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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16784

High-resolution delineation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds in a dipping, fractured mudstone: depth- and strata-dependent spatial variability from rock-core sampling

Synthesis of rock-core sampling and chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) analysis at five coreholes, with hydraulic and water-quality monitoring and a detailed hydrogeologic framework, was used to characterize the fine-scale distribution of CVOCs in dipping, fractured mudstones of the Lockatong Formation of Triassic age, of the Newark Basin in West Trenton, New Jersey. From these results,
Authors
Daniel J. Goode, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Pierre J. Lacombe

Spectral masking of goethite in abandoned mine drainage systems: implications for Mars

Remote sensing studies of the surface of Mars use visible- to near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy to identify hydrated and hydroxylated minerals, which can be used to constrain past environmental conditions on the surface of Mars. However, due to differences in optical properties, some hydrated phases can mask others in VNIR spectra, complicating environmental interpretations. Here, we examine the r
Authors
Selby Cull, Charles A. Cravotta, Julia Grace Klinges, Chloe Weeks

Comparison of survival patterns of northern and southern genotypes of the North American tick Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) under northern and southern conditions

BackgroundSeveral investigators have reported genetic differences between northern and southern populations of Ixodes scapularis in North America, as well as differences in patterns of disease transmission. Ecological and behavioral correlates of these genetic differences, which might have implications for disease transmission, have not been reported. We compared survival of northern with that of
Authors
Howard S. Ginsberg, Eric L. Rulison, Alexandra Azevedo, Genevieve C. Pang, Isis M. Kuczaj, Jean I. Tsao, Roger A. LeBrun

An evaluation of remote sensing technologies for the detection of residual contamination at ready-for-anticipated use sites

Operational problems with site access and information, XRF instrument operation, and imagery collections hampered the effective data collection and analysis process. Of the 24 sites imaged and analyzed, 17 appeared to be relatively clean with no discernible metal contamination, hydrocarbons, or asbestos in the soil. None of the samples for the sites in Louisiana had any result exceeding the approp
Authors
E. Terrence Slonecker, Gary B. Fisher

Seasonal weather patterns drive population vital rates and persistence in a stream fish

Climate change affects seasonal weather patterns, but little is known about the relative importance of seasonal weather patterns on animal population vital rates. Even when such information exists, data are typically only available from intensive fieldwork (e.g., mark–recapture studies) at a limited spatial extent. Here, we investigated effects of seasonal air temperature and precipitation (fall,
Authors
Yoichiro Kanno, Benjamin Letcher, Nathaniel P. Hitt, David A. Boughton, John E. B. Wofford, Elise Zipkin

Concentration and flux of total and dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, chloride, and total suspended solids for monitored tributaries of Lake Champlain, 1990-2012

Annual and daily concentrations and fluxes of total and dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, chloride, and total suspended solids were estimated for 18 monitored tributaries to Lake Champlain by using the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Seasons regression model. Estimates were made for 21 or 23 years, depending on data availability, for the purpose of providing timely and accessible
Authors
Laura Medalie

Systematics of Vampyressa melissa Thomas, 1926 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), with descriptions of two new species of Vampyressa

Vampyressa melissa is a poorly known phyllostomid bat listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since its description in 1926, fewer than 40 V. melissa have been reported in the literature, and less than half of these may have been correctly identified. During revisionary studies of Vampyressa, we uncovered two previously unrecognized species related to V.
Authors
Valéria da C. Tavares, Alfred L. Gardner, Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves, Paúl M. Velazco

Capture-recapture of white-tailed deer using DNA from fecal pellet-groups

Traditional methods for estimating white-tailed deer population size and density are affected by behavioral biases, poor detection in densely forested areas, and invalid techniques for estimating effective trapping area. We evaluated a noninvasive method of capture—recapture for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) density estimation using DNA extracted from fecal pellets as an individual ma
Authors
Matthew J Goode, Jared T Beaver, Lisa I Muller, Joseph D. Clark, Frank T. van Manen, Craig T Harper, P Seth Basinger

Carbonate margin, slope, and basin facies of the Lisburne Group (Carboniferous-Permian) in northern Alaska

The Lisburne Group (Carboniferous-Permian) consists of a carbonate platform that extends for >1000 km across northern Alaska, and diverse margin, slope, and basin facies that contain world-class deposits of Zn and Ba, notable phosphorites, and petroleum source rocks. Lithologic, paleontologic, isotopic, geochemical, and seismic data gathered from outcrop and subsurface studies during the past 20 y
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin, Craig A. Johnson, John F. Slack, Kenneth J. Bird, Michael T. Whalen, Thomas E. Moore, Anita G. Harris, Paul B. O'Sullivan

Minimal role of eastern fence lizards in Borrelia burgdorferi transmission in central New Jersey oak/pine woodlands

The Eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, is widely distributed in eastern and central North America, ranging through areas with high levels of Lyme disease, as well as areas where Lyme disease is rare or absent. We studied the potential role of S. undulatus in transmission dynamics of Lyme spirochetes by sampling ticks from a variety of natural hosts at field sites in central New Jersey, an
Authors
Eric L. Rulison, Kaetlyn T Kerr, Megan C Dyer, Seungeun Han, Russell L. Burke, Jean I. Tsao, Howard S. Ginsberg

Mineral resource of the month: vermiculite

Vermiculite comprises a group of hydrated, laminar magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate minerals resembling mica. They are secondary minerals, typically altered biotite, iron-rich phlogopite or other micas or clay-like minerals that are themselves sometimes alteration products of amphibole, chlorite, olivine and pyroxene. Vermiculite deposits are associated with volcanic ultramafic rocks rich in magne
Authors
Arnold O. Tanner

Preliminary monitoring protocol for the tidal freshwater wetland restoration herbivory study in national capital parks--east: Appendix B

Four tidal freshwater wetland restoration projects have been undertaken within Anacostia Park on lands managed by the National Park Service since 1993. Monitoring the impacts of Canada goose (Branta canadensis) herbivory on the wetland vegetation will play a key role in determining the long-term health of these tidal freshwater wetland restorations. This Implementation Plan lays out monitoring for
Authors
Cairn Krafft, Jeffrey S. Hatfield