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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Nest remains are insufficient to identify predators of waterfowl nests
Context: Nest predation is a leading cause of nest failure for most ground-nesting birds. Methods that allow for accurate classification of fate and identification of predators are important for understanding productivity and conservation strategies. Past studies have used a visual inspection of nest remains to determine nest fate and predict predator identity. Most formal assessments of these met
Authors
Kaylan M. Kemink, Kyle J. Kuechle, Mason L. Sieges, Sam Krohn, Cailey Isaacson, John Palarski, Nick Conrad, Allicyn Nelson, Boyang Liu, Thomas K. Buhl, Susan N. Ellis-Felege
GPS velocity field of the Western United States for the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model update
Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity solutions of the western United States (WUS) are compiled from several sources of field networks and data processing centers for the 2023 U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM). These solutions include both survey and continuous‐mode GPS velocity measurements. I follow the data processing procedure of Parsons et al. (2013) for the Unifo
Authors
Yuehua Zeng
Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023
Fault geometry and slip rates are key input data for geologic deformation models, which are a fundamental component of probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHAs). However, geologic sources for PSHA have traditionally been limited to faults with field‐based slip rate constraints, which results in underrepresentation of known, but partially characterized, active faults. Here, we evaluate fault ge
Authors
Alexandra Elise Hatem, Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Reed J. Burgette
Variation in Prairie Chub hatch relationships across wet and dry years in the upper Red River basin
ObjectiveThe Prairie Chub Macrhybopsis australis is a poorly studied minnow species endemic to the upper Red River basin and is of both state and federal conservation interest due to uncertainty about its life history and potential listing status. The upper Red River basin of Oklahoma and Texas is a harsh environment where drought and extreme flow events are exacerbated by human alterations. As an
Authors
Maeghen Wedgeworth, Robert Michael Mollenhauer, Shannon K. Brewer
Relating systematic compositional variability to the textural occurrence of solid bitumen in shales
This study presents Raman spectroscopic data paired with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images to assess solid bitumen composition as a function of solid bitumen texture and association with minerals. A series of hydrous pyrolysis experiments (1–103 days, 300–370 °C) using a low maturity (0.25% solid bitumen reflectance, BRo), high total organic carbon [(TOC), 14.0 wt%] New Albany Shale sample
Authors
Martha (Rebecca) Stokes, Brett J. Valentine, Aaron M. Jubb, Paul C. Hackley
Quality assurance report for Loch Vale Watershed, 2010–19
The Loch Vale Watershed Research and Monitoring Program collects long-term datasets of ecological and biogeochemical parameters in Rocky Mountain National Park to support both (1) management of this protected area and (2) research into watershed-scale ecosystem processes as those processes respond to atmospheric deposition and climate variability. The program collects data on precipitation depth a
Authors
Timothy Weinmann, Jill S. Baron, Amanda Jayo
A summary of water-quality and salt marsh monitoring, Humboldt Bay, California
This report summarizes data-collection activities associated with the U.S. Geological Survey Humboldt Bay Water-Quality and Salt Marsh Monitoring Project. This work was undertaken to gain a comprehensive understanding of water-quality conditions, salt marsh accretion processes, marsh-edge erosion, and soil-carbon storage in Humboldt Bay, California. Multiparameter sondes recorded water temperature
Authors
Jennifer A. Curtis, Karen M. Thorne, Chase M. Freeman, Kevin Buffington, Judith Z. Drexler
Preliminary models relating lake level gate operation and discharge at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee and Kentucky
Preliminary models for gate operations at the new outlet control structure for Reelfoot Lake were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, using calibrated ratings of the lift gates, to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in managing lake level. In 2018, the old structure at the outlet of Reelfoot Lake was buried and lake level control was transferred to a new structure. The transition from
Authors
Elizabeth Heal, Timothy H. Diehl, Jerry W. Garrett
Multi-decadal sandbar response to flow management downstream from a large dam—The Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona
Sandbars are an important resource in the Colorado River corridor in Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona, downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Sandbars provide aquatic and riparian habitat and are used as campsites by river runners and hikers. The study area is the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Diamond Creek, which is about 388 kilometers (241 miles) downstream from the dam. Closure of Glen
Authors
Joseph E. Hazel, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Daniel Hamill, Daniel Buscombe, Erich R. Mueller, Robert P. Ross, Keith Kohl, Paul E. Grams
Mass wasting along the Cascadia subduction zone: Implications for abyssal turbidite sources and the earthquake record
The only submarine records of large (>Mw7) prehistoric earthquakes along the Cascadia subduction zone are derived from sequences of deep sea turbidites interpreted to represent synchronous, shaking-induced failures along the continental slope. However, the spatial correlation of these deposits along the margin is complicated and the chronological constraints involve significant uncertainties, rais
Authors
Jenna C. Hill, Janet Watt, Daniel S. Brothers
You vs. us: Framing adaptation behavior in terms of private or social benefits
Private actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change may have benefits to both the individual and society. In some cases, an individual may be motivated by appeals that highlight benefits to others, rather than to oneself. We test whether such prosocial framing influences information-seeking behavior to address wildfire risk among homeowners. In a field experiment across ten communities in west
Authors
Hilary Byerly Flint, Paul Cada, Patricia A. Champ, Jamie Gomez, Danny Margoles, James Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith
Remote sensing evaluation of winter cover crop springtime performance and the impact of delayed termination
In 2019, the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Winter Cover Crop Program introduced a delayed termination incentive (after May 1) to promote springtime biomass accumulation. We used satellite imagery calibrated with springtime in situ measurements collected from 2006–2021 (n = 722) to derive biomass estimates for Maryland fields planted to cereal cover crop species (286,200 ha total over two se
Authors
Alison Thieme, W. Dean Hively, Feng Gao, Jyoti Jennewein, Steven Mirsky, Alex M. Soroka, Jason Keppler, Dawn Bradley, Sergii Skakun, Gregory W. McCarty