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.
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Ticks harbor and excrete chronic wasting disease prions Ticks harbor and excrete chronic wasting disease prions
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions (PrPCWD) affecting cervids. Circulating PrPCWD in blood may pose a risk for indirect transmission by way of hematophagous ectoparasites acting as mechanical vectors. Cervids can carry high tick infestations and exhibit allogrooming, a common tick defense strategy between conspecifics. Ingestion...
Authors
H. N. Inzalaco, F. Bravo-Risi, R. Morales, D. P. Walsh, D. J. Storm, J. A. Pedersen, Wendy Christine Turner, S. S. Lichtenbergh
Flushing time variability in a short, low-inflow estuary Flushing time variability in a short, low-inflow estuary
Flushing time, the time scale for exchange and mixing between embayed and oceanic waters in an estuary, plays an integral role in determining water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of flushing times throughout Morro Bay, a short, low-inflow estuary (LIE) on the California coast, using a calibrated and validated hydrodynamic model...
Authors
Mohsen Taherkhani, Sean Vitousek, Ryan K. Walter, Jennifer O’Leary, Amid P. Khodadoust
Deep root activity overprints weathering of petrogenic organic carbon in shale Deep root activity overprints weathering of petrogenic organic carbon in shale
The oxidation of organic carbon in sedimentary bedrock (petrogenic OC, OCpetro) is increasingly recognized as a potential source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Recent studies provide evidence for the mobilization and oxidation of OCpetro in sedimentary bedrock during rock weathering. However, the mechanisms and rates remain uncertain, particularly where overlying soils and vegetation drive
Authors
Alison K. Tune, Jennifer L. Druhan, Corey Lawrence, Daniella M. Rempe
Stream restoration milestones: Monitoring scales determine successes and failures Stream restoration milestones: Monitoring scales determine successes and failures
Urban stream restoration is growing globally, but there is much to learn from successes, failures, and evaluating tradeoffs in restoration practices. Significant time and resources have been invested towards restoring the structure and function of urban ecosystems and understanding and slowing the drivers of degradation. However, the rapid pace of urbanization and its effects on urban...
Authors
Sujay S. Kaushal, Megan L. Fork, Robert J. Hawley, Kristina G. Hopkins, Blanca Rios-Touma, Allison H. Roy
Rapidly changing range limits in a warming world: Critical data limitations and knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of mangrove range dynamics in the southeastern USA Rapidly changing range limits in a warming world: Critical data limitations and knowledge gaps for advancing understanding of mangrove range dynamics in the southeastern USA
Climate change is altering species’ range limits and transforming ecosystems. For example, warming temperatures are leading to the range expansion of tropical, cold-sensitive species at the expense of their cold-tolerant counterparts. In some temperate and subtropical coastal wetlands, warming winters are enabling mangrove forest encroachment into salt marsh, which is a major regime...
Authors
Remi Bardou, Michael Osland, Steven B. Scyphers, Christine C. Shepard, Karen E. Aerni, Jahson B. Alemu, Robert Crimian, Richard Day, Nicholas Enwright, Laura Feher, Sarah L. Gibbs, Kiera O’Donnell, Savannah H. Swinea, Kalaina Thorne, Sarit Truskey, Anna R. Armitage, Ronald J. Baker, Joshua L. Breithaupt, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Just Cebrian, Karen Cummins, Donna J. Devlin, Jacob Doty, William L. Ellis, Ilka C. Feller, Christopher A. Gabler, Yiyang Kang, David A. Kaplan, John Paul Kennedy, Ken Krauss, Margaret Lamont, Kam-biu Liu, Melinda Martinez, Ashley M. Matheny, Giovanna M. McClenachan, Karen L. McKee, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Thomas C. Michot, Christopher J. Miller, Jena A. Moon, Ryan P. Moyer, James A. Nelson, Richard O’Connor, James W. Pahl, Jonathan L. Pitchford, C. Edward Proffitt, Tracy Quirk, Kara R. Radabaugh, Whitney A. Scheffel, Delbert L. Smee, Caitlin M. Snyder, Eric Sparks, Kathleen M. Swanson, William C. Vervaeke, Carolyn A. Weaver, Jonathan A Willis, Erik S. Yando, Qiang Yao, A. Randall Hughes
Stream corridor sediment budget for watershed sediment source apportionment for the forested Little Fork River, Minnesota Stream corridor sediment budget for watershed sediment source apportionment for the forested Little Fork River, Minnesota
No abstract available.
Authors
Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Shelby P. Sterner, Anna C. Baker, Sam Soderman, Karen B. Gran, Andy Kasun, Mike Kennedy, Phil Norvitch, Jesse Anderson, Matt Guntzmann
Assessment and characterization of ephemeral stream channel stability in the Grand Valley, Colorado, 2018-22 Assessment and characterization of ephemeral stream channel stability in the Grand Valley, Colorado, 2018-22
The purpose of this study is to provide information regarding the stability of ephemeral streams on the north side of the Grand Valley, Colorado. The ungaged ephemeral streams in this semiarid region are of particular interest because (1) the underlying bedrock geology, Mancos Shale, is a sedimentary rock deposit that has been identified as a major contributor of salinity to the Colorado...
Authors
Joel William Homan
A numerical investigation of the mechanisms controlling salt intrusion in the Delaware Bay Estuary A numerical investigation of the mechanisms controlling salt intrusion in the Delaware Bay Estuary
Salinity intrusion in coastal systems is mainly controlled by freshwater inflows. However, extreme events like drought, low-pressure storms, and longer-term sea level rise can exacerbate the landward salt migration and threaten economic infrastructure and ecological health. Along the eastern seaboard of the United States, approximately 13 million people rely on the water resources of the...
Authors
Salme Ellen Cook, John C. Warner, Kendra L. Russell
Preliminary analysis of a horizontal multifrequency hydroacoustic device designed for surrogate measurements of suspended sediment concentration: The Horizontal Acoustic Sediment Current Profiler Preliminary analysis of a horizontal multifrequency hydroacoustic device designed for surrogate measurements of suspended sediment concentration: The Horizontal Acoustic Sediment Current Profiler
Single frequency active hydroacoustic measurements have been correlated with suspended sediment concentration. In river systems that include widely varying suspended sediment particle sizes, a multi-frequency hydroacoustic approach has increased predictive capabilities. However, the multi-frequency approach requires installation and operation of multiple sensors in a river channel and...
Authors
Jeb E. Brown, Tristan Joel Austring, Rodney J. Richards, Tyson Hatch, Joel William Homan
Acoustic measurements on a shallow, sand-bed river: A case study from the Rio Grande Acoustic measurements on a shallow, sand-bed river: A case study from the Rio Grande
The Middle Rio Grande (MRG) is a dynamic and complex fluvial system where flow and sediment transported from the Upper Rio Grande and MRG tributaries influence the form of the river. How sediment is transported through the MRG is an important planning question as it addresses a wide range of concerns including flood control and river rehabilitation, thus continuous sediment measurements...
Authors
Jonathan AuBuchon, David Abraham, Ari Posner, Jeb E. Brown, Tony Jackson, Ronald E. Griffiths
Environmental, morphological, and molecular data reveal a new species of freshwater mussel, Strophitus howellsi, endemic to the Edwards Plateau in Texas Environmental, morphological, and molecular data reveal a new species of freshwater mussel, Strophitus howellsi, endemic to the Edwards Plateau in Texas
Freshwater mussels are considered the most imperiled group of organisms in North America and systematics research has played an integral role in the development and implementation of their conservation. Despite the importance of systematics in conservation planning, the evolutionary relationships between many mussel taxa remain poorly explored, clearly illustrated by Strophitus undulatus...
Authors
Chase H. Smith, Alexander H. Kiser, Nathan Johnson, Charles R. Randklev
Implications of fire-induced evapotranspiration shifts for recharge-runoff generation and vegetation conversion in the western United States Implications of fire-induced evapotranspiration shifts for recharge-runoff generation and vegetation conversion in the western United States
Wildfire has been shown to increase, decrease, or have no detectable effect on actual evapotranspiration (ETa) fluxes in the western United States. Where disturbance-induced shifts are significant, source-water hydrology may be impacted as ETa constitutes the largest outgoing water flux in much of the arid West. We conducted pixel-scale analysis of 30-m ETa data and various meteorologic...
Authors
Natalie M. Collar, Brian A. Ebel, Samuel Saxe, Ashley J. Rust, Terri S. Hogue