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David B Smith

David Smith is a Scientist Emeritus with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.

Science and Products

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USGS science for a changing world logo

Characterizing landscape genomics and reconstructing pathways to plant ecological specialization and speciation

This proposal brings together biologists and geoscientists to evaluate the evolution of stress tolerance and adaptation to extreme environments in plants. Stress tolerance has been studied mainly from a physiological perspective using laboratory and field experiments. In contrast, this project will take a combined environmental and evolutionary perspective using national public databases and a “bi
By
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
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Characterizing landscape genomics and reconstructing pathways to plant ecological specialization and speciation

This proposal brings together biologists and geoscientists to evaluate the evolution of stress tolerance and adaptation to extreme environments in plants. Stress tolerance has been studied mainly from a physiological perspective using laboratory and field experiments. In contrast, this project will take a combined environmental and evolutionary perspective using national public databases and a “bi
Learn More
link
cinnabar with mercury beads

Backgrounds and Baselines

This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
link

Backgrounds and Baselines

This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 48

Geochemical and mineralogical maps, with interpretation, for soils of the conterminous United States

Between 2007 and 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States. The sampling protocol for the national-scale survey included, at each site, a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters, a composite of the soil A horizon, and a deeper sample from the soil C hor
Authors
David B. Smith, Federico Solano, Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, Karl J. Ellefsen
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Chemical elements in the environment: multi-element geochemical datasets from continental to national scale surveys on four continents

During the last 10-20 years, Geological Surveys around the world have undertaken a major effort towards delivering fully harmonized and tightly quality-controlled low-density multi-element soil geochemical maps and datasets of vast regions including up to whole continents. Concentrations of between 45 and 60 elements commonly have been determined in a variety of different regolith types (e.g., sed
Authors
Patrice de Caritat, Clemens Reimann, David B. Smith, Xueqiu Wang
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

The interacting roles of climate, soils, and plant production on soil microbial communities at a continental scale

Soil microbial communities control critical ecosystem processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and soil organic matter formation. Continental scale patterns in the composition and functioning of microbial communities are related to climatic, biotic, and edaphic factors such as temperature and precipitation, plant community composition, and soil carbon, nitrogen, and pH. Although these re
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, JoAnn M. Holloway, David B. Smith, Martin B. Goldhaber, R. E. Drenovsky, K. M. Scow, R. Dick, Daniel M. Howard, Bruce K. Wylie, James B. Grace
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Energy Resources Program, Land Change Science Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Pyrogenic carbon distribution in mineral topsoils of the northeastern United States

Due to its slow turnover rates in soil, pyrogenic carbon (PyC) is considered an important C pool and relevant to climate change processes. Therefore, the amounts of soil PyC were compared to environmental covariates over an area of 327,757 km2 in the northeastern United States in order to understand the controls on PyC distribution over large areas. Topsoil (defined as the soil A horizon, after re
Authors
Verena Jauss, Patrick J. Sullivan, Jonathan Sanderman, David B. Smith, Johannes Lehmann
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

User’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data

GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are bundled together in R’s unit of sharable code, which
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Surface-air mercury fluxes across Western North America: A synthesis of spatial trends and controlling variables

Mercury (Hg) emission and deposition can occur to and from soils, and are an important component of the global atmospheric Hg budget. This paper focuses on synthesizing existing surface-air Hg flux data collected throughout the Western North American region and is part of a series of geographically focused Hg synthesis projects. A database of existing Hg flux data collected using the dynamic flux
Authors
Chris S. Eckley, Michael T. Tate, Che-Jen Lin, Mae S. Gustin, Stephen Dent, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michelle A. Lutz, Kimberly Wickland, Bronwen Wang, John E. Gray, Grant Edwards, David P. Krabbenhoft, David B. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

The distribution of selected elements and minerals in soil of the conterminous United States

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a low-density (1 site per 1600 km2, 4857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soil of the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Three soil samples were collected, if possible, from each site; (1) a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 cm, (2) a composite of the soil A-horizon, and (3) a deeper
Authors
Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, David B. Smith, Federico Solano
By
Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

A modified procedure for mixture-model clustering of regional geochemical data

A modified procedure is proposed for mixture-model clustering of regional-scale geochemical data. The key modification is the robust principal component transformation of the isometric log-ratio transforms of the element concentrations. This principal component transformation and the associated dimension reduction are applied before the data are clustered. The principal advantage of this modificat
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith, John D. Horton
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Anthrax and the geochemistry of soils in the contiguous United States

Soil geochemical data from sample sites in counties that reported occurrences of anthrax in wildlife and livestock since 2000 were evaluated against counties within the same states (MN, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD and TX) that did not report occurrences. These data identified the elements, calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P) and strontium (Sr), as having statistically significant differences in co
Authors
Dale W. Griffin, Erin E. Silvestri, Charlena Y. Bowling, Timothy Boe, David B. Smith, Tonya L. Nichols
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report

Southwest Wyoming contains abundant energy resources, wildlife, habitat, open spaces, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Although energy exploration and development have been taking place in the region since the late 1800s, the pace of development for fossil fuels and renewable energy increased significantly in the early 2000s. This and the associated urban and exurban development are leading
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory K. Boughton, Natasha B. Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Melanie L. Clark, Bradford C. Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew G. Hethcoat, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Michael J. Sweat, Anna B. Wilson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States

The U.S. Geological Survey began sampling in 2007 for a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. The sampling protocol for the national-scale survey included, at each site, a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters, a composite of
Authors
David B. Smith, William F. Cannon, Laurel G. Woodruff, Federico Solano, Karl J. Ellefsen
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Geochemical and mineralogical data for soils of the conterminous United States

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils of the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Sampling and analytical protocols were developed at a workshop in 2003, and pilot studies were conducted from 2004 to 2007 to test and refine t
Authors
David B. Smith, William F. Cannon, Laurel G. Woodruff, Federico Solano, James E. Kilburn, David L. Fey
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Science and Products

link
USGS science for a changing world logo

Characterizing landscape genomics and reconstructing pathways to plant ecological specialization and speciation

This proposal brings together biologists and geoscientists to evaluate the evolution of stress tolerance and adaptation to extreme environments in plants. Stress tolerance has been studied mainly from a physiological perspective using laboratory and field experiments. In contrast, this project will take a combined environmental and evolutionary perspective using national public databases and a “bi
By
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
link

Characterizing landscape genomics and reconstructing pathways to plant ecological specialization and speciation

This proposal brings together biologists and geoscientists to evaluate the evolution of stress tolerance and adaptation to extreme environments in plants. Stress tolerance has been studied mainly from a physiological perspective using laboratory and field experiments. In contrast, this project will take a combined environmental and evolutionary perspective using national public databases and a “bi
Learn More
link
cinnabar with mercury beads

Backgrounds and Baselines

This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
link

Backgrounds and Baselines

This project developed a geochemical information base through studies ranging in scale from site-specific to regional and national.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 48

Geochemical and mineralogical maps, with interpretation, for soils of the conterminous United States

Between 2007 and 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States. The sampling protocol for the national-scale survey included, at each site, a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters, a composite of the soil A horizon, and a deeper sample from the soil C hor
Authors
David B. Smith, Federico Solano, Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, Karl J. Ellefsen
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Chemical elements in the environment: multi-element geochemical datasets from continental to national scale surveys on four continents

During the last 10-20 years, Geological Surveys around the world have undertaken a major effort towards delivering fully harmonized and tightly quality-controlled low-density multi-element soil geochemical maps and datasets of vast regions including up to whole continents. Concentrations of between 45 and 60 elements commonly have been determined in a variety of different regolith types (e.g., sed
Authors
Patrice de Caritat, Clemens Reimann, David B. Smith, Xueqiu Wang
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

The interacting roles of climate, soils, and plant production on soil microbial communities at a continental scale

Soil microbial communities control critical ecosystem processes such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and soil organic matter formation. Continental scale patterns in the composition and functioning of microbial communities are related to climatic, biotic, and edaphic factors such as temperature and precipitation, plant community composition, and soil carbon, nitrogen, and pH. Although these re
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, JoAnn M. Holloway, David B. Smith, Martin B. Goldhaber, R. E. Drenovsky, K. M. Scow, R. Dick, Daniel M. Howard, Bruce K. Wylie, James B. Grace
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Energy Resources Program, Land Change Science Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Pyrogenic carbon distribution in mineral topsoils of the northeastern United States

Due to its slow turnover rates in soil, pyrogenic carbon (PyC) is considered an important C pool and relevant to climate change processes. Therefore, the amounts of soil PyC were compared to environmental covariates over an area of 327,757 km2 in the northeastern United States in order to understand the controls on PyC distribution over large areas. Topsoil (defined as the soil A horizon, after re
Authors
Verena Jauss, Patrick J. Sullivan, Jonathan Sanderman, David B. Smith, Johannes Lehmann
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

User’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data

GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are bundled together in R’s unit of sharable code, which
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Surface-air mercury fluxes across Western North America: A synthesis of spatial trends and controlling variables

Mercury (Hg) emission and deposition can occur to and from soils, and are an important component of the global atmospheric Hg budget. This paper focuses on synthesizing existing surface-air Hg flux data collected throughout the Western North American region and is part of a series of geographically focused Hg synthesis projects. A database of existing Hg flux data collected using the dynamic flux
Authors
Chris S. Eckley, Michael T. Tate, Che-Jen Lin, Mae S. Gustin, Stephen Dent, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michelle A. Lutz, Kimberly Wickland, Bronwen Wang, John E. Gray, Grant Edwards, David P. Krabbenhoft, David B. Smith
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

The distribution of selected elements and minerals in soil of the conterminous United States

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a low-density (1 site per 1600 km2, 4857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soil of the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Three soil samples were collected, if possible, from each site; (1) a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 cm, (2) a composite of the soil A-horizon, and (3) a deeper
Authors
Laurel G. Woodruff, William F. Cannon, David B. Smith, Federico Solano
By
Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

A modified procedure for mixture-model clustering of regional geochemical data

A modified procedure is proposed for mixture-model clustering of regional-scale geochemical data. The key modification is the robust principal component transformation of the isometric log-ratio transforms of the element concentrations. This principal component transformation and the associated dimension reduction are applied before the data are clustered. The principal advantage of this modificat
Authors
Karl J. Ellefsen, David B. Smith, John D. Horton
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Anthrax and the geochemistry of soils in the contiguous United States

Soil geochemical data from sample sites in counties that reported occurrences of anthrax in wildlife and livestock since 2000 were evaluated against counties within the same states (MN, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD and TX) that did not report occurrences. These data identified the elements, calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P) and strontium (Sr), as having statistically significant differences in co
Authors
Dale W. Griffin, Erin E. Silvestri, Charlena Y. Bowling, Timothy Boe, David B. Smith, Tonya L. Nichols
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report

Southwest Wyoming contains abundant energy resources, wildlife, habitat, open spaces, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Although energy exploration and development have been taking place in the region since the late 1800s, the pace of development for fossil fuels and renewable energy increased significantly in the early 2000s. This and the associated urban and exurban development are leading
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory K. Boughton, Natasha B. Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Melanie L. Clark, Bradford C. Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven L. Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew G. Hethcoat, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel J. Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher J. Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Michael J. Sweat, Anna B. Wilson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Geochemical and mineralogical maps for soils of the conterminous United States

The U.S. Geological Survey began sampling in 2007 for a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils in the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. The sampling protocol for the national-scale survey included, at each site, a sample from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters, a composite of
Authors
David B. Smith, William F. Cannon, Laurel G. Woodruff, Federico Solano, Karl J. Ellefsen
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Geochemical and mineralogical data for soils of the conterminous United States

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a low-density (1 site per 1,600 square kilometers, 4,857 sites) geochemical and mineralogical survey of soils of the conterminous United States as part of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Sampling and analytical protocols were developed at a workshop in 2003, and pilot studies were conducted from 2004 to 2007 to test and refine t
Authors
David B. Smith, William F. Cannon, Laurel G. Woodruff, Federico Solano, James E. Kilburn, David L. Fey
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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