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Publications

This list of Water Resources Mission Area publications includes both official USGS publications and journal articles authored by our scientists. A searchable database of all USGS publications can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 18424

Missouri StreamStats—A water-resources web application

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains and operates more than 8,200 continuous streamgages nationwide. Types of data that may be collected, computed, and stored for streamgages include streamgage height (water-surface elevation), streamflow, and water quality. The streamflow data allow scientists and engineers to calculate streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent annual exceedance probabi
Authors
Jarrett T. Ellis

Evaluation of the Radar Stage Sensor manufactured by Forest Technology Systems—Results of laboratory and field testing

Two identical Radar Stage Sensors from Forest Technology Systems were evaluated to determine if they are suitable for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic data collection. The sensors were evaluated in laboratory conditions to evaluate the distance accuracy of the sensor over the manufacturer’s specified operating temperatures and distance to water ranges. Laboratory results were compared to t
Authors
Gerald A. Kunkle

Hydrologic regime changes in a high-latitude glacierized watershed under future climate conditions

A calibrated conceptual glacio-hydrological monthly water balance model (MWBMglacier) was used to evaluate future changes in water partitioning in a high-latitude glacierized watershed in Southcentral Alaska under future climate conditions. The MWBMglacier was previously calibrated and evaluated against streamflow measurements, literature values of glacier mass balance change, and satellite-based
Authors
Melissa Valentin, Terri S. Hogue, Lauren Hay

Updated procedures for using drill cores and cuttings at the Lithologic Core Storage Library, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

In 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office, established the Lithologic Core Storage Library at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The facility was established to consolidate, catalog, and permanently store nonradioactive drill cores and cuttings from subsurface investigations conducted at the INL, and to provide a location for r
Authors
Mary K.V. Hodges, Linda C. Davis, Roy C. Bartholomay

Stream mercury export in response to contemporary timber harvesting methods (Pacific Coastal Mountains, Oregon, USA)

Land-use activities can alter hydrological and biogeochemical processes that can affect the fate, transformation, and transport of mercury (Hg). Previous studies in boreal forests have shown that forestry operations can have profound, but variable effects on Hg export and methylmercury (MeHg) formation. The Pacific Northwest is an important timber producing region that receives large atmospheric
Authors
Chris S. Eckley, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michael T. Tate, Brandon M Kowalski, Robert Danehy, Sherri L Johnson, David P. Krabbenhoft

Direct and indirect effects of tides on ecosystem-scale CO2 exchange in a brackish tidal marsh in Northern California

We investigated the direct and indirect influence of tides on net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a temperate brackish tidal marsh. NEE displayed a tidally driven pattern with obvious characteristics at the multiday scale, with greater net CO2uptake during spring tides than neap tides. Based on the relative mutual information between NEE and biophysical variables, this was driv
Authors
Sara Knox, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Frank Anderson, Cove Sturtevant, Brian A. Bergamaschi

Simulated hydrologic response to climate change during the 21st century in New Hampshire

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, has developed a hydrologic model to assess the effects of short- and long-term climate change on hydrology in New Hampshire. This report documents the model and datasets developed by using the model to predict how climate change will affect the hyd
Authors
David M. Bjerklie, Luke P. Sturtevant

VS2DRTI: Simulating heat and reactive solute transport in variably saturated porous media

Variably saturated groundwater flow, heat transport, and solute transport are important processes in environmental phenomena, such as the natural evolution of water chemistry of aquifers and streams, the storage of radioactive waste in a geologic repository, the contamination of water resources from acid-rock drainage, and the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Up to now, our ability to sim
Authors
Richard W. Healy, Sosina S. Haile, David L. Parkhurst, Scott R. Charlton

Characterizing drought in California: new drought indices and scenario-testing in support of resource management

IntroductionCalifornia’s recent drought (2012–2016) has implications throughout the state for natural resource management and adaptation planning and has generated many discussions about drought characterization and recovery. This study characterizes drought conditions with two indices describing deficits in natural water supply and increases in landscape stress developed on the basis of water bal
Authors
Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, John Mendoza, Julie Kalansky, F. M. Ralph

Hydrogeologic framework and groundwater conditions of the Ararat Basin in Armenia

Armenia is a landlocked country located in the mountainous Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. It shares borders with the countries of Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, Iran on the south, and Turkey and Azerbaijan on the west. The Ararat Basin is a transboundary basin in Armenia and Turkey. The Ararat Basin (or Ararat Valley) is an intermountain depression that contains the Aras R
Authors
Joshua F. Valder, Janet M. Carter, Colton J. Medler, Ryan F. Thompson, Mark T. Anderson

Use of flow cytometry and stable isotope analysis to determine phytoplankton uptake of wastewater derived ammonium in a nutrient-rich river

Anthropogenic alteration of the form and concentration of nitrogen (N) in aquatic ecosystems is widespread. Understanding availability and uptake of different N sources at the base of aquatic food webs is critical to establishment of effective nutrient management programs. Stable isotopes of N (14N, 15N) are often used to trace the sources of N fueling aquatic primary production, but effective use
Authors
Calla M. Schmidt, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Megan B. Young, Carol Kendall

Size, age, renewal, and discharge of groundwater carbon

Groundwater carbon (C) supply to lakes and streams is important to understanding the role of inland waters in global and regional cycles and in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. We provide new estimates of the size and discharge of the groundwater C pool using data from a broad survey of groundwater C, information on the depth distribution of groundwater, and data on groundwater age. About 0.
Authors
John A. Downing, Robert G. Striegl