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Publications

Listed here are publications, reports and articles by the Climate R&D program.

Filter Total Items: 1020

Weekly resolution particulate flux from a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2008-2012

The U.S. Geological Survey anchored a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico to collect time-series data on sediment flux from 2008 to 2012. There are continuous measurements of total mass flux and organic carbon flux (ogC) at 7–14 day resolution from 2008 to 2012. The flux of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), particulate nitrogen (nitro), and biogenic silica (Opal) were also measured from January-
Authors
Julie N. Richey, Caitlin E. Reynolds, Eric Tappa, Robert Thunell

The impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems

In this chapter we stress two important features of coasts and coastal ecosystems. First, these are dynamic systems which continually undergo adjustments, especially through erosion and re-deposition, in response to a range of processes. Many coastal ecosystems adjust naturally at a range of time scales and their potential for response is examined partly by reconstructing how such systems have cop
Authors
Colin D. Woodroffe, Robert J. Nicholls, Virginia Burkett, Donald L. Forbes

Identifying stakeholder-relevant climate change impacts: a case study in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, USA

Designing climate-related research so that study results will be useful to natural resource managers is a unique challenge. While decision makers increasingly recognize the need to consider climate change in their resource management plans, and climate scientists recognize the importance of providing locally-relevant climate data and projections, there often remains a gap between management needs
Authors
K. Jenni, D. Graves, Jill M. Hardiman, James R. Hatten, Mark C. Mastin, Matthew G. Mesa, J. Montag, Timothy Nieman, Frank D. Voss, Alec G. Maule

Desert wetlands in the geologic record

Desert wetlands support flora and fauna in a variety of hydrologic settings, including seeps, springs, marshes, wet meadows, ponds, and spring pools. Over time, eolian, alluvial, and fluvial sediments become trapped in these settings by a combination of wet ground conditions and dense plant cover. The result is a unique combination of clastic sediments, chemical precipitates, and organic matter th
Authors
Jeff S. Pigati, Jason A. Rech, Jay Quade, Jordon Bright

How mangrove forests adjust to rising sea level

Mangroves are among the most well described and widely studied wetland communities in the world. The greatest threats to mangrove persistence are deforestation and other anthropogenic disturbances that can compromise habitat stability and resilience to sea-level rise. To persist, mangrove ecosystems must adjust to rising sea level by building vertically or become submerged. Mangroves may directly
Authors
Ken W. Krauss, Karen L. McKee, Catherine E. Lovelock, Donald R. Cahoon, Neil Saintilan, Ruth Reef, Luzhen Chen

Can uncertainties in sea ice albedo reconcile patterns of data-model discord for the Pliocene and 20th/21st centuries?

General Circulation Model simulations of the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP, 3.264 to 3.025 Myr ago) currently underestimate the level of warming that proxy data suggest existed at high latitudes, with discrepancies of up to 11°C for sea surface temperature estimates and 17°C for surface air temperature estimates. Sea ice has a strong influence on high-latitude climates, partly due to the albedo f
Authors
Fergus W. Howell, Alan M. Haywood, Aisling M. Dolan, Harry J. Dowsett, Jane E Francis, Daniel J. Hill, Steven J. Pickering, James O. Pope, Ulrich Salzmann, Bidget S Wade

Radiocarbon dating of terrestrial carbonates

Terrestrial carbonates encompass a wide range of materials that potentially could be used for radiocarbon (14C) dating. Biogenic carbonates, including shells and tests of terrestrial and aquatic gastropods, bivalves, ostracodes, and foraminifera, are preserved in a variety of late Quaternary deposits and may be suitable for 14C dating. Primary calcareous deposits (marls, tufa, speleothems) and sec
Authors
Jeffrey S. Pigati

Coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes controlling variability of nitrogen species in streamflow during autumn in an upland forest

Autumn is a season of dynamic change in forest streams of the northeastern United States due to effects of leaf fall on both hydrology and biogeochemistry. Few studies have explored how interactions of biogeochemical transformations, various nitrogen sources, and catchment flow paths affect stream nitrogen variation during autumn. To provide more information on this critical period, we studied (1)
Authors
Stephen D. Sebestyen, James B. Shanley, Elizabeth W. Boyer, Carol Kendall, Daniel H. Doctor

Climate Change 2014: Technical Summary

Human interference with the climate system is occurring (WGI AR5 SPM Section D.3; WGI AR5 Sections 2.2, 6.3, 10.3 to 10.6, 10.9). Climate change poses risks for human and natural systems. The assessment of impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability in the Working Group II contribution to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (WGII AR5) evaluates how patterns of risks and potential benefits are shifting d
Authors
Chrisopher B. Field, Vicente Barros, Katherine Mach, Michael Mastrandrea, Maarten van Aalst, Niel Adger, Douglas J Arent, Jonathan Barnett, Richard Betts, Eren Bilir, Joern Birkmann, Joann Carmin, Dave Chadee, Andrew Challinor, Monalisa Chaterjee, Wolfgang Cramer, Debra Davidson, Yuka Estrada, Jean-Pierre Gatusso, Yasuakai Hijioka, Gary Yohe, Margaret Hiza, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, He-Qing Huang, Gregory Insarov, Roger Jones, Sari Kovats, Patricia Romero Lankao, Joan Nymand Larsen, Iñigo Losada, José Marengo, Roger McLean, Linda Mearns, Reinhard Mechler, John Morton, Isabelle Niang, Taikan Oki, Jane Mukarugwiza Olwoch, Maggie Opondo, Elvira Poloczanska, Hans -O. Pörtner, Andy Reisinger, Aromar Revi, Daniela Schmidt, Rebecca Shaw, William Solecki, Dáithí Stone, John Stone, Ken Strzepek, Avelino G. Suarez, Petra Tschakert, Riccardo Valentini, Sebastian Vicuna, Alicia Villamizar, Katharine Vincent, Rachel Warren, Leslie White, Thomas Wilbanks, Poh Poh Wong

Social-ecological resilience and law in the Platte River Basin

Efficiency and resistance to rapid change are hallmarks of both the judicial and legislative branches of the United States government. These defining characteristics, while bringing stability and predictability, pose challenges when it comes to managing dynamic natural systems. As our understanding of ecosystems improves, we must devise ways to account for the non-linearities and uncertainties rif
Authors
Hannah E. Birge, Craig R. Allen, Robin Craig, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Joseph A. Hamm, Christina Babbitt, Kristine T. Nemec, Edella Schlager

Disturbance to desert soil ecosystems contributes to dust-mediated impacts at regional scales

This review considers the regional scale of impacts arising from disturbance to desert soil ecosystems. Deserts occupy over one-third of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, and biological soil covers are critical to stabilization of desert soils. Disturbance to these can contribute to massive destabilization and mobilization of dust. This results in dust storms that are transported across inter-conti
Authors
Stephen B. Pointing, Jayne Belnap