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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Science Quality and Integrity
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Mission Area Publications
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Potomac Tributary Summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985 - 2022 Potomac Tributary Summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985 - 2022
The Potomac Tributary Summary outlines change over time for a suite of monitored tidal water quality parameters and associated potential drivers of those trends for the period of 1985 to 2022, and provides a brief description of the current state of knowledge explaining these observed changes. Water quality parameters described include surface (above pycnocline) total nitrogen (TN)...
Authors
Breck Maura Sullivan, Kaylyn Gootman, Alex Gunnerson, Sarah Betts, Gabriel Duran, Cindy Johnson, Christopher A. Mason, Elgin Perry, Gopal Bhatt, Jennifer L. Keisman, James S. Webber, Jon Harcum, Michael Lane, Olivia Devereux, Qian Zhang, Rebecca Murphy, Renee Karrh, Thomas Butler, Zhaoying Wei
Shifts in suitability of pinyon-juniper communities: A climate adaptation framework for range-wide management of arid woodland resources Shifts in suitability of pinyon-juniper communities: A climate adaptation framework for range-wide management of arid woodland resources
Pinyon-juniper (PJ) woodlands are a diverse ecosystem type providing a wealth of ecosystem services across western North America. Managing PJ woodlands in the 21st century entails balancing multiple conservation objectives, and resource managers and policy-makers working to sustain PJ woodlands need spatially explicit information about current PJ woodland conditions and how they may be...
Authors
Adam Roy Noel, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, Ian P. Barrett, Michael C. Duniway, Jodi R. Norris, Chris T. Domschke, Brad J. Butterfield, Megan C. Swan, Kim Hartwig, Michelle R. Crist, John B. Bradford
Revisiting an enigma on California's north coast: The Mw6.5 Fickle Hill earthquake of 21 December 1954 Revisiting an enigma on California's north coast: The Mw6.5 Fickle Hill earthquake of 21 December 1954
Many earthquakes occur along the North Coast of California in the vicinity of the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), where the Pacific, Gorda, and North American (NA) plates meet, and on the adjacent plate boundaries. The MTJ marks the nexus of the Mendocino and San Andreas faults with the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ). Historically, most large earthquakes around the MTJ have been within...
Authors
Margaret Hellweg, Thomas A. Lee, Douglas S. Dreger, Anthony Lomax, Lijam Hagos, Hamid Haddabi, Robert C. McPherson, Lori Dengler, Susan E. Hough, Jason R. Patton
Evaluation of daily stream temperature predictions (1979-2021) across the contiguous United States using a spatiotemporal aware machine learning algorithm Evaluation of daily stream temperature predictions (1979-2021) across the contiguous United States using a spatiotemporal aware machine learning algorithm
Stream temperature controls a variety of physical and biological processes that affect ecosystems, human health, and economic activities. We used 42 years (1979–2021) of data to predict daily summary statistics of stream temperature across >50,000 stream reaches in the contiguous United States using a recurrent graph convolution network. We comprehensively documented the performance –...
Authors
Jeremy Alejandro Diaz, Samantha K. Oliver, Galen Gorski
Avian influenza spillover into poultry: Environmental influences and biosecurity protections Avian influenza spillover into poultry: Environmental influences and biosecurity protections
With the continued spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), understanding the complex dynamics of virus transfer at the wild – agriculture interface is paramount. Spillover events (i.e., virus transfer from wild birds into poultry) are related to proximity to infected wild bird populations and environmental conditions. By accounting for such dynamics, we can take a combined...
Authors
Matthew Brandon Gonnerman, Jennifer Mullinax, Andrew Fox, Kelly A. Patyk, Victoria Fields, Mary-Jane McCool, Mia K. Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Diann J. Prosser
Tracking status and trends in seven key indicators of river and stream condition in the Chesapeake Bay watershed Tracking status and trends in seven key indicators of river and stream condition in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Freshwater streams and rivers are recognized as vital habitats within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which has been undergoing extensive restoration efforts for more than 30 years. Resource managers need to understand stream and river condition and how these conditions are changing over time to determine whether regional long-term restoration and conservation goals are being met. The...
Authors
Lindsey J. Boyle, Samuel H. Austin, Matthew J. Cashman, Zachary J. Clifton, John W. Clune, James E. Colgin, Kaitlyn E.M. Elliott, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Ellie P. Foss, Nathaniel P. Hitt, Elizabeth A. Hittle, Coral M. Howe, Emily H. Majcher, Kelly O. Maloney, Christopher A. Mason, Marina J. Metes, Douglas L. Moyer, Trevor P. Needham, Karli M. Rogers, Joshua J. Thompson, Guoxiang Yang, Tammy M. Zimmerman
Cryptic CAM photosynthesis in Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia, Y. jaegeriana) Cryptic CAM photosynthesis in Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia, Y. jaegeriana)
Joshua trees are long-lived perennial monocots native to the Mojave Desert in North America. Composed of two species, Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana (Asparagaceae), Joshua trees are imperiled by climate change, with decreases in suitable habitat predicted under future climate change scenarios. Relatively little is understood about the ecophysiology of Joshua trees across their range...
Authors
Karolina Heyduk, Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Bridget Hennessy, Madeline Czymmek, Edward V. McAssey, Chase Kane, G. Young Kim, Ifeoluwa Sogunle, Lulu Heublein, Dhriti Sriram, Bryan MacNeill, Michael T. Hren, Todd C. Esque, Jeremy B. Yoder, Michael R. McKain, Christopher Irwin Smith, Lesley A. DeFalco
Regional differentiation in somatic growth and maturation attributes for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic Regional differentiation in somatic growth and maturation attributes for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic
The ages and sizes at which organisms mature have significant implications for lifetime reproductive success. For species at risk of extinction, such as sea turtles, these attributes can ultimately impact probability of population persistence. Within the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, the broader loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) population comprises management units both along the US...
Authors
Larisa Avens, Margaret Lamont, Allen M. Foley, Benjamin M. Higgins, Lyndsey N. Howell, Gretchen Lovewell, Donna J. Shaver, Brian A. Stacy, J. Shelby Walker, Jamie M. Clark, Amy A. Wallace, Hannah B. Vander Zanden
Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) persistently threaten wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, and public health. The East Asian–Australasian Flyway plays a crucial role in HPAIV dynamics due to its large populations of migratory waterfowl and poultry. Over recent decades, this flyway has undergone substantial landscape changes, including both losses and gains of waterfowl...
Authors
Shenglai Yin, Chenchen Zhang, Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Yali Si, Geli Zhang, Xinxin Wang, Dehua Mao, Zheng Y.X. Huangh, Willem Frederik de Boer, John Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, Xiangming Xiao
Integrating hunter dynamics and waterfowl dynamics to inform harvest management Integrating hunter dynamics and waterfowl dynamics to inform harvest management
The successful conservation and management of North American waterfowl relies upon an adaptive harvest management framework that accounts for changes in the system state and critical uncertainties related to the dynamics of waterfowl populations and habitats. Increasing recognition of the importance of the human dimensions of the harvest process, particularly those related to hunters...
Authors
Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Patrick K. Devers, G. Scott Boomer, Michael Runge
Economic costs of invasive carps in the United States: Case study and management implications Economic costs of invasive carps in the United States: Case study and management implications
Biological invasions can have far-reaching impacts and incur enormous monetary costs. Economic considerations play an important role in management decision-making. We used the invasion of U.S. waterways by silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp as a case study of the costs of aquatic invasive species. Although these carps are well-known invaders, published...
Authors
Ellie Brown, Joseph W. Snapp, Christopher Huber, James Caudill, Peter E. Grigelis
Evaluating the performance of multiple precipitation datasets over the transboundary Ili River Basin between China and Kazakhstan Evaluating the performance of multiple precipitation datasets over the transboundary Ili River Basin between China and Kazakhstan
The Ili River Basin is characterized by complex topography and diverse climatic zones with limited in situ observations. This study evaluates the performance of six widely used precipitation datasets, CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data), ERA5_Land (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts—ECMWF Reanalysis 5_Land), GPCC (Global Precipitation...
Authors
Baktybek Duisebek, Gabriel Senay, Dennis S. Ojima, Tibin Zhang, Janay Sagin, Xuejiao Wang