Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
Filter Total Items: 171654
Using resiliency, redundancy, and representation in a Bayesian belief network to assess imperilment of riverine fishes
Conservation prioritization frameworks are used worldwide to identify species at greatest risk of extinction and to allocate limited resources across regions, species, and populations. Conservation prioritization can be impeded by ecological knowledge gaps and data deficiency, especially in freshwater species inhabiting highly complex aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, we developed a flexible approach
Authors
Corey Garland Dunn, David A. Schumann, Michael E. Colvin, Logan John Sleezer, Matthew Wagner, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Erin Rivenbark, Sarah McRae, Kristine Evans
Water-quality indicators of surface-water-influenced groundwater supplies in the Ohio River alluvial aquifer of West Virginia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, studied surface-water-influenced groundwater supplies in the Ohio River alluvial aquifer of West Virginia for the purpose of understanding the influence of surface water on groundwater chemistry. Public groundwater supplies obtained from these aquifers receive substantial recharge from surfa
Authors
Mitchell A. McAdoo, Gregory T. Connock
The U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Research Act Program—Meeting local, State, and national needs for water resources science and training
IntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a broad research portfolio that addresses water resource issues that are critical to our Nation’s prosperity and quality of life. Socioeconomics, geopolitical stressors, population growth, climate variability, and other factors provide challenges for the management of water resources. Working collaboratively with partners, the USGS observes and mon
Authors
Mark P. Miller, Earl A. Greene, Tanja N. Williamson
A framework to facilitate development and testing of image-based river velocimetry algorithms
Image-based methods have compelling, demonstrated potential for characterizing flow fields in rivers, but algorithms like particle image velocimetry (PIV) must be further tested and improved to enable more effective use of these techniques. This paper presents a framework designed for this exact purpose: Simulating Hydraulics and Images for Velocimetry Evaluation and Refinement (SHIVER). The appro
Authors
Carl J. Legleiter, Paul J. Kinzel
Macroscale controls determine the recovery of river ecosystem productivity following flood disturbances
River ecosystems rely on varied flows, including regular floods, to provide food and habitat for aquatic organisms. However, flows of freshwater are becoming increasingly managed for irrigation, industry, and other human activities, and the frequency of floods is changing. Our study used time-series data of photosynthesis from 143 rivers across the United States and developed a modeling framework
Authors
Heili Lowman, Robert K. Shriver, Robert O. Hall Jr., Judson Harvey, Philip Savoy, Charles Yackulic, Joanna R. Blaszczak
Remote sensing-based 3D assessment of landslides: A review of the data, methods, and applications
Remote sensing (RS) techniques are essential for studying hazardous landslide events because they capture information and monitor sites at scale. They enable analyzing causes and impacts of ongoing events for disaster management. There has been a plethora of work in the literature mostly discussing (1) applications to detect, monitor, and predict landslides using various instruments and image anal
Authors
Hessah Albanwan, Rongjun Qin, Jung-Kuan (Ernie) Liu
Examining the effect of physicochemical and meteorological variables on water quality indicators of harmful algal blooms in a shallow hypereutrophic lake using machine learning techniques
Two independent machine learning techniques, boosted regression trees and artificial neural networks, were used to examine the physicochemical and meteorological variables that affect the seasonal growth and decline of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in a shallow, hypereutrophic lake in southern Oregon. High temporal resolution data collected at four monitoring locations were aggregated into daily tim
Authors
Susan Wherry, Liam N. Schenk
Identifying indicators of polar bear population status
Monitoring trends in large mammal populations is a fundamental component of wildlife management and conservation. However, direct estimates of population size and vital rates of large mammals can be logistically challenging and expensive. Indicators that reflect trends in abundance, therefore, can be valuable tools for supporting population monitoring. Polar bears have a relatively simple life his
Authors
Karyn D. Rode, Ryan R. Wilson, Justin A. Crawford, Lori T. Quakenbush
Multigenerational, indirect exposure to pyrethroids demonstrates potential compensatory response and reduced toxicity at higher salinity in estuarine fish
Estuarine environments are critical to fish species and serve as nurseries for developing embryos and larvae. They also undergo daily fluctuations in salinity and act as filters for pollutants. Additionally, global climate change (GCC) is altering salinity regimes within estuarine systems through changes in precipitation and sea level rise. GCC is also likely to lead to an increased use of insecti
Authors
Sara Hutton, Samreen Siddiqui, Emily Pedersen, Christopher Markgraf, Amelie Segarra, Michelle Hladik, Richard E Connon, Susanne M. Brander
Multiple lines of evidence point to pesticides as stressors affecting invertebrate communities in small streams in five United States regions
Multistressor studies were performed in five regions of the United States to assess the role of pesticides as stressors affecting invertebrate communities in wadable streams. Pesticides and other chemical and physical stressors were measured in 75 to 99 streams per region for 4 weeks, after which invertebrate communities were surveyed (435 total sites). Pesticides were sampled weekly in filtered w
Authors
Lisa H. Nowell, Patrick W. Moran, Ian R. Waite, Travis S. Schmidt, Paul M. Bradley, Barbara J. Mahler, Peter Van Metre
Underwater flashlights: What light can tell us about water quality
Water is essential for life. The particles and dissolved chemicals found in rivers, lakes, and oceans are constantly changing with weather, seasons, and human activities. The substances found in water can be helpful or harmful to humans and other organisms. New technologies allow scientists to use waterproof computers (called sensors) to record the quality of water as it changes throughout the day
Authors
Kevin Alexander Ryan, Douglas A. Burns
A multiscale perspective for improving conservation of Conchos pupfish
Desert spring systems of the American southwest hold high local fish endemism and are ranked among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The prioritization of conservation resources to protect species living within these arid landscapes requires knowledge of species abundance and distribution. The plight of Conchos pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius) is representative of freshwater fishes the worl
Authors
Lindsey C. Elkins, Matthew Ross Acre, Megan G. Bean, Sarah M. Robertson, Ryan Smith, Joshuah S. Perkin