Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16727

Methods and equations for estimating peak streamflow per square mile in Virginia’s urban basins Methods and equations for estimating peak streamflow per square mile in Virginia’s urban basins

Models are presented that describe Virginia urban area annual peak streamflow per square mile based on basin percent urban area and basin drainage area. Equations are provided to estimate Virginia urban peak flow per square mile of basin drainage area in each of the following annual exceedance probability categories: 0.995, 0.99, 0.95, 0.9, 0.8, 0.67, 0.5, 0.43, 0.2, 0.1, 0.04, 0.02, 0...
Authors
Samuel H. Austin

Conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo: global tungsten processing plants, a critical part of the tungsten supply chain Conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo: global tungsten processing plants, a critical part of the tungsten supply chain

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) analyzes supply chains to identify and define major components of mineral and material flows from ore extraction, through intermediate forms, to a final product. Two major reasons necessitate these analyses: (1) to identify risks associated with the supply of critical and strategic minerals to the United States and (2) to provide greater supply chain...
Authors
Omayra Bermudez-Lugo

Relaxed selection causes microevolution of seawater osmoregulation and gene expression in landlocked Alewives Relaxed selection causes microevolution of seawater osmoregulation and gene expression in landlocked Alewives

Ecological transitions from marine to freshwater environments have been important in the creation of diversity among fishes. Evolutionary changes associated with these transitions likely involve modifications of osmoregulatory function. In particular, relaxed selection on hypo-osmoregulation should strongly affect animals that transition into novel freshwater environments. We used...
Authors
Jonathan P. Velotta, Stephen D. McCormick, Rachel J. O’Neill, Eric T. Schultz

Nonlesions, misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses, and other interpretive challenges in fish histopathology studies: a guide for investigators, authors, reviewers, and readers Nonlesions, misdiagnoses, missed diagnoses, and other interpretive challenges in fish histopathology studies: a guide for investigators, authors, reviewers, and readers

Differentiating salient histopathologic changes from normal anatomic features or tissue artifacts can be decidedly challenging, especially for the novice fish pathologist. As a consequence, findings of questionable accuracy may be reported inadvertently, and the potential negative impacts of publishing inaccurate histopathologic interpretations are not always fully appreciated. The...
Authors
Jeffrey C. Wolf, Wes A. Baumgartner, Vicki Blazer, Alvin C. Camus, Jeffrey A. Engelhardt, John W. Fournie, Salvatore Frasca, David B. Groman, Michael L. Kent, Lester H. Khoo, Jerry M. Law, Eric D. Lombardini, Christine Ruehl-Fehlert, Helmut E. Segner, Stephen A. Smith, Jan M. Spitsbergen, Klaus Weber, Marilyn J. Wolfe

Synthesis of thirty years of surface water quality and aquatic biota data in Shenandoah National Park: Collaboration between the US Geological Survey and the National Park Service Synthesis of thirty years of surface water quality and aquatic biota data in Shenandoah National Park: Collaboration between the US Geological Survey and the National Park Service

The eastern United States has been the recipient of acidic atmospheric deposition (hereinafter, “acid rain”) for many decades. Deleterious effects of acid rain on natural resources have been well documented for surface water (e.g., Likens et al. 1996; Stoddard et al. 2001), soils (Bailey et al. 2005), forest health (Long et al. 2009), and habitat suitability for stream biota (Baker et al...
Authors
Karen C. Rice, John D. Jastram, John E. B. Wofford, James P. Schaberl

Hierarchical model analysis of the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey Hierarchical model analysis of the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey

We used log-linear hierarchical models to analyze data from the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey. The survey has been conducted by state biologists each year since 1989 in the northeastern United States from Virginia north to New Hampshire and Vermont. Although yearly population estimates from the survey are used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for estimating...
Authors
John R. Sauer, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Jon D. Klimstra, William A. Link

Modeling future scenarios of light attenuation and potential seagrass success in a eutrophic estuary Modeling future scenarios of light attenuation and potential seagrass success in a eutrophic estuary

Estuarine eutrophication has led to numerous ecological changes, including loss of seagrass beds. One potential cause of these losses is a reduction in light availability due to increased attenuation by phytoplankton. Future sea level rise will also tend to reduce light penetration and modify seagrass habitat. In the present study, we integrate a spectral irradiance model into a...
Authors
Pilar del Barrio, Neil K. Ganju, Alfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Melanie Hayn, Andres Garcia, Robert W. Howarth

Pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride following intramuscular and intravenous administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius) Pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride following intramuscular and intravenous administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Objective—To determine the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine hydrochloride after IM and IV administration to American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Animals—13 healthy 3-year-old captive-bred American kestrels. Procedures—Buprenorphine hydrochloride (0.6 mg/kg) was administered IM to all birds. Blood samples were collected at 9 times, ranging from 5 minutes to 9 hours after drug...
Authors
Kate A. Gustavsen, David Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Heather K. Knych, Olivia A. Petritz, Glenn H. Olsen, Joanne R. Paul-Murphy

Late Holocene sea level variability and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Late Holocene sea level variability and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Pre-twentieth century sea level (SL) variability remains poorly understood due to limits of tide gauge records, low temporal resolution of tidal marsh records, and regional anomalies caused by dynamic ocean processes, notably multidecadal changes in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We examined SL and AMOC variability along the eastern United States over the last 2000...
Authors
Thomas M. Cronin, Jesse R. Farmer, R. E. Marzen, E. Thomas, J.C. Varekamp

Raman spectroscopic characterization of CH4 density over a wide range of temperature and pressure Raman spectroscopic characterization of CH4 density over a wide range of temperature and pressure

The positions of the CH4 Raman ν1 symmetric stretching bands were measured in a wide range of temperature (from −180 °C to 350 °C) and density (up to 0.45 g/cm3) using high-pressure optical cell and fused silica capillary capsule. The results show that the Raman band shift is a function of both methane density and temperature; the band shifts to lower wavenumbers as the density increases...
Authors
Linbo Shang, I-Ming Chou, Robert Burruss, Ruizhong Hu, Xianwu Bi

Changing amounts and sources of moisture in the U.S. southwest since the Last Glacial Maximum in response to global climate change Changing amounts and sources of moisture in the U.S. southwest since the Last Glacial Maximum in response to global climate change

The U.S. southwest has a limited water supply and is predicted to become drier in the 21st century. An improved understanding of factors controlling moisture sources and availability is aided by reconstruction of past responses to global climate change. New stable isotope and growth-rate records for a central Texas speleothem indicate a strong influence of Gulf of Mexico (GoM) moisture...
Authors
Weimin Feng, Benjamin F. Hardt, Jay L. Banner, Kevin J. Meyer, Eric W. James, MaryLynn Musgrove, R. Lawrence Edwards, Hai Cheng, Angela Min

Annual agricultural pesticide use for Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment, 2012-13 Annual agricultural pesticide use for Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment, 2012-13

This report provides estimates of annual agricultural use of 190 pesticide compounds for counties and selected watersheds of Midwestern States for 2012 and 2013 compiled for subsequent analysis by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment (MSQA). One of the goals of MSQA is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the Corn...
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Wesley W. Stone
Was this page helpful?