Reports
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Browse more than 82,000 reports authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.
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New England Water Science Center—Bringing quality and reliable water science to New England
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center provides timely and reliable information to Federal, State, Tribal, and local stakeholders on the water resources of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. This information product broadly describes the center’s research priorities and monitoring network and how its work benefits the public and
Authors
Katrina Rossos
Space-based Earth observation and ecosystem extent: Exploring opportunities
The purpose of this white paper is to explore and communicate potential new opportunities for using space-based Earth observation (EO) for monitoring biodiversity with a focus on ecosystem extent (the distribution of ecosystems on the Earth). It is part of a new activity of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), a collaboration of the world’s space agencies that facilitates cross-ag
Authors
Gary Geller, Shaun Levick, Sandra Luque, Roger Sayre, Andreas Brink, Nicholas Coops, Sylvie Durrieu, Judith Ewald, Hannes Feilhauer, Jean-Baptiste Feret, Simon Ferrier, Miroslav Honzák, Dino Lenco, Amanda Koltz, Nikhil Lele, Shea Lombardo, Miguel Mahecha, Carsten Meyer, Marc Paganini, Cassidy Rankine, Duccio Rocchini, Amy Rosenthal, Maria J. Santos, Lucie Viciano
Evaluating management alternatives for Wyoming elk feedgrounds in consideration of chronic wasting disease
Executive SummaryThe authors used decision and modeling analyses to evaluate management alternatives for a decision on whether to permit Cervus canadensis (elk) feeding on two sites on Bridger-Teton National Forest, Dell Creek and Forest Park. Supplemental feeding of elk could increase the transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) locally and disease spread regionally, potentially impacting el
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Paul C. Cross, Emily M. Tomaszewski, Eric K. Cole, Evan H. Campbell Grant, James M. Wilder, Michael C. Runge
Updates to the regional groundwater-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, 1980–2013
A 21-layer three-dimensional transient groundwater-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain was developed and calibrated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to simulate groundwater-flow conditions during 1980–2013, incorporating average annual groundwater withdrawals and average annual groundwater recharge. This model is
Authors
Alison D. Gordon, Glen B. Carleton
The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Missouri’s economy
IntroductionBecause of its geography, Missouri is frequently subject to natural disasters. Ice storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding are all common occurrences. Since 1990, Missouri has received 40 Federal major disaster declarations. Floods and droughts severely affect the State’s agriculture, which is a leading industry. Another potential major hazard is the New Madrid seismic zo
Authors
David Nail
Machine-learning predictions of groundwater specific conductance in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, south-central United States, with evaluation of regional geophysical aerial electromagnetic data as explanatory variables
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain, located in the south-central United States, is undergoing long-term groundwater-level declines within the surficial Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (hereinafter referred to as “alluvial aquifer”), which has raised concerns about future groundwater availability. In some parts of the alluvial aquifer, groundwater availability for common uses such as irrigati
Authors
Courtney D. Killian, Katherine J. Knierim
System characterization report on the Pléiades Neo Imager
Executive SummaryThis report addresses system characterization of the Pléiades Neo satellite and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures for characterization; present technical and operational infor
Authors
Simon J. Cantrell, Aparajithan Sampath, James C. Vrabel, Paul Bresnahan, Cody Anderson, Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park
Assessment of post-wildfire geomorphic change in the North Fork Eagle Creek stream channel, New Mexico, 2017–21
The 2012 Little Bear Fire caused substantial vegetation loss in the Eagle Creek Basin of south-central New Mexico. This loss was expected to alter the localized hydrologic response to precipitation by creating conditions that amplify surface runoff, which might alter the geomorphology of North Fork Eagle Creek, a major tributary to Eagle Creek. To monitor short-term geomorphic change, annual geomo
Authors
Justin R. Nichols, Shaleene B. Chavarria, Alexander P. Graziano
Developing fluvial fish species distribution models across the conterminous United States—A framework for management and conservation
This report explains the steps and specific methods used to predict fluvial fish occurrences in their native ranges for the conterminous United States. In this study, boosted regression tree models predict distributions of 271 ecologically important fluvial fish species using relations between fish presence/absence and 22 natural and anthropogenic landscape variables. Models developed for the fres
Authors
Hao Yu, Arthur R. Cooper, Jared Ross, Alexa McKerrow, Daniel J. Wieferich, Dana M. Infante
Creating oriented and precisely sectioned mineral mounts for in situ chemical analyses—An example using olivine for diffusion chronometry studies
Diffusion chronometry is now a widely applied methodology for determining the rates and timescales of geologic processes from the chemical zoning observed in minerals. Despite the popularity of the method, several challenges still remain during its application, including: (1) the random sectioning of minerals either in thin sections or grain mounts in which both off-center and oblique sections con
Authors
Kendra J. Lynn, Liliana G. Desmither
Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) 6-year summary, Naval Outlying Landing Field, Imperial Beach, southwestern San Diego County, California, 2014–20
Executive SummaryFrom 2014 to 2020, a Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) banding station (station) was operated at the Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF), Imperial Beach, in southwestern San Diego County, California. The station was established as part of a long-term monitoring program of Neotropical migratory bird populations on NOLF and helps Naval Base Coronado (NOLF is a co
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Shannon Mendia, Barbara E. Kus
Development and application of a risk assessment tool for aquatic invasive species in the international Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin, United States and Canada
The Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin covers 70,000 square kilometers in mid-central North America and is contained within the Provinces of Ontario and Manitoba in Canada and the State of Minnesota in the United States. This basin contains natural wilderness areas, national parks, and thousands of lakes that bring outdoor enthusiasts from around the world for hunting, fishing, backpacking, boating, an
Authors
Amanda H. Bell, Leon R. Katona, Nicole M. Vellequette