Unified Interior Regions
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
Our Science Centers
The NAA Region has 15 Science Centers spanning 14 NE States and Washington, DC. The Centers conduct interdisciplinary biologic, geologic, hydrologic, and energy monitoring and research addressing natural resource issues facing our nation.
Learn MoreMarch Photo Contest
Check out the winning photographs in the March 2021 Photo Contest! Categories include People, USGS at Work, Where We Work, and Honorable Mention
See PhotosRegions L2 Landing Page Tabs
The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise: Understanding how macroscale drivers influence local processes and feedbacks
The purpose of this work is to advance our understanding of how coastal wetland responses to SLR within the conterminous United States are likely to vary as a function of local, regional, and macroscale drivers, including climate. Based on our interactions with managers and decision makers, as well as our knowledge of the current state of the science, we propose to (a) conduct a national...
Analysis of Factors Affecting Plume Remediation in a Sole-Source Aquifer System, Nassau County, New York (Northrup Grumman Plume)
Problem: Dissolved volatile-organic compounds (VOCs), including trichloroethylene (TCE), have been identified in a sole-source aquifer near the former Northrop Grumman Bethpage facility and Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) in Nassau County, N.Y. The Northrop Grumman Bethpage facility and NWIRP are listed as Class II inactive hazardous waste disposal sites (Site Nos. HW130003A...
Rafinesque’s Mammals
The Challenge: Taxonomic nomenclature relies, in part, upon an accurate taxonomic history in order to establish the correct name for a taxon. Constantine S. Rafinesque (1783–1840), was a knowledgeable North American natural historian who was is responsible for describing and naming such iconic American mammals as the mule deer [Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)] and the white-footed mouse...
Survival of the Least Fit: Incidence of Physical Trauma in a Wild Mammal Community
The Challenge: It has been generally considered that a severe injury to a wild mammal that seemingly limits its ability to forage for food or escape predators will almost certainly lead to that individual’s demise. Inspection of skeletons of wild caught small mammals, however, has revealed a surprising number of individuals with healed fractures of the skeletal bones―including the primary...
Diversity and Biogeography of Treeshrews
The Challenge: Treeshrews (order Scandentia) are small-bodied mammals endemic to South and Southeast Asia. Since it was first described in 1820, the Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis) has had a complex taxonomic history that has led to widely variable estimates of diversity, misidentification of populations, and general confusion regarding it and closely related species. One result is that T. glis...
Biodiversity of North American Mammals
The Challenge: Despite more than a century and a half of study, accurate understanding of the diversity North American mammalian species and the distribution of those species remains unrefined. Yet this understanding is essential for determining the conservation status of species, for mapping out potential disease reservoirs, and for understanding the response of species to habitat...
How Mammals Move: Locomotory Function in the Soricidae
The Challenge: The postcranial skeletons of mammals exhibit tremendous variation in form that partly relates to phylogeny (who a particular species is related to) and partly to locomotory function (how that species moves through its environment). Understanding the contributions of these two factors is important because phylogenetic characters assist in working out evolutionary relationships,...
What Ancient Egyptian Shrew Mummies Reveal About Small Mammal Responses to Climate Change
The Challenge: Ancient Egyptians mummified animals for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was as votive offerings to certain deities. Among the six species of shrews that have been identified as mummies, one is now extinct, one is no longer occurs in Egypt, and the remaining four have more restricted distributions in the country. One of the latter species also exhibits significantly...
Immune System Changes and Susceptibility to Disease in Birds Exposed to Environmental Contaminants
Disease dynamics in wildlife are commonly related to changes or increases in environmental stressors that are placed upon an animal. Environmental pollutants are known to affect the immune system of wildlife, resulting in impaired resistance to infection and potential increases in disease outbreaks.
In collaboration with: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center;...
Effects of Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) on developing birds
The Challenge: Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) are complex technical mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes used in lubricants and coolants in metalworking, as flame retardants, and in paints, adhesives, sealants, textiles and polymeric materials, plastics and rubber. SCCPs are of concern because they are globally transported, bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans, and are...
Do pesticide coatings on agricultural seeds pose a threat to earthworms and to the birds that eat them?
Earthworms are a vital part of a healthy, functioning soil ecosystem and are also an important protein-rich food source for wildlife, including many species of birds and mammals. In an agricultural setting, the presence of earthworms can increase crop yields by 25%, but can also expose earthworms to pesticides. Seed treatment is the principal application method for neonicotinoid insecticides,...
Mine Drainage and Water Quality Research
PaWSC conducts research on geochemical and hydrological processes that control water quality, particularly the sources, transport, and attenuation of metals and nutrients in undisturbed and mining-impacted watersheds and aquifers. Results apply to scientific and regulatory programs for the prevention and remediation of aquatic contamination.
Reported groundwater levels and groundwater pump-and-treat withdrawal volumes, former Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey, 2018
This dataset contains U.S. Navy contractor-reported groundwater level data measured on June 18, 2018 and reported daily total groundwater pump-and-treat withdrawal volumes for calendar year 2018 at the former Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey. This data release supports: Fiore, A.R., and Lacombe, P.J., 2020, Groundwater levels and generalized potentiometric s
Coastal wetlands of north shore Long Island, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence wetland...
Slope Values Across Marsh-Forest Boundary in Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
The marsh-forest boundary in the Chesapeake Bay was determined by geoprocessing high-resolution (1 square meter) land use and land cover data sets. Perpendicular transects were cast at standard intervals (30 meters) along the boundary within a GIS by repurposing the...
Exposure potential of marsh units to environmental health stressors in north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence
Rate of shoreline change of marsh units in north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, mean tidal range, and shoreline change rate are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical f
Mean tidal range of marsh units in north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence
Conceptual marsh units of north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence
Unvegetated to vegetated ratio of marsh units in north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence
Slope Values Across Marsh-Forest Boundary in Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
The marsh-forest boundary in the Chesapeake Bay was determined by geoprocessing high-resolution (1 square meter) land use and land cover data sets. Perpendicular transects were cast at standard intervals (30 meters) along the boundary within a GIS by repurposing the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 5.0, an ArcGIS extension developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Ave
Elevation of marsh units in north shore Long Island salt marsh complex, New York
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of north shore Long Island, New York. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and mean tidal range, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a Digital Elevation Model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence
Continuous monitoring data from Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19
These USGS datasets can be used to evaluate changes in water levels across ditched and natural salt marsh regions and provide information for any future studies of salt marsh productivity and geomorphic models in Great Barnstable Marsh.
Continuous Monitoring Data From Great Barnstable Marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2017-19
Salt marshes are environmental ecosystems that contribute to coastal landscape resiliency to storms and rising sea level. Ninety percent of mid-Atlantic and New England salt marshes have been impacted by parallel grid ditching that began in the 1920s–40s to control mosquito populations and to provide employment opportunities during the Great Depression (James-Pirri and others, 2009;
Lithium in groundwater used for drinking-water supply in the United States
Lithium concentrations in untreated groundwater from 1464 public-supply wells and 1676 domestic-supply wells distributed across 33 principal aquifers in the United States were evaluated for spatial variations and possible explanatory factors. Concentrations nationwide ranged from <1 to 396 μg/L (median of 8.1) for public supply wells and...
Lindsey, Bruce D.; Belitz, Kenneth; Cravotta, Charles A.; Toccalino, Patricia; Dubrovsky, Neil M. Crossroads of highly pathogenic H5N1: overlap between wild and domestic birds in the Black Sea-Mediterranean impacts global transmission
Understanding transmission dynamics that link wild and domestic animals is a key element of predicting the emergence of infectious disease, an event that has highest likelihood of occurring wherever human livelihoods depend on agriculture and animal trade. Contact between poultry and wild birds is a key driver of the emergence of highly pathogenic...
Hill, Nichola J.; Smith, Lacy M.; Muzaffar, Sabir B.; Nagel, Jessica L.; Prosser, Diann; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Spragens, Kyle A.; DeMattos, Carlos A.; Demattos, Cecilia C.; El Sayed, Lu'ay; Erciyas-Yavuz, Kiraz; Davis, C. Todd; Jones, Joyce; Kis, Zoltan; Donis, Ruben O.; Newman, Scott H.; Takekawa, John Y. Estimating the impact of seep methane oxidation on ocean pH and dissolved inorganic radiocarbon along the U.S. mid‐Atlantic Bight
Ongoing ocean warming can release methane (CH4) currently stored in ocean sediments as free gas and gas hydrates. Once dissolved in ocean waters, this CH4 can be oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2). While it has been hypothesized that the CO2 produced from aerobic CH4 oxidation could enhance ocean acidification, a previous study...
Garcia-Tigreros, Fenix; Leonte, Mihai; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Ruiz-Angulo, Angel; Joung, DoongJoo; Young, Benjamin; Kessler, John D. Modeling areal measures of campsite impacts on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to enhance ecological sustainability
Campsite impacts in protected natural areas are most effectively minimized by a containment strategy that focuses use on a limited number of sustainable campsites that spatially concentrate camping activities. This research employs spatial autoregressive (SAR) modeling to evaluate the relative influence of use-related, environmental, and...
Arredondo, Johanna R.; Marion, Jeffrey L.; Meadema, Fletcher P.; Wimpey, Jeremy F. Observations on long-term memory in honey bees
No abstract available.
Vyas, Nimish B.; Plunkett, Amanda D.; Baker, Diana Limited mantle hydration by bending faults at the Middle America Trench
Seismic anisotropy measurements show that upper mantle hydration at the Middle America Trench (MAT) is limited to serpentinization and/or water in fault zones, rather than distributed uniformly. Subduction of hydrated oceanic lithosphere recycles water back into the deep mantle, drives arc volcanism, and affects seismicity at subduction zones....
Miller, Nathaniel C.; Lizarralde, Danile; Collins, John A.; Holbrook, Steven; van Avendonk, Harm Heed the data gap: Guidelines for using incomplete datasets in annual stream temperature analyses
Stream temperature data are useful for deciphering watershed processes important for aquatic ecosystems. Accurately extracting signal trends from stream temperature is essential for predicting responses of environmental and ecological indicators to change. Missing data periods are common for various reasons, and pose a challenge for scientists...
Johnson, Zachary C.; Johnson, Brittany G.; Briggs, Martin A.; Snyder, Craig D.; Hitt, Nathaniel P.; Devine, Warren Spatial capture–recapture with random thinning for unidentified encounters
Spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models have increasingly been used as a basis for combining capture–recapture data types with variable levels of individual identity information to estimate population density and other demographic parameters. Recent examples are the unmarked SCR (or spatial count model), where no individual identities are available...
Jiménez, José; Augustine, Ben; Linden, Daniel W.; Chandler, Richard B.; Royle, Andy Evidence that watershed nutrient management practices effectively reduce estrogens in environmental waters
We evaluate the impacts of different nutrient management strategies on the potential for co-managing estrogens and nutrients in environmental waters of the Potomac watershed of the Chesapeake Bay. These potential co-management approaches represent agricultural and urban runoff, wastewater treatment plant effluent, and combined sewer overflow...
Duan, Shuiwang; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Noguera-Oviedo, Katia; Kaushal, Sujay S.; Rosenfeld, Erik; Aga, Diana; Murthy, Sudhir Interactive PHREEQ-N-AMDTreat water-quality modeling tools to evaluate performance and design of treatment systems for acid mine drainage
The PHREEQ-N-AMDTreat aqueous geochemical modeling tools described herein simulate changes in pH and solute concentrations resulting from passive and active treatment of acidic or alkaline mine drainage (AMD). The “user-friendly” interactive tools, which are publicly available software, utilize PHREEQC equilibrium aqueous and surface...
Cravotta, Charles A. Optimal sampling design for spatial capture‐recapture
Spatial capture‐recapture (SCR) has emerged as the industry standard for estimating population density by leveraging information from spatial locations of repeat encounters of individuals. The precision of density estimates depends fundamentally on the number and spatial configuration of traps. Despite this knowledge, existing sampling design...
Dupont, Gates; Royle, J. Andrew; Nawaz, Muhammad Ali; Sutherland, Chris Evaluation of a roughness length parametrization accounting for wind–wave alignment in a coupled atmosphere–wave model
The importance of wind energy as an alternative energy source has increased over the latest years with more focus on offshore winds. A good estimation of the offshore winds is thus of major importance for this industry. Up to now the effect of the wind–wave (mis)alignment has not yet been taken into account in coupled atmosphere–wave models to...
Porchetta, Sara; Temel, O.; Warner, John C.; Muñoz-Esparza, J.C.; Monbaliu, J; van Beeck, J.; van Lipzig, N.Computes estimates of survival and capture probability and the proportion of transients in open population capture-recapture data.
Analyzes dose responses for two populations, using the PROBIT model and the abbreviated protocol as described by Link et al(1996).
Computes estimates of survival-movement and capture probability for open capture-recapture models.
Compares estimates of survival (or any normally distributed parameter estimates).
Tests the hypothesis of prey-selectivity based on random samples of predator scats.
Estimates fatalities using raw counts of wildlife fatalities, trial experiments for carcass detection probability and persistence time.
Computes the number of animals that must be banded in order to achieve a specified level of precision for survival rates estimated using band recovery models.
Computes the power of between-model likelihood ratio tests.
Computes estimates of survival and temporary emigration under the "Open Robust Design".
Computes estimates of survival and capture probability for capture-recapture experiments on open animal populations.
Computes estimates of capture probability and population size for "closed" population capture-recapture data.
Computes estimates of survival (or any model parameter) with multinomially distributed data.
Lake George in the Fall
Lake George, New York, in the fall with a dock and watercraft.
2020 drought impact on Quinebaug River, West Thompson, Connecticut
Station 01124151 Quinebaug River West Thompson Connecticut. Photo shows the orifice line that senses the river stage. The orifice is out of water, so we were not able to collect stage or discharge data. The orifice line was extended further into the channel to a
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Quinebaug River during 2020 drought, West Thompson, Connecticut
Quinebaug River near West Thompson, Connecticut. Photo shows one of few deeper pools of water in the 01124151 station vicinity during drought.
USGS boat crew on Merrimack River, Massachusetts
Two USGS scientists traveling by boat to estuary sampling and monitoring stations, Merrimack River, Massachusetts
Dragonfly Mercury Project specimen collection in Glacier NP
Researchers instruct volunteers on how to collect dragonfly larvae in Glacier NP as a part of the Dragonfly Mercury Project.
Social distancing in the field
Safety is a top priority. USGS staff recently improved access to field sites at the Herring River estuary within the Cape Cod National Seashore to provide safer paths through a phragmites wetland. Research continues largely through deployment of instruments that can take measurements in water and air continuously, but some measurements do require staff, who are
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Merrimack River near Aiken St Bridge, Lowell, Massachusetts
Merrimack River near Aiken St Bridge, Lowell, Massachusetts (USGS ID: 010965985).
The site is one of the Merrimack project water quality sampling and monitoring stations.
Numerous aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa collected from a stream
Benthic macroinvertebrate taxa collected from Straight Run, Tioga County, Pennsyvania, USA.
Rebecca Sanders-DeMott performing maintenance on an eddy flux tower
Instruments continue to collect vital data during workplace closures. Here staff perform maintenance on an eddy flux tower located within a phragmites wetland at the Cape Cod National Seashore. The instruments on this tower measure methane and CO2 fluxes related to plant and soil processes day in and day out for the entire year. This information is critical for
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Map of gas hydrate locations, known and inferred
Map of gas hydrate locations, known and inferred. Browse graphic for ScienceBase data release, Preliminary global database of known and inferred gas hydrate locations.
Capillary Action and Water
This video discusses how adhesion and cohesion work together to create capillary action! There is an experiment at the end of the video to demonstrate this as well! If you would like to do the experiment with us you will need: 1) Coffee filter 2) Washable marker 3) Glass of water
Finding Seafloor Faults Linked to Puerto Rico Earthquake
Map of the portion of the southwest coast of Puerto Rico affected by an earthquake sequence that began in December 2019, along with portions of the seafloor where faults involved in the earthquake sequence were suspected to exist. (A related image shows indications of seafloor faulting found on a USGS seismic research cruise led by USGS research geophysicist Uri ten Brink
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Here is the weekly update for this challenge. West Virginia is nearing completion while Ohio is filling in nicely with more and more counties becoming populated! However, there's still several villages yet to be added for Ohio.
Here is the weekly update for this challenge - it's exciting to see more counties filling in! Keep an eye out for another article on city / town halls in this month's newsletter.
A new study finds that a high density of green stormwater infrastructure can provide enhanced mitigation of peak flows and runoff volumes compared to large, detention-based stormwater control practices.
Here is the weekly update for this challenge!
Here is the weekly update for this challenge!
Summary of Event Impact:
Record and Major flooding in parts of the Southern Adirondacks and northern Mohawk Valley October 31-November 1.Event Information:
Record and Major flooding occurred in parts of the Southern Adirondacks
and northern Mohawk Valley October 31-November 1 as a result of
3-5+ inches of rainfall last night.
U.S. Geological Survey and Federal Emergency Management Agency are seeking feedback and information from towns in the Otter Creek watershed, Vermont, after two Discovery Meetings were held on October 29 and 30.
This challenge is coming along nice and steady! Ohio is especially starting to look nice; points are coming in county-by-county with close to another 100 points added since last week's update!
City/Town Halls continue to come in for this challenge! Nice work!
Here's the weekly update for this challenge.
This challenge is coming along nicely with another 150 points added since our last update!
Our Mid-Atlantic City / Town Hall mapping challenge is now finished!! A huge shout-out to all of our volunteers who participated in this challenge! Here are the summary results and a timelapse our volunteer contributions.
Contacts
Locations
Office of Communications and Publishing
Energy and Minerals Mission Area Headquarters
Environmental Health Mission Area Headquarters
Chesapeake Bay Program
Phone: (800) YOUR-BAY (968-7229)
Fax: (410) 267-5777
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
Land Change Science Program Office
Mineral Resources Program Office
Phone: 703-648-6100
Fax: 703-648-6057
Office of Budget, Planning, and Integration (BPI)
Phone: (703) 648-4431
Fax: (703) 648-4441
Science and Decisions Center
New York Water Science Center - Ithaca Program Office
gkbutch@usgs.gov
Phone: (607) 266-0217
Fax: (607) 266-0521
New York Water Science Center - Coram Program Office
saterrac@usgs.gov
Phone: (631) 736-0783
Fax: (631) 736-4283
Climate Research and Development Program Office
MD-DE-DC Water Science Center
information@usgs.gov
Phone: 443-498-5500
Fax: 442-498-5510
National Minerals Information Center
nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov
Fax: 703-648-4995
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 - Connecticut Office
Phone: 860-291-6740
Fax: 860-291-6799
Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Phone: 717-730-6900
Fax: 717-730-6997
Kentucky - Louisville Office
mgriffin@usgs.gov
Phone: (502) 493-1900
Fax: (502) 493-1909
New Jersey Water Science Center
Phone: (609) 771-3900
Fax: (609) 771-3915
Kentucky - Williamsburg Field Office
mgriffin@usgs.gov
Phone: (606) 549-2406
Fax: (606) 549-5400
New England Water Science Center - New Hampshire Office
Phone: (603) 226-7800
Fax: (603) 226-7894
Kentucky - Murray Field Office
mgriffin@usgs.gov
Phone: (270) 759-2460
Fax: (270) 649-2461
Chesapeake Bay Activities
Phone: 443-498-5552
Fax: 443-498-5510
Kentucky Water Science Center
Phone: (502) 493-1900
Fax: (502) 493-1909
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Phone: (804) 261-2600
Fax: (804) 261-2657
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
USGS S.O. Conte Anadromous Research Center
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: 508-548-8700
Fax: 508-457-2310
New England Water Science Center - Vermont Office
Phone: 802-828-4479
Fax: 802-828-4465
Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL)
Phone: 703-648-5859
Pittsburgh
Phone: 412-569-1005
Williamsport
Phone: 570-323-7127
Fax: 570-323-2137
Lake Ontario Biological Station
blantry@usgs.gov
Phone: 315-343-3951
Fax: 315-342-8065
Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science
jemckenna@usgs.gov
Phone: 607-753-9391
Fax: 607-753-0259
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
Office of External Research
Phone: (443) 498-5505
Fax: (703) 648-5002
USGS Reston Library - Clarence King Memorial Library (Main Library)
library@usgs.gov
Phone: 703-648-4301
Fax: 703-648-6373