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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

Climate change implications and use of early warning systems for global dust storms

With increased changes in land cover and global climate, early detection and warning of dust storms in conjunction with effective and widespread information broadcasts will be essential to the prevention and mitigation of future risks and impacts. Human activities, seasonal variations and long-term climatic patterns influence dust storms. More research is needed to analyse these factors of dust mo
Authors
Lindsey M. Harriman

The surface elevation table: marker horizon method for measuring wetland accretion and elevation dynamics

Tidal wetlands are highly sensitive to processes that affect their elevation relative to sea level. The surface elevation table–marker horizon (SET–MH) method has been used to successfully measure these processes, including sediment accretion, changes in relative elevation, and shallow soil processes (subsidence and expansion due to root production). The SET–MH method is capable of measuring chang
Authors
John C. Callaway, Donald R. Cahoon, James C. Lynch

Graptemys pulchra Baur 1893: Alabama Map Turtle

The Alabama Map Turtle, Graptemys pulchra (Family Emydidae), is a moderately large riverine species endemic to the Mobile Bay drainage system of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Sexual size dimorphism is pronounced, with adult females (carapace length [CL] to 273 mm) attaining more than twice the size of adult males (CL to 117 mm). The species is an inhabitant of relatively large, swift creeks a
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, James C. Godwin, C.J. McCoy

Estimating structural collapse fragility of generic building typologies using expert judgment

The structured expert elicitation process proposed by Cooke (1991), hereafter referred to as Cooke's approach, is applied for the first time in the realm of structural collapse-fragility assessment for selected generic construction types. Cooke's approach works on the principle of objective calibration scoring of judgments couple with hypothesis testing used in classical statistics. The performanc

The integration of social-ecological resilience and law

No abstract available.
Authors
Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, J.B. Ruhl, Crawford S. Holling

11.12 - Volatile hydrocarbons and fuel oxygenates

Petroleum hydrocarbons and fuel oxygenates are among the most commonly occurring and widely distributed contaminants in the environment. This chapter presents a summary of the sources, transport, fate, and remediation of volatile fuel hydrocarbons and fuel additives in the environment. Much research has focused on the transport and transformation processes of petroleum hydrocarbons and fuel oxygen
Authors
Isabelle M. Cozzarelli

Tick control: Trapping, bio-control, host management and other alternative strategies

Biology of Ticks is the most comprehensive work on tick biology and tick-borne diseases. This second edition is a multi-authored work, featuring the research and analyses of renowned experts across the globe. Spanning two volumes, the book examines the systematics, biology, structure, ecological adaptations, evolution, genomics and the molecular processes that underpin the growth, development and
Authors
Howard S. Ginsberg

Sustainability of water-supply at military installations, Kabul Basin, Afghanistan

The Kabul Basin, including the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, is host to several military installations of Afghanistan, the United States, and other nations that depend on groundwater resources for water supply. These installations are within or close to the city of Kabul. Groundwater also is the potable supply for the approximately four million residents of Kabul. The sustainability of water resourc
Authors
Thomas J. Mack, Michael P. Chornack, Ingrid M. Verstraeten

Fossil plants from a proximal alluvial-fan complex: Implications for late Paleozoic sedimentary processes in western tropical Pangea

No abstract available.
Authors
Jacqueline E. Huntoon, Krystle Boks, Len Mankowski, Tara L. Campbell Wyrembelski, Russell Dubiel, John D. Stanesco

Bioavailability and bioaccumulation of metal-based engineered nanomaterials in aquatic environments: Concepts and processes

Bioavailability of Me-ENMs to aquatic organisms links their release into the environment to ecological implications. Close examination shows some important differences in the conceptual models that define bioavailability for metals and Me-ENMs. Metals are delivered to aquatic animals from Me-ENMs via water, ingestion, and incidental surface exposure. Both metal released from the Me-ENM and uptake
Authors
Samuel N. Luoma, Farhan R. Khan, Marie-Noële Croteau

Spatially explicit modeling to evaluate regional stream water quality

Spatially referenced regressions on watershed attributes (SPARROW) models have been developed and applied over the past two decades to address the need for large-scale, spatially explicit information on stream water quality conditions. The strength of SPARROW models is that they describe the primary environmental processes that affect the supply and transport of contaminant mass in watersheds, bas
Authors
Stephen D. Preston, Richard B. Alexander, Gregory Schwarz, Richard A. Smith

Habitat characteristics of North American tortoises

North American tortoises are distributed in semi-arid and temperate deserts and coastal regions of the southern United States and Mexico. The five species currently recognized each have specific habitat requirements, which they fulfill through their selection of, and interaction with unique habitat constituents. In this chapter we discuss the physiographic and geological associations, perennial an
Authors
Kenneth E. Nussear, Tracey D. Tuberville