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Publications

This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 19116

Geologic isolation of nuclear waste at high latitudes: the role of ice sheets Geologic isolation of nuclear waste at high latitudes: the role of ice sheets

Geologic isolation of high-level nuclear waste from the biosphere requires special consideration in countries at high latitudes (>40°N) owing to the possibility of future episodes of continental glaciation (Talbot 1999). It is now widely recognized that Pleistocene continental glaciations have had a profound effect on rates of sediment erosion (Cuffey & Paterson 2010) and deformation...
Authors
M. Person, J. McIntosh, N. Iverson, C. E. Neuzil, V. Bense

Hydromechanical effects of continental glaciation on groundwater systems Hydromechanical effects of continental glaciation on groundwater systems

Hydromechanical effects of continental ice sheets may involve considerably more than the widely recognized direct compression of overridden terrains by ice load. Lithospheric flexure, which lags ice advance and retreat, appears capable of causing comparable or greater stress changes. Together, direct and flexural loading may increase fluid pressures by tens of MPa in geologic units...
Authors
C. E. Neuzil

Luna B. Leopold--pioneer setting the stage for modern hydrology Luna B. Leopold--pioneer setting the stage for modern hydrology

In 1986, during the first year of graduate school, the lead author was sampling the water from a pitcher pump in front of “The Shack,” the setting of the opening essays in Aldo Leopold's renowned book A Sand County Almanac. The sampling was part of my Master's work that included quarterly monitoring of water quality on the Leopold Memorial Reserve (LMR) near Baraboo, Wisconsin. The Shack...
Authors
Randall J. Hunt, Curt Meine

A perspective on modern pesticides, pelagic fish declines, and unknown ecological resilience in highly managed ecosystems A perspective on modern pesticides, pelagic fish declines, and unknown ecological resilience in highly managed ecosystems

Pesticides applied on land are commonly transported by runoff or spray drift to aquatic ecosystems, where they are potentially toxic to fishes and other nontarget organisms. Pesticides add to and interact with other stressors of ecosystem processes, including surface-water diversions, losses of spawning and rearing habitats, nonnative species, and harmful algal blooms. Assessing the...
Authors
Nathaniel L. Scholz, Erica Fleishman, Larry Brown, Inge Werner, Michael L. Johnson, Marjorie L. Brooks, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Daniel Schlenk

Mapping critical loads of nitrogen deposition for aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains, USA Mapping critical loads of nitrogen deposition for aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains, USA

Spatially explicit estimates of critical loads of nitrogen (N) deposition (CLNdep) for nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems were developed for the Rocky Mountains, USA, using a geostatistical approach. The lowest CLNdep estimates (
Authors
Leora Nanus, David W. Clow, Jasmine E. Saros, Verlin C. Stephens, Donald H. Campbell

Modeling the formation of porphyry-copper ores Modeling the formation of porphyry-copper ores

Porphyry-copper ore systems, the source of much of the world's copper and molybdenum, form when metal-bearing fluids are expelled from shallow, degassing magmas. On page 1613 of this issue, Weis et al. (1) demonstrate that self-organizing processes focus metal deposition. Specifically, their simulation studies indicate that ores develop as consequences of dynamic variations in rock...
Authors
Steven E. Ingebritsen

Estimating discharge measurement uncertainty using the interpolated variance estimator Estimating discharge measurement uncertainty using the interpolated variance estimator

Methods for quantifying the uncertainty in discharge measurements typically identify various sources of uncertainty and then estimate the uncertainty from each of these sources by applying the results of empirical or laboratory studies. If actual measurement conditions are not consistent with those encountered in the empirical or laboratory studies, these methods may give poor estimates...
Authors
T. Cohn, J. Kiang, R. Mason

From Caprio's lilacs to the USA National Phenology Network From Caprio's lilacs to the USA National Phenology Network

Continental-scale monitoring is vital for understanding and adapting to temporal changes in seasonal climate and associated phenological responses. The success of monitoring programs will depend on recruiting, retaining, and managing members of the public to routinely collect phenological observations according to standardized protocols. Here, we trace the development of infrastructure...
Authors
Mark D. Schwartz, Julio L. Betancourt, Jake F. Weltzin

How to overcome inter-electrode variability and instability to quantify dissolved oxygen, Fe(II), mn(II), and S(−II) in undisturbed soils and sediments using voltammetry How to overcome inter-electrode variability and instability to quantify dissolved oxygen, Fe(II), mn(II), and S(−II) in undisturbed soils and sediments using voltammetry

Background - Although uniquely capable of measuring multiple redox constituents nearly simultaneously with no or minimal sample pretreatment, voltammetry is currently underutilized in characterizing redox conditions in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Investigation of undisturbed media such as pore water requires a solid-state electrode, and such electrodes can be difficult to fabricate
Authors
Aaron J. Slowey, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale

Simultaneous oxidation of arsenic and antimony at low and circumneutral pH, with and without microbial catalysis Simultaneous oxidation of arsenic and antimony at low and circumneutral pH, with and without microbial catalysis

Arsenic and Sb are common mine-water pollutants and their toxicity and fate are strongly influenced by redox processes. In this study, simultaneous Fe(II), As(III) and Sb(III) oxidation experiments were conducted to obtain rates under laboratory conditions similar to those found in the field for mine waters of both low and circumneutral pH. Additional experiments were performed under...
Authors
Maria P. Asta, D. Kirk Nordstrom, R. Blaine McCleskey

A method for physically based model analysis of conjunctive use in response to potential climate changes A method for physically based model analysis of conjunctive use in response to potential climate changes

Potential climate change effects on aspects of conjunctive management of water resources can be evaluated by linking climate models with fully integrated groundwater-surface water models. The objective of this study is to develop a modeling system that links global climate models with regional hydrologic models, using the California Central Valley as a case study. The new method is a...
Authors
R. T. Hanson, L. E. Flint, A. L. Flint, M. D. Dettinger, C.C. Faunt, D. Cayan, W. Schmid
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