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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Mission Area Publications
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A roadmap for identifying and interpreting physical processes and national water model prediction bias associated with baseflow index regimes across the contiguous United States A roadmap for identifying and interpreting physical processes and national water model prediction bias associated with baseflow index regimes across the contiguous United States
Understanding how groundwater–surface water interactions shape streamflow variability is critical for diagnosing low flow behavior and prediction bias in continental scale hydrologic models. We present a process informed framework that links observed baseflow (BF) dynamics, watershed attributes, and National Water Model (NWM) performance across the contiguous United States. Using daily...
Authors
Ryan van der Heijden, Ali Dadkhah, Scott Douglas Hamshaw, Mandar Dewoolkar, Ehsan Ghazanfari, Norm Jones, Gustavious Williams, Prabhakar Clement, Donna M. Rizzo
Getting the story straight: Common misconceptions around volcanoes and eruptions with case studies of recent events Getting the story straight: Common misconceptions around volcanoes and eruptions with case studies of recent events
The ability to rapidly disseminate scientific knowledge across the world has never been greater. This is paralleled by the ability of rumors to spread equally far and fast. Popular misconceptions can take root and, without correction, take on the appearance of facts. Commonly misunderstood topics include those with attention-grabbing phrasing (e.g. “Pacific Ring of Fire”, “supervolcanoes...
Authors
Janine Krippner, Sam Poppe, Christian Farias, Ed Venzke, Michael Poland, B. Behncke, Sara K. McBride, Jessica L. Ball, Diana Roman, Heather K. Handley, Claire J. Horwell, Benjamin R Edwards, Loÿc Vanderkluysen, Carol Stewart, Emma J. Nicholson, Alia Juman, Ma. Mylene Martinez-Villegas,, Brian Terbush, Erik W. Klemetti, Jazmin Scarlett, Rebecca Williams, Valerie A. Finlayson, Kadie Bennis, Sally K. Sennert, Thomas C. Pierson, Devy K. Syahbana, Arianna Soldati
The Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA) acoustic and sedimentary archive of Wasatch Front earthquakes The Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA) acoustic and sedimentary archive of Wasatch Front earthquakes
As the largest low-relief basin in the western United States, the Great Salt Lake offers an opportunity to explore acoustic and sedimentary archives of earthquake ruptures in a shallow terminal basin. Here, we use subbottom compressed high intensity radiated pulse (Chirp) profiles and sedimentary cores to address questions related to how Great Salt Lake sediments respond to surface...
Authors
Christopher B. DuRoss, Daniel S. Brothers, Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Richard Briggs, Drake Moore Singleton, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Alan Nelson, Jared W. Kluesner, Jason Scott Padgett
The use of an analog sclerometer to estimate strength of hard substrates supporting coastal communities The use of an analog sclerometer to estimate strength of hard substrates supporting coastal communities
In the marine environment, substrate differences such as ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ bottom result in different ecological communities. It is unclear, however, whether strength of hard bottom affects organism presence. To date, a limitation of many studies on organism-substrate interactions is the inability to measure rock strength in situ for marine substrates. Previous efforts involved...
Authors
Allison N. Cramer, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Bible, Cannon Cline, Grace Leuchtenberger, Casey Smith, Corey Garza, Emily Carrington
Mapping winter cover crops using remote sensing of crop phenology Mapping winter cover crops using remote sensing of crop phenology
Winter cover crops (WCC) are an effective agricultural conservation practice for improving soil health and water quality. Several U.S. states have established incentive programs to promote planting WCC between cash crop rotations. In recent years, the area planted with WCC has steadily increased due to these efforts, although the planting area varies among states. Since these programs...
Authors
Feng Gao, Martha Anderson, Michael Cosh, Xuesong Zhang, Alison Thieme, W. Dean Hively, Jisung Chang, Haoteng Zhao, Richard Circone, Jyoti Jennewein
Flood-inundation extents and hydraulic characteristics of Carson Slough, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada Flood-inundation extents and hydraulic characteristics of Carson Slough, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada
Mud Lake Dam, a rock and earth embankment structure, crosses an ephemeral stream that once flowed naturally into Carson Slough, the largest wetland complex in southern Nevada and a critical habitat for several threatened and endangered species. The dam was breached in the 1990s, rerouting stormwater into a new channel. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are
Authors
Laura A. Dye, Christopher M. Morris, Harold Jones
Biome-scale spatial patterns of avian abundance reveal proactive conservation opportunities in North American grasslands Biome-scale spatial patterns of avian abundance reveal proactive conservation opportunities in North American grasslands
North American grassland birds have experienced steeper population declines than any other avian guild, yet conservation efforts remain largely reactive and fragmented. We used nearly four decades of North American Breeding Bird Survey data to identify biome-scale spatial patterns (clustering) of grassland bird abundance for the Great Plains. Our results reveal an ecological core in the...
Authors
Caleb Powell Roberts, Victoria M. Donovan, Samantha M. Cady, Brandon P.M. Edwards, Scott L. Morford, David Naugle, Rheinhardt Scholtz, Dirac Twidwell, Daniel R. Uden, Dillon T. Fogarty
Investigating hydrologic alteration under historical and future scenarios in the Mobile River and Perdido River basins using the cubist algorithm Investigating hydrologic alteration under historical and future scenarios in the Mobile River and Perdido River basins using the cubist algorithm
This study investigates the impacts of human activities and climate variability on hydrologic alterations in the Mobile River and Perdido River Basins of Alabama. The research uses a machine learning approach, specifically cubist models, to quantify and predict changes in flow duration curves (FDCs) under both historical (1980–2009) and future climate scenarios. Future climate...
Authors
Sabahattin Isik, Rachel Lianna Dubose, Victor L. Roland
Field sampling guidelines for developing and verifying satellite remote sensing chlorophyll a concentration and fluorescence models in inland waters Field sampling guidelines for developing and verifying satellite remote sensing chlorophyll a concentration and fluorescence models in inland waters
Harmful algal blooms are increasing in frequency in inland waters across the United States, resulting in a need to monitor phytoplankton bloom events to track ecosystem health and productivity. Remote sensing of chlorophyll a values offers a cost-effective and powerful method for early detection and characterization of bloom events and serves as an overall indicator of water quality and...
Authors
Schuyler C. Nardelli, Dulcinea Avouris, Tyler King, Keith A. Loftin, Jennifer L. Graham, Keith Bouma-Gregson
Storage timescales and the crystal growth history recorded in the layered reservoir of the Unit 3 Kulanaokuaiki Tephra Member of the Uēkahuna Ash from Kīlauea volcano Storage timescales and the crystal growth history recorded in the layered reservoir of the Unit 3 Kulanaokuaiki Tephra Member of the Uēkahuna Ash from Kīlauea volcano
The Kulanaokuaiki Tephra Unit 3 (900 C.E.) was a subplinian basaltic scoria eruption, the largest known to have occurred at Kīlauea’s summit. The initiation mechanism and cause(s) of this highly hazardous eruption remain poorly understood, particularly as this style of activity has not been observed in the modern period. We use olivine diffusion timescales from Fe-Mg and lithium zoning...
Authors
Abigail Nalesnik, Kendra J. Lynn, Timothy R. Rose, Jessica M. Warren, Dawn Catherine Sweeney Ruth, Kuan-Yu Lin, Don Swanson
Bayesian hierarchical model of lake whitefish cohort strength from sparse trawl data Bayesian hierarchical model of lake whitefish cohort strength from sparse trawl data
Recruitment indices for rare or intermittently recruiting fishes are needed to compare year classes and evaluate recruitment drivers, but sparse trawl data with many zero-catch observations complicate estimation. We used fall bottom trawl data from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio surveys in Lake Erie's central and eastern basins to estimate annual relative cohort strength of age-0 lake...
Authors
Zachary J Amidon, Song S. Qian, Robin L. DeBruyne, Mark Richard Dufour, Christine M. Mayer, Edward Roseman, Alexis McCarter
Evaluating harvest liberalization strategies on population dynamics of southern latitude temperate-breeding Canada geese Evaluating harvest liberalization strategies on population dynamics of southern latitude temperate-breeding Canada geese
The recovery of the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is one of North America's greatest conservation success stories. Today, continental abundance of temperate-breeding Canada geese (those breeding in southern Canada and lower 48 states in the United States) greatly exceeds historical levels. As a result of increased abundance, human–goose conflicts have also increased, ranging from...
Authors
John T. Veon, Joshua L. Dooley, Luke W. Naylor, Brett Alexander DeGregorio, Margaret E. Ronke, David G. Krementz