Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16727
A world of minerals in your mobile device A world of minerals in your mobile device
Mobile phones and other high-technology communications devices could not exist without mineral commodities. More than one-half of all components in a mobile device—including its electronics, display, battery, speakers, and more—are made from mined and semiprocessed materials (mineral commodities). Some mineral commodities can be recovered as byproducts during the production and...
Authors
Jane E. Jenness, Joyce A. Ober, Aleeza Wilkins, Joseph Gambogi
An evaluation of rapid methods for monitoring vegetation characteristics of wetland bird habitat An evaluation of rapid methods for monitoring vegetation characteristics of wetland bird habitat
Wetland managers benefit from monitoring data of sufficient precision and accuracy to assess wildlife habitat conditions and to evaluate and learn from past management decisions. For large-scale monitoring programs focused on waterbirds (waterfowl, wading birds, secretive marsh birds, and shorebirds), precision and accuracy of habitat measurements must be balanced with fiscal and...
Authors
Brian G. Tavernia, James E. Lyons, Brian W. Loges, Andrew Wilson, Jaime A. Collazo, Michael C. Runge
Intertidal salt marshes as an important source of inorganic carbon to the coastal ocean Intertidal salt marshes as an important source of inorganic carbon to the coastal ocean
Dynamic tidal export of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the coastal ocean from highly productive intertidal marshes and its effects on seawater carbonate chemistry are thoroughly evaluated. The study uses a comprehensive approach by combining tidal water sampling of CO2parameters across seasons, continuous in situ measurements of biogeochemically-relevant parameters and water fluxes...
Authors
Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Kevin D. Kroeger, Neil K. Ganju, Meagan Gonneea Eagle, Sophie N. Chu
Significance of groundwater discharge along the coast of Poland as a source of dissolved metals to the southern Baltic Sea Significance of groundwater discharge along the coast of Poland as a source of dissolved metals to the southern Baltic Sea
Fluxes of dissolved trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) via groundwater discharge along the southern Baltic Sea have been assessed for the first time. Dissolved metal concentrations in groundwater samples were less variable than in seawater and were generally one or two orders of magnitude higher: Cd (2.1–2.8 nmol L− 1), Co (8.70–8.76 nmol L− 1), Cr (18.1–18.5 nmol L− 1)...
Authors
Beata Szymczycha, Kevin D. Kroeger, Janusz Pempkowiak
Quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in a back-barrier estuary Quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in a back-barrier estuary
Geomorphology is a fundamental control on ecological and economic function of estuaries. However, relative to open coasts, there has been little quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in back-barrier estuaries. Vessel-based and airborne bathymetric mapping can cover large areas quickly, but change detection is difficult because measurement errors can be larger than the actual...
Authors
Neil K. Ganju, Steven E. Suttles, Alexis Beudin, Daniel J. Nowacki, Jennifer L. Miselis, Brian D. Andrews
Source characterization and tsunami modeling of submarine landslides along the Yucatán Shelf/Campeche Escarpment, southern Gulf of Mexico Source characterization and tsunami modeling of submarine landslides along the Yucatán Shelf/Campeche Escarpment, southern Gulf of Mexico
Submarine landslides occurring along the margins of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) represent a low-likelihood, but potentially damaging source of tsunamis. New multibeam bathymetry coverage reveals that mass wasting is pervasive along the Yucatán Shelf edge with several large composite landslides possibly removing as much as 70 km3 of the Cenozoic sedimentary section in a single event. Using...
Authors
Jason D. Chaytor, Eric L. Geist, Charles K. Paull, David W Caress, Roberto Gwiazda, Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi, Mario Rebolledo Vieyra
Methane turnover and environmental change from Holocene biomarker records in a thermokarst lake in Arctic Alaska Methane turnover and environmental change from Holocene biomarker records in a thermokarst lake in Arctic Alaska
Arctic lakes and wetlands contribute a substantial amount of methane to the contemporary atmosphere, yet profound knowledge gaps remain regarding the intensity and climatic control of past methane emissions from this source. In this study, we reconstruct methane turnover and environmental conditions, including estimates of mean annual and summer temperature, from a thermokarst lake (Lake...
Authors
Marcus Elvert, John W. Pohlman, Kevin W. Becker, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Matthew J. Wooller
Finite-frequency wave propagation through outer rise fault zones and seismic measurements of upper mantle hydration Finite-frequency wave propagation through outer rise fault zones and seismic measurements of upper mantle hydration
Effects of serpentine-filled fault zones on seismic wave propagation in the upper mantle at the outer rise of subduction zones are evaluated using acoustic wave propagation models. Modeled wave speeds depend on azimuth, with slowest speeds in the fault-normal direction. Propagation is fastest along faults, but, for fault widths on the order of the seismic wavelength, apparent wave speeds...
Authors
Nathaniel C. Miller, Daniel Lizarralde
Consistent response of bird populations to climate change on two continents Consistent response of bird populations to climate change on two continents
Global climate change is a major threat to biodiversity. Large-scale analyses have generally focused on the impacts of climate change on the geographic ranges of species and on phenology, the timing of ecological phenomena. We used long-term monitoring of the abundance of breeding birds across Europe and the United States to produce, for both regions, composite population indices for two...
Authors
Philip A. Stephens, Lucy R. Mason, Rhys E. Green, Richard D. Gregory, John R. Sauer, Jamie Alison, Ainars Aunins, Lluis Brotons, Stuart H.M. Butchart, Tommaso Campedelli, Tomasz Chodkiewicz, Przemyslaw Chylarecki, Olivia Crowe, Jaanus Elts, Virginia Escandell, Ruud P.B. Foppen, Henning Heldbjerg, Sergi Herrando, Magne Husby, Frederic Jiguet, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Ake Lindstrom, David G. Noble, Jean-Yves Paquet, Jiri Reif, Thomas Sattler, Tibor Szep, Norbert Teufelbauer, Sven Trautmann, Arco Van Strien, Chris van Turnhout, Petr Vorisek, Stephen G. Willis
Organic-matter retention and macroinvertebrate utilization of seasonally inundated bryophytes in a mid-order Piedmont River Organic-matter retention and macroinvertebrate utilization of seasonally inundated bryophytes in a mid-order Piedmont River
There is increased understanding of the role of bryophytes in supporting invertebrate biomass and for their influence on nutrient cycling and carbon balance in aquatic systems, but the structural and functional role of bryophytes growing in seasonally inundated habitats is substantially less studied. We conducted a study on the Middle Oconee River, near Athens, GA, to assess invertebrate...
Authors
James Wood, Meryom Pattillo, Mary Freeman
Detecting failure of climate predictions Detecting failure of climate predictions
The practical consequences of climate change challenge society to formulate responses that are more suited to achieving long-term objectives, even if those responses have to be made in the face of uncertainty1, 2. Such a decision-analytic focus uses the products of climate science as probabilistic predictions about the effects of management policies3. Here we present methods to detect...
Authors
Michael C. Runge, Julienne C. Stroeve, Andrew P. Barrett, Eve McDonald-Madden
Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change
Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are...
Authors
Claire S. Teitelbaum, Sarah J. Converse, William F. Fagan, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Robert B. O’Hara, Anne E Lacy, Thomas Mueller