Development and field testing of a UAS-based-software-defined radar for measuring freshwater bathymetry
Sepehr Eskandari, Asem Melebari, Paul J. Kinzel, Robert Russell Lotspeich, Jack R. Eggleston, Mahta Moghaddam
2026, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
We provide an overview of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS)-based software-defined radar (SDRadar) system for high-resolution geophysical observations. The radar transceiver is implemented on a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) platform, along with an ultra-wideband Vivaldi antenna that has a starting operating frequency of 150 MHz, enabling the...
Characterizing the influence of remotely sensed wetland and lake water storage on discharge using LSTM models
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, William Keenan, Wayana Dolan, Heather E. Golden, Charles R. Lane, Jay R. Christensen, Kylen Solvik, Adnan Rajib
2026, Hydrological Sciences Journal
Globally, many wetlands and lakes are at risk for further loss, which can amplify downstream consequences of flood and drought events. We derived remotely sensed based time series of surface water storage (SWstorage) to determine when and where accounting for SWstorage dynamics improves predictions of river discharge. We...
An entropic explanation for Gutenberg-Richter scaling
Morgan T. Page, Edward H. Field
2026, JGR Solid Earth (131)
We develop a simple explanation for Gutenberg-Richter (G-R) size scaling of earthquakes on a single fault. We discretize the fault and consider all possible contiguous ruptures at that level of discretization. In this static model, we assume that slip scales with rupture length, and that the rupture rates at each...
Evaluation of water quality in the Langford Valley–Irwin Groundwater Subbasin, Fort Irwin National Training Center, California, 1993–2019
Jill N. Densmore, John A. Izbicki, Meghan C. Dick, Sandra Bond
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5105
The U.S. Army Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC), 120 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert of California, obtains its potable water supply from the Bicycle Valley and Langford Valley groundwater basins; Langford Valley groundwater basin is further subdivided into the Langford Well Lake and Irwin groundwater...
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with hydrocarbon production from the Haynesville Formation within the onshore United States and State waters of the Gulf Coast Basin, 2024
Rand Gardner, Jason A. Flaum, Seth S. Haines, Justin E. Birdwell, Scott A. Kinney, Brian A. Varela, Katherine L. French, Janet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Tracey J. Mercier, Christopher J. Schenk, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Hannah D. Shook
2026, Fact Sheet 2025-3053
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources within the Haynesville Formation, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the water and proppant necessary for development of the remaining resources associated with the Haynesville Sabine Uplift Continuous Gas Assessment Unit. Additionally, projections have been made on the volume...
Igniting the transition from water quality to biological condition and ecological health
Paul L. Angermeier, James R. Karr, Chris O. Yoder, Robert M. Hughes
2026, Fisheries (51) 28-33
Karr (1981), which introduced the index of biotic (or biological) integrity (IBI) has been cited more often (>4,500 times) than any other paper in Fisheries. In this essay, we reflect on the historical context of this seminal publication and its broad, continuing impact on the management of natural...
Performance evaluation and methods comparison of transcriptomic-based approaches for the characterization of wastewater treatment effluent
Adam Biales, M. S. Hu, D. C. Bencic, M. J. See, Susan T. Glassmeyer, E.T. Furlong, Julia M. Stelman, W. Huang, Dana W. Kolpin, Marc A. Mills, L. D. Brunelle, Angela L. Batt, S. Thomas Purucker
2026, Environmental Pollution (392)
Wastewater treatment effluents (WWTE) present complex risks to aquatic ecosystems that are difficult to characterize using traditional methods. This study systematically evaluated the consistency and performance of transcriptomic-based approaches over time with repeated sampling and with differing experimental approaches (selection of reference condition, grab vs. composite sampling, deployed vs. laboratory...
New measurements indicate that natural geologic methane emissions from microseepage in the Michigan Basin are likely negligible
Kathleen R. Hall, Thomas S. Weber, Marika P. Stock, Marc L. Buursink, Haoran Piao, Mingzhe Zhu, Katey M. Walter-Anthony, Vasilii V. Petrenko
2026, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene (14)
The magnitude of natural geologic methane (CH4) emissions to the atmosphere (including emissions of fossil CH4 from offshore and onshore gas and oil seeps, diffuse microseepage, mud volcanoes, volcanic vents, and geothermal areas) is highly uncertain. The largest component of geologic emissions is thought to be microseepage, which...
21st-century mangrove expansion along the southeastern United States
Lucia I.A. Enes Gramoso, Dustin Carrol, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Remi Bardou, Michael Osland, Tom Van der Stocken
2026, Global Change Biology (32)
Warming winter temperatures are driving range expansion of tropical, cold-sensitive mangroves into temperate ecosystems. Along the Atlantic coast of North America, the mangrove range limit is particularly sensitive to climate variability and historical data demonstrate that the mangrove-salt marsh ecotone on this coast has shifted recurrently during recent centuries. However,...
Status assessment of peregrine falcons in North America using integrated population models
Michael J. Gould, Ted Swem, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Brian A. Millsap, Jay V. Gedir, Fitsum Abadi
2026, Global Ecology and Conservation (65)
Species status assessments require an understanding of underlying population dynamics and important drivers of species demography. Large-scale assessments can be difficult due to challenges collating data obtained through different methods and different sources at multiple scales. Integrated population models (IPMs) provide a unified framework to combine multiple...
FluOil—A tool for estimating the transport and deposition of oil-particle aggregates in rivers
Faith Fitzpatrick, Collin Roland, Angus Vaughan, Zhenduo Zhu, David Soong, Rachel Sortor
2026, Fact Sheet 2025-3055
The FluOil tool was developed to help with planning and early response for oil spills in rivers where subsurface oil-sediment interactions result in the formation of oil-particle aggregates (OPA). The turbulence and variable velocity associated with water flowing within a natural stream channel creates the conditions needed for an oil...
Assessing future hydrologic extremes using an integrated hydrology and river operations model in the Russian River watershed
Saalem Tilahun Adera, Ayman H. Alzraiee, Richard G. Niswonger, Enrique Triana, Derek W. Ryter, John A. Engott
2026, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies (63)
Study regionThe Russian River watershed, situated in coastal, northern California, experiences hydrologic extremes, including periodic droughts and flooding. Water managers are working to maintain sustainable water supplies and environmental flows, while mitigating flood risks.Study focusThis paper...
Magnitude conversion relations create substantial differences in seismic hazard models
Andrea L. Llenos, David R. Shelly, Allison Shumway
2026, Seismological Research Letters
Earthquake catalogs are essential data inputs for seismic hazard modeling. Because earthquake magnitudes are reported in a variety of types (e.g., local magnitudes and moment magnitudes), magnitude conversion relationships must be used to convert the different magnitude types present in a catalog to a uniform magnitude type to avoid biases...
Toxicity of 6PPD alternatives to salmonid cell lines
Justin Blaine Greer, Ellie Maureen Dalsky, Paxton Turner Bachand, John D. Hansen
2026, Report
Stormwater runoff in urban areas introduces numerous anthropogenic chemicals into surrounding aquatic environments. One such chemical is 6PPD (N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine), the primary antidegradant responsible for protecting tire rubber from ozone-induced degradation and cracking. When exposed to ozone on the road surface 6PPD is transformed into the toxic transformation product 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ)....
Machine learning generated streamflow drought forecasts for the conterminous United States (CONUS): developing and evaluating an operational tool to enhance sub-seasonal to seasonal streamflow drought early warning for gaged locations
John C. Hammond, Phillip J. Goodling, Jeremy Alejandro Diaz, Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Aaron Joseph Heldmyer, Scott Douglas Hamshaw, Ryan R. McShane, Jesse Cleveland Ross, Roy Sando, Caelan Simeone, Erik A. Smith, Leah Ellen Staub, David Watkins, Michael Wieczorek, Kendall C. Wnuk, Jacob Aaron Zwart
2026, Frontiers in Water (7)
Forecasts of streamflow drought, when streamflow declines below typical levels, are notably less available than for floods or meteorological drought, despite widespread impacts. We apply machine learning (ML) models to forecast streamflow drought 1–13 weeks ahead at 3,219 streamgages across the conterminous United States. We applied two...
Tectonic implications of transitional melting regimes from petrological, geochronological, and compositional characterization of the ophiolitic Seventymile terrane, Alaska, USA
Erin Todd, Jonathan Saul Caine, Michael Bizimis, Andrew R.C. Kylander-Clark, Robert Reece Hammond, Alicja Wypych
2026, Geosphere
New geochemical, U-Pb geochronology, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope data provide evidence for the tectonic evolution of the Seventymile terrane in interior Alaska, USA. Ultramafic and mafic rocks of the Seventymile terrane are thought to represent components of a dismembered ophiolite and provide unique constraints on regional terrane evolution and accretion. The...
Selenium and mercury tissue partitioning and trophodynamics in the Lake Koocanusa (USA–Canada) fish community
Noelie Moldert, James L. Dunnigan, Travis S. Schmidt, Trevor M. Selch, Brian Balmer, Molly A. Moloney, Jessica E. Brandt
2026, Environmental Pollution (392)
Mining-related contaminants such as selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer through aquatic food webs, where they can exert toxic effect undermining the ecological health of aquatic resources. Yet, how Se and Hg co-distribute within food webs and within individual organisms remains poorly understood. We compiled...
Roadway runoff induced acute mortality in juvenile coho salmon during spring storm events
Marlee L. Brown, Nathan Ivy, Melissa Gonzalez, Justin Blaine Greer, John D. Hansen, Edward Kolodziej, Jenifer K. McIntyre
2026, Environmental Science & Technology (60) 1723-1732
Extensive mortalities of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), often called “Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome” (URMS), have been documented during the fall in creeks where water quality has been degraded by roadway runoff. The primary cause of mortality is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ; N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone)–an ozone transformation product that forms on...
Distinguishing natural from mining-related metal sources by including streambank groundwater data in a stream mass loading study
Andrew H. Manning, Robert L. Runkel, Jean M. Morrison, Sara Warix, Richard B. Wanty, Katherine Walton-Day, Michael Snook
2026, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (277)
Distinguishing stream metal loading caused by mine features from that caused by natural background sources remains challenging, yet this distinction is essential for making effective remedial decisions at many legacy mine sites. We combine a stream tracer injection and synoptic sampling study with data from shallow near-stream groundwater wells to...
Is satellite-derived bathymetry vertical accuracy dependent on satellite mission and processing method?
Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Minsu Kim, Bryan Eder, Gretchen Imahori, Curt D. Storlazzi
2026, Remote Sensing (18)
This research focusses on three satellite-derived bathymetry methods and optical satellite instruments: (1) a stereo photogrammetry bathymetry module (SaTSeaD) developed for the NASA Ames stereo pipeline open-source software (version 3.6.0) using stereo WorldView data; (2) physics-based radiative transfer equations (PBSDB) using Landsat data; and (3) a modified...
Assessment of the fish tumors or other deformities beneficial use impairment and associated risks at two Lake Michigan Areas of Concern
Vicki S. Blazer, Cheyenne Rose Smith, Heather L. Walsh, P.M. Mazik, M.R. Magee
2026, Ecotoxicology (35)
The U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) have been designated due to significant environmental degradation, with multiple Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) requiring remediation before delisting. The “fish tumors or other deformities” BUI remains at the Sheboygan River and the Lower Green Bay and Fox River AOCs,...
Rapid characterization of the 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia earthquake
Harriet Zoe Yin, Kate E. Allstadt, William D Barnhart, Samantha Ann Clapp, Paul S. Earle, Dara Elyse Goldberg, Alex R. Grant, Matt Herman, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Sara K. McBride, Adam T. Ringler, Max Schneider, Eric M. Thompson, Nicholas van der Elst, David Wald, Dun Wang, Charles Worden, William L. Yeck
2026, The Seismic Record (6) 1-12
The 29 July 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake was the sixth largest instrumentally recorded earthquake. This event was seismically well observed at regional and teleseismic distances, but publicly available near‐source data were sparse at the time of the event, presenting unique challenges for rapid source and impact characterization. The U.S....
Insights into widespread landsliding in southern Appalachia from Hurricane Helene
Lauren N. Schaefer, Francis K. Rengers, Benjamin Mirus, Liam Toney, Kate E. Allstadt, Richard Wooten, Patrick Moore, Paula Madeline Burgi, Anne Witt, Eric Leland Bilderback, Jennifer Bauer, David Korte, Matthew Crawford
2026, GSA Today (36) 4-11
Between 23 and 27 September 2024, antecedent rain followed by Hurricane Helene produced one of the most damaging weather events in southern Appalachia history. The back-to-back storm events resulted in a maximum cumulative rainfall of 848 mm and hurricane-force wind gusts over 170 km/h in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee,...
Inventory of bat activity at Pearl Harbor National Memorial to inform historic preservation and compliance
Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Karen Courtot
2026, Science Report NPS/SR—2026/372
We examined ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, or Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus semotus; Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), acoustic activity and surveyed potential roost trees at the Ford Island Chief Petty Officer’s (CPO) Bungalows Neighborhood of Pearl Harbor National Memorial (PERL) on the island of O‘ahu. We established four acoustic monitoring stations (PERL1–PERL4) that operated nightly to...
Characterization and modeling approach for planning restoration strategies in a complex basin affected by acid mine drainage
Jonatan Romero-Matos, Laura Sánchez-López, Rafael León, Robert L. Runkel, D. Kirk Nordstrom, Carlos R. Cánovas, Francisco Macías, José Miguel Nieto
2026, Journal of Environmental Management (397)
The management of acid mine drainage (AMD) impacted catchments, such as the Odiel River basin, in southwestern Spain, prioritizes reclamation to meet water resources needs. Assessing water composition across its watercourses is needed to identify major AMD contributors and potentially guide remediation efforts. An equilibrium-based mixing model...