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Publications

Products (journal articles, reports, fact sheets) authored by current and past scientists are listed below. Please check the USGS Pubs Warehouse for other USGS publications.

Filter Total Items: 1826

Aggregate resource availability in the conterminous United States, including suggestions for addressing shortages, quality, and environmental concerns

One-third of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and over one-quarter of the bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. A 70-percent increase in annual aggregate production may be required to upgrade the transportation infrastructure. Natural aggregate is widespread throughout the conterminous United States, but the location of aggregate is determined
Authors
William H. Langer

Newer views of the Moon: Comparing spectra from Clementine and the Moon Mineralogy Mapper

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) provided the first global hyperspectral data of the lunar surface in 85 bands from 460 to 2980 nm. The Clementine mission provided the first global multispectral maps the lunar surface in 11 spectral bands across the ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) and near-infrared (NIR). In an effort to understand how M3 improves our ability to analyze and interpret lunar data, we co
Authors
Georgiana Y. Kramer, Sebastian Besse, Jeff Nettles, Jean-Philippe Combe, Roger N. Clark, Carle M. Pieters, Matthew Staid, Joseph Boardman, Robert Green, Thomas B. McCord, Erik Malaret, James W. Head

A loess–paleosol record of climate and glacial history over the past two glacial–interglacial cycles (~ 150 ka), southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Loess accumulated on a Bull Lake outwash terrace of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) age in southern Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 9 m section displays eight intervals of loess deposition (Loess 1 to Loess 8, oldest), each followed by soil development. Our age-depth model is constrained by thermoluminescence, meteoric 10Be accumulation in soils, and cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure ages. We use
Authors
Kenneth L. Pierce, Daniel R. Muhs, Maynard A. Fosberg, Shannon A. Mahan, Joseph G. Rosenbaum, Joseph M. Licciardi, Milan J. Pavich

Geophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical data from the Pebble Cu-Au-Mo porphyry deposit area, southwest Alaska: Contributions to assessment techniques for concealed mineral resources

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey began a multidisciplinary study in southwest Alaska to investigate the setting and detectability of mineral deposits in concealed volcanic and glacial terranes. The study area hosts the world-class Pebble porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit, and through collaboration with the Pebble Limited Partnership, a range of geophysical and geochemical investigations was carried out
Authors
E. D. Anderson, S. M. Smith, S. A. Giles, Matthew Granitto, R. G. Eppinger, P. A. Bedrosian, A. K. Shah, K. D. Kelley, D. L. Fey, B. J. Minsley, P. J. Brown

Mine wastes and human health

Historical mining and mineral processing have been linked definitively to health problems resulting from occupational and environmental exposures to mine wastes. Modern mining and processing methods, when properly designed and implemented, prevent or greatly reduce potential environmental health impacts. However, particularly in developing countries, there are examples of health problems linked to
Authors
Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Suzette A. Morman

Aqueous mineralogy and stratigraphy at and around the proposed Mawrth Vallis MSL Landing Site: New insights into the aqueous history of the region

In this work, we have confirmed the mineralogical stratigraphy previously inferred by other authors, but also demonstrate the presence of additional minerals, including a possible acid-leaching product near the top of the sequence, an Mh-OH bearing phyllosilicate at the to of the sequence, and potentially a Ca-sulfate at the bottom of the phyllosilicate sequence. The latter has important implicati
Authors
Eldar Z. Noe Dobrea, Joseph Michalski, Gregg Swayze

Observations of mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate

As a consequence of contemporary or longer term (since 15 ka) climate warming, gas hydrates in some settings are presently dissociating and releasing methane and other gases to the oceanatmosphere system. A key challenge in assessing the susceptibility of gas hydrates to warming climate is the lack of a technique able to distinguish between methane recently released from gas hydrates and methane e
Authors
Andrew G. Hunt, John W. Pohlman, Laura A. Stern, Carolyn D. Ruppel, Richard J. Moscati, Gary P. Landis, John C. Pinkston

Using stable isotopes to understand hydrochemical processes in and around a Prairie Pothole wetland in the Northern Great Plains, USA

Millions of internally drained wetland systems in the Prairie Potholes region of the northern Great Plains (USA and Canada) provide indispensable habitat for waterfowl and a host of other ecosystem services. The hydrochemistry of these systems is complex and a crucial control on wetland function, flora and fauna. Wetland waters can have high concentrations of SO2-4 due to the oxidation of large am
Authors
Christopher T. Mills, Martin B. Goldhaber, Craig A. Stricker, JoAnn M. Holloway, Jean Morrison, Karl J. Ellefsen, Donald O. Rosenberry, Roland S. Thurston

The role of critical zone processes in the evolution of the Prairie Pothole Region wetlands

The Prairie Pothole Region, which occupies 900,000 km2 of the north central USA and south central Canada, is one of the most important ecosystems in North America. It is characterized by millions of small wetlands whose chemistry is highly variable over short distances. The study involved the geochemistry of surface sediments, wetland water, and groundwater in the Cottonwood Lakes area of North Da
Authors
Martin B. Goldhaber, Christopher T. Mills, Craig A. Stricker, Jean Morrison

Tectonic and metallogenic model for northeast Asia

This document describes the digital files in this report that contains a tectonic and metallogenic model for Northeast Asia. The report also contains background materials. This tectonic and metallogenic model and other materials on this report are derived from (1) an extensive USGS Professional Paper, 1765, on the metallogenesis and tectonics of Northeast Asia that is available on the Internet at
Authors
Leonid M. Parfenov, Warren J. Nokleberg, Nikolai A. Berzin, Gombosuren Badarch, Sergy I. Dril, Ochir Gerel, Nikolai A. Goryachev, Alexander I. Khanchuk, Mikhail I. Kuz'min, Andrei V. Prokopiev, Vladimir V. Ratkin, Sergey M. Rodionov, Christopher R. Scotese, Vladimir I. Shpikerman, Vladimir F. Timofeev, Onongin Tomurtogoo, Hongquan Yan

Geochemical and stable isotopic data on barren and mineralized drill core in the Devonian Popovich Formation, Screamer sector of the Betze-Post gold deposit, northern Carlin trend, Nevada

The Devonian Popovich Formation is the major host for Carlin-type gold deposits in the northern Carlin trend of Nevada. The Popovich is composed of gray to black, thin-bedded, calcareous to dolomitic mudstone and limestone deposited near the carbonate platform margin. Carlin-type gold deposits are Eocene, disseminated, auriferous pyrite deposits characterized by acid leaching, sulfidation, and sil
Authors
William D. Christiansen, Albert H. Hofstra, Pamela B. Zohar, Gilles Tousignant