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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The effects of forest harvesting on total and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters depend on harvest practices and physical site characteristics The effects of forest harvesting on total and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters depend on harvest practices and physical site characteristics
Forest harvesting can lead to mercury (Hg) mobilization from soils to aquatic habitats and promote the transformation of inorganic Hg to highly neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methyl-Hg (MeHg). Multiple past studies reveal broad variation of stream water MeHg and total Hg (THg) concentrations responses to forest harvesting, which has confounded messaging to forest and resource managers...
Authors
Karin Eklof, Heleen A. de Wit, Chris S. Eckley, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Susan L. Eggert, Robert W. Mackereth, Ulf Skyllberg, Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Matti Verta, Craig J Allan, Erik J.S. Emilson, Karen A. Kidd, Carl P.J. Mitchell, John Munthe, Tapani Sallantaus, Joel Segersten, Andrea Garcia Bravo, Randall Kolka, Colin P.R. McCarter, Petri Porvari, Eva Ring, Stephen Sebestyen, Ulf Sikstrom, Therese Zetterberg
Factors affecting the distribution of water-bearing fractures in the bedrock aquifers of West Virginia Factors affecting the distribution of water-bearing fractures in the bedrock aquifers of West Virginia
Bedrock aquifers cover 23,601 square miles within the State of West Virginia and comprise 97.4 percent of the surficial area within the State; the remaining 2.6 percent (621 square miles) consists of alluvial sand-and-gravel and glacial outwash aquifers bordering the State’s major rivers. While West Virginia’s alluvial aquifers have been studied extensively, bedrock aquifers have only...
Authors
Mark D. Kozar, Mitchell A. McAdoo, Samuel H. Austin, Carson A. Wright
A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization
Healthy stream networks rely on diverse fish assemblages and the mobility of fish between habitats to maintain ecosystem structure and function. Anthropogenic structures that impede fish movement (e.g., roads, dams) disrupt life cycles of migratory fishes and isolate fish populations making them more sensitive to environmental stressors. Growing interest in barrier removal is driven by...
Authors
Sarah G. Winikoff, Craig Paukert, Nicholas Sievert, Jane S. Rogosch
Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants with known bioaccumulative and toxic effects in aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed site-specific differences in PFAS contamination in fish from Ashumet Pond, Sudbury River, and Great Herring Pond (reference site) in Massachusetts. Fish from Ashumet Pond exhibited the highest PFAS concentrations...
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Emma Lord, Stephen T. Hurley, Denis R. LeBlanc
Hydrologic variability and groundwater age of springs in eastern Oregon and northern Nevada, USA Hydrologic variability and groundwater age of springs in eastern Oregon and northern Nevada, USA
The ecological importance of springs in semiarid regions is far greater than their small size and sparse distribution, yet little is known about the hydrologic functioning of these systems. During 2016–22, 261 springs were visited in the volcanic terrane of eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. When conditions were suitable, measurements of discharge, water temperature, and specific...
Authors
Henry M. Johnson
A streamflow permanence classification model for forested streams that explicitly accounts for uncertainty and extrapolation A streamflow permanence classification model for forested streams that explicitly accounts for uncertainty and extrapolation
Accurate mapping of headwater streams and their flow status has important implications for understanding and managing water resources and land uses. However, accurate information is rare, especially in rugged, forested terrain. We developed a streamflow permanence classification model for forested lands in western Oregon using the latest light detection and ranging-derived hydrography...
Authors
Jonathan D. Burnett, Kristin L. Jaeger, Sherri L Johnson, Steven M. Wondzell, Jason B. Dunham, Matthew Irwin Barker, Emily Dawn Heaston, Nathan Chelgren, Michael G. Wing, Brian Staab, Michael E. Brown
Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual model of the Red River alluvial aquifer east of Lake Texoma, southeastern Oklahoma, 1980–2022 Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual model of the Red River alluvial aquifer east of Lake Texoma, southeastern Oklahoma, 1980–2022
The 1973 Oklahoma Groundwater Law (Oklahoma Statutes §82-1020.5) requires that the Oklahoma Water Resources Board conduct hydrologic investigations of the State’s groundwater basins to support a determination of the maximum annual yield for each groundwater basin. At present (2025), the Oklahoma Water Resources Board has not established a maximum annual yield for the Red River alluvial...
Authors
Chloe Codner, Nicole C. Gammill, Isaac A. Dale, Amy S. Morris, Ethan A. Kirby, Grant M. Graves, Evin J. Fetkovich, Derrick L. Wagner, Jon E. Sanford, Colin A. Baciocco
Long-term dynamics of earthquake swarms in the Yellowstone caldera Long-term dynamics of earthquake swarms in the Yellowstone caldera
The factors controlling the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of earthquake swarms in volcanic systems remain unclear. We leverage leading-edge deep learning algorithms and a detailed three-dimensional velocity model to construct a 15-year high-resolution earthquake catalog of the Yellowstone caldera region. More than half of the region’s earthquakes are clustered into swarm...
Authors
Manuel Florez, Bing Q. Li, David R. Shelly, Mia Angulo, Jose Sanabria-Gomez
Tailwater residency patterns of Silver Carp at Kentucky Lock and Dam Tailwater residency patterns of Silver Carp at Kentucky Lock and Dam
Objective The management of invasive Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix in the Tennessee River basin focuses on removal, and there is interest in extending removal efforts to the tailwater environments of high-head locks and dams along the Tennessee River, such as Kentucky Dam. We used acoustic telemetry data from Silver Carp to understand important ecological associations...
Authors
William R Budnick, Kyle Mosel, Joshua Tompkins, Brent Knights, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Marybeth K. Brey, Andrea K. Fritts
Perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS) induces innate immune toxicity through the NF-κB pathway in early life stage zebrafish Perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS) induces innate immune toxicity through the NF-κB pathway in early life stage zebrafish
Perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS), a long-chain polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), is widely detected in aquatic environments and increasingly recognized for its environmental persistence and bioaccumulative potential; however, its immunotoxicity remains poorly understood in aquatic biota. In this study, early life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to environmentally relevant...
Authors
Chengwei Zhou, Wei Cheng, Rongrong Xuan, Xinyuan Kang, Jiazhen Wang, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Jialin Li, Di Fang, Wenhui Qiu
Opportunities to better integrate inland fish and fisheries in multilateral environmental agreements Opportunities to better integrate inland fish and fisheries in multilateral environmental agreements
Inland fish and fisheries are globally important to environmental function and human services, yet their persistent lack of recognition in global agreements, especially multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), may hinder progress towards biodiversity conservation and human well-being. The connection between inland fish, fisheries, and their ecosystems means that addressing the needs...
Authors
Abigail J. Lynch, Devin Bartley, Beard, Gabriel Borba, Steven J. Cooke, Ian G. Cowx, Vittoria Elliott, Holly Susan Embke, Edith Gondwe, Zeb Hogan, Jonathan G. Low, Jamie Madden, Sui C. Phang, Emma D. Rice, Nicholas A. Sievert, Gretchen L. Stokes, Leonard Akwany, Edward H. Allison, Robert Arlinghaus, Robert I. Arthur, Vidyadhar Atkore, Mahatub Khan Badhon, Claudio Baigun, Jill Brooks, Leandro Castello, Somvilay Chanthalounnavong, Seila Chea, Soksan Chhorn, Michael S. Cooperman, Kim Crisafi, James Dalton, Caitlin Doughty, Jason Earl, Wasseem E. Emam, Rebecca L. Flitcroft, Daria Gundermann, Henry H. Hansen, Ian Harrison, Kathy Hughes, Külli Kangur, Ted Lawrence, Roman Lyach, Bonnie Jean Evaline Myers, Muruganandam Muthiah, Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen, Vivian M. Nguyen, Elizabeth A. Nyboer, Julian D. Olden, Craig P. Paukert, Morgan L. Piczak, Yasmín Quintana, Vu Dang Ha Quyen, Shehu Latunji Akintola, Roshani Shrestha, Sokmoly Uon, Sophorn Uy, Cassie M. VanWynen
The diel niche of brown bears: Constraints on adaptive capacity in human-modified landscapes The diel niche of brown bears: Constraints on adaptive capacity in human-modified landscapes
DDiel activity rhythms, representing the behavioral pattern of the sleep–wake cycle, may be adjusted by wildlife in response to changes in environmental conditions. An increase in nocturnality is typically recognized as an adaptive strategy to segregate from humans and mitigate heat stress. Numerous studies have investigated spatial patterns and habitat use of large carnivores in human...
Authors
A. Donatelli, D. Ćirović, Mark A. Haroldson, Đuro Huber, J. Kindberg, I. Kojola, J. Kusak, G. Mastrantonio, A. Ordiz, S. Reljić, L. Santini, Frank T. van Manen, P. Ciucci