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Publications

USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.

Filter Total Items: 2909

Geochemical and sulfur-isotopic signatures of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits on Prince of Wales Island and vicinity, southeastern Alaska Geochemical and sulfur-isotopic signatures of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits on Prince of Wales Island and vicinity, southeastern Alaska

Stratabound volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits on Prince of Wales Island and vicinity, southeastern Alaska, occur in two volcanosedimentary sequences of Late Proterozoic through Cambrian and of Ordovician through Early Silurian age. This study presents geochemical data on sulfide-rich samples, in situ laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of...
Authors
John F. Slack, Wayne C. Shanks, Susan M. Karl, Pamela A. Gemery, Peter E. Bittenbender, W. Ian Ridley

Food habits of rodents inhabiting arid and semi-arid ecosystems of central New Mexico Food habits of rodents inhabiting arid and semi-arid ecosystems of central New Mexico

In this study, we describe seasonal dietary composition for 15 species of rodents collected in all major habitats on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (Socorro County) in central New Mexico. A comprehensive literature review of food habits for these species from throughout their distribution also is provided. We collected rodents in the field during winter, spring and late summer in...
Authors
Andrew G. Hope, Robert R. Parmenter

Major- and Trace-Element Concentrations in Rock Samples from the Sleetmute 1:250,000-Scale Quadrangle, Alaska Major- and Trace-Element Concentrations in Rock Samples from the Sleetmute 1:250,000-Scale Quadrangle, Alaska

This report consists of geochemical data for rock samples collected in the Sleetmute 1:250,000-scale quadrangle by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1993 and 1999. Data were primarily used to conduct a mineral resource assessment of this quadrangle. The analytical results are presented here as digital tabular data with no interpretation.
Authors
Edward P. Klimasauskas, Marti L. Miller, William J. Keith

Proceedings of the Fourth Glacier Bay Science Symposium Proceedings of the Fourth Glacier Bay Science Symposium

Foreword Glacier Bay was established as a National Monument in 1925, in part to protect its unique character and natural beauty, but also to create a natural laboratory to examine evolution of the glacial landscape. Today, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is still a place of profound natural beauty and dynamic landscapes. It also remains a focal point for scientific research and...
Authors
John F. Piatt, Scott M. Gende

Alaska Science Center: Providing Timely, Relevant, and Impartial Study of the Landscape, Natural Resources, and Natural Hazards for Alaska and Our Nation Alaska Science Center: Providing Timely, Relevant, and Impartial Study of the Landscape, Natural Resources, and Natural Hazards for Alaska and Our Nation

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, has studied the natural features of Alaska since its earliest geologic expeditions in the 1800s. The USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC), with headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, studies the complex natural science phenomena of Alaska to provide scientific products and...
Authors

Hydraulic survey and scour assessment of Bridge 524, Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska Hydraulic survey and scour assessment of Bridge 524, Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska

Bathymetric and hydraulic data were collected August 26–28, 1996, on the Tanana River at Big Delta, Alaska, at the Richardson Highway bridge and Trans-Alaska Pipeline crossing. Erosion along the right (north) bank of the river between the bridge and the pipeline crossing prompted the data collection. A water-surface profile hydraulic model for the 100- and 500-year recurrence-interval...
Authors
Thomas A. Heinrichs, Dustin E. Langley, Robert L. Burrows, Jeffrey S. Conaway

Philopatry: A return to origins Philopatry: A return to origins

The word “philopatry” is a combination of the prefix philo (from the Greekphilos, “beloved”) and the Latin patria, which means “fatherland” or “homeland.” Since the first English-language use of “philopatry” in an ornithological context by Huntington (1951), the term has been applied to two types of site-faithful behavior in birds. Closest to the etymological meaning is the first, “natal...
Authors
John M. Pearce

Hydrology and glacier-lake-outburst floods (1987-2004) and water quality (1998-2003) of the Taku River near Juneau, Alaska Hydrology and glacier-lake-outburst floods (1987-2004) and water quality (1998-2003) of the Taku River near Juneau, Alaska

The Taku River Basin originates in British Columbia, Canada, and drains an area of 6,600 square miles at the U.S. Geological Survey's Taku River gaging station. Several mines operated within the basin prior to 1957, and mineral exploration has resumed signaling potential for future mining developments. The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Douglas Indian Association, Alaska...
Authors
Edward G. Neal

Status review of the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in Alaska and British Columbia Status review of the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in Alaska and British Columbia

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small, diving seabird inhabiting inshore waters of the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. This species feeds on small, schooling fishes and zooplankton, and nests primarily on the moss-covered branches of large, old-growth conifers, and also, in some parts of its range, on the ground. We reviewed existing information on this species to...
Authors
John F. Piatt, K.J. Kuletz, A.E. Burger, Scott A. Hatch, Vicki L. Friesen, T.P. Birt, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, G.S. Drew, A.M.A. Harding, K.S. Bixler

Foraging behaviors of Surf Scoters and White-Winged Scoters during spawning of Pacific herring Foraging behaviors of Surf Scoters and White-Winged Scoters during spawning of Pacific herring

Winter diets of Surf (Melanitta perspicillata) and White-winged Scoters (M. fusca) are composed primarily of bivalves. During spawning of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) in early spring, scoters shift their diets to herring eggs. Using radio-telemetry, we contrasted scoter foraging behaviors between winter and herring spawning periods. Scoters increased their dive durations during...
Authors
Daniel Esler, Sean Boyd

3D Visualization of Earthquake Focal Mechanisms Using ArcScene 3D Visualization of Earthquake Focal Mechanisms Using ArcScene

We created a new tool, 3D Focal Mechanisms (3DFM), for viewing earthquake focal mechanism symbols three dimensionally. This tool operates within the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI®) GIS software ArcScene® 9.x. The program requires as input a GIS point dataset of earthquake locations containing strike, dip, and rake values for a nodal plane of each earthquake. Other...
Authors
Keith A. Labay, Peter J. Haeussler

Effects of predation by sea ducks on clam abundance in soft-bottom intertidal habitats Effects of predation by sea ducks on clam abundance in soft-bottom intertidal habitats

Recent studies have documented strong, top-down predation effects of sea ducks on mussel populations in rocky intertidal communities. However, the impact of these gregarious predators in soft-bottom communities has been largely unexplored. We evaluated effects of predation by wintering surf scoters Melanitta perspicillata and white-winged scoters M. fusca on clam populations in soft...
Authors
Tyler Lewis, Daniel Esler, W. Sean Boyd
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