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.
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Comparing reintroduction strategies for the endangered San Francisco gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) using demographic models
For endangered species persisting in a few populations, reintroductions to unoccupied habitat are a popular conservation action to increase viability in the long term. Identifying the reintroduction strategy that is most likely to result in viable founder and donor populations is essential to optimally use resources available for conservation. The San Francisco gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tet
Authors
Jonathan P. Rose, Richard Kim, Elliot James Schoenig, Patrick C. Lien, Brian J. Halstead
Geochemical evidence for evolving Proterozoic crustal thickness and orogenic styles in southwestern Laurentia
It has long been challenging for researchers to track the crustal thickness and mode(s) of crustal modification in ancient convergent margins, limiting evaluation of the tectonic styles and processes that modify continental crust during orogenesis. We present trace element igneous geochemical crustal thickness proxies that quantitatively track the crustal thickness evolution of the long-lived Prot
Authors
Ian William Hillenbrand, Karl E. Karlstrom, Michael L. Williams, Amy K. Gilmer, Wayne R. Premo, Peter B Davis
Lessons learned from the 2022 CONVERSE Monogenetic Volcanism Response Scenario exercise
When volcanic unrest occurs, the scientific community can advance fundamental understanding of volcanic systems, but only with coordination before, during, and after the event across academic and governmental agencies. To develop a coordinated response plan, the Community Network for Volcanic Eruption Response (CONVERSE) orchestrated a scenario exercise centered around a hypothetical volcanic cris
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, Einat Lev, Ria Mukerji, Tobias P. Fischer, Charles Connor, Wendy K. Stovall, M. Poland, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Christelle Wauthier, Judit Gonzalez-Santana, Heather M. Wright, Samantha Wolf, Tobi Kasali
The sands of time: Predicting sea level rise impacts to barrier island habitats
Coastal beach ecosystems support critical habitat for numerous species and are vulnerable to sea level rise. Sand beaches are spatially and temporally dynamic, making it difficult to accurately predict future habitat loss – estimates that are crucial as species are being assessed for protection. We mapped sand beach habitat on 12 focal barrier islands and low-lying beaches off the Gulf Coast of Fl
Authors
Erin L. Koen, William Barichivich, Susan Walls
Implementation plan of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program strategy—Northeast region of the United States: New York and New England
Complexly deformed igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks form the bedrock of the Northeast region of the United States. Variably thick unconsolidated sediments deposited by glacial, fluvial, and eolian systems locally cover the bedrock. New geologic mapping focuses on areas lacking modern, detailed studies or syntheses, and contributes to existing framework research. This report addresses pl
Authors
Gregory J. Walsh, Margaret A. Thomas, Robert G. Marvinney, Stephen B. Mabee, Frederick H. Chormann, Andrew Kozlowski, Marjorie H. Gale, Jon Kim, Brian Savage
The long shadow of a major disaster: Modeled dynamic impacts of the hypothetical HayWired earthquake on California’s economy
We develop and apply a dynamic economic simulation model to analyze the multi-regional impacts of, and mechanisms of recovery from, a major disaster, the HayWired scenario — a hypothetical Magnitude 7.0 earthquake affecting California’s San Francisco Bay Area. The model integrates loss pathways: capital stock damage, labor supply shocks due to short-term population displacement and longer-run out-
Authors
Ian Sue Wing, Adam Z Rose, Dan Wei, Anne Wein
Machine learning application to assess occurrence and saturations of methane hydrate in marine deposits offshore India
Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to assess methane hydrate occurrence and saturation in marine sediments offshore India. The ANN analysis classifies the gas hydrate occurrence into three types: methane hydrate in pore space, methane hydrate in fractures, or no methane hydrate. Further, predicted saturation characterizes the volume of gas hydrate with respect to the available void volume.
Authors
Leebyn Chong, Timothy Collett, C. Gabriel Creason, Yongkoo Seol, E.M. Myshakin
Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River
BackgroundLarge-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) fra
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Abigail Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Susan Embke, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, Mary Grace T. Lemon, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Madeline Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen P. McKenna, Andrew R. Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron D. Shultz, Laura Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Effects of vehicle traffic on space use and road crossings of caribou in the Arctic
Assessing the effects of industrial development on wildlife is a key objective of managers and conservation practitioners. However, wildlife responses are often only investigated with respect to the footprint of infrastructure, even though human activity can strongly mediate development impacts. In Arctic Alaska, there is substantial interest in expanding energy development, raising concerns about
Authors
John P. Severson, Heather E. Johnson, Timothy C. Vosburgh
Spatial variation in density of American black bears in northern Yellowstone National Park
The quality and availability of resources are known to influence spatial patterns of animal density. In Yellowstone National Park, relationships between the availability of resources and the distribution of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) have been explored but have yet to be examined in American black bears (Ursus americanus). We conducted non-invasive genetic sampling during 2017–2018 (mid-May to m
Authors
Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andrea R. Litt, Michael A. Sawaya, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
How long do runoff-generated debris-flow hazards persist after wildfire?
Runoff-generated debris flows are a potentially destructive and deadly response to wildfire until sufficient vegetation and soil-hydraulic recovery have reduced susceptibility to the hazard. Elevated debris-flow susceptibility may persist for several years, but the controls on the timespan of the susceptible period are poorly understood. To evaluate the connection between vegetation recovery and d
Authors
Andrew Paul Graber, Matthew A. Thomas, Jason W. Kean
Monitoring sediment transport pathways from an artificial nearshore berm, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, August 2018 to November 2019: Implications for coastal management
During August 2018 – November 2019, the transport pathways of dredge material from a specially constructed nearshore feeder berm were investigated as part of a collaborative study by the City of South Padre Island, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Galveston District, U.S. Geological Survey, Partrac GeoMarine Inc., and Texas A&M University, into the efficacy of beneficial use dredge material (BUDM) as
Authors
Darwin Ockerman, Douglas James Schnoebelen, Jack Poleykett, Patrick L. Friend, Coraggio K. Maglio, Kristina Boburka