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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Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment
As anthropogenic influences push ecosystems past tipping points and into new regimes, complex management decisions are complicated by rapid ecosystem changes that may be difficult to reverse. For managers who grapple with how to manage ecosystems under novel conditions and heightened uncertainty, advancing our understanding of regime shifts is paramount. As part of an ecological...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Nathan R. De Jager, Jeffrey N. Houser
Data-driven modeling of wind waves in upper Delaware Bay with living shorelines Data-driven modeling of wind waves in upper Delaware Bay with living shorelines
Living shoreline projects have been built to preserve coastal ecosystems under future climate change and sea level rise. To quantify the wave power variation across living shorelines, the wave characteristics around the constructed oyster reefs (CORs) in upper Delaware Bay were investigated in this study. Wave parameters seaward and shoreward of CORs were recorded by wave gauges in early...
Authors
Nan Wang, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu, Hongqing Wang
Assessing wave attenuation with rising sea levels for sustainable oyster reef-based living shorelines Assessing wave attenuation with rising sea levels for sustainable oyster reef-based living shorelines
In densely populated coastal areas with sea-level rise (SLR), protecting the shorelines against erosion due to the wave impact is crucial. Along with many engineered structures like seawalls and breakwaters, there are also green structures like constructed oyster reefs (CORs) that can not only attenuate the incident waves but also grow and maintain pace with SLR. However, there is a lack...
Authors
Reza Salatin, Hongqing Wang, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu
Assessment of streamflow trends in the eastern Dakotas, water years 1960–2019 Assessment of streamflow trends in the eastern Dakotas, water years 1960–2019
Hydrologic extremes, whether periods of drought or flooding, are occurring more frequently with greater severity and can have substantial economic impacts. Along with flooding, the timing and volume of streamflow also is changing across the United States. The focus of this report is to characterize a unique trend in mean annual streamflow occurring in eastern North and South Dakota...
Authors
Parker A. Norton, Gregory C. Delzer, Joshua F. Valder, Wyatt S. Tatge, Karen R. Ryberg
Seismostratigraphic analysis of Lake Cahuilla sedimentation cycles and fault displacement history beneath the Salton Sea, California, USA Seismostratigraphic analysis of Lake Cahuilla sedimentation cycles and fault displacement history beneath the Salton Sea, California, USA
The Salton Trough (southeastern California, USA) is the northernmost transtensional stepover of the Gulf of California oblique-divergent plate boundary and is also where the southern terminus of the San Andreas fault occurs. Until recently, the distribution of active faults in and around the Salton Sea and their displacement histories were largely unknown. Subbottom CHIRP (compressed...
Authors
Daniel Brothers, Neal W. Driscoll, Graham Kent, Robert L. Baskin, Alistair J. Harding, Annie Kell
Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Satellite and GPS tracking technology continues to reveal new migration patterns of birds which enables comparative studies of migration strategies and distributional information useful in conservation. Bar-tailed godwits in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Limosa lapponica baueri and L. l. menzbieri are known for their long non-stop flights, however these populations are in steep...
Authors
Ying-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Dmitry Dorofeev, Chris J. Hassell, Theunis Piersma
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): An emerging disease threat in North America Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): An emerging disease threat in North America
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an ecologically and economically significant avian disease that is quickly spreading among wild and domestic birds throughout North America. In this blog post, we provide information and resources that can help you to be informed, be prepared, and be ready to take appropriate action should you observe wild birds that may be affected by HPAI.
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Colleen M. Handel
Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria)
Accurate, timely, and cost-effective blood chemistry analysis is an essential tool for directing emergency treatment, monitoring the health status of captive and free-ranging individuals and flocks, and improving the efficacy of conservation actions. Blood samples were obtained from 52 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were captured on San Francisco Bay, California, during December...
Authors
Nancy L. Anderson, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Maris Brenn-White, Greg Frankfurter, Michael H. Ziccardi, Beatriz Martinez-Lopez
A refined assessment of the paleoceanographic and tectonic influences on the deposition of the Monterey Formation in California A refined assessment of the paleoceanographic and tectonic influences on the deposition of the Monterey Formation in California
Application of updated diatom biochronology to the Monterey Formation and related biosiliceous rocks reveals the imprint of both global paleoclimatic/ paleoceanographic and regional tectonic events. A rise in global sea level combined with regional tectonic deepening associated with the development of the transform California margin resulted in the abrupt onset of deposition of fine...
Authors
John A. Barron
Enumerating plausible multifault ruptures in complex fault systems with physical constraints Enumerating plausible multifault ruptures in complex fault systems with physical constraints
We propose a new model for determining the set of plausible multifault ruptures in an interconnected fault system. We improve upon the rules used in the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) to increase connectivity and the physical consistency of ruptures. We replace UCERF3’s simple azimuth change rules with new Coulomb favorability metrics and increase the...
Authors
Kevin R. Milner, Bruce E. Shaw, Edward H. Field
Mapping a magnetic superstorm: March 1989 geoelectric hazards and impacts on United States power systems Mapping a magnetic superstorm: March 1989 geoelectric hazards and impacts on United States power systems
A study is made of the relationships between geomagnetic and geoelectric field variation, Earth-surface impedance, and operational interference (anomalies) experienced on electric-power systems across the contiguous United States during the March 13-14, 1989 magnetic storm. For this, a 1-minute-resolution sequence of geomagnetic field maps is constructed from magnetometer time series...
Authors
Jeffrey J. Love, Greg M. Lucas, E. Joshua Rigler, Benjamin Scott Murphy, Anna Kelbert, Paul A. Bedrosian
Long-term ice phenology records spanning up to 578 years for 78 lakes around the Northern Hemisphere Long-term ice phenology records spanning up to 578 years for 78 lakes around the Northern Hemisphere
In recent decades, lakes have experienced unprecedented ice loss with widespread ramifications for winter ecological processes. The rapid loss of ice, resurgence of winter biology, and proliferation of remote sensing technologies, presents a unique opportunity to integrate disciplines to further understand the broad spatial and temporal patterns in ice loss and its consequences. Here, we...
Authors
Sapna Sharma, Alessnadro Filazzola, Thi Nguyen, Mohammad Imrit, Kevin Blagrave, Damien Bouffard, Julia Daly, Harley Feldman, Natalie Feldsine, Harrie-Jan Hendricks-Franssen, Nikolay Granin, Richard Hecock, Jan Henning L'Abee-Lund, Ed Hopkins, Neil Howk, Michael Iacono, Lesley B. Knoll, Johanna Korhonen, Hilmar Malmquist, Woldzimierz Marszelewski, Shin-ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Yuichi Miyabara, Kiyoshi Miyasaka, Alexander Mills, Lolita Olson, Theodore Peters, David Richardson, Dale M. Robertson, Lars G. Rudstam, Danielle Wain, Holly Waterfield, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Brendan Wiltse, Huaxia Yao, Andry Zhdanov, John J. Magnuson