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Publications

USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.

Filter Total Items: 3088

Paleoseismicity and neotectonics of the Aleutian subduction zone — An overview Paleoseismicity and neotectonics of the Aleutian subduction zone — An overview

The Aleutian subduction zone is one of the most seismically active plate boundaries and the source of several of the world’s largest historic earthquakes. The structural architecture of the subduction zone varies considerably along its length. At the eastern end is a tectonically complex collision zone where the allochthonous Yakutat terrane is moving northwest into mainland Alaska. West...
Authors
Gary A. Carver, George Plafker

Does a boundary of the Wrangell Block extend through southern Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait, Alaska? Does a boundary of the Wrangell Block extend through southern Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait, Alaska?

In southcentral Alaska, the boundaries of two different tectonic blocks extend southwestward from the Denali Fault toward Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait. We use offshore multichannel seismic reflection data and oil-well stratigraphy to evaluate whether local geologic structures are compatible with boundaries of either tectonic block and with the relative motion expected across the block...
Authors
Michael A. Fisher, Ray W. Sliter, Florence L. Wong

Preliminary Volcano-Hazard Assessment for Gareloi Volcano, Gareloi Island, Alaska Preliminary Volcano-Hazard Assessment for Gareloi Volcano, Gareloi Island, Alaska

Gareloi Volcano (178.794 degrees W and 51.790 degrees N) is located on Gareloi Island in the Delarof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands, about 2,000 kilometers west-southwest of Anchorage and about 150 kilometers west of Adak, the westernmost community in Alaska. This small (about 8x10 kilometer) volcano has been one of the most active in the Aleutians since its discovery by the...
Authors
Michelle L. Coombs, Robert G. McGimsey, Brandon L. Browne

Transport of water, carbon, and sediment through the Yukon River Basin Transport of water, carbon, and sediment through the Yukon River Basin

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a water-quality study of the Yukon River. The Yukon River Basin (YRB), which encompasses 330,000 square miles in northwestern Canada and central Alaska (fig. 1), is one of the largest and most diverse ecosystems in North America. The Yukon River is more than 1,800 miles long and is one of the last great uncontrolled rivers in the world...
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Paul F. Schuster

2006 volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory 2006 volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, possible eruptions, and volcanic unrest at or near nine separate volcanic centers in Alaska during 2006. A significant explosive eruption at Augustine Volcano in Cook Inlet marked the first eruption within several hundred kilometers of principal population centers in Alaska since 1992. Glaciated Fourpeaked Mountain, a volcano...
Authors
Christina A. Neal, Robert G. McGimsey, James P. Dixon, Alexander Manevich, Alexander Rybin

Modern erosion rates and loss of coastal features and sites, Beaufort Sea coastline, Alaska Modern erosion rates and loss of coastal features and sites, Beaufort Sea coastline, Alaska

This study presents modern erosion rate measurements based upon vertical aerial photography captured in 1955, 1979, and 2002 for a 100 km segment of the Beaufort Sea coastline. Annual erosion rates from 1955 to 2002 averaged 5.6 m a-1. However, mean erosion rates increased from 5.0 m a-1 in 1955-79 to 6.2 m a-1 in 1979-2002. Furthermore, from the first period to the second, erosion rates...
Authors
Benjamin M. Jones, Kenneth M. Hinkel, C.D. Arp, Wendy R. Eisner

Survival of dusky Canada goose goslings in relation to weather and annual nest success Survival of dusky Canada goose goslings in relation to weather and annual nest success

The dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) population has been in long‐term decline, likely due to reduced breeding productivity, but gosling survival of this population had not been examined. We studied gosling survival in broods of radiomarked adult females on the western Copper River Delta, Alaska, USA, during 1997–1999 and 2001–2003. Survival estimates for dusky Canada...
Authors
T.F. Fondell, David A. Miller, J. Barry Grand, R Michael Anthony

Nesting biology of Lesser Canada Geese, Branta canadensis parvipes, along the Tanana River, Alaska Nesting biology of Lesser Canada Geese, Branta canadensis parvipes, along the Tanana River, Alaska

Lesser Canada Geese (Branta canadensis parvipes) are widespread throughout interior regions of Alaska and Canada, yet there have been no published studies documenting basic aspects of their nesting biology. We conducted a study to determine reproductive parameters of Lesser Canada Geese nesting along the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, in interior Alaska. Fieldwork was conducted...
Authors
Craig R. Ely, John M. Pearce, Roger W. Ruess

Prevalence of Influenza A viruses in wild migratory birds in Alaska: Patterns of variation in detection at a crossroads of intercontinental flyways Prevalence of Influenza A viruses in wild migratory birds in Alaska: Patterns of variation in detection at a crossroads of intercontinental flyways

Background. The global spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has stimulated interest in a better understanding of the mechanisms of H5N1 dispersal, including the potential role of migratory birds as carriers. Although wild birds have been found dead during H5N1 outbreaks, evidence suggests that others have survived natural infections, and recent studies have shown...
Authors
S. Ip, Paul L. Flint, J. Christian Franson, Robert J. Dusek, Dirk V. Derksen, Robert E. Gill, Craig R. Ely, John M. Pearce, Richard B. Lanctot, Steven M. Matsuoka, D.B. Irons, J.B. Fischer, R.M. Oates, Margaret R. Petersen, T.F. Fondell, D.A. Rocque, J.C. Pedersen, T.C. Rothe
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