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 MoreJuly Photo Contest
Check out the winning photographs in the July 2021 Photo Contest! Categories include People, USGS at Work, Where We Work, and Honorable Mention
See PhotosRegions L2 Landing Page Tabs
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.
Terrestrial wildlife and legacy oil mining on National Wildlife Refuges
Amphibian surveys are being conducted on select National Wildlife Refuges with active and/or legacy oil mining to determine species relative distribution and their risk to short- and long-term effects from exposure to crude oil and its byproducts.
Produced water from Marcellus Shale and amphibians
Research biologists at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) are conducting a series of scientific studies on the potential effects of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing activities on terrestrial wildlife. Findings will help in assessing proposals for managing recycling and distribution of large volumes of flowback and produced waters generated by methods of oil and gas...
Data for statewide assessment of New York's karst aquifers with an inventory of closed-depression and focused-recharge features
The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health are concerned about groundwater contamination in the carbonate-bedrock aquifers with the potential to host karst features throughout New York State, especially relating to the unintended introduction of chemical or agricultural contamination into these aquifers. USGS Scientific Investigations Report, SIR 2020-5030 (Kap...
Model archive for analysis of the effects of impervious cover on receiving-water quality with the Stochastic Empirical Loading Dilution Model (SELDM)
This is a model archive of SELDM development data and simulation results of total phosphorus concentrations in concurrent stormflows from drainage basins in the Northeastern U.S. with varying levels of imperviousness. Model development files include details of simulated hydrology, basin properties, upstream undeveloped area water quality, and developed area (impervious area) runoff qual
Nanoscale Molecular Composition of Solid Bitumen from the Eagle Ford Group Across a Natural Thermal Maturity Gradient
Solid bitumen is a petrographically-defined secondary organic matter residue produced during petroleum generation and subsequent oil transformation. The presence of solid bitumen impacts many shale reservoir properties including porosity, permeability, and hydrocarbon generation and storage, amongst others. Furthermore, solid bitumen reflectance is an important parameter for assessing the
Potomac River ADCP Bathymetric Survey, October 2019
Water-penetrating LiDAR technology was used to remotely sense bathymetric elevation data as part of a spatial data acquisition on the Potomac River. In support of this effort, a bathymetric survey with a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was conducted in the study area on October 21-24, 2019. Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) were used to concurrently
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...
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
Emerging investigator series: Municipal wastewater as a year-round point source of neonicotinoid insecticides that persist in an effluent-dominated stream
Neonicotinoids in aquatic systems have been predominantly associated with agriculture, but some are increasingly being linked to municipal wastewater. Thus, the aim of this work was to understand the municipal wastewater contribution to neonicotinoids in a representative, characterized effluent-dominated temperate-region stream. Our approach was...
Webb, Danielle T.; Zhi, Hui; Kolpin, Dana W.; Klaper, Rebecca D.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; LeFevre, Gregory H. Slow recovery of headwater-stream fishes following a catastrophic poisoning event
Accidental spills of chemicals and other pollutants can decimate populations of stream-dwelling species. Recovery from such accidents can be relatively fast and complete when the affected stream reaches can be recolonized from upstream and downstream sources. However, faunal recoveries from accidental spills that extirpate populations from entire...
Freeman, Mary; Elkins, Duncan; Maholland, Peter; Butler, Zachary; Kleinhans, Maxwell; Skaggs, Jonathan; Stowe, Edward; Straight, Carrie A.; Wenger, Seth J.
Geophysical and video logs of selected wells at and near the former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 2017-19
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected borehole geophysical and video logs in 17 open-hole wells in Northampton, Warminster, and Warwick Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania during 2017–19 to support detailed groundwater investigations at and near the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Warminster, where groundwater contamination with per...
Senior, Lisa A.; Anderson, J. Alton; Bird, Philip H. How does climate change affect emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems?
Emergent properties of ecosystems are community attributes, such as structure and function, that arise from connections and interactions (e.g., predator–prey, competition) among populations, species, or assemblages that, when viewed together, provide a holistic representation that is more than the sum of its individual parts. Climate change is...
Staudinger, Michelle; Lynch, Abigail; Gaichas, Sarah; Fox, Michael; Gibson-Reinemer, Daniel; Langan, Joseph; Teffer, Amy K.; Thackeray, Stephen; Winfield, Ian A new addition to the embalmed fauna of ancient Egypt: Güldenstaedt’s White-toothed Shrew, Crocidura gueldenstaedtii (Pallas, 1811) (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)
The Falcon Necropolis at Quesna in the Nile Delta of Egypt is considered to have been founded by the priest Djedhor, the Saviour, of Athribis (Tell Atrib in modern Benha) at the beginning of the Ptolemaic Period. Recent excavations here have revealed abundant avian remains from mummies dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Horus Khenty-Khety....
Woodman, Neal; Ikram, Salima; Rowland, Joanne Machine-learning predictions of high arsenic and high manganese at drinking water depths of the glacial aquifer system, northern continental United States
Globally, over 200 million people are chronically exposed to arsenic (As) and/or manganese (Mn) from drinking water. We used machine-learning (ML) boosted regression tree (BRT) models to predict high As (>10 μg/L) and Mn (>300 μg/L) in groundwater from the glacial aquifer system (GLAC), which spans 25 states in the northern United States and...
Erickson, Melinda L.; Elliott, Sarah M.; Brown, Craig J.; Stackelberg, Paul; Ransom, Katherine Marie; Reddy, James E.; Cravotta, Charles A. Assessing the impact of an online climate science community: The Early Career Climate Forum
Online science communities can serve as powerful platforms for advancing scientific knowledge, capacity, and outreach by increasing collaboration and information sharing among geographically distant peers, practitioners, and the public. Here, we examine the value and role of the Early Career Climate Forum (ECCF), a climate-focused online science...
Guckian, Meaghan; Markowitz, Ezra; Tucker, Clay; Kiekebusch, Elsita; Klemm, Toni; Middleton, Lindsey; Wootten, Adrienne; Staudinger, Michelle Risks posed by SARS‐CoV‐2 to North American bats during winter fieldwork
The virus that causes COVID‐19 likely evolved in a mammalian host, possibly Old‐World bats, before adapting to humans, raising the question of whether reverse zoonotic transmission to bats is possible. Wildlife management agencies in North America are concerned that the activities they authorize could lead to transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 to bats...
Cook, Jonathan D; Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Coleman, Jeremy T. H.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Runge, Michael C.
Evaluation and application of the Purge Analyzer Tool (PAT) to determine in-well flow and purge criteria for sampling monitoring wells at the Stringfellow Superfund site in Jurupa Valley, California, in 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are developing analytical tools to assess the representativeness of groundwater samples from fractured-rock aquifers. As part of this effort, monitoring wells from the Stringfellow Superfund site in Jurupa Valley in Riverside County, California, approximately 50 miles east of Los...
Harte, Philip T.; Perina, Tomas; Becher, Kent; Levine, Herb; Rojas-Mickelson, Daewon; Walther, Lesley; Brown, Anthony
Assessment of water quality and discharge in the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, November 2015 to September 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey, Cape Cod National Seashore of the National Park Service, and Friends of Herring River cooperated from 2015 to 2017 to assess nutrient concentrations and fluxes across the ocean-estuary boundary at a dike on the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The purpose of this assessment was to characterize environmental...
Huntington, Thomas G.; Spaetzel, Alana B.; Colman, John A.; Kroeger, Kevin D.; Bradley, Robert T. Genetic structure of Maryland Brook Trout populations: Management implications for a threatened species
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis have declined across their native range due to multiple anthropogenic factors, including landscape alteration and climate change. Although coldwater streams in Maryland (eastern United States) historically supported significant Brook Trout populations, only fragmented remnant populations remain, with the...
Morgan II, Raymond P; Kazyak, David; King, Tim L; Lubinski, Barbara A.; Sell, Matthew T; Heft, Alan A; Jones, Jess W Assessing gas leakage potential into coal mines from shale gas well failures: Inference from field determination of strata permeability responses to longwall-induced deformations
This paper summarizes the changes in permeability at three boreholes located above an abutment pillar at a longwall coal mine in southwestern Pennsylvania. The motivation of this study was to better characterize the potential interaction between shale gas wells and the mine environment, through measurement of permeability changes in the coal mine...
Watkins, Eric; Karacan, C. Özgen; Gangrade, Vasu; Schatzel, StevenComputes expected coefficients of variation of survival and capture probability for use in the design of capture-recapture-resighting experiments.
Computes "species richness" or total number of species from emperical species abundance distribution data.
Sampling at 01208990 Saugatuck River in Redding, CT
Jennifer Lafayette sampling at 01208990 Saugatuck River in Redding, CT
Winter landscape at Lake Placid
Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | USGS at Work
Winter Wonderland in Lake Placid, NY
Analyzing Pore Water Samples
Lab Manager, Adrian Mann, analyzes pore water samples on an Ion Chromatograph.
Field Collections at Head of the Meadow Bay, MA
Remote-Sensing Coastal Change project field collections at the Head of the Meadow Bay in Massachusetts.
Collecting Water Samples
USGS samples water within wetlands to understand which environmental drivers impact carbon cycle and sediment accretion. Here USGS staff (Jennifer O'Keefe Suttles) pumps water from at Phragmites wetland, Mashpee, MA, to analyze at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Environmental Geochemistry lab.
Streamgage 0110588340 Barnstable, MA
Streamgage 0110588340 on the Santuit River at Old Kings Road, Barnstable MA.
Jon Cohl ADCP at 01457400 Musconetcong Riegelsville
Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | People
Jon Cohl ADCP at 01457400 Musconetcong Riegelsville
Ellis River New Hampshire
Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | Where We Work
Ellis River, New Hampshire
Deploying the Autonomous Surf Vehicle at Pea Island
The USGS will be using an autonomous surf vehicle, built by Peter Traykovski of WHOI, to map the bathymetry of the Pea Island DUNEX Experiment Site.
Teaching techs how to count clicks
Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | Honorable Mention 1
Teaching young techs how to count clicks
Neal Craig teaching new hydro tech Alice Mower at Fisherville, KY gage
Photo Contest Winner | June 2021 | People
Neal Craig teaching new hydro tech Alice Mower at Fisherville, KY gage
Sligo Creek Storm
Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | Honorable Mention 2
Sligo Creek Storm
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a new assessment method to estimate how much oil and gas could be produced by injecting carbon dioxide into petroleum reservoirs. The methodology also includes a way to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide remaining in the reservoir after the production of oil and gas is complete.
USGS staff participated in Science Night at Fishing Creek Elementary School, where students learned about the native macroinvertebrate* population in nearby Yellow Breeches Creek.
Risk tool identified 23 mineral commodities whose supply poses the greatest risk, including those used in consumer electronics, renewable energy, aerospace, and defense applications.
2020 Report Highlights the Importance of Mining Minerals for U.S. Economy and National Security
The USGS and its research partners in India and Japan have reported on one of the most extensive data sets ever collected on the occurrence of natural gas hydrate.
USGS continues its estimates of technically recoverable oil and gas in Alaska's North Slope.
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Here is a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge:
This challenge is now finished! Thank you to everyone who participated!
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!
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
Eastern Ecological Science Center at Leetown Research Laboratory
Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent Research Refuge
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
Eastern Ecological Science Center at S.O. Conte Research Laboratory
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