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
Structural evolution of an arc-basin: The Gravina Belt in central southeastern Alaska Structural evolution of an arc-basin: The Gravina Belt in central southeastern Alaska
The upper Middle Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Gravina belt lies along the eastern margin of the Alexander terrane in southeastern Alaska. This group of turbidites and mafic to intermediate volcanic rocks was deformed during mid to Late Cretaceous time during the closing of a basin of unknown size between the Alexander terrane on the west and the Stikine terrane to the east. Therefore...
Authors
Peter J. Haeussler
Intraspecific mitochondrial DNA variation in North American cervids Intraspecific mitochondrial DNA variation in North American cervids
Intraspecific variation in mitochondrial DNA of North American cervids was assessed with restriction enzymes to determine relationships among populations and subspecies. No variation was detected in moose (Alces alces) and little in elk (Cervus elaphus). Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) possessed considerable...
Authors
M. A. Cronin
Breeding chronology of mottled ducks in a Texas coastal marsh Breeding chronology of mottled ducks in a Texas coastal marsh
The relationship between breeding chronology of Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula fulvigula) and wetland conditions at San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge was examined over a 3-yr period. Median nest initiation dates varied by as much as 68 d among years. Initiation occurred earlier in 1985 and 1987 versus 1986 (P 0.05). Nesting initiation was not associated with winter and spring...
Authors
J. Barry Grand
Change-in-ratio Change-in-ratio
Change-in-ratio (CIR) methods are used to estimate parameters for ecological populations subject to differential removals from population subclasses. Subclasses can be defined according to criteria such as sex, age, or size of individuals. Removals are generally in the form of closely monitored sport or commercial harvests. Estimation is based on observed changes in subclass proportions...
Authors
Mark S. Udevitz
Time allocation by Greater White-fronted Geese: Influence of diet, energy reserves and predation Time allocation by Greater White-fronted Geese: Influence of diet, energy reserves and predation
I determined the amount of time Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) allocated to various activities from September to May, 1980-1982 at their primary wintering areas in the Pacific Flyway of North America. The length of time spent on roosts during the day was positively correlated to day length. Geese at roost sites spent the majority of their time sleeping (24-46%)...
Authors
Craig R. Ely
Threshold foraging behavior of baleen whales Threshold foraging behavior of baleen whales
We conducted hydroacoustic surveys for capelin Mallotus villosus in Witless Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, on 61 days during the summers of 1983 to 1985. On 32 of those days in whlch capelin surveys were conducted, we observed a total of 129 baleen whales - Including 93 humpback Megaptera novaeangliae, 31 minke Balaenoptera acutorostrata and 5 fin whales B. phvsalus. Although a few whales...
Authors
John F. Piatt, David A. Methven
Paleomagnetism of the Late Triassic Hound Island Volcanics: Revisited Paleomagnetism of the Late Triassic Hound Island Volcanics: Revisited
The collision and accretion of the Alexander terrane profoundly influenced the geologic history of Alaska and western Canada; however, the terrane's displacement history is only poorly constrained by sparse paleomagnetic studies. We studied the paleomagnetism of the Hound Island Volcanics in order to evaluate the location of the Alexander terrane in Late Triassic time. We collected 618...
Authors
Peter J. Haeussler, Robert S. Coe, T.C. Onstott
Depositional history, nannofossil biostratigraphy, and correlation of Argo Abyssal Plain Sites 765 and 261 Depositional history, nannofossil biostratigraphy, and correlation of Argo Abyssal Plain Sites 765 and 261
Sediments from the Argo Abyssal Plain (AAP), northwest of Australia, are the oldest known from the Indian Ocean and were recovered from ODP Site 765 and DSDP Site 261. New biostratigraphic and sedimentologic data from these sites, as well as reinterpretations of earlier findings, indicate that basal sediments at both localities are of Late Jurassic age and delineate a history of starved
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin, Paul R. Bown
Change-in-ratio methods for estimating population size Change-in-ratio methods for estimating population size
Change-in-ratio (CIR) methods can provide an effective, low cost approach for estimating the size of wildlife populations. They rely on being able to observe changes in proportions of population subclasses that result from the removal of a known number of individuals from the population. These methods were first introduced in the 1940’s to estimate the size of populations with 2...
Authors
Mark S. Udevitz, Kenneth H. Pollock
Reproductive implications of egg-size variation in Black Brant Reproductive implications of egg-size variation in Black Brant
We analyzed variation in egg size of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) in relation to clutch size, laying date, female age, year, and position in the laying sequence. A total of 3,478 eggs was measured over three years. Egg size increased with clutch size and female age, and decreased with laying date, year, and position in the laying sequence. We did not detect a negative...
Authors
Paul L. Flint, James S. Sedinger
Molt frequency and size class distribution in the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), at San Nicolas Island, California Molt frequency and size class distribution in the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), at San Nicolas Island, California
No abstract available.
Authors
James L. Bodkin, L.B. Browne
Puffins as samplers of juvenile pollock and other forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska Puffins as samplers of juvenile pollock and other forage fish in the Gulf of Alaska
We sampled the nestling diets of tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) and horned puffins (F. corniculata) in 3 years at colonies from the north-central Gulf of Alaska to the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA. Overall, tufted puffins consumed (by weight) 41% sandlance (Ammodytes hexapterus), 22% capelin (Mallotus villosus), 19% walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), 13% other fish...
Authors
Scott Hatch, Gerald A. Sanger