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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The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Louisiana's economy The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Louisiana's economy
Introduction Recent and ongoing collections of high-resolution elevation data in Louisiana are providing information that supports improved critical public safety modeling and enables the State to strengthen its efforts to fight the effects of land subsidence and sea-level rise. The availability of current and accurate three-dimensional (3D) elevation data supports numerous business...
Authors
Chris Cretini
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2023 Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2023
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 7.8 billion barrels of oil and 91.9 trillion cubic feet of gas in the West Greenland-East Canada Province.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Ronald M. Drake, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Michael H. Gardner, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Kira K. Timm, Scott S. Young
Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination
Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is composed of three genetic clades (A, B, and C). Clade-A is the most common and distributed worldwide, B-clade has a narrow geographic distribution, and C-clade is rare. South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) has high diversity of B. anthracis, with strains from A and B clades described from its northernmost region, Pafuri. We...
Authors
Sankwetea P. Mokgokong, Ayesha Hassim, Tendo Mafuna, Wendy Christine Turner, Henriette van Heerden, Kgaugelo E. Lekota
Ecosystem-engineered infections: Beaver-modified wetlands are associated with conflicting drivers of amphibian pathogen prevalence Ecosystem-engineered infections: Beaver-modified wetlands are associated with conflicting drivers of amphibian pathogen prevalence
Beavers are ecosystem engineers and keystone species that protect freshwater resources and increase biodiversity. Beaver reintroductions are promoted for amphibian conservation, yet their impact on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogen linked with amphibian population declines worldwide, remains unclear. We investigated the abiotic and biotic drivers of Bd prevalence in...
Authors
Leah M Fischer, Angela D Luis, Blake Hossack, Taegan A. McMahon, Winsor H Lowe
Principles of riverscape health Principles of riverscape health
Riverscapes are the integration of terrestrial and aquatic systems from headwaters to estuaries that provide habitat and ecosystem benefits when in good health. However, current riverscape degradation is pervasive, impairing the function and resulting benefits of these systems. Healthy riverscapes are adaptive and some can ‘heal’ after disturbance with minimal to no human assistance. As...
Authors
Hayley Corrine Glassic, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Joseph Wheaton, William W. Macfarlane, Christopher Jordan, Brian M. Murphy, Scott Shahverdian, Stephen Bennett, Nicolaas Bouwes, Kirstie Fryirs, Gary Brierley, Damion Ciotti, Philip Bailey, Karen Bartlet, Barbara Belletti, Simone Bizzi, James Brasington, Reid Camp, Emily Fairfax, Jordan Gilbert, Justin Jimenez, Jeremy D Maestas, Timmie Mandish, Amy McNamara, Scott R Miller, Baptiste Marizot, Mathias Perle, Herve Piegay, Helen Reid, Lindsay V. Reynolds, William Saunders, Alden Shallcross, Peter Skidmore, Rose Smith, Benoît Terrier, Gus Wathen, Nick Weber
The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) have been widely studied regarding their breeding ecology and responses to hunting pressures. However, variations in defining the breeding season—its duration and timing—across studies have created uncertainty about whether regional differences in deer breeding ecology stem from ecological factors or methodological...
Authors
Matthew Hunsaker, Marie L.J. Gilbertson, Daniel J. Storm, Wendy Christine Turner
2022 McKinney rain-on-wildfire event, dissolved oxygen sags, and a fish kill on the Klamath River, California 2022 McKinney rain-on-wildfire event, dissolved oxygen sags, and a fish kill on the Klamath River, California
The longitudinal propagation of water-quality and ecological impairments in rivers during and after wildfires remain poorly understood. In Northern California, the 2022 McKinney Fire burned 243 km2 of the Klamath National Forest, with 83% of the burned area classified as moderate to high severity. During the active wildfire, a high-intensity monsoonal rain event triggered sediment-laden...
Authors
Jennifer Curtis, Grant Johnson, Josh Cahill, Laurel Genzoli, Clifford Dahm, Liam N. Schenk, John Oberholzer
Spatial and temporal variability of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in major rivers of New Mexico, USA Spatial and temporal variability of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in major rivers of New Mexico, USA
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the environment, but sources that contribute to temporal and spatial variability in surface waters are not well defined. Many states are assessing PFAS in water resources, and insight from these statewide assessments can help guide future sampling efforts. A statewide assessment of 28 PFAS was conducted in New Mexico...
Authors
Kimberly R. Beisner
Unintended indirect effects limit elk productivity from supplemental feeding in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Unintended indirect effects limit elk productivity from supplemental feeding in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The widespread practice of supplemental feeding, a bottom-up forcing of resource availability, is intended to improve wildlife population health and survival. However, supplemental feeding could trigger indirect effects by altering predation rates and disease dynamics. We investigated the effects of feeding on three key elk (Cervus canadensis) population productivity metrics (calf:cow...
Authors
Brian Scott Dugovich, Emily M. Tomaszewski, Eric K. Cole, Sarah Dewey, Daniel MacNulty, Brandon Scurlock, Daniel Stahler, Paul C. Cross
Preparation and analysis methods for fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana Preparation and analysis methods for fish tissue collected from Lake Koocanusa, Montana
Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir, receives mine wastes from metallurgical coal mines in the Elk River Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Selenium and other elements discharged by the mines into the waters of the United States can pose unknown risks to aquatic life. The U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center can collaborate with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and other...
Authors
Travis S. Schmidt, Ashley Morgan Bussell, Molly A. Moloney, James L. Dunnigan, Trevor M. Selch, Jessica E. Brandt, Craig A. Stricker, A. Robin Stewart, Veronika A. Kocen, Danielle M. Cleveland, Vicki S. Blazer, Sarah E. Janssen, Jacob M. Ogorek, Meghan Dunn, Theresa L. McBride, Katie B. Adams, Benjamin P. Colman, Matt Young, Jennie Christensen
Wake Atoll vessel movement biosecurity program efficacy Wake Atoll vessel movement biosecurity program efficacy
Executive Summary The purpose of this Wake Atoll Vessel Movement Biosecurity Program Efficacy document is to provide the United States Air Force (USAF) with an unbiased review of the current (2015; hereafter referred to as the 2015 Biosecurity Plan) biosecurity plan for the military base Wake Island Airfield (WIA) on Wake Atoll (hereafter Wake). Periodic reviews are an integral step for...
Authors
Stacie A. Hathaway, James C. Molden, Robert Peck, Kristen R. Rex, Cheryl S. Brehme, Theo Black, Robert N. Fisher
Widespread dispersal of a human commensal across the Pacific: Reconstructing the human-mediated invasion history of the house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) Widespread dispersal of a human commensal across the Pacific: Reconstructing the human-mediated invasion history of the house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)
The spread of human commensal species is intricately tied to human movements and historical events. Through waves of human migrations, colonization, trade routes, commercial activities, and war, humans have redistributed species from their native ranges to widely scattered areas across the Pacific. Deciphering the invasion history of recent human-mediated introductions is challenging due...
Authors
Valentina Alvarez, Robert N. Fisher, Stacie A. Hathaway, Robert C. Thomson