Effects of low and high salinity regimes on seasonal gametogenesis of the ribbed mussel Geukensia granosissima in coastal Louisiana, USA
Aaron Honig, Megan K. LaPeyre, John Supan
2014, Sexuality and Early Development in Aquatic Organisms (1) 75-82
Benthic intertidal bivalves play an essential role in estuarine ecosystems by contributing to habitat provision, water filtration, and host vegetation productivity. As such, ecosystem level changes that impact population distributions and persistence of local bivalve populations may have large ecosystem level consequences, making it important to better understand the population...
Characterizing lentic freshwater fish assemblages using multiple sampling methods
Jesse R. Fischer, Michael C. Quist
2014, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (186) 4461-4474
Characterizing fish assemblages in lentic ecosystems is difficult, and multiple sampling methods are almost always necessary to gain reliable estimates of indices such as species richness. However, most research focused on lentic fish sampling methodology has targeted recreationally important species, and little to no information is available regarding the influence...
2014 update of the U.S. national seismic hazard maps
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles S. Mueller, Kathleen M. Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen C. Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, R Chen, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nicolas Luco, Russell L. Wheeler, Anna H. Olsen
2014, Book
We held 8 regional and topical workshops across the U.S. to gather information for these maps. The maps were available to the public for comment during a 60-day period. A Steering Committee (9 experts) was assembled to review the inputs and results and provide additional insights. The maps have been...
Does age matter? The influence of age on response rates in a mixed-mode survey
Larry M. Gigliotti, Alia Dietsch
2014, Human Dimensions of Wildlife: An International Journal (19) 280-287
The appeal of cost savings and faster results has fish and wildlife management agencies considering the use of Internet surveys instead of traditional mail surveys to collect information from their constituents. Internet surveys, however, may suffer from differential age-related response rates, potentially producing biased results if certain age groups respond...
Re-evaluating neonatal-age models for ungulates: Does model choice affect survival estimates?
Troy W. Grovenburg, Kevin L. Monteith, Christopher N. Jacques, Robert W. Klaver, Christopher S. DePerno, Todd J. Brinkman, Kyle B. Monteith, Sophie L. Gilbert, Joshua B. Smith, Vernon C. Bleich, Christopher C. Swanson, Jonathan A. Jenks
2014, PLoS ONE (9)
New-hoof growth is regarded as the most reliable metric for predicting age of newborn ungulates, but variation in estimated age among hoof-growth equations that have been developed may affect estimates of survival in staggered-entry models. We used known-age newborns to evaluate variation in age estimates among existing hoof-growth equations and...
US Topo Maps 2014: Program updates and research
Kristin A. Fishburn
2014, Conference Paper
The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) US Topo map program is now in year two of its second three-year update cycle. Since the program was launched in 2009, the product and the production system tools and processes have undergone enhancements that have made the US Topo maps a popular success...
A VS30 map for California with geologic and topographic constraints
Eric Thompson, David J. Wald, Charles Worden
2014, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (104) 2313-2321
For many earthquake engineering applications, site response is estimated through empirical correlations with the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity to 30 m depth (VS30). These applications therefore depend on the availability of either site‐specific VS30 measurements or VS30 maps at local, regional, and global scales. Because VS30 measurements are sparse, a proxy frequently is needed to estimate VS30 at unsampled locations....
Geophysical framework of the Peninsular Ranges batholith—Implications for tectonic evolution and neotectonics
Victoria E. Langenheim, Robert C. Jachens, Carlos Aiken
2014, GSA Memoirs (211) 1-20
The crustal structure of the Peninsular Ranges batholith can be divided geophysically into two parts: (1) a western mafic part that is dense, magnetic, and characterized by relatively high seismic velocities (>6.25 km/s), low heat flow (<60 mW/m2), and relatively sparse seismicity, and (2) an eastern, more felsic part that...
Development of a globally applicable model for near real-time prediction of seismically induced landslides
M. Anna Nowicki, David J. Wald, Michael W. Hamburger, Mike Hearne, Eric M. Thompson
2014, Engineering Geology (173) 54-65
Substantial effort has been invested to understand where seismically induced landslides may occur in the future, as they are a costly and frequently fatal threat in mountainous regions. The goal of this work is to develop a statistical model for estimating the spatial distribution of landslides in near real-time around...
Mineral resource of the month: Strontium
Joyce A. Ober
2014, Earth (January 2015)
Strontium occurs commonly in nature, ranking as the 15th most abundant chemical element on Earth. Only two minerals contain sufficient strontium, however, to be used commercially to produce strontium compounds: Strontianite (strontium carbonate) has a higher strontium content, but celestite (strontium sulfate) is by far the most abundant strontium mineral....
One hundred volatile years of volcanic gas studies at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
A.J. Sutton, Tamar Elias
Michael P. Poland, T. Jane Takahashi, Claire M. Landowski, editor(s)
2014, Professional Paper 1801-7
The first volcanic gas studies in Hawai‘i, beginning in 1912, established that volatile emissions from Kīlauea Volcano contained mostly water vapor, in addition to carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. This straightforward discovery overturned a popular volatile theory of the day and, in the same action, helped affirm Thomas A. Jaggar,...
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: A natural laboratory for studying basaltic volcanism
Robert I. Tilling, James P. Kauahikaua, Steven R. Brantley, Christina A. Neal
Michael P. Poland, T. Jane Takahashi, Claire M. Landowski, editor(s)
2014, Professional Paper 1801-1
In the beginning of the 20th century, geologist Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr., argued that, to fully understand volcanic and associated hazards, the expeditionary mode of studying eruptions only after they occurred was inadequate. Instead, he fervently advocated the use of permanent observatories to record and measure volcanic phenomena—at and below...
Petrologic insights into basaltic volcanism at historically active Hawaiian volcanoes
Rosalind T. Helz, David A. Clague, Thomas W. Sisson, Carl R. Thornber
Michael P. Poland, T. Jane Takahashi, Claire M. Landowski, editor(s)
2014, Professional Paper 1801-6
Study of the petrology of Hawaiian volcanoes, in particular the historically active volcanoes on the Island of Hawai‘i, has long been of worldwide scientific interest. When Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr., established the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) in 1912, detailed observations on basaltic activity at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes...
Key recovery factors for the August 24, 2014, South Napa Earthquake
Kenneth W. Hudnut, Thomas M. Brocher, Carol S. Prentice, John Boatwright, Benjamin A. Brooks, Brad T. Aagaard, J. Luke Blair, Jon Peter B. Fletcher, Jemile Erdem, Charles W. Wicks Jr., Jessica R. Murray, Fred F. Pollitz, John O. Langbein, Jerry L. Svarc, David P. Schwartz, Daniel J. Ponti, Suzanne Hecker, Stephen B. DeLong, Carla M. Rosa, Brenda Jones, Rynn M. Lamb, Anne M. Rosinski, Timothy P. McCrink, Timothy E. Dawson, Gordon G. Seitz, Craig Glennie, Darren Hauser, Todd Ericksen, Dan Mardock, Don F. Hoirup, Jonathan D. Bray, Ron S. Rubin
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1249
Through discussions between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) following the South Napa earthquake, it was determined that several key decision points would be faced by FEMA for which additional information should be sought and provided by USGS and its partners. This report addresses...
A century of studying effusive eruptions in Hawaii
Katherine V. Cashman, Margaret T. Mangan
Michael P. Poland, T. Jane Takahashi, Claire M. Landowski, editor(s)
2014, Professional Paper 1801-9
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) was established as a natural laboratory to study volcanic processes. Since the most frequent form of volcanic activity in Hawai‘i is effusive, a major contribution of the past century of research at HVO has been to describe and quantify lava flow emplacement processes. Lava flow...
Conserving migratory mule deer through the umbrella of sage-grouse
H. E. Copeland, H. Sawyer, K. L. Monteith, D.E. Naugle, Amy Pocewicz, N. Graf, Matthew Kauffman
2014, Ecosphere (5) 1-16
Conserving migratory ungulates in increasingly human-dominated landscapes presents a difficult challenge to land managers and conservation practitioners. Nevertheless, ungulates may receive ancillary benefits from conservation actions designed to protect species of greater conservation priority where their ranges are sympatric. Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocerus urophasianus), for example, have been proposed as an...
Feedback of land subsidence on the movement and conjunctive use of water resources
Wolfgang Schmid, Randall T. Hanson, Stanley A. Leake, Joseph D. Hughes, Richard G. Niswonger
2014, Environmental Modelling and Software (62) 253-270
The dependency of surface- or groundwater flows and aquifer hydraulic properties on dewatering-induced layer deformation is not available in the USGS's groundwater model MODFLOW. A new integrated hydrologic model, MODFLOW-OWHM, formulates this dependency by coupling mesh deformation with aquifer transmissivity and storage and by linking land subsidence/uplift with deformation-dependent flows...
The nation’s top 25 construction aggregates producers
Jason C. Willett
2014, Aggregates Manager
U.S. production of construction aggregates in 2012 was 2.18 billion short tons valued at $17.6 billion, free on board (f.o.b.) at plant. In 2012, construction aggregates production remained virtually unchanged from the levels of the last two years because of a very slight increase compared with that of 2011 in...
Late winter and early spring home range and habitat use of the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel in western North Carolina
W. Mark Ford, Christine A. Kelly, Jane L. Rodrigue, Richard H. Odom, Douglas Newcomb, L. Michelle Gilley, Corinne A. Diggins
2014, Endangered Species Research (23) 73-82
The Carolina northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus is an endangered subspecies that is restricted to high elevation forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Owing to rugged terrain and nocturnal habits, the subspecies’ natural history, home range characteristics and habitat preferences are poorly known. We radio-tracked 3 female and 2 male Carolina...
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Picoides borealis Microhabitat Characteristics and Reproductive Success in a Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Forest
Douglas R. Wood, L. Wesley Burger Jr., Francisco Vilella
2014, The Open Ornithology Journal (7) 49-54
We investigated the relationship between red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) reproductive success and microhabitat characteristics in a southeastern loblolly (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf (P. echinata) pine forest. From 1997 to 1999, we recorded reproductive success parameters of 41 red-cockaded woodpecker groups at the Bienville National Forest, Mississippi. Microhabitat characteristics were measured...
Component geochronology in the polyphase ca. 3920 Ma Acasta Gneiss
Stephen J. Mojzsis, Nicole L. Cates, Guillaume Caro, Dustin Trail, Oleg Abramov, Martin Guitreau, Janne Blichert-Toft, Michelle D. Hopkins, Wouter Bleeker
2014, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (133) 68-96
The oldest compiled U–Pb zircon ages for the Acasta Gneiss Complex in the Northwest Territories of Canada span about 4050–3850 Ma; yet older ca. 4200 Ma xenocrystic U–Pb zircon ages have also been reported for this terrane. The AGC expresses at least 25 km2 of outcrop exposure, but only a small subset of this...
Sources and sinks of carbon in boreal ecosystems of interior Alaska: a review
Thomas A. Douglas, Miriam C. Jones, Christopher A. Hiemstra
2014, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene (2)
Boreal regions store large quantities of carbon but are increasingly vulnerable to carbon loss due to disturbance and climate warming. The boreal region, underlain by discontinuous permafrost, presents a challenging landscape for itemizing current and potential carbon sources and sinks in the boreal soil and vegetation. The roles of fire,...
Productivity and carbon dioxide exchange of leguminous crops: estimates from flux tower measurements
Tagir G. Gilmanov, John M. Baker, Carl J. Bernacchi, David P. Billesbach, George G. Burba, Saulo Castro, Jiquan Chen, Werner Eugster, Marc L. Fischer, John A. Gamon, Maheteme T. Gebremedhin, Aaron J. Glenn, Timothy J. Griffis, Jerry L. Hatfield, Mark W. Heuer, Daniel M. Howard, Monique Y. Leclerc, Henry W. Loescher, Oliver Marloie, Tilden P. Meyers, Albert Olioso, Rebecca L. Phillips, John H. Prueger, R. Howard Skinner, Andrew E. Suyker, Mario Tenuta, Bruce K. Wylie
2014, Agronomy Journal (106) 545-559
Net CO2 exchange data of legume crops at 17 flux tower sites in North America and three sites in Europe representing 29 site-years of measurements were partitioned into gross photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration by using the nonrectangular hyperbolic light-response function method. The analyses produced net CO2 exchange data and new ecosystem-scale ecophysiological...
Anadromous sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) are ecosystem engineers in a spawning tributary
Robert S. Hogg, Stephen M. Coghlan Jr., Joseph D. Zydlewski, Kevin S. Simon
2014, Freshwater Biology (59) 1294-1307
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) disturb the substratum during nest construction and alter the physical habitat, potentially affecting other stream organisms. We quantified differences in depth, velocity, fine-sediment coverage, embeddedness, intragravel permeability and benthic invertebrate assemblages (density and diversity) among nest mounds, nest pits and undisturbed reference locations...
A comparison of two sampling designs for fish assemblage assessment in a large river
Ian A. Kiraly, Stephen M. Coghlan Jr., Joseph D. Zydlewski, Daniel Hayes
2014, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (143) 508-518
We compared the efficiency of stratified random and fixed-station sampling designs to characterize fish assemblages in anticipation of dam removal on the Penobscot River, the largest river in Maine. We used boat electrofishing methods in both sampling designs. Multiple 500-m transects were selected randomly and electrofished in each of nine...
