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: 3104
Reassessment of seismically induced, tsunamigenic submarine slope failures in Port Valdez, Alaska, USA Reassessment of seismically induced, tsunamigenic submarine slope failures in Port Valdez, Alaska, USA
The M9.2 Alaska earthquake of 1964 caused major damage to the port facilities and town of Valdez, most of it the result of submarine landslide and the consequent tsunamis. Recent bathymetric multibeam surveys, high-resolution subbottom profiles, and dated sediment cores in Port Valdez supply new information about the morphology and character of the landslide deposits. A comparison of pre...
Authors
H.J. Lee, H. F. Ryan, Peter J. Haeussler, R. E. Kayen, M. A. Hampton, Jacques Locat, E. Suleimani, C. R. Alexander
Toward the next bedrock geology map of the circumpolar Arctic Toward the next bedrock geology map of the circumpolar Arctic
No abstract available.
Authors
S. Harrison, P.J. Bergmann, B. M. Gamble, Steven P. Gordey, H. Jepson, T. Koren, B.G. Lopatin, K. Piepjohn, M. R. St-Onge, S.P. Shokalsky, K. Solli, S.I. Strelnikov, Frederic H. Wilson
The atlantic salmon: Genetics, conservation and management The atlantic salmon: Genetics, conservation and management
Atlantic Salmon is a cultural icon throughout its North Atlantic range; it is the focus of probably the World’s highest profile recreational fishery and is the basis for one of the World’s largest aquaculture industries. Despite this, many wild stocks of salmon are in decline and underpinning this is a dearth of information on the nature and extent of population structuring and adaptive...
Reproductive strategies of northern geese: Why wait? Reproductive strategies of northern geese: Why wait?
Migration and reproductive strategies in waterbirds are tightly linked, with timing of arrival and onset of nesting having important consequences for reproductive success. Whether migratory waterbirds are capital or income breeders is predicated by their spring migration schedule, how long they are on breeding areas before nesting, and how adapted they are to exploiting early spring...
Authors
Craig R. Ely, K.S. Bollinger, R.V. Densmore, T.C. Rothe, M.J. Petrula, John Y. Takekawa, D.L. Orthmeyer
Proximate composition, energetic value, and relative abundance of prey fish from the inshore eastern Bering Sea: Implications for piscivorous predators Proximate composition, energetic value, and relative abundance of prey fish from the inshore eastern Bering Sea: Implications for piscivorous predators
Changing ocean conditions and subsequent shifts in forage fish communities have been linked to numerical declines of some piscivorous marine birds and mammals in the North Pacific. However, limited information about fish communities is available for some regions, including nearshore waters of the eastern Bering Sea, where many piscivores reside. We determined proximate composition and...
Authors
J.R. Ball, Daniel Esler, Joel A. Schmutz
Mass dynamics of wintering Pacific Black Brant: Body, adipose tissue, organ, and muscle masses vary with location Mass dynamics of wintering Pacific Black Brant: Body, adipose tissue, organ, and muscle masses vary with location
We compared body size and mass of the whole body, organs, adipose tissue, and muscles of adult Pacific Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans (Lawrence, 1846)) collected concurrently in Alaska and Baja California during the fall, winter, and spring of 2002–2003. Head and tarsal lengths of males were similar between sites and slightly larger for females in Alaska than in Baja California...
Authors
D.D. Mason, P.S. Barboza, David H. Ward
Post-den emergence behavior of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Northern Alaska Post-den emergence behavior of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Northern Alaska
We observed polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity den sites on Alaska’s North Slope in March 2002 and 2003 in an effort to describe bears’ post-den emergence behavior. During 40 sessions spanning 459 h, we observed 8 adults and 14 dependent cubs outside dens for 37.5 h (8.2% of total observation time). There was no significant difference between den emergence dates in 2002 (mean = 15...
Authors
T. S. Smith, Steven T. Partridge, Steven C. Amstrup, S. Schliebe
Early marine growth in relation to marine-stage survival rates for Alaska sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Early marine growth in relation to marine-stage survival rates for Alaska sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
We tested the hypothesis that larger juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in Bristol Bay, Alaska, have higher marine-stage survival rates than smaller juvenile salmon. We used scales from returning adults (33 years of data) and trawl samples of juveniles (n= 3572) collected along the eastern Bering Sea shelf during August through September 2000−02. The size of juvenile sockeye...
Authors
Edward V. Farley, J.M. Murphy, Milo D. Adkison, Lisa B. Eisner, J.H. Helle, J.H. Moss, Jennifer L. Nielsen
The geophysical character of southern Alaska - Implications for crustal evolution The geophysical character of southern Alaska - Implications for crustal evolution
The southern Alaska continental margin has undergone a long and complicated history of plate convergence, subduction, accretion, and margin-parallel displacements. The crustal character of this continental margin is discernible through combined analysis of aeromagnetic and gravity data with key constraints from previous seismic interpretation. Regional magnetic data are particularly...
Authors
R. W. Saltus, T. L. Hudson, Frederic H. Wilson
Estimating the amount of eroded section in a partially exhumed basin from geophysical well logs: An example from the North Slope Estimating the amount of eroded section in a partially exhumed basin from geophysical well logs: An example from the North Slope
The reconstruction of burial and thermal histories of partially exhumed basins requires an estimation of the amount of erosion that has occurred since the time of maximum burial. We have developed a method for estimating eroded thickness by using porosity-depth trends derived from borehole sonic logs of wells in the Colville Basin of northern Alaska. Porosity-depth functions defined from...
Authors
W. Matthew Burns, Daniel O. Hayba, Elisabeth L. Rowan, David W. Houseknecht
Upper triassic continental margin strata of the central alaska range: Implications for paleogeographic reconstruction Upper triassic continental margin strata of the central alaska range: Implications for paleogeographic reconstruction
Remnants of a Late Triassic continental margin and ocean basin are scattered across central and southern Alaska. Little is known about the fundamental nature of the margin because most remnants have not been studied in detail and a protracted period of terrane accretion and margin-parallel translation has disrupted original stratigraphic and structural relationships. Three new conodont...
Authors
A.B. Till, A. G. Harris, B. R. Wardlaw, M. Mullen
Using a bioenergetic model to assess growth reduction from catch-and-release fishing and hooking injury in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Using a bioenergetic model to assess growth reduction from catch-and-release fishing and hooking injury in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
A bioenergetic model was used to predict the potential effects of feeding cessation caused by catch-and-release capture and a reduction in feeding efficiency from hooking injuries on rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), growth in southwest Alaska, USA. Simulations indicated that a 1-day feeding cessation for a rainbow trout captured one to two times during summer months resulted...
Authors
Julie M. Meka, F.J. Margraf