Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
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Elevated winter stream temperatures below wastewater treatment plants shift reproductive development of female Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum: A field and histologic approach
River water temperatures are increasing globally, particularly in urban systems. In winter, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent inputs are of particular concern because they increase water temperatures from near freezing to ~7–15 °C. Recent laboratory studies suggest that warm overwinter temperatures impact the reproductive timing of some fishes. To evaluate winter water temperature’s influ
Authors
Catherine M. Adams, Dana L. Winkelman, Paula A. Schaffer, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Jenna E. Cavallin, Michael Ellman, Kelvin Santana Rodriguez, Ryan M. Fitzpatrick
Regional-scale mapping of landscape response to extreme precipitation using repeat lidar and object-based image analysis
Extreme precipitation events may cause flooding, slope failure, erosion, deposition, and damage to infrastructure over a regional scale, but the impacts of these events are often difficult to fully characterize. Regional-scale landscape change occurred during an extreme rain event in June 2012 in northeastern Minnesota. Landscape change was documented by 8,000 km2 of airborne lidar data collected
Authors
Stephen B. DeLong, Morena N Hammer, Zachary T. Engle, Emilie Richard, Andrew Breckenridge, Karen B. Gran, Carrie E. Jennings, Andre Jalobeanu
Longitudinal analyses of catch-at-age data for reconstructing year-class strength, with an application to lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the main basin of Lake Huron
We investigated using longitudinal models to reconstruct year-class strength (YCS) from catch-at-age data, with an example application to lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the main basin of Lake Huron. The best model structure depended on the age range used for model implementation. The YCS trajectory from the full age range (3–30 years) was similar to the trajectory from a narrow age range tha
Authors
Ji X. He, Andrew Edgar Honsey, David F. Staples, James R. Bence, Tracy L. Claramunt
40Ar/39Ar geochronology of magmatic-steam alunite from Alunite Ridge and Deer Trail Mountain, Marysvale Volcanic Field, Utah: Timing and duration of miocene hydrothermal activity associated with concealed intrusions
Porphyry and epithermal deposits are important sources of base and precious metals. Most actively mined deposits have been exhumed such that ore bodies are relatively close to the surface and are therefore locatable and economic to extract. Identifying and characterizing concealed deposits, particularly more deeply buried porphyry deposits, represents a far greater challenge for mineral exploratio
Authors
Cameron Mark Mercer, M. Cosca, Albert H. Hofstra, Wayne R. Premo, Robert O. Rye, Gary P. Landis
Characterization of water quality, biology, and habitat of the Pearl River and selected tributaries contiguous to and within Tribal lands of the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, 2017–18
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI), conducted a baseline assessment of the physical, chemical, and biological quality of selected streams and rivers within and contiguous to the Pearl River Community (PRC) in 2017 and 2018. The MBCI is a federally recognized tribe with territories in Mississippi and Tennessee. MBCI Tribal government and c
Authors
Lucas J. Driver, Matthew B. Hicks, Amy C. Gill
Groundwater-level altitudes and groundwater-flow direction and nature and extent of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds at Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. (Turtle Bayou), Superfund site, Liberty County, Texas, 2020
The Petro-Chemical Systems, Inc. (Turtle Bayou), Superfund site is 15 miles southeast of Liberty, Texas, in Liberty County. Improper disposal of waste oils led to contamination of soil and groundwater at the site. In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey collected water-quality samples from 11 monitoring wells at the site, in particular the area near
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Kent D. Becher
Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit an annual report to Congress on Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program agreements that, among other things, reports on the progress made towards fulfilling commitments outlined in the agreements. The U.S. Geological
Authors
David M. Mushet, Owen P. McKenna
Preliminary evidence of anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in the western United States
Although there is extensive evidence of declines in the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) population across North America, the cause of such declines remains a mystery. One hypothesized driver of decline is anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) exposure, which could potentially cause mortality or reduced fitness. We investigated AR exposure in wild American Kestrels in Utah, USA. We collected and teste
Authors
Evan R. Buechley, Dave Oleyar, Jesse Watson, Jennifer Bridgeman, Steven Volker, David A. Goldade, Catherine E. Swift, Barnett A. Rattner
Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
Anthropogenic conversion of forests and wetlands to agricultural and urban landcovers impacts dissolved organic matter (DOM) within streams draining these catchments. Research on how landcover conversion impacts DOM molecular level composition and bioavailability, however, is lacking. In the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB), water from low-order streams and rivers draining one of three dominan
Authors
Derrick R. Vaughn, Anne M. Kellerman, Kimberly Wickland, Robert G. Striegl, David C. Podgorski, Jon R. Hawkings, Jaap H. Nienhuis, Mark M. Dornblaser, Edward G. Stets, Robert G.M. Spencer
Ordovician geology of Alaska
Ordovician rocks, found in northern, east-central, interior and southern Alaska, formed in a variety of depositional and palaeogeographic settings. Shallow- and deep-water strata deposited along the northwestern Laurentian margin occur in east-central Alaska (Yukon River area) and probably correlative rocks crop out to the north in the Porcupine River area. Ordovician strata elsewhere in Alaska ar
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin, Justin V. Strauss, John Repetski
Gaussian process forecasts Pseudogymnoascus destructans will cover coterminous United States by 2030
White-nose syndrome has been decimating populations of several bat species since its first occurrence in the Northeastern United States in the winter 2006–2007. The spread of the disease has been monitored across the continent through the collaboration of many organizations. Inferring the rate of spread of the disease and predicting its arrival at new locations is critical when assessing the curre
Authors
Ashton M. Wiens, Wayne E. Thogmartin
Towards a unified drag coefficient formula for quantifying wave energy reduction by salt marshes
Coastal regions are susceptible to increasing flood risks amid climate change. Coastal wetlands play an important role in mitigating coastal hazards. Vegetation exerts a drag force to the flow and dampens storm surges and wind waves. The prediction of wave attenuation by vegetation typically relies on a pre-determined drag coefficient CD. Existing CD formulas are subject to vegetation biomechanica
Authors
Ling Zhu, Q. Chen, Yan Ding, Navid H. Jafari, Hongqing Wang, Bradley D. Johnson