Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
Filter Total Items: 16727
Uranium and radon in private bedrock well water in Maine: geospatial analysis at two scales Uranium and radon in private bedrock well water in Maine: geospatial analysis at two scales
In greater Augusta of central Maine, 53 out of 1093 (4.8%) private bedrock well water samples from 1534 km2 contained [U] >30 μg/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water; and 226 out of 786 (29%) samples from 1135 km2 showed [Rn] >4,000 pCi/L (148 Bq/L), the U.S. EPA’s Alternative MCL. Groundwater pH, calcite dissolution and...
Authors
Qiang Yang, Paul Smitherman, C.T. Hess, Charles W. Culbertson, Robert G. Marvinney, Yan Zheng
Estimating migratory connectivity of birds when re-encounter probabilities are heterogeneous Estimating migratory connectivity of birds when re-encounter probabilities are heterogeneous
Understanding the biology and conducting effective conservation of migratory species requires an understanding of migratory connectivity – the geographic linkages of populations between stages of the annual cycle. Unfortunately, for most species, we are lacking such information. The North American Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) houses an extensive database of marking, recaptures and...
Authors
Emily B. Cohen, Jeffrey A. Hostelter, J. Andrew Royle, Peter P. Marra
Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA Model behavior and sensitivity in an application of the cohesive bed component of the community sediment transport modeling system for the York River estuary, VA, USA
The Community Sediment Transport Modeling System (CSTMS) cohesive bed sub-model that accounts for erosion, deposition, consolidation, and swelling was implemented in a three-dimensional domain to represent the York River estuary, Virginia. The objectives of this paper are to (1) describe the application of the three-dimensional hydrodynamic York Cohesive Bed Model, (2) compare...
Authors
Kelsey A. Fall, Courtney K. Harris, Carl T. Friedrichs, J. Paul Rinehimer, Christopher R. Sherwood
Mineral resource of the month: Wollastonite Mineral resource of the month: Wollastonite
Wollastonite, a calcium metasilicate, has an ideal composition of 48.3 percent calcium oxide and 51.7 percent silicon dioxide, but it can also contain minor amounts of aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium or strontium substituting for calcium. Wollastonite occurs as prismatic crystals that break into tabular-to-acicular fragments. It is usually white but also may be...
Authors
Robert L. Virta, Bradley S. Van Gosen
An evaluation of remote sensing technologies for the detection of fugitive contamination at selected Superfund hazardous waste sites in Pennsylvania An evaluation of remote sensing technologies for the detection of fugitive contamination at selected Superfund hazardous waste sites in Pennsylvania
This evaluation was conducted to assess the potential for using both traditional remote sensing, such as aerial imagery, and emerging remote sensing technology, such as hyperspectral imaging, as tools for postclosure monitoring of selected hazardous waste sites. Sixteen deleted Superfund (SF) National Priorities List (NPL) sites in Pennsylvania were imaged with a Civil Air Patrol (CAP)...
Authors
E. Terrence Slonecker, Gary B. Fisher
Automated determination of the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples: RSIL lab codes 1851 and 1852 Automated determination of the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples: RSIL lab codes 1851 and 1852
The purposes of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab codes 1851 and 1852 are to determine the total carbon mass and the ratio of the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) for total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, lab code 1851) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC, lab code 1852) in aqueous samples. The analysis procedure is automated according to a method that...
Authors
Kinga M. Revesz, Daniel H. Doctor
Water quality and sources of fecal coliform bacteria in the Meduxnekeag River, Houlton, Maine Water quality and sources of fecal coliform bacteria in the Meduxnekeag River, Houlton, Maine
In response to bacterial contamination in the Meduxnekeag River and the desire to manage the watershed to reduce contaminant sources, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (HBMI) and the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative effort to establish a baseline of water-quality data that can be used in future studies and to indicate potential sources of nutrient and bacterial contamination...
Authors
Charles W. Culbertson, Thomas G. Huntington, Donald M. Stoeckel, James M. Caldwell, Cara O’Donnell
Visualization of soil-moisture change in response to precipitation within two rain gardens in Ohio Visualization of soil-moisture change in response to precipitation within two rain gardens in Ohio
Stormwater runoff in urban areas is increasingly being managed by means of a variety of treaments that reduce or delay runoff and promote more natural infiltration. One such treatment is a rain garden, which is built to detain runoff and allow for water infiltration and uptake by plants.Water flow into or out of a rain garden can be readily monitored with a variety of tools; however...
Authors
Denise H. Dumouchelle, Robert A. Darner
Flood-inundation maps for the Mississinewa River at Marion, Indiana, 2013 Flood-inundation maps for the Mississinewa River at Marion, Indiana, 2013
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 9-mile (mi) reach of the Mississinewa River from 0.75 mi upstream from the Pennsylvania Street bridge in Marion, Indiana, to 0.2 mi downstream from State Route 15 were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The flood inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS...
Authors
William F. Coon
fatalityCMR: capture-recapture software to correct raw counts of wildlife fatalities using trial experiments for carcass detection probability and persistence time fatalityCMR: capture-recapture software to correct raw counts of wildlife fatalities using trial experiments for carcass detection probability and persistence time
Many industrial and agricultural activities involve wildlife fatalities by collision, poisoning or other involuntary harvest: wind turbines, highway network, utility network, tall structures, pesticides, etc. Impacted wildlife may benefit from official protection, including the requirement to monitor the impact. Carcass counts can often be conducted to quantify the number of fatalities...
Authors
Guillaume Peron, James E. Hines
Late Holocene vegetation, climate, and land-use impacts on carbon dynamics in the Florida Everglades Late Holocene vegetation, climate, and land-use impacts on carbon dynamics in the Florida Everglades
Tropical and subtropical peatlands are considered a significant carbon sink. The Florida Everglades includes 6000-km2 of peat-accumulating wetland; however, detailed carbon dynamics from different environments within the Everglades have not been extensively studied or compared. Here we present carbon accumulation rates from 13 cores and 4 different environments, including sawgrass ridges...
Authors
Miriam C. Jones, Christopher E. Bernhardt, Debra A. Willard