Publications

Federal, State and local water-resource managers require a variety of data and modeling tools to better understand water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, has developed a statewide, interactive decision-support tool to meet this need. The decision-support tool, referred to as the Massachusetts Sustainable...

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA) contains a rich geologic and cultural history within its 68,714 acre boundary. Following the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Delaware River has cut a magnificent gorge through Kittatinny Mountain, the Delaware Water Gap, to which all other gaps in the Appalachian Mountains have been compared. Proximity to many...

No abstract available.

40Ar/39Ar dating of muscovite, biotite, and K-feldspar combined with microstructural analysis of lower greenschist-facies, polymetamorphic, phyllitic rocks, and marbles were successfully used to decipher the thermal and tectonic histories of the Westminster and adjacent terranes in western Maryland. The presence of unreset detrital muscovite in some samples demonstrates that temperatures...

We present a simulation model in which individual adult migrant American shad (Alosa sapidissima) ascend the Connecticut River and spawn, and survivors return to the marine environment. Our approach synthesizes bioenergetics, reproductive biology, and behavior to estimate the effects of migratory distance and delays incurred at dams on spawning success and survival. We quantified both...

This report documents methods for data compilation and analysis of statistics for stormflows that meet data-quality objectives for order-of-magnitude planning-level water-quality estimates at unmonitored sites in the conterminous United States. Statistics for prestorm streamflow, precipitation, and runoff coefficients are used to model stormflows for use with the Stochastic Empirical...

Proper understanding of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments is required for interpretation of borehole logs and exploration geophysical data, the analysis of borehole and submarine slope stability, and the formulation of reservoir simulation and production models. Yet current knowledge of geophysical and geotechnical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments is still...

During the 1964 M9.2 great Alaskan earthquake, submarine-slope failures resulted in the generation of highly destructive tsunamis at Port Valdez, Alaska. A high-resolution, mini-sparker reflection profiler was used to image debris lobes, which we attribute to slope failures that occurred both during and prior to the 1964 megathrust event. In these reflection profiles, debris lobe...

No abstract available.

Environmental contaminants are transported over great distances to Arctic ecosystems, where they can accumulate in wildlife. Whether contaminant concentrations in wildlife are sufficient to produce adverse effects remains poorly understood. Exposure to contaminants elevates oxidative stress with possible fitness consequences. The glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), an Arctic top predator...

Habitat fragmentation resulting from human activities is a major factor contributing to reductions in biodiversity and species abundance worldwide. When movements are restricted, subpopulations become isolated, leading to reduced breeding opportunities, inbreeding depression, and interruption of key life stages. This problem is particularly ubiquitous in riverine ecosystems, where dams...

Conchostracans or clam shrimp (order Conchostraca Sars) are arthropods with a carapace consisting of two chitinous lateral valves. Triassic conchostracans range in size from 2 to 12.5 mm long and are common in deposits that formed in fresh water lakes, isolated ponds and brackish areas. Their dessication- and freeze-resistant eggs can be dispersed by wind over long distances. Therefore...