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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: 2891

Active volcanoes of the Kurile Islands: A reference guide for aviation users

The many volcanoes of the remote and mostly uninhabited Kurile Island arc (fig. 1; table 1) pose a serious hazard for air traffic in the North Pacific. Ash clouds from Kurile eruptions can impact some of the busiest air travel routes in the world and drift quickly into airspace managed by three countries: Russia, Japan, and the United States. Prevailing westerly winds throughout the region will mo
Authors
Christina A. Neal, Alexander Rybin, Marina Chibisova, Edward Miller

2005 volcanic activity in Alaska, Kamchatka, and the Kurile Islands: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptive activity or suspected volcanic activity at or near 16 volcanoes in Alaska during 2005, including the high profile precursory activity associated with the 2005–06 eruption of Augustine Volcano. AVO continues to participate in distributing information about eruptive activity on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, and in the Kurile Islands of th
Authors
R. G. McGimsey, C. A. Neal, J. P. Dixon, Sergey Ushakov

Neogene exhumation of the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska, and correlations with Denali (Mount McKinley)

No abstract available.
Authors
Peter J. Haeussler, Paul J O'Sullivan, Aaron L Berger, James A Spotila

Paleoseismicity and neotectonics of the Aleutian subduction zone — An overview

The Aleutian subduction zone is one of the most seismically active plate boundaries and the source of several of the world’s largest historic earthquakes. The structural architecture of the subduction zone varies considerably along its length. At the eastern end is a tectonically complex collision zone where the allochthonous Yakutat terrane is moving northwest into mainland Alaska. West of the co
Authors
Gary A. Carver, George Plafker

Does a boundary of the Wrangell Block extend through southern Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait, Alaska?

In southcentral Alaska, the boundaries of two different tectonic blocks extend southwestward from the Denali Fault toward Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait. We use offshore multichannel seismic reflection data and oil-well stratigraphy to evaluate whether local geologic structures are compatible with boundaries of either tectonic block and with the relative motion expected across the block boundaries
Authors
Michael A. Fisher, Ray W. Sliter, Florence L. Wong

Monitoring lingering oil from the Exxon Valdez spill on Gulf of Alaska armored beaches and mussel beds sixteen years post-spill

Final Rept. ; Prepared in Cooperation With Alaska Univ., Fairbanks. Inst. of Arctic Biology. Sponsored By National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, Ak. AlaskaFisheries Science Center. ; Stranded Exxon Valdez Oil Has Persisted for 16 Years At Boulder-Armored Beach Sites Along National Park Coastlines Bordering the Gulf of Alaska. These Sites Are Up to 640 Km From the Spill Origin and Were Contamin
Authors
G.V. Irvine, D.H. Mann, J.W. Short

Nesting biology of Lesser Canada Geese, Branta canadensis parvipes, along the Tanana River, Alaska

Lesser Canada Geese (Branta canadensis parvipes) are widespread throughout interior regions of Alaska and Canada, yet there have been no published studies documenting basic aspects of their nesting biology. We conducted a study to determine reproductive parameters of Lesser Canada Geese nesting along the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, in interior Alaska. Fieldwork was conducted in May of
Authors
Craig R. Ely, John M. Pearce, Roger W. Ruess

Stochastic and compensatory effects limit persistence of variation in body mass of young caribou

Nutritional restriction during growth can have short- and long-term effects on fitness; however, animals inhabiting uncertain environments may exhibit adaptations to cope with variation in food availability. We examined changes in body mass in free-ranging female caribou (Rangifer tarandus) by measuring mass at birth and at 4, 11, and 16 months of age to evaluate the relative importance of seasona
Authors
Bruce W. Dale, Layne G. Adams, William B. Collins, Kyle Joly, Patrick Valkenburg, Robert Tobey

Survival of dusky Canada goose goslings in relation to weather and annual nest success

The dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) population has been in long‐term decline, likely due to reduced breeding productivity, but gosling survival of this population had not been examined. We studied gosling survival in broods of radiomarked adult females on the western Copper River Delta, Alaska, USA, during 1997–1999 and 2001–2003. Survival estimates for dusky Canada goose gosli
Authors
T.F. Fondell, David A. Miller, J. Barry Grand, R Michael Anthony

Preliminary Volcano-Hazard Assessment for Gareloi Volcano, Gareloi Island, Alaska

Gareloi Volcano (178.794 degrees W and 51.790 degrees N) is located on Gareloi Island in the Delarof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands, about 2,000 kilometers west-southwest of Anchorage and about 150 kilometers west of Adak, the westernmost community in Alaska. This small (about 8x10 kilometer) volcano has been one of the most active in the Aleutians since its discovery by the Bering expediti
Authors
Michelle L. Coombs, Robert G. McGimsey, Brandon L. Browne

Transport of water, carbon, and sediment through the Yukon River Basin

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a water-quality study of the Yukon River. The Yukon River Basin (YRB), which encompasses 330,000 square miles in northwestern Canada and central Alaska (fig. 1), is one of the largest and most diverse ecosystems in North America. The Yukon River is more than 1,800 miles long and is one of the last great uncontrolled rivers in the world, and is essen
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Paul F. Schuster