Report of the River Master of the Delaware River for the period December 1, 2015 - November 30, 2016
Kendra L. Russell, William J. Andrews, Vincent J. DiFrenna, J. Michael Norris, Robert R. Mason, Jr.
2024, Open-File Report 2024-1012
Executive SummaryA 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...
The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Mississippi's economy
George Heleine
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3027
IntroductionMississippi 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...
Probabilistic assessment of postfire debris-flow inundation in response to forecast rainfall
A. B. Prescott, L. A. McGuire, K.-S. Jun, Katherine R. Barnhart, N. S. Oakley
2024, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (24) 2359-2374
Communities downstream of burned steep lands face increases in debris-flow hazards due to fire effects on soil and vegetation. Rapid postfire hazard assessments have traditionally focused on quantifying spatial variations in debris-flow likelihood and volume in response to design rainstorms. However, a methodology that...
Remote sensing of volcano deformation and surface change
M. Poland
2024, Book chapter, Remote Sensing for Characterization of Geohazards and Natural Resources
Volcanic unrest and eruptions are associated with surface deformation and landscape change that can be detected, characterized, and tracked via remote sensing measurements. Subsurface processes, including magma accumulation, withdrawal, and transport, can cause displacements at the surface that are best tracked at subaerial volcanoes with interferometric...
Palaeontological signatures of the Anthropocene are distinct from those of previous epochs
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
2024, Earth Science Reviews (255)
The “Great Acceleration” beginning in the mid-20th century provides the causal mechanism of the Anthropocene, which has been proposed as a new epoch of geological time beginning in 1952 CE. Here we identify key parameters and their diagnostic palaeontological signals of the...
Groundwater flow model for the Des Moines River alluvial aquifer near Des Moines, Iowa
Emilia L. Bristow, Kyle W. Davis
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5059
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...
Comparative toxicity of emulsifiable concentrate and suspension concentrate formulations of 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide ethanolamine salt
James A. Luoma, Justin R. Schueller, Nicholas A. Schloesser, Courtney A Kirkeeng, Samantha L. Wolfe
2024, Open-File Report 2024-1037
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...
Sero-epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses among wild birds in subarctic intercontinental transition zones
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
2024, Preprint
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...
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Black Sea area, 2023
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
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3018
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....
Drought as an emergent driver of ecological transformation in the twenty-first century
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
2024, BioScience
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)....
Decoding paleomire conditions of Paleogene superhigh-organic-sulfur coals
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
2024, International Journal of Coal Geology (290)
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...
Insufficient and biased representation of species geographic responses to climate change
Evan Parker, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Ruth Y Oliver, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Walter Jetz
2024, Global Change Biology (30)
The geographic redistributions of species due to a rapidly changing climate are poised to perturb ecological communities and significantly impact ecosystems and human livelihoods. Effectively managing these biological impacts requires a thorough understanding of the patterns and processes of species geographic range shifts. While...
Seasonality of retreat rate of a wave-exposed marsh edge
Lukas T. WinklerPrins, Jessica R. Lacy, Mark T. Stacey, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. Stevens
2024, JGR Earth Surface (129)
Wave-driven erosion of marsh boundaries is a major cause of marsh loss, but little research has captured the effect of seasonal differences on marsh-edge retreat rates to illuminate temporal patterns of when the majority of this erosion is occurring. Using five surface models captured over a study...
On connecting hydro-social parameters to vegetation greenness differences in an evolving groundwater-dependent ecosystem
Matthew R. Lurtz, Ryan R. Morrison, Pamela L. Nagler
2024, Remote Sensing (16)
Understanding groundwater-dependent ecosystems (i.e., areas with a relatively shallow water table that plays a major role in supporting vegetation health) is key to sustaining water resources in the western United States. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in Colorado have non-pristine temporal and spatial patterns, compared to agro-ecosystems, which make it difficult...
Pesticide concentrations of surface water and suspended sediment in Yolo By-Pass and Cache Slough Complex, California, 2019–2021
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
2024, Data Report 1195
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...
Assessment of nutrient load estimation approaches for small urban streams in Durham, North Carolina
Stephen L. Harden, Celeste A. Journey, Alexandra B. Etheridge
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5053
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...
Characterization of the water resources of the Pamunkey River watershed in Virginia—A review of water science, management, and traditional ecological knowledge
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
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5024
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...
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide induced autotoxic effects on the zebrafish immune system
Honghong Chen, Yao Zou, Xingyuan Kang, Ge Yang, Xinghe Yang, Yingying Yao, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Xinde Cao, Wenhui Qiu, Elvis Zu Genbo, Chunmiao Zheng
2024, Environmental Science and Technology
Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) is an immediate perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) precursor (PreFOS). Previous studies have shown PFOSA to induce stronger toxic responses compared to other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). However, the specific nature of PFOSA-induced toxicity, whether autonomous or mediated by its metabolite PFOS, has...
Utica/point pleasant brine isotopic compositions (δ7Li, δ11B, δ138Ba) elucidate mechanisms of lithium enrichment in the Appalachian Basin
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
2024, Science of the Total Environment
Global Li production will require a ~500 % increase to meet 2050 projected energy storage demands. One potential source is oil and gas wastewater (i.e., produced water or brine), which naturally has high total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations, that can also be enriched in Li...
Climate change vulnerability of Arctic char across Scandinavia
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Timothy Cline, Anders Finstad, Dag O. Hessen, Sam Perrin, Jens Thaulow, Diane Whited, Leif Asbjorn Vollestad
2024, Global Change Biology (30)
Climate change is anticipated to cause species to shift their ranges upward and poleward, yet space for tracking suitable habitat conditions may be limited for range-restricted species at the highest elevations and latitudes of the globe. Consequently, range-restricted species inhabiting Arctic freshwater ecosystems, where...
Think regionally, act locally: Perspectives on co-design of spatial conservation prioritization tools and why end-user engagement altered our approach
Nicholas J. Van Lanen, Jessica E. Shyvers, Bryan C. Tarbox, Adrian P. Monroe, Patrick J. Anderson, Daniel Jones, Katharine G. Dahm, Cameron L. Aldridge
2024, Conservation Science and Practice (6)
Coproduction represents an inclusive approach for developing decision-support resources because it seeks to integrate scientific knowledge and end-user needs. Unfortunately, spatial decision support systems (SDSS) coproduction has sometimes resulted in limited utility for end-users, partially due to scarce SDSS coproduction guidance. To initiate coproduction, we...
External quality-assurance project report for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program National Trends Network and Mercury Deposition Network, 2021–22
Noel A. Deyette, Gregory A. Wetherbee, RoseAnn Martin
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5054
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...
Effects of harmful algal blooms on amphibians and reptiles are under-reported and under-represented
Brian J. Halstead, Kelly Smalling, Blake R. Hossack
2024, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a persistent and increasing problem globally, yet we still have limited knowledge about how they affect wildlife. Although semi-aquatic and aquatic amphibians and reptiles have experienced large declines and occupy environments where HABs are increasingly problematic, their vulnerability to...
Histological analysis of deepwater sculpin ovaries supports single spawning reproductive strategy
Jarrod R. Ludwig, Brian C. Weidel, Brian O'Malley, Michael Connerton, Jacques Rinchard
2024, Journal of Great Lakes Research
Deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) were considered extirpated from Lake Ontario prior to the 1990s but have since resurged and are now an abundant offshore demersal species. As deepwater sculpin reproduction is poorly described, an investigation of their gonadal development and...
Low-level dietary clothianidin exposure preferentially causes prepupal mortality of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
Timothy Bargar
2024, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Data from prior research indicate the prepupal stage of the monarch butterfly life cycle is more sensitive to clothianidin exposure than the larval stage. A set of experiments was conducted to determine if the dietary clothianidin exposures that cause prepupal mortality are environmentally relevant. Monarch...
