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: 171158
Salinity trends in a groundwater system supplemented by 50 years of imported Colorado River water
The Indio subbasin of the Coachella Valley is a desert area of southern California where a growing population depends primarily on groundwater for drinking and agricultural uses. The aquifer system has been supplemented with Colorado River water through managed recharge and widespread irrigation since the mid-20th century. We use a combination of geochemical modeling and trend analysis to identify
Authors
Jennifer S. Harkness, Patrick Michael McCarthy, Bryant Jurgens, Zeno Levy
Relating absolute abundance of an estuarine fish to habitat area in an urbanizing environment
Organisms that rely on salt marsh habitat are an important trophic link, helping to maintain estuarine ecosystem productivity. We used GIS to quantify intertidal (assumed salt marsh) area from aerial photographs taken in 1939 and from software-supplied satellite imagery taken in 2021 for tidal creeks in North Carolina (USA) that have experienced minor (<20%), moderate (20-60%), or substantial (>60
Authors
Paul J. Rudershausen, Steven M. Lombardo, George R. Stilson, Matthew J. O'Donnell
Fecal metabarcoding of the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) reveals a diverse and forb rich diet that reflects local habitat availability
Information on diet breadth and preference can assist in understanding links between food resources and population growth and inform habitat restoration for rare herbivores. We assessed the diet of the endangered Pacific pocket mouse using metabarcoding of fecal samples and compared it to plant community composition in long-term study plots in two populations on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, S
Authors
A. G. Vandergast, Cheryl S. Brehme, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Robert S. Cornman, Devin T. Adsit-Morris, Robert N. Fisher
Future marsh evolution due to tidal changes induced by human adaptation to sea level rise
With sea level rise threatening coastal development, decision-makers are beginning to act by modifying shorelines. Previous research has shown that hardening or softening shorelines may change the tidal range under future sea level rise. Tidal range can also be changed by natural factors. Coastal marshes, which humans increasingly depend on for shoreline protection, are ecologically sensitive to t
Authors
Celina Balderas-Guzman, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Michelle A. Hummel, Mark T. Stacey
Spatial distribution of elevation change monitoring in coastal wetlands across protected lands of the lower 48 United States
IntroductionTidally influenced coastal wetlands, both saline and fresh, appear where terrestrial and marine environments meet and are considered important ecosystems for identifying the impacts of climate change. Coastal wetlands provide valuable benefits to society and the environment in the form of flood protection, water-quality improvements, and shoreline erosion reduction, making them one of
Authors
Justine Annaliese Neville, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
Geology, hydrology, and groundwater contamination in the vicinity of Central Chemical facility, Hagerstown, Maryland
The soil and groundwater at the Central Chemical facility, Hagerstown, Maryland, are contaminated due to the blending and production of pesticides and fertilizers during much of the 20th century. Remedial investigations focus on two operable units (OU) consisting of the surface soils and waste disposal lagoon (OU-1) and the groundwater (OU-2). The contaminants of concern (COC) for groundwater incl
Authors
Trevor P. Needham, Alex R. Fiore, Scott W. Ator, Jeff P. Raffensperger, Madison B. Smith, Nicole M. Bellmyer, Caitlyn M. Dugan, Carol J. Morel
Critical stakeholder engagement: The road to actionable science Is paved with scientists’ good intentions
To help stakeholders such as planners, resource managers, policymakers, and decision makers address environmental challenges in the Anthropocene, scientists are increasingly creating actionable science—science that is useful, usable, and used. Critical physical geography encourages the engagement of stakeholders in the creation of scientific knowledge to conduct actionable science and produce outp
Authors
Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Amanda E. Cravens, Renee A. McPherson
Evaluating the utility of effective breeding size estimates for monitoring sea lamprey spawning abundance
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an invasive species that is a significant source of mortality for populations of valued fish species across the North American Great Lakes. Large annual control programs are needed to reduce the species' impacts; however, the number of successfully spawning adults cannot currently be accurately assessed. In this study, effective breeding size (Nb) and the minimu
Authors
Ellen M. Weise, Kim T Scribner, Olivia Boeberitz, Gale Bravener, Nicholas S. Johnson, John D Robinson
Statewide sampling to determine spatial distribution, prevalence, and occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Illinois community water supplies, 2020–21
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured and used globally since the 1940s. PFAS are used for their oil- and water-repellent properties, ability to reduce friction, and their flame-retardant nature. PFAS are widely used in a variety of products, including clothing, carpet, food packaging, and firefighting foam. The properties that ma
Authors
Amy M. Gahala, Jennifer B. Sharpe, Andrew M. Williams
Responses of juvenile mussels to metals in sediment and water of the Tri-State Mining District
The U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators from EcoAnalysts, Inc., completed field and laboratory studies during 2016–19 to evaluate the toxicity of metals to freshwater mussels in streams draining the Tri-State Mining District. This project consisted of (1) sampling and analysis of metals in water and sediment, (2) surveys of mussel assemblages at sites with suitable mussel habitat, (3) toxicit
Authors
John M. Besser, Chris D. Ivey, James L. Kunz, Nile E. Kemble, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery Steevens, Heidi Dunn, Ryan Foley
A nontarget, disturbance-resilient native species influences post-fire recovery and multiphasic herbicide-seeding outcomes in drylands threatened by exotic annual grasses
Native species that are abundant and persistent across disturbance-succession cycles can affect recovery and restoration of plant communities, especially in drylands. In the sagebrush-steppe deserts of North America, restoring deep-rooted perennial bunchgrasses (DRPBGs) is key to the strategy for breaking an increasingly problematic cycle of wildfire promoted by exotic annual grasses (EAGs) and di
Authors
Chad Raymond Kluender, Matthew Germino