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: 176955
Critical minerals memory match game Critical minerals memory match game
An educational information packet about the 2025 List of Critical Minerals, which includes a memory match game about select critical minerals and how they are used.
Authors
Danielle A. Olinger
Indicators of mercury concentration in Lake Trout: Can fish location and appearance provide information to anglers to reduce their exposure? Indicators of mercury concentration in Lake Trout: Can fish location and appearance provide information to anglers to reduce their exposure?
Objective People are exposed to mercury (Hg) through the consumption of fish. State and federal governments provide broad, often-generalized food safety guidance to reduce exposure; however, numerous rural fishing areas lack testing and location- or species-specific guidance. The aim of this study was to provide tangible, visible, or easily measured characteristics of Lake Trout...
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Daniel Young, Krista K. Bartz, Vanessa R. von Biela, Michael P. Carey
Ecology of reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Dinosaur National Monument Ecology of reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Dinosaur National Monument
Translocations have been widely used to restore and conserve bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations in North America. Some translocations have been successful, but many populations remain small and genetically isolated. Population structure can influence the viability and long-term success of reintroductions. Social ungulates often function as interconnected subpopulations...
Authors
Sarah Louise Carroll, Elizabeth P Flesch, Salix Scoresby, Emily Spencer, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Nathan L. Galloway, William Michael Janousek, Tabitha A. Graves
Modeling the seasonality of wind-driven hydrocarbon waves in Titan’s polar lakes Modeling the seasonality of wind-driven hydrocarbon waves in Titan’s polar lakes
Titan, the only body in the solar system aside from Earth with standing liquids on its surface, has polar hydrocarbon lakes and seas. As Titan’s atmosphere generates light winds, there should be waves on the surface of these lakes and seas, yet, direct wave observations are scant. We introduce and use PlanetWaves, an open source 4D spectral wave model, to study Titan’s waves and create...
Authors
Charlene E. Detelich, Una G. Schneck, Alexander G. Hayes, Milan Curcic, Rose Elizabeth Palermo, Andrew D. Ashton, J. Taylor Perron, Juan M. Lora, Jordan Steckloff
Time-to-depth conversion of seismic-reflection data from eastern Lake Superior and implications for the eastern arm of the Midcontinent Rift Time-to-depth conversion of seismic-reflection data from eastern Lake Superior and implications for the eastern arm of the Midcontinent Rift
Seismic-reflection data were acquired in the mid 1980s along several lines across eastern Lake Superior by industry and the Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution (GLIMPCE) (Fig. 1). The lines form part of a larger network of crossing lines over the entire lake, which can be used to develop three-dimensional geologic models of the Mesoproterozoic...
Authors
V. J. Grauch, Samuel J. Heller
Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals
Sustainable human–wildlife coexistence requires a mechanistic understanding of the many ways that humans affect animals. However, progress is hampered by the lack of accessible data measuring the dynamic presence of people. Here, we leverage mobile-device data to disentangle how human presence and landscape modification differentially influence the use of geographic and environmental...
Authors
Ruth Y. Oliver, Scott W. Yanco, Diego Ellis-Soto, Brett R. Jesmer, Juliet Cohen, Song Gao, Robert Patchett, Tal Avgar, Keith L. Bildstein, Nicholas W. Bakner, David Barber, Kristin J. Barker, Joseph G. Barnes, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Jerrold L. Belant, John F. Benson, Joel Bety, Dean E. Beyer, David Bird, Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andy J. Boyce, Ben S. Carlson, Michael L. Casazza, Michael J. Chamberlain, Michael J. Cherry, Bret A. Collier, Alyson Courtemanch, Sarah C. Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Vickie DeNicola, Christopher R. Desorbo, Robert C. Dowler, Daniel Dupont, L. Mark Elbroch, John E. Elliott, Betsy A. Evans, W. Mark Ford, David Hancock, Molly Hardesty-Moore, Jason E. Hawley, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, Scott Jennings, Matthew J. Kauffman, Roland Kays, Marcella J. Kelly, Bryan M. Kluever, Myles Lamont, Scott LaPoint, Tayler N. Lasharr, Josee Lefebvre, Pierre Legagneux, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, David Lumpkin, Lindsay A. Martinez, John M. Marzluff, Douglas J. McCauley, Fiona McDuie, Tony W. Mong, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Levi Newediuk, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Cory T. Overton, J. Clint Perkins, Tyler R. Petroelje, Laura R. Prugh, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin, Michael Seer, Avery L. Shawler, Shannon Skalos, Rachel A. Smiley, Julia Sommerfield, Daniel R. Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Richard D. Stevens, Nathan J. Svoboda, Jean-Francois Therrien, Philippe J. Thomas, Meredith C. VanAcker, Eric Vander Wal, Dan E. Varland, Tana L. Verzuh, Brittany L. Wagler, Nils Warnock, Stephen L. Webb, Christopher K. Williams, Christopher C. Wilmers, David W. Wolfson, Julie K. Young, Christian Rutz, Walter Jetz
Consolidation and permeability of the B1 and D1 gas hydrate bearing sands and associated seal sediments of the extended-duration gas production test site on the Alaska North Slope Consolidation and permeability of the B1 and D1 gas hydrate bearing sands and associated seal sediments of the extended-duration gas production test site on the Alaska North Slope
Gas hydrate, a solid combination of gas (mostly methane in nature) and water molecules stable at low temperatures and elevated pressures, occurs naturally in marine and permafrost-associated environments. Gas hydrate reservoirs, such as those in the Alaska North Slope, have been considered potential energy resources for gas production. To understand the petrophysical and geo-mechanical
Authors
Imgenur Tepecik, Yongkoo Seol, William F. Waite, Sheng C. Dai
The Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition—Working collaboratively to understand the geology of the Great Lakes Region The Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition—Working collaboratively to understand the geology of the Great Lakes Region
Authors
Brianna Lopez, Jenna L. Shelton, Michael Marketti, Kate Ritzel, Brandon L. Graham
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa, 2026 Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa, 2026
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 419 million barrels of oil and 5.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Thomas M. Finn, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Michael E. Brownfield, Phuong A. Le, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Marilyn E. Tennyson
Advancing ecosystem recovery with diverse species plantings in tropical forest restoration Advancing ecosystem recovery with diverse species plantings in tropical forest restoration
Tropical forest restoration has increased in the past decades, with possible advancements given the UN declaration of the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration”. However, robust assessments to compare ecosystem functions among restored forest stages are essential. We evaluated 13 actively restored forest stands ranging from 3 to 21 years of age and compared measures of forest biodiversity...
Authors
Debra A Hamilton, Victorino Molina Rojas, Therese M. Donovan
Patterns of recent brook trout invasion in bull trout streams in relation to habitat, source connectivity, biotic resistance, and disturbance Patterns of recent brook trout invasion in bull trout streams in relation to habitat, source connectivity, biotic resistance, and disturbance
Knowledge of which habitats are at risk of invasion by nonnative species is essential to conservation, but a changing climate often complicates assessments of where future invasions may occur. Nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis threaten cold-adapted native salmonids throughout western North America, and the extent of future invasions in coldwater streams is recognized as an area...
Authors
Nicholas S. Voss, Brett J. Bowersox, Daniel C. Nolfi, Michael C. Quist
A novel method for quantifying streambed penetrability to inform benthic habitat assessment A novel method for quantifying streambed penetrability to inform benthic habitat assessment
Objective Penetrability of streambed sediments is important for the ecological functioning of many benthic organisms, yet there is ambiguity in terminology associated with this concept and there is no standardized method of penetrability measurement available to scientists and resource managers. The goal of our study was to better define the terms of compaction and penetrability as they...
Authors
Jacob Thomas Westhoff, Kiah D. Wright, Lyndsie Wszola