Unified Interior Regions
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
January Photo Contest
Check out the winning photographs in the January 2020 Photo Contest! Categories include People, USGS at Work, Where We Work, and Honorable Mention
See the photos!Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Spatio-Temporal Statistical Models for Forecasting Climate Change Effects on Bird Distribution
Ecological indicators of climate change are needed to measure concurrent changes in ecological systems, inform management decisions, and forecast the consequences of climate change. We seek to develop robust bird-based, climate-change indicators using North American Breeding Bird Survey data.
Breach Evolution - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
In 2012, during Hurricane Sandy, a breach formed in the Otis Pike High Dune Wilderness Area on Fire Island, NY.
Other Storm Impacts - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Since the late 1990s, USGS has been conducting research to quantify the impact from other hurricanes and nor'easters on the beaches and dunes at Fire Island.
Hurricane Sandy - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
USGS used several techniques to quantify the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on the ocean shoreline of Fire Island.
Storm Impacts - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is vulnerable to considerable storm activity year-round from both hurricanes and nor’easters. Storms are important drivers of coastal change in barrier island settings such as Fire Island. Larger storms carry sediment to the interior of the island via overwash, helping to create new habitat and build island resilience by adding back barrier width and interior elevation. Storms also...
Research Integration - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
In order to predict the future behavior of the Fire Island landscape as a whole, information from across research themes must be integrated.
Back-barrier and Estuarine - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Regional-scale modeling forecasts how atmospheric forcing and oceanographic circulation influence estuarine circulation and water levels, sediment transport, and wetland change.
Predicting Future Beach Change - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Probabilistic models are used to predict future beach changes at Fire Island. These models, referred to as Bayesian networks, use statistics to estimate probabilities of future beach configurations based on existing observations. Bayesian networks are easily updated with new data or observations, making this approach ideal for use in coastal systems that experience rapid and frequent changes...
Beach Change Envelope - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Given the unique challenges in quantifying the extensive, yet variable impacts of Hurricane Sandy at Fire Island, we used a time series of beach profile data at Fire Island, New York, to define a new contour-based morphologic change metric, the Beach Change Envelope (BCE).
Beach Profiles - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
As part of the assessment of beach and dune morphologic change associated with Hurricane Sandy and the continuing efforts to track post-Sandy recovery, differential global positioning system (DGPS) elevation data are collected along 15 shore-perpendicular profiles extending from just inland of the crest of dune to the low-tide swash zone.
Beach Recovery - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Alongshore features, such as the position of the dune crest and shoreline, are typically used to measure storm impacts and recovery. Impacts from Hurricane Sandy were so substantial to these features, however, that USGS researchers were provided a unique opportunity to develop new techniques to capture and monitor both storm impacts and recovery.
Oceanside Beaches and Dunes - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Oceanfront research at Fire Island, New York, is primarily focused on understanding the long- and short-term behavior of the ocean-facing terrestrial barrier island system, including human influences. The USGS has had ongoing research activities on Fire Island since the late 1990s, providing science to help inform management decisions. Recent efforts include monitoring the response to and...
These measurements provide information about waves, tides, and overwash during a winter storm in January 2016; about waves, tides, currents, and water properties between February and May, 2016; and about waves and tides between May and June 2016, during a period that overlaps with offshore bathymetric surveys.
These measurements provide short-duration datasets of waves, tides, and overwash from portable pressure sensors deployed on the beach during major winter storms on these dates: January 23-26; February 9-10; February 13-15; and March 13-15, 2017. Longer datasets were obtained from sensors on a platform deployed on the seafloor north of the beach in seven meters depth.
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast. The shoreline position and change rate are used to inform management decisions regarding the erosion of coastal resources.
Geospatial Data Layers of Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones from the Inner Continental Shelf of Martha’s Vineyard from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, and Nantucket from Eel Point to Great Point
Geologic, sediment texture, and physiographic zone maps characterize the sea floor south and west of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. These maps were derived from interpretations of seismic-reflection profiles, high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, bottom photographs, and surficial sediment samples.
Interactive map of New Jersey Groundwater Network divided by Counties.
GIS Data for Cincinnati Arch Oil and Gas Assessments
Retrieve state and county water-use data for New York for 1985 to 2015.
GIS Data for Illinois Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are leading a diverse range of studies to address CyanoHAB issues in water bodies throughout the United States, using a combination of traditional methods and emerging technologies, and in collaboration with numerous partners.
Interactively explore assessment summary information for continuous (unconventional) assessments conducted at the USGS from 2000-2018. The assessment results data used to generate this visualization can be downloaded here in Excel Format. These data represent all assessment results for Continuous Assessments only from 2000-2018.
The objectives of the survey were to provide bathymetric and sidescan sonar data for sediment transport studies and coastal change model development for ongoing studies of nearshore coastal dynamics along Sandwich Town Neck Beach, MA. Data collection equipment used for this investigation are mounted on an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) uniquely adapted from a commercially sold gas-powered kayak and termed the "jetyak". The jetyak design is the result of a collaborative effort between USGS and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists.
SWaTH is a system of flood-hardened, real-time telemetered tide gages, rapid deployment gages, and storm tide sensors deployed in integrated network configurations along the Northeastern Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Maine.
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center—2018 annual report
The 2018 annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center summarizes the work of the center, as well as the work of each of its science groups, highlights accomplishments of 2018, and includes a list of publications published in 2018. This product allows readers to gain a general understanding of the focus...
Ernst, Sara
Fishway entrance gate experiments with adult American Shad
The goal of this multiyear study was to examine how changes to an upstream fishway entrance impacted the passage rate of adult American shad (Alosa sapidissima). We evaluated a total of nine treatment conditions that consisted of three fishway entrance gate types and three submergence depths (i.e., the water surface elevation of the tailwater...
Mulligan, Kevin; Haro, Alexander J.; Towler, Brett; Sojkowski, Bryan; Noreika, John
Instructions for running the analytical code PAT (Purge Analyzer Tool) for computation of in-well time of travel of groundwater under pumping conditions
IntroductionUnderstanding the optimal time needed to purge a well while pumping to collect a representative groundwater sample requires an understanding of groundwater flow in wells (in-well flow). Parameters that affect in-well flow include the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, well construction, drawdown from pumping, and pump rate. The time...
Harte, P.T.; Huffman, B.J.; Perina, Tomas; Levine, Herb; Rojas-Mickelson, Daewon
Detailed Lithologic Logs from Auger Holes in southern Charleston County, southwestern Dorchester County, and eastern Colleton County, South Carolina
The lithologic logs described in this open-file report are from holes augered in the South Carolina Low Country in parts of Charleston, Dorchester, and Colleton Counties from 1998 through 2010. Lithologic units described here include not only surficial Pleistocene units but also subsurface stratigraphic units ranging as far back in age as late...
Weems, Robert E.; Lewis, William C. La Niña-driven flooding in the Indo-Pacific warm pool during the past millennium
Extreme precipitation events are one of the most consequential components of climate change for society. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of precipitation variability in the tropics and causes severe flooding and drought in many socioeconomically vulnerable regions. It remains unclear how tropical rainfall extremes and...
Rodysill, Jessica; Russell, James M.; Vuille, Mathias; Dee, Sylvia; Lunghino, Brent D.; Bijaksana, Satria
Optimization of salt marsh management at the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total...
Neckles, Hilary A.; Lyons, James E.; Nagel, Jessica L.; Adamowicz, Susan C.; Mikula, Toni; Ernst, Nicholas T. Semi-automated bathymetric spectral decomposition delineates the impact of mass wasting on the morphological evolution of the continental slope, offshore Israel
Understanding continental slope morphological evolution is essential for predicting depositional systems and reservoirs in the adjacent basin. However, present-day slope seafloor-morphology is complicated by shaping processes, which are not readily separable through pure bathymetric analysis. This study aims to explore the utility of bathymetric...
Godol Omri; Tibor, Gideon; ten Brink, Uri S.; Hall, John K.; Groves‐Gidney, Gavrielle ; Bar-Am, Gideon; Hubscher, Christian; Makovsky, Yizhaq
Development of regression equations for the estimation of flood flows at ungaged streams in Pennsylvania
Regression equations, which may be used to estimate flood flows at select annual exceedance probabilities, were developed for ungaged streams in Pennsylvania. The equations were developed using annual peak flow data through water year 2015 and basin characteristics for 285 streamflow gaging stations across Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The...
Roland, Mark A.; Stuckey, Marla H. Climatic controls on the distribution of foundation plant species in coastal wetlands of the conterminous United States: Knowledge gaps and emerging research needs
Foundation plant species play a critical role in coastal wetlands, often modifying abiotic conditions that are too stressful for most organisms and providing the primary habitat features that support entire ecological communities. Here, we consider the influence of climatic drivers on the distribution of foundation plant species within coastal...
Osland, Michael; Grace, James; Guntenspergen, Glenn; Thorne, Karen; Carr, Joel; Feher, Laura
Sediment classification and the characterization, identification, and mapping of geologic substrates for the glaciated Gulf of Maine seabed and other terrains, providing a physical framework for ecological research and seabed management
A geologic substrate is a surface (or volume) of sediment or rock where physical, chemical, and biological processes occur, such as the movement and deposition of sediment, the formation of bedforms, and the attachment, burrowing, feeding, reproduction, and sheltering of organisms. Seabed mapping surveys in the Stellwagen Bank region off Boston,...
Valentine, Page C. Effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) exclusion on plant recovery in overwash fans after a severe coastal storm
We documented the impacts of a hyper-abundant deer population on dune vegetation recovering from severe storm surge on a barrier island through use of permanent plots and a repeated measures analysis. Three years after landfall of the storm, vegetation cover was dominated by American beachgrass, Ammophila breviligulata, though we observed twelve...
Kilheffer, Chellby R.; Raphael, Jordan; Ries, Lindsay; Underwood, H. Brian
Evaluating barrier island characteristics and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) habitat availability along the U.S. Atlantic Coast—Geospatial approaches and methodology
Policy makers, individuals from government agencies, and natural resource managers face increasing demands to manage coastal areas in a way that meets economic, social, and ecological needs as sea levels rise. Scientific knowledge of how coastal processes drive beach and barrier island changes and how those changes affect habitat use can support...
Zeigler, Sara L.; Sturdivant, Emily J.; Gutierrez, Benjamin T.
Monitor Buoy
USGS monitoring buoy deployed on Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, to monitor water-quality conditions and a harmful algal bloom in near real-time.
Hopatcong Warning
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection advised the public to avoid swimming in or contact with Lake Hopatcong water due to a harmful algal bloom confirmed in June 2019 by aerial surveillance. To help study water-quality conditions and the bloom’s severity, the USGS installed a monitoring buoy on the lake in July.
Seneca River Lake Sturgeon Release
A 59 lb., 64 in. female lake sturgeon is released into the Seneca River after telemetry tagging. Pictured GLSC (Cortland, New York) personnel are Grant Scholten, Marc Chalupnicki, and Caleb Konrad.
Electrofishing on Eighteenmile Creek, NY
A USGS field crew captures fish during a boat electrofishing survey
Cuyahoga River at Independence OH - flood water in gage house
Cuyahoga River at Independence OH - flood water in gage house
Cuyahoga River at Independence OH - 2018 high water mark
Cuyahoga River at Independence OH - 2018 high water mark
USGS tests drone-based ground-penetrating radar
USGS hydrographers collect tens of thousands of streamflow measurements every year. In-water work by personnel is one of the most dangerous aspects of USGS hydrologic studies, especially during high-flow conditions. In May 2019, USGS continued testing of a light-weight, self-contained ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system that can be mounted on a small drone. We are
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Updated US Topo maps for Kentucky available for free download; add Census Bureau road data, wetlands layer and select trails.
A new study from the USGS assesses water quality data for the Juniata River Basin in Western Blair County, Pennsylvania.
The world's largest breeding population of ospreys is coping well with the long-lasting residues of toxic chemicals that were banned decades ago but remain in the Chesapeake Bay food chain at varying levels, such as the pesticide DDT and insulating chemicals known as PCBs.
Much of the coast from Maine to Virginia is more likely to change than to simply drown in response to rising seas during the next 70 years or so, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Residents of Essex and Clinton counties in New York may notice an airplane flying a grid pattern at low altitude for a few weeks in December as scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey map buried geological features that provide clues into mineral resources in the area.
A coalition of research institutions and fish and wildlife agencies this week unveiled a new online tool for use by local decision-makers, conservation managers, land trusts, regional planners, landowners and community leaders in Massachusetts who are interested in taking action in response to climate change.
Areas of sand and gravel in contact with the Chemung River are the most favorable for potential large-scale groundwater supply within the largest valleys of eastern Chemung County, New York, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. More modest water-supply potential was estimated in the valleys of Newtown, Baldwin, and Wynkoop Creeks.
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Accomack County, the Town of Saxis and the Town of Chincoteague has installed two new tide gauge stations at the Saxis Marina and Chincoteague Marina to help emergency planners protect the shorelines of the Eastern Shore.
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fort Monroe Authority, has installed a new tide gauge station at Fort Monroe to help emergency planners protect the shorelines in the Hampton Roads region.
Interior Department’s Northeast Climate Science Center has released a report today synthesizing the latest information on the vulnerability of species and ecosystems to climate change in a 22-state region in the Northeast and Midwest U.S.
A new screening tool to assess the potential risk posed by contaminated groundwater moving from landfills to nearby streams, wetlands and residences has been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission.
Animal feeding operations have measureable effects on stream water quality in many agricultural watersheds in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
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New York Water Science Center - Ithaca Program Office
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Fax: (607) 266-0521
New York Water Science Center - Coram Program Office
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Phone: (631) 736-0783
Fax: (631) 736-4283
Science and Decisions Center
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
information@usgs.gov
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Fax: 442-498-5510
National Minerals Information Center
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New England Water Science Center - Connecticut Office
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Fax: 860-291-6799
Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Phone: (717) 730-6900
Fax: (717) 730-6997
New Jersey Water Science Center
Phone: (609) 771-3900
Fax: (609) 771-3915
New England Water Science Center - New Hampshire/Vermont Office
Phone: (603) 226-7800
Fax: (603) 226-7894
Eastern Energy Resources Science Center
Eastern Mineral & Environmental Resources Science Center
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Phone: (804) 261-2600
Fax: (804) 261-2657
Chesapeake Bay Activities
Phone: 443-498-5552
Fax: 443-498-5510
New England Water Science Center - Massachusetts/Rhode Island Office
Phone: (508) 490-5000
Fax: (508) 490-5068
New York Water Science Center - Troy Program Office
dc_ny@usgs.gov
Phone: (518) 285-5695
Fax: (518) 285-5601
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: 508-548-8700
Fax: 508-457-2310
Leetown Science Center
Phone: 304 724-4400
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
webmaster@patuxent.usgs.gov
Phone: 301 497-5500
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Phone: 703-648-5953
New England Water Science Center - Maine Office
Phone: 207 622-8201
LSC Fish Health Laboratory
kmbriggs@usgs.gov
Phone: 304-724-4430
Fax: 304-724-4435
LSC Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
faulkners@usgs.gov
Phone: 304-724-4471
Fax: 304-724-4465
LSC Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory
aelskus@usgs.gov
Phone: 413-863-9475
Fax: 413-863-9810
LSC Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory
hgalbraith@usgs.gov
Phone: 570-724-3322, ext. 230
Fax: 570-724-2525
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Beltsville Lab
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Virginia Polytechnic Institute
New York Water Science Center - Potsdam Field Office
gkbutch@usgs.gov
Phone: (315) 265-4410 / (518) 285-5602
Fax: (315) 265-2166