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
Low-altitude photographic transects of the Arctic Network of National Park Units and Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, July 2013
During July 16–18, 2013, low-level photography flights were conducted (with a Cessna 185 with floats and a Cessna 206 with tundra tires) over the five administrative units of the National Park Service Arctic Network (Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, and Noatak National Preserve) and
Authors
Bruce G. Marcot, M. Torre Jorgenson, Anthony R. DeGange
Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska
Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish populations will respond to lake changes is uncertain for A
Authors
Michael P. Carey, Christian E. Zimmerman
Experimental methods fail to address the questions posed in studies of surgical techniques
No abstract available.
Authors
Daniel M. Mulcahy
Avian influenza virus antibodies in Pacific Coast Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa)
Prevalence of avian influenza virus (AIV) antibodies in the western Atlantic subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) is among the highest for any shorebird. To assess whether the frequency of detection of AIV antibodies is high for the species in general or restricted only to C. c. rufa, we sampled the northeastern Pacific Coast subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari) breeding i
Authors
James A. Johnson, Lucas H. DeCicco, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Scott Krauss, Jeffrey S. Hall
Lack of sex-biased dispersal promotes fine-scale genetic structure in alpine ungulates
Identifying patterns of fine-scale genetic structure in natural populations can advance understanding of critical ecological processes such as dispersal and gene flow across heterogeneous landscapes. Alpine ungulates generally exhibit high levels of genetic structure due to female philopatry and patchy configuration of mountain habitats. We assessed the spatial scale of genetic structure and the a
Authors
Gretchen H. Roffler, Sandra L. Talbot, Gordon Luikart, George K. Sage, Kristy L. Pilgrim, Layne G. Adams, Michael K. Schwartz
Seasonal thaw settlement at drained thermokarst lake basins, Arctic Alaska
Drained thermokarst lake basins (DTLBs) are ubiquitous landforms on Arctic tundra lowland. Their dynamic states are seldom investigated, despite their importance for landscape stability, hydrology, nutrient fluxes, and carbon cycling. Here we report results based on high-resolution Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements using space-borne data for a study area located on the
Authors
Lin Liu, Kevin Schaefer, Alessio Gusmeroli, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, Tinjun Zhang, Andrew Parsekian, Howard Zebker
Multi-trophic resilience of boreal lake ecosystems to forest fires
Fires are the major natural disturbance in the boreal forest, and their frequency and intensity will likely increase as the climate warms. Terrestrial nutrients released by fires may be transported to boreal lakes, stimulating increased primary productivity, which may radiate through multiple trophic levels. Using a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design, with pre‐ and postfire data from burned
Authors
Tyler L. Lewis, Mark S. Lindberg, Joel A. Schmutz, M.R. Bertram
USGS US topo maps for Alaska
In July 2013, the USGS National Geospatial Program began producing new topographic maps for Alaska, providing a new map series for the state known as US Topo. Prior to the start of US Topo map production in Alaska, the most detailed statewide USGS topographic maps were 15-minute 1:63,360-scale maps, with their original production often dating back nearly fifty years. The new 7.5-minute digital map
Authors
Becci Anderson, Tracy Fuller
Alaska
Key Messages
Arctic summer sea ice is receding faster than previously projected and is expected to virtually disappear before mid-century. This is altering marine ecosystems and leading to greater ship access, offshore development opportunity, and increased community vulnerability to coastal erosion.
Most glaciers in Alaska and British Columbia are shrinking substantially. This trend is expected
Authors
F. Stuart Chapin, Sarah F. Trainor, Patricia Cochran, Henry Huntington, Carl J. Markon, Molly McCammon, A. David McGuire, Mark Serreze
Genomic characterization of H14 subtype influenza A viruses in New World waterfowl and experimental infectivity in mallards Anas platyrhynchos
Recent repeated isolation of H14 hemagglutinin subtype influenza A viruses (IAVs) in the New World waterfowl provides evidence to suggest that host and/or geographic ranges for viruses of this subtype may be expanding. In this study, we used genomic analyses to gain inference on the origin and evolution of H14 viruses in New World waterfowl and conducted an experimental challenge study in mallards
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Rebecca L. Poulson, Ana S. Gonzalez-Reiche, Daniel R. Perez, David E. Stalknecht, Justin D. Brown
Geophysical advances triggered by 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake
A little more than 50 years ago, on 27 March 1964, the Great Alaska earthquake and tsunami struck. At moment magnitude 9.2, this earthquake is notable as the largest in U.S. written history and as the second-largest ever recorded by instruments worldwide. But what resonates today are its impacts on the understanding of plate tectonics, tsunami generation, and earthquake history as well as on the d
Authors
Peter J. Haeussler, William S. Leith, David J. Wald, John R. Filson, Cecily Wolfe, David Applegate
Spatio-temporal patterns of ptarmigan occupancy relative to shrub cover in the Arctic
Rock and willow ptarmigan are abundant herbivores that require shrub habitats in arctic and alpine areas. Shrub expansion is likely to increase winter habitat availability for ptarmigan, which in turn influence shrub architecture and growth through browsing. Despite their ecological role in the Arctic, the distribution and movement patterns of ptarmigan are not well known, particularly in northern
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz