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Rob Striegl (Former Employee)

Science and Products

Brooks Range in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Areas along the Arctic coast are changing the fastest among all of Earth’s habitats due to climate change. The Arctic coast is a fragile ecosystem that provides habitat for migratory birds, endangered species, and species critical for local subsistence living. In this area, permafrost is thawing rapidly, changing how much and when water reaches rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands and...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Areas along the Arctic coast are changing the fastest among all of Earth’s habitats due to climate change. The Arctic coast is a fragile ecosystem that provides habitat for migratory birds, endangered species, and species critical for local subsistence living. In this area, permafrost is thawing rapidly, changing how much and when water reaches rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands and groundwater. In
Learn More
A boat docked near the Shingobee Headwaters research station.

Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
Learn More
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
Learn More
Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
Learn More
USGS science for a changing world logo

Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

The transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by rivers is an important component of the global carbon cycle, affects ecosystems and water quality, and reflects biogeochemical and hydrological processes in watersheds. Understanding the fundamental relationships between discharge and DOM concentration and composition reveals important information about watershed flow paths, soil...
By
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

The transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by rivers is an important component of the global carbon cycle, affects ecosystems and water quality, and reflects biogeochemical and hydrological processes in watersheds. Understanding the fundamental relationships between discharge and DOM concentration and composition reveals important information about watershed flow paths, soil flushing
Learn More

Total mercury, bulk density, percent organic matter, and percent organic carbon measured in permafrost cores from the interior and northern slope of Alaska and previously published studies Total mercury, bulk density, percent organic matter, and percent organic carbon measured in permafrost cores from the interior and northern slope of Alaska and previously published studies

This data release contains two datasets (see child items below). The first dataset, "MasterDB-csv-published-final.csv", includes 11,000 published measurements of sediment total mercury (STHg, nanograms per gram of soil, dry), bulk density (BD, grams per cm3 of soil, dry), percent of soil organic matter (%OM, loss on ignition, LOI), percent of soil organic carbon (%SOC, calculated using...

Water quality and gas fluxes of Interior Alaska (2014-2018) Water quality and gas fluxes of Interior Alaska (2014-2018)

This product consists of multiple tabular datasets and associated metadata of water quality information related to rivers, streams, and lakes in the Yukon River watershed between 2014 and 2018. This data release is apart of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funded Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) and is an assessment of water quality and greenhouse...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017 Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017

This dataset includes 15-minute interval data on stream temperature, stage, and discharge from low-order streams in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska, collected during the summer months. The depth of the water and temperature were determined using a combined pressure transducer and temperature sensor that was deployed through the summer months. Different sensors were used in each...
By
Alaska Science Center

Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016) Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016)

This product consists of one tabular dataset and associated metadata of water quality information related to rivers, streams, and reservoirs in the Upper Mississippi River watershed between 2012 and 2016. This data release is a part of a national assessment of freshwater aquatic carbon fluxes. Data consist of organic and inorganic carbon related species, carbon dioxide and methane gas...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from boreal Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils of Alaska Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from boreal Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils of Alaska

Permafrost (perennially frozen) and active-layer (seasonally thawed) soils varying in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and radiocarbon age were collected from three sites in interior Alaska to determine potential release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved N (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) upon thaw. Soil cores were...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Isotopic and chemical composition (d13C, D14C, d15N, C:N, SUVA254nm, % HPOA) of aquatic carbon and field conditions (water temperature, pH, discharge) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, October 2014 February 2016 Isotopic and chemical composition (d13C, D14C, d15N, C:N, SUVA254nm, % HPOA) of aquatic carbon and field conditions (water temperature, pH, discharge) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, October 2014 February 2016

This dataset contains stable isotope (d13C) and radioisotope (D14C) compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, and bed material organic carbon samples collected from rivers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin between October 2014 and February 2016. Rivers were sampled at USGS gaging stations: Minnesota River at Fort Snelling State...
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Melt water stream discharging from Gulkana Glacier, Alaska.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Melt water stream discharging from Gulkana Glacier, Alaska.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, Peter Murdoch, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, Peter Murdoch, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 144

Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous U.S. Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous U.S.

The land carbon sink of the conterminous United States was evaluated using a bottom-up modeling framework and 30-meter land change data from 1985 to 2020. This cross-scale, cross-landscape, and cross-system approach tracked fractional land cover changes and applied regional model calibration. Results show average terrestrial and aquatic carbon sinks of +110 ± 37 and +19 ± 0.5 teragrams...
Authors
Jinxun Liu, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Zhiliang Zhu, Mark Cochrane, Qiang Zhou, Bin Wang, Grant Domke, Paul Selmants, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Qiuan Zhu, Tamara Wilson, Kristin Byrd, Eric Ward, Terry Sohl, Todd Hawbaker, Zhen Zhang, Christopher Soulard, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl
By
Western Geographic Science Center

Arctic-boreal lakes of interior Alaska dominated by contemporary carbon Arctic-boreal lakes of interior Alaska dominated by contemporary carbon

Northern high-latitude lakes are critical sites for carbon processing and serve as potential conduits for the emission of permafrost-derived carbon and greenhouse gases. However, the fate and emission pathways of permafrost carbon in these systems remain uncertain. Here, we used the natural abundance of radiocarbon to identify and trace the predominant sources of methane, carbon dioxide...
Authors
Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Clayton Elder, Martin Kurek, Benjamin Miller, Xiaomei Xu, Kimberly Wickland, Cluadia Czimczik, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Ethan Kyzivat, Laurence C. Smith, Robert G.M. Spencer, Charles Miller, David Butman
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S. Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S.

Mountain headwater streams actively cycle carbon, receiving it from terrestrial landscapes and exporting it through downstream transport and gas exchange with the atmosphere. Although their importance is now widely recognized, aquatic carbon fluxes in headwater streams remain poorly characterized. In this study, aquatic carbon fluxes were measured in 15 mountain headwater streams and...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Akie, Robert Striegl, Colin Penn, Graham A. Sexstone, Gabrielle Keith
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Colorado Water Science Center

Long-term trends in Arctic riverine chemistry signal multi-faceted northern change Long-term trends in Arctic riverine chemistry signal multi-faceted northern change

Rivers integrate processes occurring throughout their watersheds and are therefore sentinels of change across broad spatial scales. River chemistry also regulates ecosystem function across Earth’s land–ocean continuum, exerting control from the micro- (for example, local food web) to the macro- (for example, global carbon cycle) scale. In the rapidly warming Arctic, a wide range of...
Authors
Suzanne Tank, James W. McClelland, Robert G. M. Spencer, Alexander Shiklomanov, Anya Suslova, Florentina Moatar, Rainer Amon, Lee Cooper, Greg Elias, Vyacheslav Gordeev, Christopher Guay, Tatiana Gurtovaya, Lyudmila Kosmenko, Edda A. Mutter, Bruce Peterson, Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Peter Raymond, Paul Schuster, Lindsay Scott, Robin Staples, Robert Striegl, Mikhail Tretiakov, Alexander Zhulidov, Nikita Zimov, Sergey Zimov, Robert Holmes
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Quantification of wetland vegetation communities features with airborne AVIRIS-NG, UAVSAR, and UAV LiDAR data in Peace-Athabasca Delta Quantification of wetland vegetation communities features with airborne AVIRIS-NG, UAVSAR, and UAV LiDAR data in Peace-Athabasca Delta

Arctic-boreal wetlands, important ecosystems for biodiversity and ecological services, are experiencing hydrological changes including permafrost thaw, earlier snowmelt, and increased wildfire susceptibility. These changes are affecting wetland productivity, species diversity, and biogeochemical cycles. However, given the diverse forms and structures of wetland vegetation communities...
Authors
Chao Wang, Tamlin Pavelsky, Ethan Kyzivat, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Erika Podest, Fangfang Yao, Xiao Yang, Shuai Zhang, Conghe Song, Theodore Langhorst, Wayana Dolan, Martin Kurek, Merritt E. Harlan, Laurence C. Smith, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer, Colin Gleason, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, Daniel Peters
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

High voltage: The molecular properties of redox-active dissolved organic matter in northern high-latitude lakes High voltage: The molecular properties of redox-active dissolved organic matter in northern high-latitude lakes

Redox-active functional groups in dissolved organic matter (DOM) are crucial for microbial electron transfer and methane emissions. However, the extent of aquatic DOM redox properties across northern high-latitude lakes and their relationships with DOM composition have not been thoroughly described. We quantified electron donating capacity (EDC) and electron accepting capacity (EAC) in...
Authors
Martin Kurek, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Natalie Nichols, Gregory Druschel, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Sydney Niles, Amy McKenna, Pieter Aukes, Ethan Kyzivat, Chao Wang, Laurence C. Smith, Sherry Schiff, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Integrating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to constrain estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange Integrating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to constrain estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange

In this Perspective, we put forward an integrative framework to improve estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange based on the accumulation of carbon in the landscape as constrained by its lateral export through rivers. The framework uses the watershed as the fundamental spatial unit and integrates all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well as their hydrologic carbon exchanges...
Authors
Joan Casas-Ruiz, Pascal Bodmer, Kelly Bona, David Butman, Mathilde Couturier, Erik Emilson, Kerri Finlay, Helene Genet, Daniel B. Hayes, Jan Karlsson, David Pare, Changhui Peng, Robert Striegl, Jackie Webb, Xinyuan Wei, Sue Ziegler, Paul Del Giorgio
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Dissolved carbon export by large river systems is influenced by source area heterogeneity Dissolved carbon export by large river systems is influenced by source area heterogeneity

Rivers and streams export inorganic and organic carbon derived from contributing landscapes and so downstream carbon fluxes are important quantitative indicators of change in ecosystem function and for the full accounting of terrestrial carbon budgets. Carbon concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships in rivers provide important information about carbon source and behavior in watersheds...
Authors
Edward Stets, Robert Striegl, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Sydney Foks
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program

Anthropogenic landcover impacts fluvial dissolved organic matter composition in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Anthropogenic landcover impacts fluvial dissolved organic matter composition in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Landcover changes have altered the natural carbon cycle; however, most landcover studies focus on either forest conversion to agriculture or urban, rarely both. We present differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) molecular composition within Upper Mississippi River Basin low order streams and rivers draining one of three dominant...
Authors
Derrick Vaughn, Anne Kellerman, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, David Podgorski, Jon Hawkings, Jaap Nienhuis, Mark Dornblaser, Edward Stets, Robert G. M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program

Hydrologic and landscape controls on dissolved organic matter composition across western North American Arctic lakes Hydrologic and landscape controls on dissolved organic matter composition across western North American Arctic lakes

Northern high-latitude lakes are hotspots for cycling dissolved organic carbon (DOC) inputs from allochthonous sources to the atmosphere. However, the spatial distribution of lake dissolved organic matter (DOM) is largely unknown across Arctic-boreal regions with respect to the surrounding landscape. We expand on regional studies of northern high-latitude DOM composition by integrating...
Authors
Martin Kurek, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Kimberly Wickland, Karen E. Frey, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Sydney Niles, Amy McKenna, Pieter Aukes, Ethan Kyzivat, Chao Wang, Tamlin Pavelsky, Laurence C. Smith, Sherry Schiff, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Anthropogenic conversion of forests and wetlands to agricultural and urban landcovers impacts dissolved organic matter (DOM) within streams draining these catchments. Research on how landcover conversion impacts DOM molecular level composition and bioavailability, however, is lacking. In the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB), water from low-order streams and rivers draining one of...
Authors
Derrick Vaughn, Anne Kellerman, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, David Podgorski, Jon Hawkings, Jaap Nienhuis, Mark Dornblaser, Edward Stets, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program

The importance of lake emergent aquatic vegetation for estimating Arctic-boreal methane emissions The importance of lake emergent aquatic vegetation for estimating Arctic-boreal methane emissions

Areas of lakes that support emergent aquatic vegetation emit disproportionately more methane than open water but are under-represented in upscaled estimates of lake greenhouse gas emissions. These shallow areas are typically less than ∼1.5 m deep and can be detected with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). To assess the importance of lake emergent vegetation (LEV) zones to landscape-scale...
Authors
Ethan Kyzivat, Laurence C. Smith, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Chang Huang, Chao Wang, Theodore Langhorst, Jessica Fayne, Merritt E. Harlan, Yuta Ishitsuka, Dongmei Feng, Wayana Dolan, Lincoln Pitcher, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Tamlin Pavelsky, David Butman, Colin Gleason
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Science and Products

Brooks Range in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Areas along the Arctic coast are changing the fastest among all of Earth’s habitats due to climate change. The Arctic coast is a fragile ecosystem that provides habitat for migratory birds, endangered species, and species critical for local subsistence living. In this area, permafrost is thawing rapidly, changing how much and when water reaches rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands and...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making

Areas along the Arctic coast are changing the fastest among all of Earth’s habitats due to climate change. The Arctic coast is a fragile ecosystem that provides habitat for migratory birds, endangered species, and species critical for local subsistence living. In this area, permafrost is thawing rapidly, changing how much and when water reaches rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands and groundwater. In
Learn More
A boat docked near the Shingobee Headwaters research station.

Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)

For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
Learn More
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
Learn More
Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
Learn More
USGS science for a changing world logo

Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

The transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by rivers is an important component of the global carbon cycle, affects ecosystems and water quality, and reflects biogeochemical and hydrological processes in watersheds. Understanding the fundamental relationships between discharge and DOM concentration and composition reveals important information about watershed flow paths, soil...
By
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

Transport of dissolved organic matter by river networks from mountains to the sea: a re-examination of the role of flow across temporal and spatial scales

The transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by rivers is an important component of the global carbon cycle, affects ecosystems and water quality, and reflects biogeochemical and hydrological processes in watersheds. Understanding the fundamental relationships between discharge and DOM concentration and composition reveals important information about watershed flow paths, soil flushing
Learn More

Total mercury, bulk density, percent organic matter, and percent organic carbon measured in permafrost cores from the interior and northern slope of Alaska and previously published studies Total mercury, bulk density, percent organic matter, and percent organic carbon measured in permafrost cores from the interior and northern slope of Alaska and previously published studies

This data release contains two datasets (see child items below). The first dataset, "MasterDB-csv-published-final.csv", includes 11,000 published measurements of sediment total mercury (STHg, nanograms per gram of soil, dry), bulk density (BD, grams per cm3 of soil, dry), percent of soil organic matter (%OM, loss on ignition, LOI), percent of soil organic carbon (%SOC, calculated using...

Water quality and gas fluxes of Interior Alaska (2014-2018) Water quality and gas fluxes of Interior Alaska (2014-2018)

This product consists of multiple tabular datasets and associated metadata of water quality information related to rivers, streams, and lakes in the Yukon River watershed between 2014 and 2018. This data release is apart of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funded Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) and is an assessment of water quality and greenhouse...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017 Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017

This dataset includes 15-minute interval data on stream temperature, stage, and discharge from low-order streams in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska, collected during the summer months. The depth of the water and temperature were determined using a combined pressure transducer and temperature sensor that was deployed through the summer months. Different sensors were used in each...
By
Alaska Science Center

Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016) Water quality, quantity, and gas fluxes of the Upper Mississippi River basin (WY 2012-2016)

This product consists of one tabular dataset and associated metadata of water quality information related to rivers, streams, and reservoirs in the Upper Mississippi River watershed between 2012 and 2016. This data release is a part of a national assessment of freshwater aquatic carbon fluxes. Data consist of organic and inorganic carbon related species, carbon dioxide and methane gas...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from boreal Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils of Alaska Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from boreal Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils of Alaska

Permafrost (perennially frozen) and active-layer (seasonally thawed) soils varying in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and radiocarbon age were collected from three sites in interior Alaska to determine potential release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved N (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) upon thaw. Soil cores were...
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Isotopic and chemical composition (d13C, D14C, d15N, C:N, SUVA254nm, % HPOA) of aquatic carbon and field conditions (water temperature, pH, discharge) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, October 2014 February 2016 Isotopic and chemical composition (d13C, D14C, d15N, C:N, SUVA254nm, % HPOA) of aquatic carbon and field conditions (water temperature, pH, discharge) in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, October 2014 February 2016

This dataset contains stable isotope (d13C) and radioisotope (D14C) compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, and bed material organic carbon samples collected from rivers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin between October 2014 and February 2016. Rivers were sampled at USGS gaging stations: Minnesota River at Fort Snelling State...
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Melt water stream discharging from Gulkana Glacier, Alaska.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Melt water stream discharging from Gulkana Glacier, Alaska.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, Peter Murdoch, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Image: Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

Studying Old Organic Carbon in the Yukon River

USGS scientists Doug Halm, Paul Schuster, Peter Murdoch, and Kathy Kelsey collecting melt water samples from Gulkana Glacier.

USGS research of the Yukon River has had a long term goal of determining the source and fate of organic carbon transported by the river to the Bering Sea and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

By
Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 144

Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous U.S. Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous U.S.

The land carbon sink of the conterminous United States was evaluated using a bottom-up modeling framework and 30-meter land change data from 1985 to 2020. This cross-scale, cross-landscape, and cross-system approach tracked fractional land cover changes and applied regional model calibration. Results show average terrestrial and aquatic carbon sinks of +110 ± 37 and +19 ± 0.5 teragrams...
Authors
Jinxun Liu, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Zhiliang Zhu, Mark Cochrane, Qiang Zhou, Bin Wang, Grant Domke, Paul Selmants, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Qiuan Zhu, Tamara Wilson, Kristin Byrd, Eric Ward, Terry Sohl, Todd Hawbaker, Zhen Zhang, Christopher Soulard, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl
By
Western Geographic Science Center

Arctic-boreal lakes of interior Alaska dominated by contemporary carbon Arctic-boreal lakes of interior Alaska dominated by contemporary carbon

Northern high-latitude lakes are critical sites for carbon processing and serve as potential conduits for the emission of permafrost-derived carbon and greenhouse gases. However, the fate and emission pathways of permafrost carbon in these systems remain uncertain. Here, we used the natural abundance of radiocarbon to identify and trace the predominant sources of methane, carbon dioxide...
Authors
Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Clayton Elder, Martin Kurek, Benjamin Miller, Xiaomei Xu, Kimberly Wickland, Cluadia Czimczik, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Ethan Kyzivat, Laurence C. Smith, Robert G.M. Spencer, Charles Miller, David Butman
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S. Aquatic carbon export and dynamics in mountain headwater streams of the western U.S.

Mountain headwater streams actively cycle carbon, receiving it from terrestrial landscapes and exporting it through downstream transport and gas exchange with the atmosphere. Although their importance is now widely recognized, aquatic carbon fluxes in headwater streams remain poorly characterized. In this study, aquatic carbon fluxes were measured in 15 mountain headwater streams and...
Authors
David Clow, Garrett Akie, Robert Striegl, Colin Penn, Graham A. Sexstone, Gabrielle Keith
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Colorado Water Science Center

Long-term trends in Arctic riverine chemistry signal multi-faceted northern change Long-term trends in Arctic riverine chemistry signal multi-faceted northern change

Rivers integrate processes occurring throughout their watersheds and are therefore sentinels of change across broad spatial scales. River chemistry also regulates ecosystem function across Earth’s land–ocean continuum, exerting control from the micro- (for example, local food web) to the macro- (for example, global carbon cycle) scale. In the rapidly warming Arctic, a wide range of...
Authors
Suzanne Tank, James W. McClelland, Robert G. M. Spencer, Alexander Shiklomanov, Anya Suslova, Florentina Moatar, Rainer Amon, Lee Cooper, Greg Elias, Vyacheslav Gordeev, Christopher Guay, Tatiana Gurtovaya, Lyudmila Kosmenko, Edda A. Mutter, Bruce Peterson, Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Peter Raymond, Paul Schuster, Lindsay Scott, Robin Staples, Robert Striegl, Mikhail Tretiakov, Alexander Zhulidov, Nikita Zimov, Sergey Zimov, Robert Holmes
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Quantification of wetland vegetation communities features with airborne AVIRIS-NG, UAVSAR, and UAV LiDAR data in Peace-Athabasca Delta Quantification of wetland vegetation communities features with airborne AVIRIS-NG, UAVSAR, and UAV LiDAR data in Peace-Athabasca Delta

Arctic-boreal wetlands, important ecosystems for biodiversity and ecological services, are experiencing hydrological changes including permafrost thaw, earlier snowmelt, and increased wildfire susceptibility. These changes are affecting wetland productivity, species diversity, and biogeochemical cycles. However, given the diverse forms and structures of wetland vegetation communities...
Authors
Chao Wang, Tamlin Pavelsky, Ethan Kyzivat, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Erika Podest, Fangfang Yao, Xiao Yang, Shuai Zhang, Conghe Song, Theodore Langhorst, Wayana Dolan, Martin Kurek, Merritt E. Harlan, Laurence C. Smith, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer, Colin Gleason, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, Daniel Peters
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

High voltage: The molecular properties of redox-active dissolved organic matter in northern high-latitude lakes High voltage: The molecular properties of redox-active dissolved organic matter in northern high-latitude lakes

Redox-active functional groups in dissolved organic matter (DOM) are crucial for microbial electron transfer and methane emissions. However, the extent of aquatic DOM redox properties across northern high-latitude lakes and their relationships with DOM composition have not been thoroughly described. We quantified electron donating capacity (EDC) and electron accepting capacity (EAC) in...
Authors
Martin Kurek, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Natalie Nichols, Gregory Druschel, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Sydney Niles, Amy McKenna, Pieter Aukes, Ethan Kyzivat, Chao Wang, Laurence C. Smith, Sherry Schiff, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Integrating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to constrain estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange Integrating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to constrain estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange

In this Perspective, we put forward an integrative framework to improve estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange based on the accumulation of carbon in the landscape as constrained by its lateral export through rivers. The framework uses the watershed as the fundamental spatial unit and integrates all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well as their hydrologic carbon exchanges...
Authors
Joan Casas-Ruiz, Pascal Bodmer, Kelly Bona, David Butman, Mathilde Couturier, Erik Emilson, Kerri Finlay, Helene Genet, Daniel B. Hayes, Jan Karlsson, David Pare, Changhui Peng, Robert Striegl, Jackie Webb, Xinyuan Wei, Sue Ziegler, Paul Del Giorgio
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Dissolved carbon export by large river systems is influenced by source area heterogeneity Dissolved carbon export by large river systems is influenced by source area heterogeneity

Rivers and streams export inorganic and organic carbon derived from contributing landscapes and so downstream carbon fluxes are important quantitative indicators of change in ecosystem function and for the full accounting of terrestrial carbon budgets. Carbon concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships in rivers provide important information about carbon source and behavior in watersheds...
Authors
Edward Stets, Robert Striegl, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Sydney Foks
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program

Anthropogenic landcover impacts fluvial dissolved organic matter composition in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Anthropogenic landcover impacts fluvial dissolved organic matter composition in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Landcover changes have altered the natural carbon cycle; however, most landcover studies focus on either forest conversion to agriculture or urban, rarely both. We present differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) molecular composition within Upper Mississippi River Basin low order streams and rivers draining one of three dominant...
Authors
Derrick Vaughn, Anne Kellerman, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, David Podgorski, Jon Hawkings, Jaap Nienhuis, Mark Dornblaser, Edward Stets, Robert G. M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program

Hydrologic and landscape controls on dissolved organic matter composition across western North American Arctic lakes Hydrologic and landscape controls on dissolved organic matter composition across western North American Arctic lakes

Northern high-latitude lakes are hotspots for cycling dissolved organic carbon (DOC) inputs from allochthonous sources to the atmosphere. However, the spatial distribution of lake dissolved organic matter (DOM) is largely unknown across Arctic-boreal regions with respect to the surrounding landscape. We expand on regional studies of northern high-latitude DOM composition by integrating...
Authors
Martin Kurek, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Kimberly Wickland, Karen E. Frey, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Sydney Niles, Amy McKenna, Pieter Aukes, Ethan Kyzivat, Chao Wang, Tamlin Pavelsky, Laurence C. Smith, Sherry Schiff, David Butman, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Anthropogenic conversion of forests and wetlands to agricultural and urban landcovers impacts dissolved organic matter (DOM) within streams draining these catchments. Research on how landcover conversion impacts DOM molecular level composition and bioavailability, however, is lacking. In the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB), water from low-order streams and rivers draining one of...
Authors
Derrick Vaughn, Anne Kellerman, Kimberly Wickland, Robert Striegl, David Podgorski, Jon Hawkings, Jaap Nienhuis, Mark Dornblaser, Edward Stets, Robert G.M. Spencer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program

The importance of lake emergent aquatic vegetation for estimating Arctic-boreal methane emissions The importance of lake emergent aquatic vegetation for estimating Arctic-boreal methane emissions

Areas of lakes that support emergent aquatic vegetation emit disproportionately more methane than open water but are under-represented in upscaled estimates of lake greenhouse gas emissions. These shallow areas are typically less than ∼1.5 m deep and can be detected with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). To assess the importance of lake emergent vegetation (LEV) zones to landscape-scale...
Authors
Ethan Kyzivat, Laurence C. Smith, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Chang Huang, Chao Wang, Theodore Langhorst, Jessica Fayne, Merritt E. Harlan, Yuta Ishitsuka, Dongmei Feng, Wayana Dolan, Lincoln Pitcher, Kimberly Wickland, Mark Dornblaser, Robert Striegl, Tamlin Pavelsky, David Butman, Colin Gleason
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
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