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
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Inclusive lunar exploration: Lunar Surface Science Workshop virtual session 13 Inclusive lunar exploration: Lunar Surface Science Workshop virtual session 13
This report reviews and presents findings from the Lunar Surface Science Workshop Virtual Session 13: Inclusive Lunar Exploration. The report consists of a brief introduction to the workshop, followed by summaries of the six workshop sessions, and a synthesis section discussing seven key findings.
Authors
Parvathy Prem, Kristen A. Bennett
Moisture abundance and proximity mediate seasonal use of mesic areas and survival of greater sage-grouse broods Moisture abundance and proximity mediate seasonal use of mesic areas and survival of greater sage-grouse broods
Water is a critical and limited resource, particularly in the arid West, but water availability is projected to decline even while demand increases due to growing human populations and increases in duration and severity of drought. Mesic areas provide important water resources for numerous wildlife species, including the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage...
Authors
John P. Severson, Peter S. Coates, Megan C. Milligan, Shawn T. O’Neil, Mark A. Ricca, Steve C. Abele, John D. Boone, Michael L. Casazza
Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected
Species vulnerable to climate change face increased extinction risk, but many sensitive species may be overlooked due to limited data and exclusion from vulnerability assessments. Intrinsic sensitivity, or the inherent risk of species to environmental change due to biological factors, can be assessed with widely available data and may address gaps in multispecies vulnerability...
Authors
Traci P. DuBose, Chloe E. Moore, Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Tess Alexander, Grace O’Malley, Meryl C. Mims
Riparian plant evapotranspiration and consumptive use for selected areas of the Little Colorado River watershed on the Navajo Nation Riparian plant evapotranspiration and consumptive use for selected areas of the Little Colorado River watershed on the Navajo Nation
Estimates of riparian vegetation water use are important for hydromorphological assessment, partitioning within human and natural environments, and informing environmental policy decisions. The objectives of this study were to calculate the actual evapotranspiration (ETa) (mm/day and mm/year) and derive riparian vegetation annual consumptive use (CU) in acre-feet (AF) for select riparian...
Authors
Pamela L. Nagler, Armando Barreto-Muñoz, Ibrahima Sall, Matthew R. Lurtz, Kamel Didan
Multiple dimensions of functional diversity affect stream fish β-diversity Multiple dimensions of functional diversity affect stream fish β-diversity
When investigating metacommunity dynamics, functional differences among species are often assumed to be as important as environmental differences between sites in determining β-diversity. However, few studies have examined the influence of functional diversity on β-diversity. We examine the relative importance of regional functional diversity partitioned by niche dimensions and...
Authors
Luke Max Bower, Lauren Stoczynski, Brandon K. Peoples, Christopher J. Patrick, Bryan L. Brown
Restoration research actions to address rapid change in drylands: Insights from the Colorado Plateau Restoration research actions to address rapid change in drylands: Insights from the Colorado Plateau
The rapid intensification of ecological extremes in response to climate change and human land use is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in drylands, including the semiarid region of the Colorado Plateau in the southwestern United States. Here, we describe research directions to aid in the restoration of Colorado Plateau ecosystems during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030)...
Authors
Kristina E. Young, Brooke Bossert Osborne, Michala Lee Phillips, Daniel E. Winkler
Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis Comparison of microscopy and metabarcoding to identify pollen used by the critically endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis
Taxonomic analysis of pollen collected by bees can provide insights into their host plant use, providing information about the plant species selected for targeted conservation strategies. The two main identification approaches used are morphological analysis of pollen samples affixed to microscope slides (i.e., microscopic palynology) and molecular analysis of samples. Both methods are...
Authors
Michael P. Simanonok, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Clayton D. Raines, Thomas J. Wood, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. Cornman, Clint Otto
Divergent climate impacts on C3 versus C4 grasses imply widespread 21st century shifts in grassland functional composition Divergent climate impacts on C3 versus C4 grasses imply widespread 21st century shifts in grassland functional composition
Aim Grasslands cover a third of Earth's landmass and provide critical ecosystem services. Anticipating how perennial C3 (cool-season) and C4 (warm-season) grasses respond to climate change will be key to predicting future composition and functioning of grasslands. Here, we evaluate environmental drivers of C3 and C4 perennial distributions and assess how C3 and C4 grass distributions...
Authors
Caroline A. Havrilla, John B. Bradford, Charles B. Yackulic, Seth M. Munson
New larger benthic foraminifera from the subsurface Lower to Middle Eocene Oldsmar Formation of southeastern Florida (USA) New larger benthic foraminifera from the subsurface Lower to Middle Eocene Oldsmar Formation of southeastern Florida (USA)
We describe two larger benthic foraminiferal taxa collected from wells drilled in the subsurface Eocene rocks of southeastern Florida that are new to peninsular Florida and the Caribbean region. Saudia floridana n.sp. is characteristic of a foraminiferal assemblage, along with Helicostegina gyralis, wide forms of the Cushmania americana group, and Gunteria floridana, in an upper part of...
Authors
Edward Robinson, Kevin J. Cunningham
Determining seasonal recharge, storage changes, and specific yield using repeat microgravity and water-level measurements in the Mesilla Basin alluvial aquifer, New Mexico, 2016–2018 Determining seasonal recharge, storage changes, and specific yield using repeat microgravity and water-level measurements in the Mesilla Basin alluvial aquifer, New Mexico, 2016–2018
Increasing water demand and multi-year drought conditions within the Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin near the New Mexico-Texas- Chihuahua border have resulted in diminished surface-water supplies and increased groundwater withdrawals. To better understand recharge to the shallow aquifer, the spatial and temporal groundwater storage changes, and the variability of specific yield (Sy) in the...
Authors
Andrew J. Robertson, Jeffrey R. Kennedy, Libby M. Wildermuth, Meghan T. Bell, Erek H. Fuchs, Alex Rinehart, Irene Fernald
Fracture-mesh faulting in the swarm-like 2020 Maacama sequence revealed by high-precision earthquake detection, location, and focal mechanisms Fracture-mesh faulting in the swarm-like 2020 Maacama sequence revealed by high-precision earthquake detection, location, and focal mechanisms
In August of 2020, an earthquake sequence initiated within the Maacama fault zone in northern California, raising questions about its relationship with the larger-scale fault. To investigate the faulting geometry and its implications for physical processes driving seismicity, we applied an integrated, multi-faceted seismic analysis including waveform-correlation-based event detection...
Authors
David R. Shelly, Robert John Skoumal, Jeanne L. Hardebeck
Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades
Borealization is a type of community reorganization where Arctic specialists are replaced by species with more boreal distributions in response to climatic warming. The process of borealization is often exemplified by the northward range expansions and subsequent proliferation of boreal species on the Pacific and Atlantic inflow Arctic shelves (i.e., Bering/Chukchi and Barents seas...
Authors
Vanessa R. von Biela, Sarah M. Laske, Ashley E. Stanek, Randy J Brown, Kenneth H. Dunton