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: 175531
Pollen in polar ice implies eastern Canadian forest dynamics diverged from climate after European settlement Pollen in polar ice implies eastern Canadian forest dynamics diverged from climate after European settlement
Rapid warming and human exploitation threaten boreal forests. Understanding links among vegetation, climate, and people in this vast biome requires highly resolved long-term records that integrate regional inputs. We developed an 850-year pollen-based record of supraregional vegetation change using a southern Greenland ice core and atmospheric modeling that identified the boreal and...
Authors
Sandra O. Brugger, Nathan J. Chellman, Andreas Plach, Paul D. Henne, Andreas Stohl, Joseph R. McConnell
Evolution of a lake margin recorded in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars Evolution of a lake margin recorded in the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars
This study uses data from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover to document the facies of the Sutton Island member of the Murray formation, interpret paleoenvironments, and establish key stratigraphic transitions at Gale crater. Two facies associations were identified: Facies Association 1 (FA1) and Facies Association 2 (FA2). Individual facies in FA1 include planar-laminated...
Authors
Samantha Gwizd, Christopher M. Fedo, John P. Grotzinger, Steve G. Banham, Frances Rivera-Hernandez, Sanjeev Gupta, Kathryn M. Stack, Lauren A. Edgar, Ashwin R. Vasavada, Joel M. Davis, Linda C. Kah
Stable isotopes reveal intertidal fish and crabs use bivalve farms as foraging habitat in Puget Sound, Washington Stable isotopes reveal intertidal fish and crabs use bivalve farms as foraging habitat in Puget Sound, Washington
Bivalves such as oysters and clams have been farmed in intertidal zones across the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea for thousands of years. The variety of gear types used on bivalve farms creates complex vertical structure and attachment points for aquatic epiphytes and invertebrates which increases habitat structural complexity, but may alter eelgrass cover in areas where bivalve...
Authors
Karl Veggerby, Mark David Scheuerell, Beth Sanderson, Peter M. Kiffney
Comparing single and multiple objective constrained optimization algorithms for tuning a groundwater remediation system Comparing single and multiple objective constrained optimization algorithms for tuning a groundwater remediation system
Groundwater flow and particle tracking models are critical tools to simulate the natural system, contaminant fate and transport, and effects of remediation. Constrained optimization uses models to systematically explore the interplay between remedial design and contaminant fate, considering uncertainty. Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) provides a design alternative addressing a single...
Authors
Michael N. Fienen, Nicholas Corson-Dosch, Kalle Jahn, Jeremy T. White
Quantifying effectiveness and best practices for bumblebee identification from photographs Quantifying effectiveness and best practices for bumblebee identification from photographs
Understanding pollinator networks requires species level data on pollinators. New photographic approaches to identification provide avenues to data collection that reduce impacts on declining bumblebee species, but limited research has addressed their accuracy. Using blind identification of 1418 photographed bees, of which 561 had paired specimens, we assessed identification and...
Authors
Anne Colgan, Richard G. Hatfield, Amy Dolan, Wendy Velman, Rebecca Newton, Tabitha A. Graves
Polar paleoenvironmental perspectives on modern climate change Polar paleoenvironmental perspectives on modern climate change
In today’s rapidly changing climate, society needs a better understanding of climate impacts on sea level, ice sheets and glaciers, sea ice, ocean circulation, ecosystems, biodiversity, and other aspects of planet Earth. Paleoenvironmental records provide a unique and invaluable source of insight into these complex issues, and place recent observations into a broader historical context...
Authors
Laura Gemery, Adrian Lopez-Quiros
How well do existing surveys track fish community performance measures in the St. Clair-Detroit River System? How well do existing surveys track fish community performance measures in the St. Clair-Detroit River System?
The St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) connects Lake Huron to Lake Erie and provides important habitats for many fishes of economic and ecological importance. Portions of the SCDRS are designated as Great Lakes Areas of Concern and fish production and conservation may be compromised. Efforts to address beneficial use impairments have focused on restoring habitat for native fishes and...
Authors
Corbin David Hilling, M. L. Belore, J. Boase, Justin A. Chiotti, Robin L. DeBruyne, Susan E. Doka, Richard Drouin, Christine M. Mayer, Jeff T. Tyson, T. Wills, Edward F. Roseman
Mapping riparian vegetation response to climate change on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and Upper Gila River watershed to inform restoration priorities: 1935 to Present Mapping riparian vegetation response to climate change on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and Upper Gila River watershed to inform restoration priorities: 1935 to Present
The riparian vegetation within the San Carlos Apache Reservation (hereafter Reservation), within the Upper Gila River watershed extending from southwestern New Mexico into southeastern Arizona, provides immense ecological and cultural value to the people of the San Carlos Apache Tribe (hereafter referred to as the Tribe/Tribal) but has experienced substantial changes and stresses over...
Authors
Roy E. Petrakis, Laura M. Norman, Victoria Wesley
Flash drought: A state of the science review Flash drought: A state of the science review
In the two decades, since the advent of the term “flash drought,” considerable research has been directed toward the topic. Within the scientific community, we have actively forged a new paradigm that has avoided a chaotic evolution of conventional drought but instead recognizes that flash droughts have distinct dynamics and, particularly, impacts. We have moved beyond the initial debate...
Authors
Jordan Christian, Mike Hobbins, Andrew Hoell, Jason Otkin, Trenton W. Ford, Amanda E. Cravens, Kathryn Powlen, Hailan Wang, Vimal Mishra
Machine learning approaches to identify lithium concentration in petroleum produced waters Machine learning approaches to identify lithium concentration in petroleum produced waters
Prices for battery-grade lithium have increased substantially since 2020, which is propelling the search for additional sources of this important element. Battery-grade lithium is predominately recovered from continental brines. Most crude oil and natural gas wells recover briny formation water, which may represent an additional source. Chemical analysis of these waters has been shown to...
Authors
Emil Attanasi, Timothy Coburn, Philip A. Freeman
Mafic alkaline magmatism and rare earth element mineralization in the Mojave Desert, California: The Bobcat Hills connection to Mountain Pass Mafic alkaline magmatism and rare earth element mineralization in the Mojave Desert, California: The Bobcat Hills connection to Mountain Pass
Occurrences of alkaline and carbonatite rocks with high concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) are a defining feature of Precambrian geology in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California. The most economically important occurrence is the carbonatite stock at Mountain Pass, which constitutes the largest REE deposit in the United States. A central scientific goal is to understand...
Authors
Kathryn E. Watts, David M. Miller, David A. Ponce
Evaluating conservation units using network analysis: A sea duck case study Evaluating conservation units using network analysis: A sea duck case study
Conserving migratory wildlife requires understanding how groups of individuals interact across seasons and landscapes. Telemetry reveals individual movements at large spatiotemporal scales; however, using movement data to define conservation units requires scaling up from individual movements to species- and community-level patterns. We developed a framework to define flyways and...
Authors
Juliet S. Lamb, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Scott Gilliland, Alicia Berlin, Timothy D. Bowman, Sean Boyd, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Daniel Esler, Joseph R. Evenson, Paul L. Flint, Christine Lepage, Dustin Meattey, Jason Osenkowski, Peter WC Patton, Matthew Perry, Daniel H. Rosenberg, Jean-Pierre L. Savard, Lucas Savoy, Jason Schamber, David Ward, John Takekawa, Scott R. McWilliams