Publications

Mercury (Hg), and specifically methylmercury (MeHg), is a contaminant of global concern to humans and wildlife, but there is still limited understanding of its effects on many taxa. Amphibians are closely associated with water, where Hg is converted to MeHg, and high concentrations of MeHg can reduce survival of amphibians in the wild. However, limited non-lethal proxies exist for...

Coastal wetlands are being transformed by global change, impacting the ecological and societal benefits provided by these ecosystems. Synthesizing knowledge of historical and expected future transformations in coastal wetlands can help inform forward-looking planning and stewardship efforts. Here, we review anticipated future ecological transformations in coastal wetlands of the...

Gas hydrate-bearing sands on the Alaska North Slope (ANS) host minor volumes of crude oil whose impact on formation permeability has never been quantified relative to a gas hydrate reservoir system. Here, we combine in situ pressure-core microcomputed-tomography (μ-CT), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gas-chromatography–mass-spectrometry (GC–MS), scanning-electron microscopy coupled...

The 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence occurred in an area not known for seismic activity and included multiple normal and strike‐slip focal mechanisms. The largest earthquake, Mw 6.4, caused significant damage and permanent shoreline subsidence. The locations of the ruptured faults have been explored extensively using seismological and geodetic evidence, but no consensus has...

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) mission to distribute global mineral information and analyze supply chains, this study provides a comprehensive review of the global significance of China’s mineral production and capacity in 2023. Of 77 mineral commodities in the USGS dataset, China produced 74 and was the world’s first-ranked producer for 39 of the 74. Compared to the high...

Thermal subsidence allows sediment accumulation in passive continental margins, modulating basin development, lithospheric dynamics and Earth-system processes. Classic thermal cooling models underestimate the lithospheric subsidence needed to explain thick early post-rift sedimentary sequences in magma-rich margins. Here we isolate the processes driving this anomalous subsidence at the...

Anthropogenic actions have directly and indirectly modulated salt marsh extent globally. For example, direct actions such as draining and filling of marshes for agriculture were common before the early 20th century, while development on barrier islands has indirectly reduced the capacity of back-barrier marshes to evolve in response to coastal processes. Similarly, restoration efforts...

Detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been observed in soils in remote areas and presumably originate from atmospheric deposition. These anthropogenic background concentrations may enable some PFAS to leach to groundwater at levels that exceed regulatory criteria for drinking water. However, anthropogenic background soil concentrations and their...

The goal of this project as written in the CRESCENT seed grant proposal was as follows: 1) reprocess selected profiles along strike from 45° to 48°N from the CASIE21 crustal-scale seismic data to obtain higher-resolution and higher-quality imaging of the uppermost 1-2 km of the accretionary wedge; 2) convert high-resolution USGS sparker seismic data from the time to depth domain to...

Lithium is necessary for low-carbon technologies that combat climate change, but lithium extraction is water-intensive. Changes in temperature and precipitation arising from climate change are altering water distribution, which could further strain supplies for new mines and industry, farms, and households. Here we explored how climate change, water use, and mining siting could impact...

Acceleration of large-scale solar energy deployment can pose competition for land with biodiversity conservation areas. Solar suitability analyses (SSAs) help identify low-conflict zones for solar development, yet limited work defines which biodiversity-relevant criteria (BRCs) are essential for SSAs or whether supporting data are available. We convened a United States-based Delphi panel...

Gas hydrate, a solid combination of gas (mostly methane in nature) and water molecules stable at low temperatures and elevated pressures, occurs naturally in marine and permafrost-associated environments. Gas hydrate reservoirs, such as those in the Alaska North Slope, have been considered potential energy resources for gas production. To understand the petrophysical and geo-mechanical