0, the GRACE satellite gravity measurements suggest considerable volumetric disturbance of rocks. At a spatial scale of hundreds of km, the effect of volumetric change exceeds gravity change by vertical deformation; for...
Authors
Shin-Chan Han, Jeanne Sauber, Taco Broerse, Frederick Pollitz, Emile Okal, Taehwan Jeon, Ki-Weon Seo, Richard Stanaway
PFAS river export analysis highlights the urgent need for catchment-scale mass loading data PFAS river export analysis highlights the urgent need for catchment-scale mass loading data
Source apportionment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) requires an understanding of the mass loading of these compounds in river basins. However, there is a lack of temporally variable and catchment-scale mass loading data, meaning identification and prioritization of sources of PFAS to rivers for management interventions can be difficult. Here, we analyze PFAS concentrations...
Authors
Patrick Byrne, William M. Mayes, Alun L. James, Sean Comber, Emma Biles, Alex Riley, Robert L. Runkel
How quickly do oil and gas wells “Water Out”? Quantifying and contrasting water production trends How quickly do oil and gas wells “Water Out”? Quantifying and contrasting water production trends
Water production from petroleum (oil and natural gas) wells is a topic of increasing environmental and economic importance, yet quantification efforts have been limited to date, and patterns between and within petroleum plays are largely unscrutinized. Additionally, classification of reservoirs as “unconventional” (also known as “continuous”) carries scientific and regulatory importance...
Authors
Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos
Adaptive resource management: Achieving functional eradication of invasive snakes to benefit avian conservation Adaptive resource management: Achieving functional eradication of invasive snakes to benefit avian conservation
Natural resource management often co-occurs with considerable uncertainty. One approach to mitigating uncertainty is through adaptive resource management (ARM), a specialized form of structured decision-making that modifies management decisions or actions through monitoring and implementation.Here, we present a case study on the attempted eradication of an invasive brown treesnake (Boiga
Authors
Melia Gail Nafus, Amanda Reyes, Thomas Fies, Scott Michael Goetz
Revisiting the physical processes controlling the tropical atmospheric circulation changes during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period Revisiting the physical processes controlling the tropical atmospheric circulation changes during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period
The Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (MPWP; 3.0–3.3 Ma), a warm geological period about three million years ago, has been deemed as a good past analog for understanding the current and future climate change. Based on 12 climate model outputs from Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PlioMIP2), we investigate tropical atmospheric circulation (TAC) changes under the warm MPWP and...
Authors
Ke Zhang, Yong Sun, Xuan Zhang, Christian Stepanek, Ran Feng, Daniel Hill, Gerrit Lohmann, Aisling M Dolan, Alan M Haywood, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Camille Contoux, Deepak Chandan, Gilles Ramstein, Harry J. Dowsett, Julia C. Tindall, Michiel Baatsen, Ning Tan, William Richard Peltier, Qiang Liu, Wing-Le Chan, Xin Wang, Xu Zhang
Precipitation uncertainty estimation and rainfall-runoff model calibration using iterative ensemble smoothers Precipitation uncertainty estimation and rainfall-runoff model calibration using iterative ensemble smoothers
The introduction of iterative ensemble smoothers (IES) for parameter calibration opens avenues for expanding parameter space in surface water hydrologic modeling. Here, we have introduced independent parameters into a model calibration experiment to estimate errors in rainfall forcing data. This approach has the potential to estimate rainfall errors using other hydrological observations...
Authors
Davide Zoccatelli, Daniel B. Wright, Jeremy T. White, Michael N. Fienen, Guo Yu
Declining pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) population productivity caused by woody encroachment and oil and gas development Declining pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) population productivity caused by woody encroachment and oil and gas development
Conservation is increasingly focused on preventing losses in species’ populations before they occur. Tracking changes in demographic parameters that can impact a population’s resilience in response to drivers of global change can support early conservation efforts. We assessed trends in population productivity (late summer juveniles per 100 females) relative to drivers of global change...
Authors
Victoria M. Donovan, Jeffrey L. Beck, Carissa L. Wonkka, Caleb Powell Roberts, Craig R. Allen, Dirac Twidwell
Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird
Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference...
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy
Comparison of longitudinal stream temperature profiles and significant thermal features from airborne thermal infrared and float surveys of the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, summer 2020 Comparison of longitudinal stream temperature profiles and significant thermal features from airborne thermal infrared and float surveys of the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, summer 2020
Summer water temperatures in the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers in western Washington have in recent decades exceeded the water temperature criteria for aquatic life uses set by the Washington Department of Ecology. This temperature increase is of particular concern because these rivers provide critical habitat for several salmonid populations, including...
Authors
Daniel E. Restivo, Mousa Diabat, Chris Miwa, Valerie A.L. Bright
Nitrate exposure from drinking water and dietary sources among Iowa farmers using private wells Nitrate exposure from drinking water and dietary sources among Iowa farmers using private wells
Nitrate levels are increasing in water resources across the United States and nitrate ingestion from drinking water has been associated with adverse health risks in epidemiologic studies at levels below the maximum contaminant level (MCL). In contrast, dietary nitrate ingestion has generally been associated with beneficial health effects. Few studies have characterized the contribution...
Authors
T. Skalaban, D.A. Thompson, J. Madrigal, B. Blount, M.M. Espinosa, Dana W. Kolpin, N.C. Deziel, R.R. Jones, L.B. Freeman, J.N. Hofmann, M.H. Ward