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: 3082
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
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
Monitoring lingering oil from the Exxon Valdez spill on Gulf of Alaska armored beaches and mussel beds sixteen years post-spill Monitoring lingering oil from the Exxon Valdez spill on Gulf of Alaska armored beaches and mussel beds sixteen years post-spill
Final Rept. ; Prepared in Cooperation With Alaska Univ., Fairbanks. Inst. of Arctic Biology. Sponsored By National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, Ak. AlaskaFisheries Science Center. ; Stranded Exxon Valdez Oil Has Persisted for 16 Years At Boulder-Armored Beach Sites Along National Park Coastlines Bordering the Gulf of Alaska. These Sites Are Up to 640 Km From the Spill Origin and...
Authors
G.V. Irvine, D.H. Mann, J.W. Short
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
Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese Chen canagica: Large-scale effects of interspecific densities and food availability Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese Chen canagica: Large-scale effects of interspecific densities and food availability
We studied body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese Chen canagica at three locations across the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, during 1990–2004 to investigate whether large‐scale variation in body mass was related to interspecific competition for food. From 1990 to 2004, densities of Cackling Geese Branta hutchinsii minima more than doubled and were c. 2–5× greater than densities of...
Authors
B.C. Lake, Joel A. Schmutz, M. S. Lindberg, Craig R. Ely, W.D. Eldridge, F.J. Broerman
Stochastic and compensatory effects limit persistence of variation in body mass of young caribou Stochastic and compensatory effects limit persistence of variation in body mass of young caribou
Nutritional restriction during growth can have short- and long-term effects on fitness; however, animals inhabiting uncertain environments may exhibit adaptations to cope with variation in food availability. We examined changes in body mass in free-ranging female caribou (Rangifer tarandus) by measuring mass at birth and at 4, 11, and 16 months of age to evaluate the relative importance...
Authors
Bruce W. Dale, Layne G. Adams, William B. Collins, Kyle Joly, Patrick Valkenburg, Robert Tobey
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
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
Forage fish of the Pacific Rim as revealed by diet of a piscivorous seabird: Synchrony and relationships with sea surface temperature Forage fish of the Pacific Rim as revealed by diet of a piscivorous seabird: Synchrony and relationships with sea surface temperature
We tested the hypothesis of synchronous interannual changes in forage fish dynamics around the North Pacific Rim. To do this, we sampled forage fish communities using a seabird predator, the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), at six coastal study sites from Japan to California. We investigated whether take of forage fishes was related to local marine conditions as indexed by sea...
Authors
J.A. Thayer, D.F. Bertram, Scott A. Hatch, M.J. Hipfner, L. Slater, W.J. Sydeman, Y. Watanuki
Experimental evidence of vocal recognition in young and adult black-legged kittiwakes Experimental evidence of vocal recognition in young and adult black-legged kittiwakes
Individual recognition is required in most social interactions, and its presence has been confirmed in many species. In birds, vocal cues appear to be a major component of recognition. Curiously, vocal recognition seems absent or limited in some highly social species such as the black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla. Using playback experiments, we found that kittiwake chicks...
Authors
Herve Mulard, T. Aubin, J.F. White, Scott A. Hatch, E. Danchin
Modified method for external attachment of transmitters to birds using two subcutaneous anchors Modified method for external attachment of transmitters to birds using two subcutaneous anchors
Of the transmitter attachment techniques for birds, the subcutaneous anchor provides a secure attachment that yields relatively few secondary effects. However, the use of subcutaneous anchors has been limited by transmitter size and retention time. Using a modified method of attachment that utilized two subcutaneous anchors, we deployed 69 GPS transmitters, plus 13 VHF transmitters that...
Authors
Tyler Lewis, Paul L. Flint