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.
Science Quality and Integrity
Science Quality and Integrity
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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.
Filter Total Items: 171804
Climate matching with the climatchR R package
Climate matching allows comparisons of climatic conditions between different locations to understand location and species range climatic suitability. The approach may be used as part of horizon scanning exercises such as those conducted for invasive species. We implemented the CLIMATCH algorithm into an R package, climatchR. The package allows automated and scripted climate matching exercises acro
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Peder S Engelstad, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Helen Sofaer, Wesley M. Daniel
The influence of satellite-derived environmental and oceanographic parameters on marine turtle time at surface in the Gulf of Mexico
The aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill highlighted the lack of baseline spatial, behavioral, and abundance data for many species, including imperiled marine turtles, across the Gulf of Mexico. The ecology of marine turtles is closely tied to their vertical movements within the water column and is therefore critical knowledge for resource management in a changing ocean. A more compre
Authors
Kelsey E. Roberts, Lance P. Garrison, Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz, Chuanmin Hu, Yingjun Zhang, Christopher R. Sasso, Margaret Lamont, Kristen Hart
Development of a ddPCR assay for the detection of the Smoky Madtom (Noturus baileyi) from eDNA in stream water samples
The Smoky Madtom Noturus baileyi is a federally endangered species, whose native distribution includes lower Abrams Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and Citico Creek in nearby Cherokee National Forest. Due to challenges for bio-monitoring posed by its nocturnality and cryptic life history, an environmental DNA (eDNA)-based approach for detection would be useful to complement exi
Authors
Aaron Aunins, Michael S. Eackles, Paul E Super, Matt A. Kulp, Becky J Nichols, Barbara A. Lubinski, Cheryl L. Morrison, Timothy L. King
Using ecosystem services to identify inequitable outcomes in migratory species conservation
Biodiversity conservation efforts have been criticized for generating inequitable socio-economic outcomes. These equity challenges are largely analyzed as place-based problems affecting local communities directly impacted by conservation programs. The conservation of migratory species extends this problem geographically since people in one place may benefit while those in another bear the costs of
Authors
Charles C. Chester, Aaron M. Lien, Juanita Sundberg, James E. Diffendorfer, Columba Gonzales, Brady J. Mattsson, Rodrigo Medellin, Darius J. Semmens, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Jonathan J. Derbridge, Laura López-Hoffman
How USGS gages are used in flood forecasting
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates an extensive nationwide network of stream, rain, and groundwater gages. These instruments are used to monitor how much water there is across the Nation at any given moment. Stream data are collected at streamgages every 15 minutes, transmitted to USGS servers, and updated online in real time. To improve awareness of current water conditions and possible f
Authors
Steven Sobieszczyk
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the West Siberian Basin Province, Russia, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 12.9 billion barrels of oil and 684.3 trillion cubic feet of gas in the West Siberian Basin Province of Russia.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Cheryl A. Woodall, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Ronald M. Drake
Hydrologic connectivity and residence time affect the sediment trapping efficiency and dissolved oxygen concentrations of the Atchafalaya River Basin
Little is known about water movement, volume, or residence time (RT), and how those characteristics affect sediment trapping efficiency (TE) and dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) in the United States' largest remaining bottomland hardwood swamp, the Atchafalaya River Basin. To better understand these dynamics, this study used bathymetry, lidar, and stage records to determine volumes in the Basi
Authors
Daniel Kroes, Richard Day, Michael D. Kaller, Charles R. Demas, William E. Kelso, Tiffany Pasco, Raynie Harlan, Steven Roberts
A reproducible and reusable pipeline for segmentation of geoscientific imagery
Segmentation of Earth science imagery is an increasingly common task. Among modern techniques that use Deep Learning, the UNet architecture has been shown to be a reliable for segmenting a range of imagery. We developed software–Segmentation Gym–to implement a data-model pipeline for segmentation of scientific imagery using a family of UNet models. With an existing set of imagery and labels, the s
Authors
Daniel Buscombe, Evan B. Goldstein
Rapid SNP genotyping, sex identification, and hybrid-detection in threatened bull trout
We developed new bull trout genetic markers using Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to improve our ability to address questions important for their conservation and management. Samples from across the species range were sequenced and 5020 high quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were discovered, including hundreds with high heterozygosity (H > 0.30). We developed 6
Authors
Stephen J. Amish, Shana Bernall, Patrick W. DeHaan, Michael A. Miller, Sean M. O'Rourke, Matthew Boyer, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Angela Lodmell, Robb F. Leary, Gordon Luikart
Simulation of heat flow in a synthetic watershed: Lags and dampening across multiple pathways under a climate-forcing scenario
Although there is widespread agreement that future climates tend toward warming, the response of aquatic ecosystems to that warming is not well understood. This work, a continuation of companion research, explores the role of distinct watershed pathways in lagging and dampening climate-change signals. It subjects a synthetic flow and transport model to a 30-year warming signal based on climate pro
Authors
Daniel T. Feinstein, Randall J. Hunt, Eric D. Morway
A novel origin for PGE reefs: A case study of the J-M Reef
The origin of meter scale stratiform layers of disseminated sulfides in enriched platinum group element (PGE) tenors and grades, called reef-type deposits, are the world’s most significant source of PGEs. Their origin in layered mafic intrusions remains debated, but in general, most researchers favor an orthomagmatic origin for reef-type deposits and agree that their formation requires the equilib
Authors
Michael Jenkins, James E. Mungall, Michael L. Zientek, Gelu Costin, Zhuo-sen Yao
Avian influenza antibody prevalence increases with mercury contamination in wild waterfowl
Environmental contamination is widespread and can negatively impact wildlife health. Some contaminants, including heavy metals, have immunosuppressive effects, but prior studies have rarely measured contamination and disease simultaneously, which limits our understanding of how contaminants and pathogens interact to influence wildlife health. Here, we measured mercury concentrations, influenza inf
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Josh T. Ackerman, Mason A. Hill, Jaqueline M. Satter, Michael L. Casazza, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Walter M. Boyce, Evan James Buck, John M. Eadie, Mark P. Herzog, Elliott Matchett, Cory T. Overton, Sarah H. Peterson, Magdalena Plancarte, Andrew M. Ramey, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Diann Prosser