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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16798

Using a time-of-travel sampling approach to quantify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) stream loading and source inputs in a mixed-source, urban catchment

Understanding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mass distribution in surface and groundwater systems can support source prioritization, load reduction, and water management. Thirteen sites within an urban catchment were sampled utilizing a time-of-travel sampling approach to minimize the influence of subdaily fluctuations in mass from PFAS point sources and to quantify PFAS and ancillary
Authors
Emily Woodward, Lisa A. Senior, Jacob Fleck, Larry B. Barber, Angela Hansen, Joseph W. Duris

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Southeast Los Angeles: Industrial legacy and environmental justice

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals of increasing concern to human health. PFAS contamination in water systems has been linked to a variety of sources including hydrocarbon fire suppression activities, industrial and military land uses, agricultural applications of biosolids, and consumer products. To assess PFAS in California tap water, we collected 60 water sample
Authors
Julie Von Behren, Peggy Reynolds, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly Smalling, Catherine Carpenter, Wendy Avila, Paul B. English, Rena R. Jones, Gina Solomon

U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions

Executive Summary Climate is the primary driver of environmental change and is a key consideration in defining science priorities conducted across all mission areas in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Recognizing the importance of climate change to its future research agenda, the USGS’s Climate Science Steering Committee requested the development of a Climate Science Plan to identify future rese
Authors
Tamara Wilson, Ryan P. Boyles, Nicole DeCrappeo, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin D. Kroeger, Rachel A. Loehman, John M. Pearce, Mark P. Waldrop, Peter D. Warwick, Anne M. Wein, Sara L. Zeigler, T. Douglas Beard,

Water-quality monitoring strategy for Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River Estuary, southeastern Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), began a study in 2018 to develop a water-quality monitoring strategy (WQMS) for Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River Estuary in southeastern Massachusetts. MassDEP is interested in water-quality data in Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River Estuary to characterize current water-qualit
Authors
David S. Armstrong

Estimated reductions in phosphorus loads from removal of leaf litter in the Lake Champlain drainage area, Vermont

Excess nutrient loading and other factors are driving eutrophication and other negative effects on water-quality conditions in Lake Champlain and other receiving waters in Vermont. Two common best management practices were evaluated to determine how these practices can be optimized by targeting maintenance and operation to align better with seasonally driven needs, specifically to help municipalit
Authors
Jason R. Sorenson, James M. Pease, Jeremy K. Foote, Ann T. Chalmers, David H. Ainley, Clayton J. Williams

Low-flow period seasonality, trends, and climate linkages across the United States

Low-flow period properties, including timing, magnitude, and duration, influence many key processes for water resource managers and ecosystems. We computed annual low-flow period duration and timing metrics from 1951 to 2020 for 1032 conterminous United States (CONUS) streamgages and analyzed spatial patterns, trends through time, and relationships to climate. Results show northwestern and eastern
Authors
Caelan Simeone, Gregory J. McCabe, Jory Seth Hecht, John C. Hammond, Glenn A. Hodgkins, Carolyn G. Olson, Michael Wieczorek, David M. Wolock

Quantitative risk of earthquake disruption to global copper and rhenium supply

Earthquakes have the potential to substantially affect mining operations, potentially leading to supply chain disruptions and adversely affecting the global economy. This study explores the quantification of earthquake risk to copper and rhenium commodity supply by examining the spatial concentration of high earthquake hazard areas and the commodity-specific mining, smelting, and refining operatio
Authors
Kishor S. Jaiswal, Nicolas Luco, Emily K. Schnebele, Nedal T. Nassar, Donya Otarod

Photogrammetry of the deep seafloor from archived unmanned submersible exploration dives

Large amounts of video images have been collected for decades by scientific and governmental organizations in deep (>1000 m) water using manned and unmanned submersibles and towed cameras. The collected images were analyzed individually or were mosaiced in small areas with great effort. Here, we provide a workflow for utilizing modern photogrammetry to construct virtual geological outcrops hundred
Authors
Claudia Flores, Uri S. ten Brink

The Native American Research Assistantship Program—Building capacity for Indigenous water-resources monitoring

Intertribal networks for collecting and analyzing hydrologic and environmental data are growing. The U.S. Geological Survey can be a key partner with Tribal Nations in the further development of network capacity. A first step is the internship opportunity available through the partnership between the USGS and The Wildlife Society: The Native American Research Assistantship Program.
Authors
Electa Hare-Red Corn, Robert F. Breault, Jason R. Sorenson

A predictive analysis of water use for Providence, Rhode Island

To explain the drivers of historical water use in the public water systems (PWSs) that serve populations in Providence, Rhode Island, and surrounding areas, and to forecast future water use, a machine-learning model (cubist regression) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Providence Water to model daily per capita rates of domestic, commercial, and industrial water use.
Authors
Catherine A. Chamberlin

Tire-derived contaminants 6PPD and 6PPD-Q: Analysis, sample handling, and reconnaissance of United States stream exposures

The environmental ubiquity of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) underscores the need to understand the occurrence, persistence, and environmental effects of tire-related chemicals in aquatic ecosystems. One such chemical is 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), a transformation product of the tire antioxidant 6PPD. In urban stormwater runoff 6PPD-Q can exceed acute toxicity thresholds for several salmonid spec
Authors
Rachael F. Lane, Kelly Smalling, Paul M. Bradley, Justin Blaine Greer, Stephanie Gordon, John Hansen, Dana W. Kolpin, Andrew R. Spanjer, Jason R. Masoner

Guidelines for the use of automatic samplers in collecting surface-water quality and sediment data

The importance of fluvial systems in the transport of sediment, dissolved and suspended contaminants, nutrients, and bacteria through the environment is well established. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies sediment as the single most widespread water contaminant affecting the beneficial uses of the Nation’s rivers and streams. The evaluation of water-quality as it relates to
Authors
Timothy P. Wilson, Cherie V. Miller, Evan A. Lechner
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