Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Book Chapters

Browse more than 5,500 book chapters authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.

Filter Total Items: 6063

The value of earth observations: methods and findings on the value of Landsat imagery

Data from Earth observation systems are used extensively in managing and monitoring natural resources, natural hazards, and the impacts of climate change, but the value of such data can be difficult to estimate, particularly when it is available at no cost. Assessing the socioeconomic and scientific value of these data provides a better understanding of the existing and emerging research, science,
Authors
Holly M. Miller, Larisa O. Serbina, Leslie A. Richardson, Sarah J. Ryker, Timothy R. Newman

Urban and suburban areas

No abstract available.
Authors
Robert N. Fisher

What are hierarchical models and how do we analyze them?

In this chapter we provide a basic definition of hierarchical models and introduce the two canonical hierarchical models in this book: site occupancy and N-mixture models. The former is a hierarchical extension of logistic regression and the latter is a hierarchical extension of Poisson regression. We introduce basic concepts of probability modeling and statistical inference including likelihood a
Authors
Andy Royle

Alamo impact olistoliths in Antler orogenic foreland, Warm Springs–Milk Spring area, Hot Creek Range, central Nevada

The 45 km2 map area is situated at the south end of the Hot Creek Range in central Nevada, ~16 km east of the buried leading edge of the Mississippian Roberts Mountains thrust. Three eastward-trending left-slip faults divide the area into four structural blocks. The southernmost block is occupied solely by upper Oligocene volcanic rocks. The narrow northernmost block, now occupied surficially by v
Authors
Forrest G. Poole, Charles Sandberg

Biology and ecology of Neosho Smallmouth Bass and the genetically distinct Ouachita lineage

We reviewed the published and gray literature associated with Neosho Smallmouth Bass and the genetically-distinct Ouachita lineage. Substantial inter-stream variation appears to occur among these populations, particularly related to age. The Neosho subspecies is more abundant, grows faster, and lives longer than the genetically-distinct Ouachita lineage. Recruitment is highly variable among stream
Authors
Shannon K. Brewer, James M. Long

Formulating the American Geophysical Union's Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy: Challenges and lessons learned

Creating an ethics policy for a large, diverse geosciences organization is a challenge, especially in the midst of the current contentious dialogue in the media related to such issues as climate change, sustaining natural resources, and responding to natural hazards. In 2011, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) took on this challenge, creating an Ethics Task Force to update their ethics policies
Authors
Linda C. Gundersen, Randy Townsend

Foundations of water quality monitoring and assessment in the United States

No abstract available.
Authors
Donna N. Myers

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Centrocercus minimus

No abstract available
Authors
Jessica R. Young, Clait E. Braun, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick Magee, Michael A. Schroeder

Lahars and their deposits

Lahars occur during volcanic eruptions--or, less predictably, through other processes on steep volcanic terrain--when large masses of water mixed with sediment sweep down and off volcano slopes and commonly incorporate additional sediment and water. Because lahars are water-saturated, both liquid and solid interactions influence their behavior and distinguish them from other related phenomena com
Authors
James W. Vallance, Richard M. Iverson

Soil formation: Chapter 6

Soil formation reflects the complex interaction of many factors, among the most important of which are (i) the nature of the soil parent material, (ii) regional climate, (iii) organisms, including humans, (iv) topography and (v) time. These processes operate in Earth's critical zone; the thin veneer of our planet where rock meets life. Understanding the operation of these soil-forming factors requ
Authors
Martin B. Goldhaber, Steven A. Banwart

The East African monsoon system: Seasonal climatologies and recent variations: Chapter 10

This chapter briefly reviews the complex climatological cycle of the East African monsoon system, paying special attention to its connection to the larger Indo-Pacific-Asian monsoon cycle. We examine the seasonal monsoon cycle, and briefly explore recent circulation changes. The spatial footprint of our analysis corresponds with the “Greater Horn of Africa” (GHA) region, extending from Tanzania in
Authors
Christopher C. Funk, Andrew Hoell, Shraddhanand Shukla, Gregory J. Husak, J. Michaelsen