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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.

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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.

Explore Mission Areas
Filter Total Items: 171257

In situ soil moisture sensors in undisturbed soils

Soil moisture directly affects operational hydrology, food security, ecosystem services, and the climate system. However, the adoption of soil moisture data has been slow due to inconsistent data collection, poor standardization, and typically short record duration. Soil moisture, or quantitatively volumetric soil water content (SWC), is measured using buried, in situ sensors that infer SWC from a
Authors
Todd Caldwell, Michael H. Cosh, Steven R. Evett, Nathan Edwards, Heather Hofman, Bradley Illston, Tilden P. Meyers, Marina Skumanich, Kent Sutcliffe
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

Carbon and carbon storage in the national wilderness preservation system of the conterminous United States

No abstract available.
Authors
Daniel W McCollum, Michael H Hand, Pamela M Froemke, Christopher Huber
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

A practical guide to understanding and validating complex models using data simulations

Biologists routinely fit novel and complex statistical models to push the limits of our understanding. Examples include, but are not limited to, flexible Bayesian approaches (e.g. BUGS, stan), frequentist and likelihood-based approaches (e.g. packages lme4) and machine learning methods.These software and programs afford the user greater control and flexibility in tailoring complex hierarchical mod
Authors
Graziella Vittoria Direnzo, Ephraim Hanks, David A. W. Miller
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial and temporal patterns in Arctic mosquito abundance

Organisms that undergo a shift in ontogeny and habitat type often change their spatial distribution throughout their life cycle, but how this affects population dynamics remains poorly understood.We examined spatial and temporal patterns in Aedes nigripes abundance, a widespread univoltine Arctic mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae), hypothesizing that the spatial distribution of adults would be
Authors
Melissa H DeSiervo, Rebecca A Finger-Higgens, Matthew P. Ayres, Ross A Virginia, Lauren E Culler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Evaluation of fish behavior at the entrances to a Selective Water Withdrawal structure in Lake Billy Chinook, Oregon, 2021

Imaging sonar was used to assess the behavior, abundance, and timing of fish at the entrances to the Selective Water Withdrawal (SWW) intake structure located in the forebay of Round Butte Dam, Oregon during the spring of 2021. The purposes of the SWW are (1) to direct surface currents in the forebay to attract and collect downriver migrating juvenile salmonid smolts (Chinook salmon [Oncorhynchus
Authors
Collin D. Smith, Tyson W. Hatton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

An economic perspective on the relationship between wilderness and water resources

No abstract available. 
Authors
James Meldrum, Christopher Huber
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Preliminary national-scale seismic risk assessment of natural gas pipelines in the United States

Although the gas pipeline infrastructure in the United States is vulnerable to the seismic hazards of (i) strong ground shaking, and (ii) ground failures induced by surface faulting, liquefaction, or landslides, limited national guidance exists for operators to consistently evaluate the earthquake response of their pipelines. To provide additional information for stakeholders and establish more co
Authors
N. Simon Kwong, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Nicolas Luco, J. W. Baker, K. A. Ludwig
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Assessing direct and indirect long-term economic impacts from earthquakes to the U.S. National Bridge Inventory

Using the 2018 National Seismic Hazard Model and the 2018 National Bridge Inventory, an annualized earthquake loss (AEL) study was conducted for approximately 610,000 bridges in the conterminous United States, quantifying both direct and indirect economic losses. The typical AEL framework has been augmented with new replacement unit cost data and bridge-specific parameters for modifying default fr
Authors
Kishor S. Jaiswal, N. Simon Kwong, Doug Bausch, David J. Wald, Kuo-wan Lin, Sharon Yen, Jerry Shen, Jeffrey Ger
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Distribution and demography of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers in San Diego County, 2015–19

We surveyed for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) at 33 locations along multiple drainages in San Diego County, including portions of Agua Hedionda Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Escondido Creek, Los Penasquitos Creek, Otay River, San Diego River, San Dieguito River, San Luis Rey River, Sweetwater River, and Tijuana River. Resident flycatchers were only found on tw

Authors
Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus, Shannon M. Mendia
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Economic consequences of the HayWired earthquake scenario

This study evaluates the economic impacts of a Mw7.0 Hayward fault scenario earthquake on the greater San Francisco Bay Region’s economy and the California economy as a whole using a detailed multiregional, static computable general equilibrium model. Economic impacts in terms of Gross Regional Product (GRP) losses caused by both capital stock (building and content) damages and water and electrici
Authors
Ian Sue Wing, Dan Wei, Adam Rose, Anne Wein
By
Western Geographic Science Center

Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines

We present a new consequence-driven framework for earthquake scenario selection. For emergency managers, utility operators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, a scenario-based seismic risk assessment is often necessary for the purpose of emergency management and planning. In developing a scientifically defensible scenario, stakeholders can simulate a realistic event in order to pre-identify vu
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant

A review of supervised learning methods for classifying animal behavioural states from environmental features

Accurately predicting behavioural modes of animals in response to environmental features is important for ecology and conservation. Supervised learning (SL) methods are increasingly common in animal movement ecology for classifying behavioural modes. However, few examples exist of applying SL to classify polytomous animal behaviour from environmental features especially in the context of millions
Authors
Silas Bergen, Manuela Huso, Adam E. Duerr, Missy A Braham, Sara Schmuecker, Tricia A. Miller, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center