Released July 25, 2024 10:51 EST

2024, Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences (52) 61-84

Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, Morgan T. Page, Max Schneider, Nicholas van der Elst

Aftershocks can compound the impacts of a major earthquake, disrupting recovery efforts and potentially further damaging weakened buildings and infrastructure. Forecasts of the probability of aftershocks can therefore aid decision-making during earthquake response and recovery. Several countries issue authoritative aftershock forecasts. Most aftershock forecasts are based on simple statistical models that were first developed in the 1980s and remain the best available models. We review these statistical models, and the wide-ranging research to advance aftershock forecasting through better statistical, physical, and machine learning methods. Physics-based forecasts based on mainshock stress changes can sometimes match the statistical models in testing, but don’t yet outperform them. Physical models are also hampered by unsolved problems such as the mechanics of dynamic triggering and the influence of background conditions. Initial work on machine learning forecasts shows promise, and new machine learning earthquake catalogs provide an opportunity to advance all types of aftershock forecasts.

Released July 24, 2024 19:50 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3031

Cynthia M. Rachol

High-quality elevation data are proving to be a resource of value in addressing many important economic issues in Michigan. The expanding statewide availability of current and accurate high-resolution elevation data can help support agriculture and precision farming, natural resource conservation, flood risk management, and geologic resource assessment and hazard mitigation. Water supply and quality assessment, coastal zone management, infrastructure and construction management, solar potential and other renewable energy programs, and identification of features of interest or concern such as archaeological and historical sites are other notable areas that are supported with accurate, high-resolution elevation data. Critical applications that meet the State’s management needs depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features.

Released July 24, 2024 13:37 EST

2024, Open-File Report 2024-1044

William S. Beatty, Kelly Amoth, Katelyn Bergstrom, Luke J. Fara, Brian R. Gray, Steven C. Houdek, Jayden Jech, Kevin P. Kenow, Robert Rabasco, Spencer Rettler, Michael Wellik, Steven Yang

The Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform exploded on April 20, 2010. The resulting massive oil spill injured natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, including wintering common loons (Gavia immer). We report on activities completed under the “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” project in calendar year 2023, which was funded by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group. In 2022, a subset of monitored breeding territories was identified as focal territories, which are sampling units for the study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, monitored 98 common loon focal territories and an additional 43 nonfocal territories in 2023 across 56 study lakes in Minnesota. We collaborated with lake associations and private citizens to deploy 42 artificial nesting platforms within 44 focal treatment territories. The remaining 54 focal territories were controls. Territorial surveys were completed from May 8 to August 11, 2023, to evaluate occupancy, nest success, and chick survival. At least one nest attempt was observed in 31 of 44 treatment territories and a second nest attempt was observed after a failed initial attempt in 6 treatment territories. However, only one nest was on an artificial nesting platform in a treatment territory; the remaining nest locations were natural. At least one nest attempt was observed in 37 of 54 control territories, and a second nest attempt was observed after a failed initial attempt in 5 control territories. Chicks or other evidence of hatching were observed in 17 of 54 control territories and 17 of 44 treatment territories, with 1 of those successful treatment nests occurring on an artificial nesting platform. This report includes no formal analysis, but we plan to analyze data after collection of all field data in subsequent years.

Released July 24, 2024 11:45 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3010

Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Ronald M. Drake II, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Thomas M. Finn, Michael H. Gardner, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Kira K. Timm, Scott S. Young

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5.1 billion barrels of oil and 79.1 trillion cubic feet of gas in offshore East Africa and the Seychelles.

Released July 24, 2024 06:36 EST

2024, Ecotoxicology

Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Allyson K. Jackson, Collin Eagles-Smith, Sydney Moyo, Anna A. Pérez-Umphre, Michael J. Polito, Allison M. Snider, S. Tyler Williams, Stefan Woltmann, Philip C. Stouffer, Sabrina S. Taylor

Released July 24, 2024 06:12 EST

2024, Report

Michele Thornton, Catalina Taglialatela, Luis Lopez, Matt Fisher, Alexis Hunzinger, Mahsa Jami, Brianna M. Lind, Cassie Nickles, Andy Teucher, Aronne Merrelli, Erin Robinson, Julie Lowndes

From April-May 2024, the NASA Mentors who span eleven Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) co-led the third Champions Cohort with the NASA Openscapes project team, this year focusing on, teaching lessons they adapted for geospatial and cloud analysis. The Cohort included nine international research teams from academia and government that were curious about working with NASA Earthdata in the Cloud. Many teams were interested in using data from multiple DAACs. User cloud adaption takes time, given the new conceptual mindsets and technical skillsets it requires. During the ten weeks we worked together, NASA Mentors refined and extended previous lessons to focus on thinking through and planning the transition to using the Cloud for science research and applications, and initial experiments using the Cloud through our 2i2c JupyterHub. Below are these updates and YouTube clips!

There were also recurring themes/questions that we have heard before, some of which remain as open questions and continue to remain a challenge. Importantly, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud onboarding, when to use what resources, how to set them up, and how to discuss needs with organizational leadership and IT staff, which often falls outside the scope of NASA DAACs, yet it’s a key element of helping users adopt the Cloud and use NASA data in the Cloud. It is encouraging to hear some of the champions starting to have conversations with their institutions, IT departments, and making their needs known, which is likely a big part of the solution, too. We are thankful to NASA Openscapes Champions for informing and nudging these conversations! All of this work is underpinned by Openscapes and NASA’s commitment to open science practices and a kinder collaborative culture. This cohort is funded by NASA and is part of our NASA Openscapes Framework project.

Released July 23, 2024 13:00 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3026

Electa Hare-Red Corn, Robert F. Breault, Jason R. Sorenson

Intertribal networks for collecting and analyzing hydrologic and environmental data are growing. The U.S. Geological Survey can be a key partner with Tribal Nations in the further development of network capacity. A first step is the internship opportunity available through the partnership between the USGS and The Wildlife Society: The Native American Research Assistantship Program.

Released July 23, 2024 13:00 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5060

Sarah M. Lindley, Emily J. Wilkins, Carin Farley, Karla Rogers, Rudy Schuster

As of 2024, there are 32 National Scenic and Historic Trails (NSHTs) in the system administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The BLM administers, manages, and protects 19 of these trails as part of its system of national conservation lands. Various laws, regulations, and policies require that the BLM conduct and maintain an inventory to protect trail-related resources, qualities, values, associated settings, and primary use or uses. There are set procedures for conducting inventory, assessment, and monitoring (IAM) of NSHTs, as outlined in volumes 1 and 2 of BLM Technical Reference 6280-1. One of the first steps in the IAM process is deciding the area along a trail to inventory. However, volumes 1 and 2 of BLM Technical Reference 6280-1 do not specify how the land area to be inventoried should be delineated. The BLM calls these focus areas for IAM efforts “inventory analysis units” (IAUs), which are defined as the geospatial boundary for the location of an inventory along a trail. This report reviews the approach used to delineate the IAUs for an inventory effort and identifies best practices for creating initial IAUs, termed “draft IAUs.” Draft IAUs would provide standardization across multiple management jurisdictions by applying the same parameters for their delineation. These draft IAUs would provide trail managers with an area surrounding NSHTs that would trigger the need for an inventory if a project were proposed within it and are meant to be refined during localized inventory efforts. The best practices herein are for creating draft IAUs using standard parameters for performing a viewshed analysis to identify a proxy of land to include in an initial inventory effort.

Released July 23, 2024 08:51 EST

2024, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (643)

Margaret Elizabeth Glasgow, Hankui K. Zhang, Brandon Schmandt, Wen-Yi Zhou, Jinchi Zhang

Seismic boundaries caused by phase transitions between olivine polymorphs in Earth's mantle provide thermal and compositional markers that inform mantle dynamics. Seismic studies of the mantle transition zone often use either global averaging with sparse arrays or regional sampling from a single dense array. The intermediate approach of this study utilizes many densely spaced seismic arrays distributed around the globe. We systematically compute teleseismic P-to-S receiver functions for each seismic array and invert for the 1-D seismic velocity structure of the mantle transition zone beneath each array to facilitate a comparison between densely sampled regions. We stack 3,600 receiver functions on average at 67 arrays in total. The stack is used in a probabilistic inversion to estimate the mantle transition zone interface depths and velocities beneath each array. We focus on the 410-km discontinuity (410) because it is a prominent seismic interface that is clearly linked to a single mineral phase transition between olivine and wadsleyite. The depths and velocity contrasts of the 410 are mapped to temperatures and compositions using mineral physics constraints. The depth of the 410 ranges from ∼405–440 km, which is consistent with a ∼360 K temperature range in a dry mantle and a ∼260 K temperature range in a wet mantle (2 wt. % water). The Vs contrast across the 410 ranges from ∼2.5–8 %, which is consistent with ∼20–70 vol. % olivine composition in a dry mantle and ∼25–80 vol. % in a wet mantle. The bulk composition of the upper mantle near the 410-km discontinuity is typically considered to be well-mixed because there is no thermodynamic impediment to convection at the olivine to wadsleyite phase transition. However, the wide range of inferred olivine content from our study suggests that there are large lateral variations in the bulk composition of the upper mantle near the 410-km discontinuity.

Released July 23, 2024 07:28 EST

2024, Nature Geoscience

Joseph Novak, Rocio Caballero-Gill, Rebecca Rose, Timothy D. Herbert, Harry J. Dowsett

Released July 21, 2024 06:37 EST

2024, Ecological Applications

Andreas Paul Wion, Jens T. Stevens, Kay Beeley, Rebecca Oertel, Ellis Margolis, Craig D. Allen

Wildfires and climate change are having transformative effects on vegetation composition and structure, and post-fire management may have long-lasting impacts on ecosystem reorganization. Post-fire aerial seeding treatments are commonly used to reduce runoff and soil erosion, but little is known about how seeding treatments affect native vegetation recovery over long periods of time, particularly in type-converted forests which have been dramatically transformed by the effects of repeated, high-severity fire. In this study, we analyze and report on a rare long-term (23-year) dataset that documents vegetation dynamics following a 1996 post-fire aerial seed treatment and subsequent 2011 high-severity reburn in a dry conifer forest of northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Repeated surveys between 1997 – 2019 of 49 permanent transects were used to test for differences in vegetation cover, richness, and diversity between seeded and unseeded areas, and to characterize the development of seeded and unseeded vegetation communities through time and across gradients of burn severity, elevation, and soil-available water capacity. Post-fire seeding led to a clear and sustained divergence in herbaceous community composition. Seeded plots had much higher cover of non-native graminoids, primarily Bromus inermis, a likely contaminant in the seed mix. High-severity reburning in all plots in 2011 reduced native graminoid cover by half at seeded plots compared to both pre-fire levels and to plots that were unseeded following the initial 1996 fire. In addition, increased fire severity was associated with increased non-native graminoid cover and reduced native graminoid cover, native species richness, and species diversity. This study documents a fire-driven ecosystem transformation from a former conifer forest into a shrub-grass system, reinforced by aerial seeding of grasses and high-severity reburning. This unique long-term dataset illustrates that post-fire seeding carries significant risk of unwanted non-native species invasions that persist through subsequent fires – indicating that alternative post-fire management actions merit consideration to better support native ecosystem resilience in the face of emergent climate change and increasing disturbance. Lastly, this study highlights the importance of long-term monitoring of post-fire vegetation dynamics, as short-term assessments will miss key elements of the full complexity of ecosystem responses to fire and post-fire management actions.

Released July 20, 2024 06:43 EST

2024, Earth and Space Science (11)

Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Helen Willemien Dow, Douglas P. Smith, Pat Iampietro, Jonathan Warrick, Thomas Lorenson, Leticia Hallas, Benjamin Kozlowicz

Released July 20, 2024 06:41 EST

2024, Journal of Applied Volcanology (13)

Kira van Helden, Johanne Schmith, Drew T. Downs

Released July 20, 2024 06:36 EST

2024, Water Resources Research (60)

Carl J. Legleiter, Brandon Overstreet, Paul J. Kinzel

Released July 19, 2024 14:18 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5052

Catherine A. Chamberlin

To explain the drivers of historical water use in the public water systems (PWSs) that serve populations in Providence, Rhode Island, and surrounding areas, and to forecast future water use, a machine-learning model (cubist regression) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Providence Water to model daily per capita rates of domestic, commercial, and industrial water use. The PWSs in this area form a connected network that sources water from the Scituate Reservoir in Rhode Island. The cubist regression model was trained and tested on daily per capita rates for three categories of water use (domestic, commercial, and industrial) that were developed from quarterly water sales data and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates within each PWS service area from January 2005 through December 2021. The model was then used to make forecasts of future water use under varying scenarios of climate change, population growth, and economic growth for the years 2030 and 2040.

The resulting daily per capita rates, which were modeled from the historical data, had an r² value of 0.94 and root mean square error of 6.7 gallons per capita daily. Results of the model were used to estimate total water use (the product of daily per capita rates and population) for all public water systems over the historical study period. Daily per capita rates in the study area decreased from 2005 to 2021, while population increased during that same period. “Category of water use” was the variable with the greatest explanatory power for modeling daily per capita rates. Overall, both daily per capita rates and total water use were projected to decrease in 2030 and 2040, in comparison to historical values from 2005 to 2021. Daily per capita rates and total water use were forecasted to decrease as economic growth rates increase. Daily per capita rates were expected to decrease as population growth rates increase; however, total water use was less sensitive to population growth rates than daily per capita rates. Effects of climate change were minimal over the 2030 and 2040 forecasting horizon for the scenarios tested.

Released July 19, 2024 10:34 EST

2024, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (62)

Francisco Delgado, Tara Shreve, Sven Borgstrom, Pablo Le´on-Ibanez, Joaqu´ın Castillo, Michael P. Poland

SAOCOM-1 is an L-band (23.5 cm) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation made up of two satellites launched in 2018 and 2020 by Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE, Argentina). In this contribution, we present a global summary of interferometric SAR (InSAR) observations of ground deformation with SAOCOM-1 stripmap data for tracking volcanic, tectonic, glacier, and anthropogenic deformation. These examples include: 1) episodes of unrest at volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands, Southern Andes, and Italy, with line-of-sight (LOS) deformation from 4 cm/yr in InSAR time series to ~70 cm in interferograms; 2) dike intrusions in Hawai’i; 3) earthquakes in the Andean fold and thrust belt and the East Anatolian fault; 4) ice flow of the Southern Patagonia icefield; and 5) subsidence due to lithium brine extraction in the Salar de Atacama basin (northern Chile). Comparisons between SAOCOM-1, ALOS-2 SM3, Sentinel-1, and TerraSAR-X/ TanDEM-X/PAZ (TSX/TDX/PAZ) mean velocities from InSAR time series show a 1:1 ± 3% correlation in the LOS velocity, which highlights the high accuracy of SAOCOM-1 data. The minimum deformation that we measured in individual interferograms is 4 ± 0.6 cm. One limitation of SAOCOM-1 is the lack of a global acquisition program, which reduces its global and broader applications. Considering the repeat periods, background observation program, and lack of a controlled orbital tube, the best suited targets for SAOCOM-1 InSAR are two. First, volcanoes that deform with secular rates located in vegetated regions in mid- and high-latitudes, and/or that undergo transient episodes of fast deformation in which C-band coherence is lost quickly. Second, glaciers where coherence can be sustained during the repeat period of eight days.

Released July 19, 2024 09:00 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3030

Gregory Noe, Paul L. Angermeier, Larry B. Barber, Joe Buckwalter, Matthew Joseph Cashman, Olivia Devereux, Thomas Rossiter Doody, Sally Entrekin, Rosemary Margaret Fanelli, Nathaniel Hitt, Molly Elizabeth Huber, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Kelly O. Maloney, Tristan Gregory Mohs, Sergio Sabat-Bonilla, Kelly Smalling, Tyler Wagner, John C. Wolf, Kenneth E. Hyer

The Chesapeake Bay Partnership is implementing conservation practices (CPs) throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed to reduce nutrient and sediment delivery to the Bay. This study intends to provide an integrated and detailed understanding of how local streams respond to these CP-driven management efforts.

Key issue: To what extent do CPs positively affect the health of local streams in the nontidal watershed (cobenefits)?

Critical unknown: How do CPs change water quality and the stressors that affect stream aquatic life? Which CPs improve stream health more effectively?

Critical knowledge to be delivered to stakeholders includes—

• the effects of CPs on local water-quality conditions,
• the degree to which these same CPs also provide local stream-ecosystem benefits, and
• a deeper understanding of local stream-ecosystems, including stressors and CPs, to guide the selection of management efforts that enhance both water quality and overall stream-ecosystem health.

Released July 18, 2024 07:20 EST

2024, Communications Earth & Environment (5)

Courtney L. Wagner, Ioan Lascu, Jean Self-Trail, Tim Gooding, Kenneth J.T. Livi, Gianna Greger, Kristina Frank Gardner, Jody Brae Wycech, Mark F. Dreier, Tom Oliver

Released July 18, 2024 07:00 EST

2024, Ecography

Sarah R. Weiskopf, Susannah B. Lerman, Forest Isbell, Toni Lyn Morelli

Released July 18, 2024 06:50 EST

2024, Techniques and Methods 1-D12

Timothy P. Wilson, Cherie V. Miller, Evan A. Lechner

The importance of fluvial systems in the transport of sediment, dissolved and suspended contaminants, nutrients, and bacteria through the environment is well established. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies sediment as the single most widespread water contaminant affecting the beneficial uses of the Nation’s rivers and streams. The evaluation of water-quality as it relates to agriculture, urbanization, highway and residential construction, mining, industrial and human wastes, and other activities requires an extensive data and sample-collection effort. This is especially the case when studying urbanized river basins, where during hydrologic events, concentration of suspended sediment and contaminants can vary rapidly and over large ranges. Where synoptic studies of watersheds are called for, sampling may be needed at many sites throughout the basin; a complicated and difficult task in some settings. Automatic pumping samplers (autosamplers) are one method for conducting intensive time-varying sampling throughout watersheds.

This report presents guidelines for the use of autosamplers for collecting surface-water samples by the U.S. Geological Survey. An autosampler is an automatic, pump-based sampler that collects a prescribed volume of water from streams, lakes, reservoirs, storm drains, or other bodies of water after receiving a command from an internal or external control unit. It deposits this sample into a specified container for later analysis of physical, chemical, or biological constituents. This report provides a general background on types of autosamplers and how they work; guidance for designing, selecting, installing, servicing, and calibrating autosamplers; guidance on standardized operating procedures, and guidance on quality-assurance and quality-control efforts when using an autosampler.

Released July 18, 2024 06:45 EST

2024, Environmental Biology of Fishes

Kristopher A. Maxson, Levi E. Solomon, Taylor A. Bookout, Steven A. DeLain, Andrew Bartels, Melvin C. Bowler, Eric J. Gittinger, Eric N. Ratcliff, John L. West, Seth A. Love, Jason A. DeBoer, Andrya L. Whitten-Harris, Michael J. Spear, Brian Ickes, Andrew F. Casper, James T. Lamer

Released July 17, 2024 06:43 EST

2024, Conservation Biology

Amanda E. Cravens, Katherine R. Clifford, Corrine N. Knapp, William Travis

Released July 16, 2024 09:09 EST

2024, Open-File Report 2024-1012

Kendra L. Russell, William J. Andrews, Vincent J. DiFrenna, J. Michael Norris, Robert R. Mason, Jr.

Executive Summary

A Decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, entered June 7, 1954 (New Jersey v. New York, 347 U.S. 995), established the position of Delaware River Master within the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the Decree authorizes the diversion of water from the Delaware River Basin and requires compensating releases from reservoirs owned by New York City to be made under the supervision and direction of the River Master. The Decree stipulates that the River Master provide reports to the Court not less frequently than annually. This report is the 63rd annual report of the River Master of the Delaware River. The report covers the 2016 River Master report year, which is the period from December 1, 2015, to November 30, 2016.

During the report year, precipitation in the upper Delaware River Basin was 38.6 inches or 87 percent of the long-term average. Combined storage remained high (above 80 percent of combined capacity) for much of the year and did not decline below 80 percent of combined capacity until August 2016. The lowest combined storage was 106.406 billion gallons or 39 percent of combined capacity on November 28, 2016. Delaware River Basin Commission Resolution 2016–07 necessitated a basinwide drought watch on November 23, 2016. The drought watch continued through the remainder of the 2016 report year. Delaware River Master operations during the year were conducted as stipulated by the Decree and the Flexible Flow Management Program. New York City and New Jersey fully complied with the terms of the Decree and, during drought watch conditions, with the Delaware River Basin Commission Resolution 2016–07 terms. Diversions from the Delaware River Basin by New York City and New Jersey fully complied with the Decree. The reservoir releases were made as directed by the River Master at rates designed to meet the flow objective for the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey, on 126 days during the report year. Interim Excess Release Quantity and conservation releases, designed to relieve thermal stress and protect the fishery and aquatic habitat in the tailwaters of the reservoirs, were also made during the report year.

Water quality in the Delaware River estuary between the streamgages at Trenton, New Jersey, and Reedy Island Jetty, Delaware, was monitored at several locations. Data on water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH were collected continuously by electronic instruments at four sites.

Released July 15, 2024 12:34 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3027

George Heleine

Introduction

Mississippi has a dispersed population of nearly three million residents in an area of approximately 48,400 square miles and has a favorable climate for agriculture, with abundant precipitation and minimal extreme temperatures. The topography consists mostly of low hills and lowland plains, with the highest elevation about 800 feet above sea level. An exception is the nearly flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain, or “Delta,” in the northwestern part of the State. Agriculture and forestry are Mississippi’s major industries. With 65 percent of its area forested, the State is one of the country’s top producers of lumber and wood-related products. In addition to agriculture and forest resources management, other important economic activities are infrastructure and construction management, flood risk management, and water supply and quality assessment. High-quality elevation data can help to support these activities. Critical applications that meet the State’s management needs depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features.

Released July 15, 2024 07:03 EST

2024, Conservation (4) 364-377

Julie A. Heinrichs, Michael O'Donnell, Elizabeth Kari Orning, David A. Pyke, Mark A. Ricca, Peter S. Coates, Cameron L. Aldridge

Released July 15, 2024 06:38 EST

2024, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (24) 2359-2374

A. B. Prescott, L. A. McGuire, K.-S. Jun, Katherine R. Barnhart, N. S. Oakley

Released July 14, 2024 07:06 EST

2024, Book chapter, Remote Sensing for Characterization of Geohazards and Natural Resources

M. Poland

Released July 13, 2024 06:54 EST

2024, Earth Science Reviews (255)

Mark A. Williams, Jan Zalasiewicz, Anthony D. Barnosky, Reinhold Leinfelder, Martin J. Head, Colin N. Waters, Francine M.G. McCarthy, Alejandro Cearreta, David C. Aldridge, Mary McGann, Bruce Hamilton, Colin P. Summerhayes, Jaia Syvitski, Jens Zinke, Andrew B. Cundy, Barbara Fialkiewicz-Koziel, J.R. McNeill, Michinobu Kuwae, Neil L. Rose, Simon D. Turner, Yoshiki Saito, Michael Wagreich, M. Allison Stegner, Moriaki Yasuhara, Yongming Han, Amy Wrisdale, Rachael Holmes, Juan Carlos Berrio

Released July 12, 2024 12:20 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5059

Emilia L. Bristow, Kyle W. Davis

Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) is a regional municipal water utility that provides residential and commercial water resources to about 600,000 customers in Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounding municipalities in central Iowa. DMWW has identified a need for increased water supply and is exploring the potential for expanding groundwater production capabilities in the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer, where it operates two radial collector wells (RCWs). The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with DMWW, completed a study of the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer and interactions of the RCWs with the aquifer; no previously published model has included the existing well locations, which is the focus of this model. A conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model have been developed to characterize the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer under existing conditions, to simulate water levels observed in the RCWs, and to provide publicly accessible hydrologic data and research that advance understanding of the regional hydrologic system and can potentially be used in the future to evaluate groundwater production scenarios. Model performance was assessed by comparing observed and simulated groundwater levels that included water level elevations, water level changes, water level inequality observations, surface water streamflow, and change in surface water volume from upstream to downstream. Water table elevation in the aquifer layers is on average slightly overestimated with average absolute value error less than 1.5 meters at both RCWs and less than 2.5 meters for all observation wells in the alluvial aquifer layers. The model also accurately simulated water tables greater than the RCW design minimum (a water level threshold at which RCW pumping is reduced) in all timesteps for which water level observation data existed. Water table elevation error was higher in other model layers that were not the focus of the study, and the model did not accurately match streamflow targets.

Released July 12, 2024 07:17 EST

2024, Communications Earth & Environment (5)

Michael Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, James Grace, Nicholas Enwright, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Joel A. Carr, William V. Sweet, Brady Couvillion

Released July 11, 2024 14:55 EST

2024, Open-File Report 2024-1037

James A. Luoma, Justin R. Schueller, Nicholas A. Schloesser, Courtney A Kirkeeng, Samantha L. Wolfe

The 2-aminoethanol salt of niclosamide (2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide) is a pesticide known as Bayluscide that is used in conjunction with TFM (4-nitro-3-[trifluoromethyl]phenol), also known as 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) to treat tributaries to the Great Lakes infested with invasive parasitic Petromyzon marinus (sea lamprey). Adding 0.5 to 2 percent Bayluscide with TFM can substantially reduce the amount of TFM required to achieve effective control. Currently, an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation of Bayluscide is used in combination with TFM during some stream treatments completed by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s binational sea lamprey control program. The Bayluscide EC formulation is highly effective; however, it degrades application tubing, adheres to application equipment, and raises concerns for worker safety because of the solvent in the formulation, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

We collaborated with a pesticide formulation company to develop a Bayluscide 20-percent suspension concentrate (SC) formulation as a potential replacement for the Bayluscide 20-percent EC formulation. The 20-percent SC formulation was specifically developed using inert ingredients approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Although approved for use, the inclusion of a small quantity of an antimicrobial in the formulation warranted evaluating the toxicological profile to sea lamprey and select nontarget fish species. We evaluated and compared the toxicity of the 20-percent SC formulation to the 20-percent EC formulation using continuous-flow diluter systems and larval sea lamprey and select cold-, cool-, and warm-water fish as test animals. Our results demonstrate comparable toxicological profiles between the two formulations with the 20-percent SC formulation being slightly less toxic to the nontarget species evaluated.

Released July 11, 2024 08:20 EST

2024, Preprint

Jonathon D. Gass Jr., Robert J. Dusek, Nichola J. Hill, Laura Borkenhagen, Jeffrey S. Hall, Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson, Mary Anne Bishop, Andrew M. Ramey, Timothy J. Spivey, Solvi Runar Vignisson, Sunna Bjork Ragnarsdottir, Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson, Jón Einar Jónsson, Alexa D. Simulynas, Felicia B. Nutter, Wendy B. Puryear, Jonathan A. Runstadler

Background: The geographic expansion and evolution of A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996(H5N1) (Gs/GD) lineage H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses since 1996 have raised awareness of enzootic circulation among migratory birds and the potential for intercontinental transport and spread. Recent Pacific- and Atlantic-route introductions of HPAI to North America were facilitated by avian migration through subarctic zones, specifically Alaska and Iceland. This study aimed to identify recent historical patterns of exposure to HPAI viruses among birds within and migrating through both regions and evaluate how geographic, demographic, and taxonomic differences contribute to exposure risk at two intercontinental staging locations.

Methods: During 2010-2019, blood samples were obtained from captured wild migratory seabirds and waterfowl in Alaska and Iceland. All live birds were released following completion of sampling. Sampling date, species, sampling location, and age class was documented for each bird, and sex was documented when possible. Lentiviral pseudoviruses that express the influenza hemagglutinin surface glycoprotein for H5Nx HPAI and H5 low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) were constructed for use in serological assays to screen for and quantify titers of antibodies against the latter viruses. Data were analyzed to compare (a) categorical baseline ecological traits between Iceland and Alaska, and (b) ecological traits between birds identified to be seropositive and suggestive/seronegative/fully cross-reactive birds to H5Nx HPAI in Iceland and Alaska. Factors associated with seroreactivity to H5Nx HPAI and H5 LPAI were assessed.

Results:The seroprevalence of HPAI among birds in both locations was 7.3% (112/1526). Findings reveal variability in seroprevalence by year, higher rates of exposure to H5 LPAI than H5Nx HPAI overall, and significantly more seropositive and suggestive exposure of birds to H5Nx HPAI in Alaska as compared to Iceland. Geographic, demographic, and taxonomic differences contribute to exposure risk between Alaska and Iceland. Most tested birds were immuno-naïve to HPAI in both locations, which indicates many migratory birds in the subarctic are susceptible to HPAI infection, demonstrating substantial risk for intercontinental transmission between Asia, Europe, and North America.

Conclusions: Our findings provide further justification for increased viral and serosurveillance in Alaska and Iceland to monitor subarctic movements of migratory birds and intercontinental transmission dynamics of currently circulating and new strains of HPAI globally.

Released July 10, 2024 11:45 EST

2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3018

Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Ronald M. Drake II, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Thomas M. Finn, Michael H. Gardner, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Kira K. Timm, Scott S. Young

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 105.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Black Sea area.

Released July 10, 2024 10:28 EST

2024, BioScience

Wynne Emily Moss, Shelley Crausbay, Imtiaz Rangwala, Jay Wason, Clay Trauernicht, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Anna Sala, Caitlin M. Rottler, Gregory T. Pederson, Brian W. Miller, Dawn Magness, Jeremy Littell, Lee Frelich, Abby G. Frazier, Kimberly R. Davis, Jonathan Coop, Jennifer M. Cartwright, Robert K Booth

Under climate change, ecosystems are experiencing novel drought regimes, often in combination with stressors that reduce resilience and amplify drought’s impacts. Consequently, drought appears increasingly likely to push systems beyond important physiological and ecological thresholds, resulting in substantial changes in ecosystem characteristics persisting long after drought ends (i.e., ecological transformation). In the present article, we clarify how drought can lead to transformation across a wide variety of ecosystems including forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Specifically, we describe how climate change alters drought regimes and how this translates to impacts on plant population growth, either directly or through drought's interactions with factors such as land management, biotic interactions, and other disturbances. We emphasize how interactions among mechanisms can inhibit postdrought recovery and can shift trajectories toward alternate states. Providing a holistic picture of how drought initiates long-term change supports the development of risk assessments, predictive models, and management strategies, enhancing preparedness for a complex and growing challenge.

Released July 10, 2024 09:59 EST

2024, Geophysical Research Letters (51)

Autumn R. Deitrick, David K. Ralston, Christopher R. Esposito, Melissa Millman Baustian, Maricel Beltrán Burgos, Andrew J. Courtois, Heidi M. Nepf

Previous studies have demonstrated that vegetation-generated turbulence can enhance erosion rate and reduce the velocity threshold for erosion of non-cohesive sediment. This study considered whether vegetation-generated turbulence had a similar influence on natural cohesive sediment. Cores were collected from a black mangrove forest with aboveground biomass and exposed to stepwise increases in velocity. Erosion was recorded through suspended sediment concentration. For the same velocity, cores with pneumatophores had elevated turbulent kinetic energy compared to bare cores without pneumatophores. However, the vegetation-generated turbulence did not increase bed stress or the rate of resuspension, relative to bare cores. It was hypothesized that the short time-scale fluctuations associated with vegetation-generated turbulence were not of sufficient duration to break cohesion between grains, explaining why elevated levels of turbulence associated with the pneumatophores had no impact on the erosion threshold or rate.

Released July 10, 2024 08:38 EST

2024, International Journal of Coal Geology (290)

Tushar Adsul, Molly D. O'Beirne, David Fike, Santanu Ghosh, Josef P. Werne, William P. Gilhooly III, Paul C. Hackley, Javin J. Hatcherian, Bright Philip, Bodhisastwa Hazra, Sudip Bhattachryya, Ritam Konar, Atul Kumar Varma

Superhigh-organic‑sulfur (SHOS) coals (coals with organic sulfur content >4 wt%) are unique coal deposits found at a few notable locations in the world. Specific peat accumulation and preservation conditions must be met to form SHOS coals. Organic sulfur is a major constituent of such coals, and it may have various sources depending on the prevailing paleomire conditions. Understanding such paleomire conditions sheds light on the formation mechanisms of SHOS coals. This investigation decodes the paleomire conditions of the Paleogene SHOS coals from Meghalaya, India, using sulfur isotopic compositions (δ³⁴S) of organic sulfur (δ³⁴S_OS) and pyritic sulfur (δ³⁴S_Py) along with organic petrography, pyrite morphology and trace element ratios. Thirty coal samples were collected from the Jaintia Hills in the east, Khasi Hills in the middle, and Garo Hills in the west of Meghalaya. The organic sulfur content in the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia coals varies from 1.0 to 3.3 wt%, 1.4 to 13.8 wt%, and 1.0 to 7.2 wt%, respectively. Further, after separation from pyritic sulfur and sulfate sulfur phases, the organic sulfur content ranges from 54.4 to 69.2%, 63.8 to 79.9%, and 59.3 to 73.8%, in the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills, respectively, suggesting the SHOS nature of these coal samples. The δ³⁴S_Py varies from −29.3 ‰ to +5.7 ‰, −21.3 ‰ to +27.3 ‰, and  −12.1 ‰ to −4.3 ‰, in the Jaintia, Khasi, and Garo Hills, respectively, while the δ³⁴S_OS fluctuates from −4.6 ‰ to +3.7 ‰, −9.3 ‰ to +7.8 ‰, and − 9.0 ‰ to −5.0 ‰, respectively. The δ³⁴S values of pyrite and organic sulfur (OS) in Jaintia coals are ³⁴S depleted compared to seawater sulfate (+22 ‰), leading to fractionations in the range of −51.3 ‰ to −16.3 ‰ (mean − 31.6 ‰) and − 26.6 ‰ to −18.3 ‰ (mean − 23.1 ‰) for pyritic and organic sulfur (OS), respectively. Pyrite in Khasi coals show a relatively heavier δ³⁴S composition averaging at −20.5 ‰, whereas organic sulfur (OS) isotope compositions range from −31.3 ‰ to −14.2 ‰ with a mean of −22.6 ‰. Pyrite and OS in the Garo coals are depleted compared to seawater sulfate. Isotope variations in the Jaintia, Khasi, and Garo coals indicate microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) of seawater sulfate. Large isotopic fractionations between Eocene seawater sulfate and pyritic sulfur (Δ³⁴S_{SO4Eocene – pyrite} = up to −51.3 ‰; mean − 31.6 ‰) in Jaintia coals indicate their possible formation in the water column/near the sediment-seawater interface (open system) and also hint toward dissimilatory sulfate reduction pathways that prevailed under anoxic redox conditions. However, mean values of Δ³⁴S_{SO4Eocene – pyrite} (−20.5 ‰) in the Khasi coals imply pyrite formation deeper in the sediments (more closed system) under dysoxic conditions. The dominance of OS over pyritic sulfur, framboidal pyrite, and its microcrystal size distributions in Jaintia coals may suggest syngenetic pyrite formation in open water reducing/anoxic conditions under paralic environments. Elevated Sr/Ba and U/Th values in these coals further confirm the anoxic conditions. Nevertheless, the presence of euhedral pyrite with the alleviated pyrite framboids in the Khasi coals and their complete absence in the Garo coals may suggest dysoxic-suboxic and suboxic-oxic depositional conditions, respectively. The isotopic signatures of the Garo coals suggest sulfur contribution from the parent paleobiota and MSR under a freshwater-oxic environment. Insignificant fractionations between δ³⁴S_Py and δ³⁴S_OS indicate limited iron and sulfate availability for additional sulfur cycling and disproportionation reactions, typical of oxic conditions. The absence of framboidal pyrite, elevated sulfate concentration, and mean Sr/Ba and U/Th values of 0.5 and 0.3, respectively, further suggest the freshwater peat deposition in the Garo Hills under limnotelmatic to telmatic freshwater conditions. Moreover, high inertinite content (I_mmf = 9.77–33.16 vol%), possibly induced by atmospheric peat exposure, supports the interpretation of suboxic-oxic paleomire conditions in Garo Hills. Gradually decreasing mineral matter content from Jaintia (mean 13.6 vol%) to Garo coals (mean 7.4 vol%) additionally projects a transition from mesotrophic brackish to freshwater limnotelmatic environment, complementing the shift in the paleomire condition from eastern (Jaintia) to western (Garo) Meghalayan Hills.

Released July 10, 2024 06:53 EST

2024, Global Change Biology (30)

Evan Parker, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Ruth Y Oliver, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Walter Jetz

Released July 10, 2024 06:53 EST

2024, JGR Earth Surface (129)

Lukas T. WinklerPrins, Jessica R. Lacy, Mark T. Stacey, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. Stevens

Released July 10, 2024 06:47 EST

2024, Remote Sensing (16)

Matthew R. Lurtz, Ryan R. Morrison, Pamela L. Nagler

Released July 09, 2024 08:44 EST

2024, Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (18) 233-266

Beth Middleton, Elizabeth A. Gonzalez, Emily J. Lain, Benito Trevino, Christopher A. Gabler, Jerald T. Garrett, Brenda Molano-Flores, Janice Coons, Laura M. de la Garza, Teresa P. Feria-Arroyo

This review aims to summarize information critical to the conservation of the federally listed endangered species of South Texas, which occur along the border of Texas and Mexico. This paper describes the characteristics, habitat, population status, distribution, life history, threats, and restoration of endangered plant species of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, which includes Cameron, Willacy, Hildago, and Starr County. Seven federally listed species are considered including Ambrosia cheiranthifolia, Asclepias prostrata, Astrophytum asterias, Ayenia limitaris, Manihot walkerae, Lesquerella thamnophila (syn. Physaria thamnophila), and Thymophylla tephroleuca. An eighth species, Physostegia correllii is under consideration for federal listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This paper assembles information on the background, biological status, major threats, and conservation to aid managers and the scientific community in restoring and managing these species.

Released July 09, 2024 07:40 EST

2024, Data Report 1195

Matthew Uychutin, James L. Orlando, Michelle L. Hladik, Corey J. Sanders, Michael S. Gross, Matthew D. De Parsia, Elisabeth M. LaBarbera, Laura Twardochleb, Brittany E. Davis

Managed flow pulses in the north Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are an adaptive management tool used in efforts to enhance food availability in delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) habitat as part of the North Delta Food Subsidies Action. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) monitors non-managed seasonal and local flow pulses and managed flow pulses from agricultural drainage or main stem Sacramento River water redirected through Yolo By-Pass. Augmented flow pulses are hypothesized to improve net positive flow during summer and fall in Yolo By-Pass and enhance plankton availability in delta smelt habitat in Cache Slough complex. However, flow pulses may also result in unintended negative effects of increased pesticides that are transported through Yolo By-Pass. Here, we evaluate pesticides in surface water and suspended sediment correlated with flow pulses in Yolo By-Pass during the 2019–21 calendar years.

Surface-water and suspended-sediment samples were collected by DWR personnel. Water samples were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory in Sacramento, California, for a suite of as many as 178 current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Suspended sediments filtered from water samples were analyzed for a suite of as many as 173 current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates.

There were 52 different current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates detected in water samples collected throughout the study. Concentrations ranged from below method detection limits to 4,070 nanograms per liter. Five different compounds in water samples were detected with concentrations above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life benchmarks. In suspended-sediment samples collected throughout the study, eight different current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates were detected.

Total pesticide concentrations were highest at surface-water sites in the northern end of Yolo By-Pass and decreased farther downstream during the same sampling events. Total pesticide concentrations generally were higher for most surface-water sites immediately before or during the managed flow pulse in 2019 versus after the flow pulse. Finally, mean total pesticide concentrations for each surface-water site generally were higher during all of 2019 than 2021, regardless of sampling period.

Released July 08, 2024 16:42 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5053

Stephen L. Harden, Celeste A. Journey, Alexandra B. Etheridge

This cooperative study between the City of Durham Public Works Department, Stormwater Division and U.S. Geological Survey evaluated whether alternate monitoring strategies that incorporated samples collected across an increased range of streamflows would improve nutrient load estimates for Ellerbe and Sandy Creeks, two small, highly urbanized streams in the City of Durham, North Carolina. Water-quality and streamflow data collected between January 2009 and December 2020 were used to develop instream nutrient-load models using the U.S. Geological Survey R-LOADEST program. This study compared model results from two sampling scenarios: routine monthly (fixed frequency) sampling combined with targeted high-streamflow sampling (scenario A), and fixed frequency sampling only (scenario B).

Calibration diagnostic results were used to select the final, or most optimal, models. Most final models included seasonality terms to compensate for intra-annual variability in the data. Storm-runoff samples provided better definition at higher streamflows and improved the overall concentration versus flow relations for all constituents, except nitrate + nitrite. Uncertainties in the nutrient load estimates were lower and less variable for the scenario A tests compared to the scenario B tests.

Five time steps representing 12-, 9-, 7-, 6-, and 5-year subsets of the overall dataset were used to examine the effect of prediction period length on the computed loads and uncertainties. In focusing on the scenario A results, nutrient loads tended to be higher for the shorter time steps. These shorter time steps also produced higher errors, or uncertainty, in the load estimates compared to longer time steps. Evaluations of annual nutrient loads during 2016–20 indicated that the most consistent load estimates and tightest confidence intervals were obtained for longer 12- and 9-year time steps. Estimated loads were more variable and uncertain when based on the shorter 6- and 5-year time steps. The degree of uncertainty (standard error of prediction) in the nutrient load estimation results was influenced by sampling approach, calibration time step, and hydrologic characteristics during the model period of interest.

Released July 08, 2024 14:25 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5024

Brendan M. Foster, Ronaldo Lopez, Edward R. Crawford, Warren Cook, Joyce Krigsvold, John Henry Langston, Terry Langston, Grover Miles, Kirk Moore, Greg C. Garman, Karen C. Rice, John D. Jastram

In central Virginia, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Reservation are facing increasingly complex water resource issues related to quantity and quality. Documentation of surface-water, groundwater, water quality, land subsidence, sea-level rise, and river ecology issues in the Pamunkey River watershed and incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge into these research topics may improve understanding of the water resources broadly. This report summarizes the relevant traditional ecological knowledge and scientific literature to elucidate gaps in the total combined knowledge of a suite of water science topics concerning the Pamunkey River watershed. This suite of water science topics includes some of the issues that the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Reservation are facing within the watershed: fragmentation of streams and management of streamflow, flooding, degrading water quality, groundwater extraction, relative sea-level rise, rapid changes in ecosystems, loss of ecological and biological diversity, and climate change. Gaps in total combined knowledge are pervasive throughout each of these water resource topics. Identifying these knowledge gaps can help inform future research and management strategies.

Released July 08, 2024 06:58 EST

2024, Environmental Science and Technology

Honghong Chen, Yao Zou, Xingyuan Kang, Ge Yang, Xinghe Yang, Yingying Yao, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Xinde Cao, Wenhui Qiu, Elvis Zu Genbo, Chunmiao Zheng

Released July 07, 2024 06:55 EST

2024, Science of the Total Environment

Bonnie McDevitt, Travis L. Tasker, Rachel Coyte, Madalyn S. Blondes, Brian W. Stewart, Rosemary C Capo, J. Alexandra Hakala, Avner Vengosh, William D Burgos, Nathaniel R. Warner

Released July 07, 2024 06:50 EST

2024, Global Change Biology (30)

Clint C. Muhlfeld, Timothy Cline, Anders Finstad, Dag O. Hessen, Sam Perrin, Jens Thaulow, Diane Whited, Leif Asbjorn Vollestad

Released July 07, 2024 06:49 EST

2024, Conservation Science and Practice (6)

Nicholas J. Van Lanen, Jessica E. Shyvers, Bryan C. Tarbox, Adrian P. Monroe, Patrick J. Anderson, Daniel Jones, Katharine G. Dahm, Cameron L. Aldridge

Released July 05, 2024 09:20 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5054

Noel A. Deyette, Gregory A. Wetherbee, RoseAnn Martin

The U.S. Geological Survey Precipitation Chemistry Quality Assurance project (PCQA) operated five distinct programs to provide external quality-assurance monitoring for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) and Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) during 2021–22. The NTN programs included (1) a field audit program to evaluate sample contamination and stability, (2) an interlaboratory-comparison program to evaluate analytical laboratory performance, and (3) a colocated sampler program to estimate overall variability of NTN wet-deposition measurements, and the MDN programs included the (4) system blank program to evaluate sample contamination and stability and (5) an interlaboratory-comparison program. The results indicated increased levels of sample contamination compared to previous years for NTN samples and decreased contamination in MDN samples. Strong analytical laboratory performance with low overall variability and bias in concentration data was indicated for the NTN Central Analytical Laboratory. Slight perturbations in contamination levels in NTN samples and in analytical performance for MDN are considered inconsequential. The colocated sampler program results indicated overall variability in NTN data to range from 0 to 30.3 percent for cations, 1.6 to 11.4 percent for ammonium, 0.8 to 20.2 percent for anions, 10.3 to 17.2 percent for hydrogen-ion concentration, and 1.5 to 12.2 percent for specific conductance. The PCQA results indicate that NADP data continue to be of sufficient quality for applications in independent research and NADP data products, including spatial interpolations and time trends for chemical constituents in wet deposition. Small shifts in data quality indicated by the 2021–22 PCQA results are included to be used for interpretation of the NADP data products.

Released July 05, 2024 08:18 EST

2024, Science Advances (10)

Carine F. Bourgeois, Richard A. MacKenzie, Sahadev Sharma, Rupesh K. Bhomia, Nels G. Johnson, Andre S. Rovai, Thomas A. Worthington, Ken Krauss, Kangkuso Analuddin, Jacob J. Bukoski, Jose Alan Castillo, Angie Elwin, Leah Glass, Tim C. Jennerjahn, Mwita M. Mangora, Cyril Marchand, Michael Osland, Ismaël A. Ratefinjanahary, Raghab Ray, Severino G. Salmo, Sigit D. Sasmito, Rempei Suwa, Pham Hong Tinh, Carl C. Trettin

Mangroves’ ability to store carbon (C) has long been recognized, but little is known about whether planted mangroves can store C as efficiently as naturally established (i.e., intact) stands and in which time frame. Through Bayesian logistic models compiled from 40 years of data and built from 684 planted mangrove stands worldwide, we found that biomass C stock culminated at 71 to 73% to that of intact stands ~20 years after planting. Furthermore, prioritizing mixed-species planting including Rhizophora spp. would maximize C accumulation within the biomass compared to monospecific planting. Despite a 25% increase in the first 5 years following planting, no notable change was observed in the soil C stocks thereafter, which remains at a constant value of 75% to that of intact soil C stock, suggesting that planting effectively prevents further C losses due to land use change. These results have strong implications for mangrove restoration planning and serve as a baseline for future C buildup assessments.

Released July 05, 2024 07:20 EST

2024, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Brian J. Halstead, Kelly Smalling, Blake R. Hossack

Released July 05, 2024 06:57 EST

2024, Journal of Great Lakes Research

Jarrod R. Ludwig, Brian C. Weidel, Brian O'Malley, Michael Connerton, Jacques Rinchard

Released July 05, 2024 06:47 EST

2024, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Timothy Bargar

Released July 05, 2024 06:41 EST

2024, PLoS ONE (19)

Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra Houston

Released July 04, 2024 10:15 EST

2024, Restoration Ecology

Pamela L. Nagler, Ibrahima Sall, Martha Gomez-Sapiens, Karl W. Flessa, Armando Barreto-Muñoz, Kamel Didan

Along Mexico's arid Colorado River Delta, the riparian corridor lacks water due to a reduction in frequent flows, climate change, human infrastructure, and altered riparian landcover from disturbances to invasive species, fire, and high soil and water salinities, which have led to declines in riparian plant health in recent decades. Restoration efforts focusing on small plots have successfully revitalized habitat, which is the motivation for this research. Accurate estimations of water use by riparian vegetation are crucial in arid environments, where measuring actual evapotranspiration (ETa) poses a significant challenge in these narrow corridors. This study utilizes field-validated remote sensing techniques to quantify ETa at restoration sites. Our methods are twofold; we use the Landsat-8 two-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) to monitor changes in vegetation greenness—a proxy of plant health—and we integrate EVI2 with potential evapotranspiration (ET) to calculate ETa. Our findings reveal a notable increase in vegetation greenness within the restoration sites over 9 years, with an average increase of 41.3%. Conversely, greenness in adjacent, unrestored control areas declined by 27.3%. The study also indicates a 22.1% increase in ETa in the restored areas, compared to a 30.8% reduction in the unrestored regions. Restored sites in reach 4 experienced ETa increases ranging from 9.2 to 12.2%, whereas their unrestored counterparts show a decline of 21.4%. Valuable estimates are provided of riparian greenness and water use that may assist natural resource managers who are tasked with allocating water and managing habitats within similar riparian corridors.

Released July 04, 2024 06:59 EST

2024, Hydrology and Earth Systems Science (28) 2895-2918

Annie L. Putman, Patrick Cullen Longley, Morgan C. McDonnell, James E. Reddy, Michelle Patricia Katoski, Olivia L. Miller, J. Renee Brooks

The National Water Model (NWM) provides critical analyses and projections of streamflow that support water management decisions. However, the NWM performs poorly in lower-elevation rivers of the western United States (US). The accuracy of the NWM depends on the fidelity of the model inputs and the representation and calibration of model processes and water sources. To evaluate the NWM performance in the western US, we compared observations of river water isotope ratios (¹⁸O  ¹⁶O and ²H  ¹H expressed in δ notation) to NWM-flux-estimated (model) river reach isotope ratios. The modeled estimates were calculated from long-term (2000–2019) mean summer (June, July, and August) NWM hydrologic fluxes and gridded isotope ratios using a mass balance approach. The observational dataset comprised 4503 in-stream water isotope observations in 877 reaches across 5 basins. A simple regression between observed and modeled isotope ratios explained 57.9 % (δ¹⁸O) and 67.1 % (δ²H) of variance, although observations were 0.5 ‰ (δ¹⁸O) and 4.8 ‰ (δ²H) higher, on average, than mass balance estimates. The unexplained variance suggest that the NWM does not include all relevant water fluxes to rivers. To infer possible missing water fluxes, we evaluated patterns in observation–model differences using δ¹⁸O_diff (δ¹⁸O_obs−δ¹⁸O_mod) and d_diff (). We detected evidence of evaporation in observations but not model estimates (negative d_diff and positive δ¹⁸O_diff) at lower-elevation, higher-stream-order, arid sites. The catchment actual-evaporation-to-precipitation ratio, the fraction of streamflow estimated to be derived from agricultural irrigation, and whether a site was reservoir-affected were all significant predictors of d_diff in a linear mixed-effects model, with up to 15.2 % of variance explained by fixed effects. This finding is supported by seasonal patterns, groundwater levels, and isotope ratios, and it suggests the importance of including irrigation return flows to rivers, especially in lower-elevation, higher-stream-order, arid rivers of the western US.

Released July 03, 2024 18:50 EST

2024, Environmental Research (259)

Nimish B. Vyas, Paula F. P. Henry, Lukasz Binkowski, Michelle Hladik, Michael S. Gross, Michael A. Schroeder, Dawn M. Davis

Released July 03, 2024 15:10 EST

2024, Circular 1523

Mira Anderberg, Sara Ernst

The Coastal Science Navigator is an online gateway to a wide variety of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coastal change hazards-related information, data, and tools relevant to stakeholders’ scientific and decision-making needs. The products within the Coastal Science Navigator provide data related to past, present, and future threats to our coastlines. The filter search allows users to see all available products and identify relevant options by time scale, geographic scope, coastal hazard theme, and other filters. The guided search suggests products based on users’ answers to a short series of questions. A comprehensive summary is available for each product.

The idea for the Coastal Science Navigator arose in 2020 in response to stakeholder feedback identifying the need for a central source for USGS coastal science information. It was published in July 2023 and initially included 55 products. Regular updates are planned to integrate other existing and new products.

This guide introduces some of the many coastal change hazards-related products available through the USGS. In it, we showcase the products included in the Coastal Science Navigator’s initial publication in July 2023. While it is not representative of all the information, tools, and data available, we hope it serves as a compelling snapshot of what the USGS has to offer and encourages you to explore the Coastal Science Navigator to discover more of the products you need.

To navigate this guide, the products have been organized by the time scale they are best suited for—past, present, or future—although many products cover multiple time scales. An additional section features software, one of the many product types available as filters within the Coastal Science Navigator. Other products include downloadable data, websites, and geonarratives (web pages that combine text, images, and interactive maps into narratives you can scroll through). Featured geographic scopes are also highlighted within this guide, detailing some of the many regions in which the USGS conducts research and illustrating another way to filter products within the Coastal Science Navigator.

Released July 03, 2024 12:20 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5047

Jack Monti, Jr., Donald A. Walter, Kalle L. Jahn

Estimates of nitrogen loading from nonpoint sources on Long Island, New York, at or just below the land surface, are essential for assessing the current and future effects of nitrogen on the island’s drinking water and fresh and marine surface receiving waters. Annual estimates of nitrogen loading for the 120 years from 1900 to 2019 for major nonpoint nitrogen sources—septic systems, residential fertilizer, agricultural fertilizer, livestock waste, pet waste, and atmospheric deposition—were made by using a geographic information system to analyze, visualize, and process data sources, and format output data. This analysis provided spatial and temporal estimates of nitrogen loading derived from each nonpoint source at a 500- by 500-foot gridded resolution and represents the total mass of nitrogen applied on, or just below, the land surface annually from 1900 to 2019. These mass estimates are considered unattenuated as they do not reflect the various mechanisms of nitrogen loss, such as plant uptake, overland runoff, and chemical transformations in the soil and unsaturated zones that likely reduce the amount of nitrogen that reaches the water table.

Island-wide and countywide summaries of the estimated nitrogen loading were analyzed to describe the long-term average nitrogen totals and the contributions from the six nonpoint sources. The island-wide average annual nitrogen load from 1900 to 2019 was 14.92 million kilograms (Mkg) nitrogen, which represents the aggregate of individual contributions from septic systems (4.15 Mkg), residential fertilizer (3.28 Mkg), agricultural fertilizer (3.19 Mkg), livestock waste (1.22 Mkg), pet waste (0.98 Mkg), and atmospheric deposition (2.10 Mkg). The island-wide average annual nitrogen load, normalized by area, was 4,100 kilograms nitrogen per square kilometer (kg N/km²), which represents the aggregate of individual contributions from septic systems (1,100 kg N/km²), residential fertilizer (910 kg N/km²), agricultural fertilizer (880 kg N/km²), livestock waste (340 kg N/km²), pet waste (270 kg N/km²), and atmospheric deposition (580 kg N/km²).

Released July 03, 2024 11:30 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5045

S. Alex Covert, G.F. Koltun

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, performed a two-part study to (1) assess water use and temporal trends and changes in streamflow, and to (2) characterize 2021–23 baseline water quality, as they relate to oil and gas extraction activities in selected eastern Ohio watersheds. Between calendar years 2010 and 2019, hydraulic fracturing water withdrawals totaling about 27,168 million gallons were reported at 643 locations in Ohio. In 2021, wells developed with hydraulic fracturing were the source of most of the oil and gas produced in Ohio.

Daily streamflow time-series data from seven study gages and two reference gages were used to assess temporal trends and changes in streamflow. The study gages were in basins with reported water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing. The reference gages, which have long periods of record and were subject to minimal streamflow regulation, were in nearby basins with no hydraulic fracturing water withdrawals.

Trend slopes for the period of record annual minimum and median daily streamflows and for annual daily streamflow nonexceedance probabilities less than 0.9 were all uniformly positive at the study and reference gages. This trend indicates a consistently increasing pattern over the periods of record, except for high flows. In addition, analyses of annual streamflow statistics showed no general indication that low flows or extreme low flows at the reference or study gages have lowered, become more frequent, or lengthened in duration since 2010, when records for hydraulic fracturing water withdrawals began in Ohio. In fact, in almost all cases, the opposite was indicated.

Nonexceedance percentiles of daily streamflows were compared between the full and pre-2012 periods of record for reference and study gages. The streamflows associated with nonexceedance percentiles in the lower quartile of daily streamflows determined for the full period of record were larger than or equal to those determined for the pre-2012 period of record for all study and reference gages. This indicates that low flows did not decrease during the post-2011 period of record when water was withdrawn for hydraulic fracturing.

Water-quality data were collected eight times at each of eight sampling sites (six of which were colocated with the study gages). Sampling was done during a variety of flow conditions to assess baseline water quality. In 2021, the 8 sampling sites had drainage basins that were wholly or partially within 7 of the 10 most active counties in Ohio for oil and gas development. As part of the record of baseline conditions, water-quality data were used to assess (1) water types based on major-ion chemistry; (2) sources of salinity to streams; (3) exceedances of aquatic life use criteria; and (4) the correlations between water chemistry and drainage-basin characteristics, such as density of oil and gas wells, density of wastewater treatment plants, or the percentage of different types of land cover (agriculture, developed, forest).

Seven of the water-quality sampling sites were designated as coal-mine impacted based on criteria developed for assessing mine-drainage impacts in Ohio. Mine drainage from historical coal mining in the region likely affected the quality of these streams and complicated the use of some constituents typically used as indicators of oil and gas influence. Based on major-ion chemistry, three main types of water were in the study area―sulfate (three sites), calcium-bicarbonate (one site), and mixed bicarbonate-chloride (four sites) type waters. One site had samples with a higher proportion of sodium and chloride ions than other stream samples, indicating potential contamination with oil-field brine or road salt. Binary mixing curves revealed that 11 samples from 4 of the sampling sites likely contained a component of brine. The results of the baseline assessment of surface-water quality in the study area showed no exceedances of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life use criteria. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients indicated no significant positive correlations with the density of vertical or horizontal oil and gas wells.

Released July 03, 2024 10:41 EST

2024, Journal of Great Lakes Research

Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Eric D. Dantoin, Christopher T. Filstrup, Euan D Reavie, Robert M Stewart, Chris Robinson, Craig J Allan, Dale M. Robertson, David P. Krabbenhoft

Lake Superior has a vast and largely undeveloped watershed in comparison to the other Great Lakes, which makes it challenging to study mercury (Hg) sources and cycling. To examine Hg inputs to Lake Superior, we conducted an expansive binational assessment in 40 watersheds from a diverse range of landcover types. We further paired tributary Hg data to sediment source portfolios in the nearshore and offshore zones of Lake Superior through partnership with the Great Lakes Sediment Surveillance Program. We observed that total Hg loads were highest in the spring driven by the combination of elevated Hg concentrations and increased water discharge from snowmelt. In addition, total Hg concentrations in tributaries from remote, heavily forested regions, such as Pukaskwa National Park and the Minnesota Northshore, were higher than the Southshore and Thunder Bay regions. Methylmercury concentrations and loads were more spatially dependent, often corresponding to regions with more wetlands (e.g., Michigan Upper Peninsula). We estimated that the total Hg tributary load to Lake Superior in 2021 was 126 kg per year. To further examine the fate of watershed Hg sources, we examined sediments from 28 sites in Lake Superior using Hg stable isotopes. At open water sites, precipitation was the primary Hg source to sediments, but within nearshore sites Hg originated predominantly from watershed runoff. This work further defines the sources and fate of Hg within Lake Superior and highlights how Hg delivery is intrinsically tied to varying hydrologic regimes.

Released July 03, 2024 06:58 EST

2024, Limnology and Oceanography

Olivia S. Pereira, Devin Vlach, Angelica Bradley, Jennifer Gonzalez, Kira Mizell, Lisa A. Levin

Released July 02, 2024 10:45 EST

2024, Open-File Report 2024-1041

Elizabeth R. Neustaedter, Ryan F. Kemna, Abraham J. Padilla, Donya Otarod

Introduction

In 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Minerals Information Center (NMIC) completed the project titled "Compilation of geospatial data for the mineral industries and related infrastructure of Africa." This project aimed to leverage the expertise and capabilities of the NMIC to collect, synthesize, and interpret geospatial data to inform on the extractive resources of the African region and expand the NMIC's understanding on the impact of mineral industry of African nations in the global economy. The African region, which comprises the independent nations that make up the African continent and its associated islands and dependencies, consists of a total of 58 mineral producing countries. The primary objective of this effort was to create a fully attributed Geographic Information System (GIS) portraying existing mining infrastructure, resources, and development capacity across Africa along with the related infrastructure capable of supporting current (for the reference year 2018) and future extractive industry operations in the region. The compiled GIS geodatabase with supporting documentation including comprehensive metadata was published as a USGS data release titled "Compilation of Geospatial Data (GIS) for the Mineral Industries and Related Infrastructure of Africa."

This georeferenced portable document format (GeoPDF) map sheet presents a new geographic information product containing a partial representation of the GIS data. This GeoPDF map provides a visual comparison of the distribution of mineral industry and related infrastructure GIS data, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersections and complexities of the extractive industries within Africa.

Released July 02, 2024 07:51 EST

2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5050

Thomas J. Williams, Brian J. Klager, Tom C. Stiles

The Clean Water Act was passed by Congress in 1972 to regulate pollution within the waters of the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Kansas Water Office, the Nature Conservancy, the City of Lawrence, the City of Manhattan, the City of Olathe, the City of Topeka, WaterOne, and Evergy, compiled and analyzed historical streamflow and water-quality data collected by USGS and KDHE to characterize trends in water-quality constituents of interest because of their relation to water supply, drinking-water treatment, and sediment and nutrient transport, among others (total dissolved solids, chloride, ammonia, dissolved inorganic nitrogen [ammonia and nitrate plus nitrite], total nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform bacteria) during mean- and low-flow conditions in the Kansas River since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 through 2020. Trends in water-quality concentrations, or densities, and loads were analyzed using the Exploration and Graphics for RivER Trends R package and Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model at upstream (Kansas River at Wamego, Kansas; USGS station 06887500) and downstream (Kansas River at De Soto, Kansas; USGS station 06892350) locations along the Kansas River using streamflow and water-quality data collected by the USGS and KDHE during 1972 through 2020. The Exploration and Graphics for RivER Trends Confidence Intervals R package and WRTDS bootstrap test estimated direction, uncertainty, and likelihood of trends in concentration and loads for each water-quality constituent of interest.

Downward trends in concentration and load were observed for 5 of the 9 water-quality constituents at both sites during mean-flow conditions during the study period. During low-flow conditions, 7 of the 9 constituents exhibited downward trends, possibly reflecting reductions in point-source contributions to the Kansas River. Downward trends in ammonia, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and total nitrogen during mean- and low-flow conditions were observed at both Kansas River sites, which were similar to patterns observed nationally. Upward trends were generally observed for orthophosphate and total phosphorus, which were similar to patterns observed at sites in the Mississippi River Basin. Downward trends, or no trend, were observed for chloride. Upward and downward trends were observed for total dissolved solids. Downward trends in total suspended solids and fecal coliform bacteria were observed at both sites, which were also similar to patterns observed nationally. The long-term trend analyses in this report are an essential step to understanding how water-quality conditions have changed in the Kansas River since the passage of the Clean Water Act.

Released July 02, 2024 06:46 EST

2024, Nature Communications (15)

Bethan Davies, Robert McNabb, Jacob Bendle, Jonathan Carrivick, Jeremy Ely, Tom Holt, Bradley Markle, Christopher J. McNeil, Lindsey Nicholson, Mauri Pelto

Released July 02, 2024 06:37 EST

2024, Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers (210)

Lea-Anne Henry, Igor Yashayaev, Claude Hillaire-Marcel, F. Javier Murillo, Ellen Kenchington, Struan Smith, Jenny Maccali, Jill Bourque, Louis L. Whitcomb, J. Murray Roberts

Released July 01, 2024 10:12 EST

2024, Report

Theresa L. Liedtke, Lisa K. Weiland, Joe Skalicky, Julie Harris, Monica R. Blanchard, Ann B. Grote, Ann E. Gray, Brian K. Ekstrom

The Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative (PLCI) is a collaboration of Tribes, Federal, and State agencies working together to protect and restore Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and other native lampreys (i.e., Lampetra spp.) in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosts and facilitates the PLCI, and the Columbia River Tribes play a large role in setting conservation goals and defining research needs. The PLCI annually solicits proposals for research and restoration activities, which are reviewed and ranked in collaboration with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), who annually provides funding to support PLCI priority proposals. This report summarizes two research projects selected through PLCI, and funded under one BPA contract, in support of Pacific Lamprey conservation. The two projects were not topically related apart from a common theme of potential stressors to lampreys and are being reported together because they were combined under one BPA agreement for contracting.

Released July 01, 2024 06:57 EST

2024, Science of the Total Environment (946)

Michael J. Spear, Brandon S. Harris, Taylor A. Bookout, Brian Ickes, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Levi E. Solomon, Kristopher A. Maxson, Andrya L. Whitten Harris, Andrew T. Mathis, Sam J. Schaick, Jesse A. Williams, Jason A. DeBoer, Allison W. Lenaerts, Eric C. Hine, John H. Chick, James T. Lamer

Released July 01, 2024 06:53 EST

2024, Fisheries

Josey Lee Ridgway, John A. Madsen, Jesse Robert Fischer, Robin Calfee, Matthew Ross Acre, David C. Kazyak

Released July 01, 2024 06:36 EST

2024, Journal of Open Source Software (9)

Sharon Fitzpatrick, Daniel Buscombe, Jonathan Warrick, Mark Alan Lundine, Kilian Vos

CoastSeg is an interactive browser-based program that aims to broaden the adoption of satellite-derived shoreline (SDS) detection and coastal landcover mapping workflows among coastal scientists and coastal resource management practitioners. SDS is a sub-field of coastal sciences that aims to detect and post-process a time-series of shoreline locations from publicly available satellite imagery. CoastSeg is a python package installed via pip into a conda environment that serves as an API for building custom SDS workflows. CoastSeg also provides full SDS workflow implementations via jupyter notebooks and python scripts that call functions and classes in the core CoastSeg API for specific workflows. Two fully functioning SDS workflows are already provided, and more could be added by collaborators in the SDS software community. All API codes, notebooks, scripts, and documentation are hosted on the CoastSeg GitHub repository.

Released June 29, 2024 09:21 EST

2024, Journal of Hydrology X (24)

John Fulton, Nicholas Graff Hall, Laura A. Hempel, J.J. Gourley, Mark F. Henneberg, Michael S. Kohn, William H. Farmer, William H. Asquith, Daniel Wasielewski, Andrew S. Stecklein, Amanullah Mommandi, Aziz Khan

The magnitude and timing of extreme events such as debris and floodflows (collectively referred to as floodflows) in post-wildfire basins are difficult to measure and are even more difficult to predict. To address this challenge, a sensor ensemble consisting of noncontact, ground-based (near-field), Doppler velocity (velocity) and pulsed (stage or gage height) radars, rain gages, and a redundant radio communication network was leveraged to monitor flood wave velocities, to validate travel times, and to compliment observations from NEXRAD weather radar. The sensor ensemble (DEbris and Floodflow Early warNing System, DEFENS) was deployed in Waldo Canyon, Pike National Forest, Colorado, USA, which was burned entirely (100 percent burned) by the Waldo Canyon fire during the summer of 2012 (MTBS, 2020).

Surface velocity, stage, and precipitation time series collected during the DEFENS deployment on 10 August 2015 were used to monitor and predict flood wave velocities and travel times as a function of stream discharge (discharge; streamflow). The 10 August 2015 event exhibited spatial and temporal variations in rainfall intensity and duration that resulted in a discharge equal to 5.01 cubic meters per second (m³/s). Discharge was estimated post-event using a slope-conveyance indirect discharge method and was verified using velocity radars and the probability concept algorithm. Mean flood wave velocities – represented by the kinematic celerity (𝑐_𝑘 = 2.619 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑, m/s ± 0.556 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡) and dynamic celerity (𝑐_𝑑 = 3.533 m/s ± 0.181 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡) and their uncertainties were computed. L-moments were computed to establish probability density functions (PDFs) and associated statistics for each of the at-a-section hydraulic parameters to serve as a workflow for implementing alert networks in hydrologically similar basins that lack data.

Measured flood wave velocities and travel times agreed well with predicted values. Absolute percent differences between predicted and measured flood wave velocities ranged from 1.6 percent to 49 percent and varied with water slope, hydraulic radius, and depth. The kinematic celerity was a better predictor for steep slopes and wide flood plains associated with the Upper Waldo and Middle Waldo radar streamgages; whereas, the dynamic celerity was a better surrogate for shallow slopes and incised channels such as the Lower Waldo radar streamgage.

The method demonstrates the potential extensibility of a post-wildfire warning system by (1) leveraging multiple systems (i.e., weather radar, near-field velocity and stage radars, and rain gages) for accurate and timely warnings of debris and floodflows, (2) establishing an order of operations to site, install, and operate near-field radars and conventional rain gages to record floodflows, forecast travel times, and document geomorphic change in this basin and hydrologically similar basins that lack data, and (3) communicating data operationally with the Colorado Department of Transportation engineering staff, National Weather Service forecasters, and emergency managers.

Released June 29, 2024 07:01 EST

2024, Bulletin of Volcanology (86)

Samantha Engwell, Larry G. Mastin, Contanza Bonadonna, Sara Barsotti, Natalia Irma Deligne, Bergrun A. Oladottir

Released June 29, 2024 06:53 EST

2024, Water (16)

Paul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Christopher L. Gazoorian

An innovative payload containing a sensitive mid-wave infrared camera was flown on an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) to acquire thermal imagery along a reach of the Sacramento River, California, USA. The imagery was used as input for an ensemble particle image velocimetry (PIV) algorithm to produce near-continuous maps of surface flow velocity along a reach approximately 1 km in length. To assess the accuracy of PIV velocity estimates, in situ measurements of flow velocity were obtained with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). ADCP measurements were collected along pre-planned cross-section lines within the area covered by the imagery. The PIV velocities showed good agreement with the depth-averaged velocity measured by the ADCP, with 

Released June 28, 2024 07:02 EST

2024, Report

Gabrielle Canonico, J. Emmett Duffy, Masha Edmonson, Katie Fillingham, Abigail Benson, Kelsey Bisson, Amanda Demopoulos, Beth Hinchey, Katsumi Matsumoto, Chris Meyer, James Price, Elaine Shen, Woody Turner, Mike Weise, Andrea Vander Woude, Lauren Wenzel

President Biden has been clear that the ocean is central to life on Earth. As he has proclaimed, “the ocean powers millions of jobs; feeds and sustains us; and is a rejuvenating source of inspiration, exploration, and recreation.” The Biden-Harris Administration has worked hard to fulfill the President’s goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. waters by 2030. The ocean faces increased threats from warming, overfishing, increased acidity, and loss of biodiversity. It is now more important than ever to sustain the many benefits that the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes provide, including food, a favorable climate, recreation, physical and mental health, and for many, a sense of cultural identity. Ocean life represents an irreplaceable heritage, the foundation of a habitable planet, and a vast trove of resources. Keeping our ocean healthy requires reliable information on the changing status of these living organisms, the drivers of biodiversity change, and options for effectively addressing those drivers. Over 2 million species are estimated to live in the ocean, yet only about 240,000 species have been described by scientists. Most of the ocean’s benefits result from those diverse species interacting with one another and the environment they create. To protect and conserve the ocean, we as a nation need to make better use of existing knowledge and prioritize acquiring new biodiversity knowledge to enable better policy and management decisions. The ability to monitor ocean species and habitats has expanded dramatically over the past decade, with innovations in technology, genomics, taxonomy, big data management and sharing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Yet large fractions of the U.S. ocean remain almost unknown. The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy (strategy) reflects the urgent need to leverage these advances. The goals of this strategy must be guided by the nation’s diverse voices and ways of knowing, in order to maximize effective and equitable stewardship of the ocean’s diverse life and its benefits to people. The strategy is intended as a guiding document for government to advance three overarching goals:

● Goal 1: Drive delivery of ocean biodiversity knowledge at the national scale. Objectives include developing an Implementation Plan for achieving the strategy’s three goals; establishing a coordination mechanism to manage the implementation; and documenting gaps in biodiversity knowledge and the benefits of ocean biodiversity to people and economies.

● Goal 2: Strengthen tools and institutions to deliver ocean biodiversity knowledge. Objectives include establishing a robust information pipeline to support indicators and dynamic maps of ocean biodiversity, from the coasts to the deep sea. This pipeline should include expanded observing systems and comprehensive data management; science and technology solutions to accelerate the availability of biodiversity information; and plans to leverage previous investments to rebuild and expand the nation’s human capital and infrastructure to sustain foundational taxonomy and biodiversity science.

● Goal 3: Protect, conserve, restore, and sustainably use ocean biodiversity. Objectives include expanding the collection, delivery, and use of biodiversity knowledge to inform actions that advance ocean protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable development. Government should lead in establishing and incentivizing diverse partnerships across scales and sectors to implement those actions and should educate and involve the public to discover and value the nation’s diverse ocean life. Achieving these goals will require commitments across society: new federal and private investments, coordination across sectors to address climate and equity challenges, and engagement of Indigenous Knowledge holders and frontline communities as full partners throughout planning and implementation. The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) IWG-Biodiversity will begin developing an Implementation Plan to describe and direct specific actions to implement the strategy. Successful implementation of the strategy will harmonize and expand collection and delivery of timely knowledge on ocean life to all of society. The strategy will also enable evidence-based management and protection of the ocean. Advancing the strategy will build human and institutional capital and partnerships that support both existing mandates and new needs to rebuild and sustain biodiversity, achieve healthy ocean ecosystems, and manage living resources. Implementing the strategy will deliver knowledge for monitoring, modeling, forecasting, and assessments that support food security, public health, and cultural values, and that more effectively protect, conserve, and restore nature.

Released June 28, 2024 06:52 EST

2024, Journal of Mammalogy

Rebecca Windell, Larissa L. Bailey, Travis Livieri, David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Stewart Breck

The consequences of intraguild predation on vulnerable subordinate species are an important consideration in the recovery of endangered species. In prairie ecosystems, coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary predator of endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes; hereafter, ferrets) and presumably compete for prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) prey. Coyote predation of ferrets is thought to occur at night when ferrets are active aboveground; however, the apparent source of competition, diurnal prairie dogs, are belowground and inaccessible to coyotes at this time, presenting a perplexing temporal mismatch between actual and expected times that coyotes and ferrets come into conflict. Our study used remote wildlife cameras, occupancy models, and overlap of circadian activity patterns to investigate how landscape features, prairie dog colony attributes, and attraction to sympatric species, i.e., American badgers (Taxidea taxus; hereafter, badgers) and lagomorphs (cottontail rabbits and jackrabbits) influence Coyote use of prairie dog colonies and potential Coyote–ferret interactions. We first evaluated Coyote use (i.e., occupancy) between prairie dog colonies and surrounding available grasslands, finding that coyotes whose home ranges include prairie dog colonies used colonies nearly twice as much as surrounding grasslands. Next, we investigated biotic and abiotic factors that may influence Coyote use and frequency of use (i.e., detection probability) on prairie dog colonies. We found high Coyote use across all areas on prairie dog colonies; however, their frequency of use increased in areas that were also used by badgers. High overlap between Coyote and badger activity patterns (81%) further supports the spatial use patterns revealed by our occupancy analysis, and badgers and coyotes are known to form hunting associations. Interspecific competition and overlapping patterns of resource use between badgers and ferrets have been documented in previous studies; our study supports these findings and suggests that Coyote attraction to badger activity may influence Coyote–ferret interactions.

Released June 27, 2024 09:16 EST

2024, Open-File Report 2024-1034

Liam N. Schenk, Caelan Simeone

Total phosphorus (TP) and suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads were computed at two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in the upper Klamath River Basin on the Sprague (USGS site ID 11501000) and Williamson (USGS site ID 11502500) Rivers using high temporal resolution turbidity and streamflow data to develop surrogate regression models. Regression models were updated and validated for TP at the Williamson River site, and additional data improved a prior published TP model, increasing the coefficient of determination (R²) from 0.73 to 0.88. A new TP regression model was developed for the Sprague River site using 2 years of data and showed promising results with an R² of 0.93. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) surrogate models were also updated at these sites using a longer period of record than the TP models and improved characterization of sediment transport conditions at these monitoring sites.

Computations of TP loads were compared to the annual loading capacity dictated by the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for Upper Klamath Lake and showed that the combined TP load of the Williamson and Sprague Rivers approaches the annual loading capacity in water years with high annual streamflow. TP loads were also compared to loads computed by the Klamath Tribes using a long-term dataset and a regression and interpolation algorithm (RIA). The comparison showed that the two methods report similar annual loads, with the surrogate regression method generally reporting lower loads than the RIA, and the RIA annual loads falling within the range of uncertainty of the surrogate regression model results. Determining the effect of habitat and stream restoration on basin-scale TP and suspended-sediment loading is challenging using the surrogate regression method at these sites given the short period of record that TP and suspended-sediment load (SSL) data are available. However, long-term analysis by the Klamath Tribes in their larger monitoring network could provide insight into the impact of restoration at smaller spatial scales compared to the basin-wide assessment produced in this study.

Released June 27, 2024 07:24 EST

2024, Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Brian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Shawn P. Espinosa, Cameron L. Aldridge

Released June 27, 2024 07:08 EST

2024, ACS ES&T Water (4) 2957-2967

Yang Xiang, Janelle M. Steffen, Phoebe J. Lam, Amy Gartman, Kira Mizell, Jessica N. Fitzsimmons

Released June 27, 2024 07:07 EST

2024, Science of the Total Environment (946)

Bruce E. Kurtz, James E. Landmeyer, James K. Culter

The logistic equation models single-species population growth with a sigmoid curve that begins as exponential and ends with an asymptotic approach to a final population determined by natural system carrying capacity. But the population of a natural system often does not stabilize as it approaches carrying capacity. Instead, it exhibits periodic change, sometimes with very large amplitudes. The time-delay modification of the logistic equation accounts for this behavior by connecting the present rate of population growth to conditions at an earlier time. The periodic change in population with time can progress from a monotonic approach to the carrying capacity; to oscillation around the carrying capacity; to limit-cycle periodic change; and, finally, to chaotic change.

Released June 27, 2024 07:02 EST

2024, Geology

Adrian Bender, Richard O. Lease

Released June 27, 2024 06:53 EST

2024, Environmental Science & Technology Water (4) 2789-2802

Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Sarah Opelt, Rachel Cook, Joe Heffron, Amanda Brown, Claire E. Hruby, Mark A. Borchardt

Released June 27, 2024 06:34 EST

2024, Endangered Species Research (54) 245-259

Glenn D. Goodwin, Kristen Hart, Abby C. Evans, Derek A. Burkholder

Developing conservation strategies for highly migratory marine species relies on understanding their spatial distributions. Nesting populations of female loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles typically travel from widely dispersed foraging areas and make use of common internesting areas between nesting events. Protection of these areas is essential to the conservation of this species. In this study, we used satellite tracking and behavioral switching state-space movement modeling to examine the internesting use-areas, migration patterns, and foraging area distribution of a previously uninvestigated nesting loggerhead population in southeast Florida. While these turtles spent much of their internesting period close to their nesting site, only 17.4% of the identified internesting area is within the boundaries currently designated under the US Endangered Species Act as critical loggerhead ‘nearshore reproductive habitat’. Additionally, 72% of turtles in this study (17 of 21) that were tracked to foraging grounds have foraging home ranges outside of the USA, with 62% of turtles (n = 13) in The Bahamas. Considering the proximity of their internesting areas to a large human population center and their largely international foraging distribution, this population could benefit from expanding federally designated critical habitat, along with developing collaborative conservation strategies between the USA and The Bahamas.