Modeling the seasonality of wind-driven hydrocarbon waves in Titan’s polar lakes
Charlene E. Detelich, Una G. Schneck, Alexander G. Hayes, Milan Curcic, Rose Elizabeth Palermo, Andrew D. Ashton, J. Taylor Perron, Juan M. Lora, Jordan Steckloff
2026, JGR Planets (131)
Titan, the only body in the solar system aside from Earth with standing liquids on its surface, has polar hydrocarbon lakes and seas. As Titan’s atmosphere generates light winds, there should be waves on the surface of these lakes and seas, yet, direct wave observations are scant. We introduce and...
The Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition—Working collaboratively to understand the geology of the Great Lakes Region
Brianna Lopez, Jenna L. Shelton, Michael Marketti, Kate Ritzel, Brandon L. Graham
2026, Fact Sheet 2026-3010
Introduction The Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition (GLGMC), commonly referred to as the “Coalition,” is a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario. The member States receive funding for geologic mapping...
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa, 2026
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Thomas M. Finn, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Michael E. Brownfield, Phuong A. Le, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2026, Fact Sheet 2026-3009
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 419 million barrels of oil and 5.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa....
Advancing ecosystem recovery with diverse species plantings in tropical forest restoration
Debra A Hamilton, Victorino Molina Rojas, Therese M. Donovan
2026, Forests (17)
Tropical forest restoration has increased in the past decades, with possible advancements given the UN declaration of the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration”. However, robust assessments to compare ecosystem functions among restored forest stages are essential. We evaluated 13 actively restored forest stands ranging from 3 to 21 years of age...
Factors affecting benthic macroinvertebrate health in the City of Roanoke, Virginia, 2020–2023
Samuel Adam Miller, Marcus F Aguilar, Logan Helsley, Sally Entrekin
2026, Report
Major waterways in the City of Roanoke (City) have failed to meet Virginia’s aquatic life designated use since 1996. Segments of the upper Roanoke River lack healthy benthic macroinvertebrate communities which prompted a total maximum daily load (TMDL) study by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) to identify the...
Rebuttal to correspondence on “Examining the compositional selectivity of hydrocarbon oxidation products using liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction techniques”
David C. Podgorski, Barbara Bekins, Phoebe Zito
2026, Environmental Science & Technology (60) 15396-15397
No abstract available....
Patterns of recent brook trout invasion in bull trout streams in relation to habitat, source connectivity, biotic resistance, and disturbance
Nicholas S. Voss, Brett J. Bowersox, Daniel C. Nolfi, Michael C. Quist
2026, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (83) 1-15
Anticipating biological invasions by nonnative species is critical to effective conservation. Nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis represents one of the most widespread threats to native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, but the factors allowing or preventing ongoing range expansions are poorly understood. We addressed this uncertainty by resampling 221 survey locations...
Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors
Ruirui Chen, Shuhong Luo, Youzhi Feng, Fernando T. Maestre, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Nicholas Gross, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Victoria Ochoa, Beatriz Gózalo, Emilio Guirado, Miguel García-Gómez, Enrique Valencia, Sergio Asensio, Jaime Martínez-Valderrama, Betty J. Mendoza, Sebastian Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Matt Barrett, Miguel Berdugo, José Luis Blanco Pastor, Niels Blaum, Bazartseren Boldgiv, Matthew A. Bowker, Helena Castro, Haiyan Chu, Nick A. Cutler, Zhongmin Dai, Balázs Deák, Jorge Duran, Carlos Iván Espinosa, Alex Fajardo, Kunkun Fan, Ana Foronda, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Katja Geissler, Tina Grebenc, Elizabeth Gusmán-Montalván, Stephen C. Hart, Liana Kindermann, Melanie Köbel, Lauri Laanisto, Peter C. le Roux, Pierre Liancourt, Anja Linstädter, Michelle A. Louw, Petr Macek, Gillian Maggs-Kölling, Thulani P. Makhalanyane, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Eugene Marais, Daniel Montesinos, Juan P. Mora, Gerardo Moreno, Seth M. Munson, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Girish R. Nair, Sigrid Neuhauser, Alice Nunes, César Plaza, Yolanda Pueyo, Pedro J. Rey, Ana Rey, Asunción de los Ríos, Alexandra Rodríguez, Borja Rodriguez Lozano, Raul Roman, Jan C. Ruppert, Ayman Salah, Jay Singh, Heather L. Throop, Samantha K. Travers, Tina Unuk Nahberger, Munkhbat Uuganbayar, Orsolya Valkó, Lixin Wang, Mark A. Williams, Chao Xiong, Jianming Xu, Eli Zaady, Bin Ma, Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
2026, Nature Communications
Microbes, as the planet’s most abundant and diverse organisms, drive soil functions globally and are vulnerable to environmental stressors triggered by global change. Yet, knowledge regarding the impacts of multiple environmental stressors on their functional profiles as well as the consequences for soil functionality largely remains unknown. Here, we analyze...
Methodology for construction of a three-layer geologic model of the conterminous United States using land surface, top of bedrock, and top of basement
Donald S. Sweetkind
2026, Data Report 1220
This report describes the methodology used for the construction of a digital three-layer geologic model of the conterminous United States by mapping the altitude of three surfaces: land surface, the top of bedrock, and the top of basement. These surfaces are mapped through the compilation and synthesis of published stratigraphic...
Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the San Joaquin Valley Kern County subbasin domestic-supply aquifer study unit, 2022—California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Jennifer S. Harkness, Kirsten E. Faulkner, Bryant C. Jurgens
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5012
The quality of water accessed by domestic wells (here referred to as domestic groundwater resources) in the San Joaquin Valley Kern County subbasin (basin number 5-022.14) was assessed as part of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project (GAMA-PBP), in cooperation with the California State...
CoralCache: A virtual coral core repository for transparent and reproducible annual growth rate analyses
Thomas M. DeCarlo, Oliwia Jasnos, Avi Strange, Andreas Andersson, Angel T. Bautista VII, Sierra Kathleen Bloomer, Isaiah W. Bolden, Maartje Bosman, Thomas Brachert, Giulia B. Braz, Gabriel O. Cardoso, J. P. Carricart-Ganivet, Jessica E. Carilli, Karl D. Castillo, Leticia Cavole, Sylvia Chan, Xuefei Chen, Ben Chomitz, Thierry Correge, Travis A. Courtney, Mikayla Diegan, Juan Pablo D'Olivio, Rob Dunbar, Ian C. Enochs, Ludmilla Falsarella, Thomas Felis, Gabriela Gutierrez-Estrada, Brighton Hedger, Shijian Hu, Seamus Jameson, Stacy D. Jupiter, Paul Kench, Diego Kersting, Ke Lin, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Yi-Wei Liu, Carla A. Lorigados, Derek P. Manzello, Malcolm T. McCulloch, Miguel Mies, Rodrigo L. Moura, Ferdinand K.J. Oberle, Natan Pereira, Nancy G. Prouty, Riovie D. Ramos, Haojima Ren, Emma Ryan, Diane M. Thompson, Lauren T. Toth, Marina Vergotti, Jody M. Webster, Jens Zinke
2026, Earth System Science Data (18) 3341-3353
As science fields enter the Big Data revolution, open-access repositories are essential for addressing larger-scale questions than are possible for single researchers by making data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Furthermore, transparent data and code are increasingly important for reproducible research, especially for data types that inherently require subjective...
Precipitation-based flood-inundation maps for the East Fork Little Blue River and tributaries at Lee’s Summit, Missouri, 2024
Allison A. Atkinson
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5017
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, assessed flooding of the East Fork Little Blue River and tributaries for varying precipitation magnitudes and durations, varying antecedent runoff conditions, and projected climate-change conditions. The precipitation scenarios were used to develop a library of flood-inundation...
Remote sensing enables basin-scale inventories of coal mine methane
Elise Penn, Daniel J. Jacob, Daniel M. Bon, Kate Howell, Kelly O’Neill, Tia Scarpelli, Zichong Chen, Robert A. Field, C. Ozgen Karacan, Elfie Roy, Daniel Cusworth
2026, Environmental Science and Technology (60) 14924-14933
Underground coal mines are important global sources of methane, but emission estimates are uncertain. We show that emission estimates for individual mines from aircraft remote-sensing surveys in the United States agree within 40% with direct measurements used for national emission reporting (IPCC Tier 3 estimate). Such direct measurements are unavailable...
Whatever it takes— Shaping the L&O Letters Early Career Publication Honor to deliver true benefit
Rita M. Franco-Santos, Bridget Deemer, Laura J. Falkenberg, Mary R. Gradoville, Scott Hotaling, Erin K. Peck
2026, Limnology and Oceanography Letters (11)
There are clear advantages for those who openly share their research. Publishing Open Access (OA) articles can increase author visibility (McCabe and Snyder 2014), improve productivity metrics (i.e., more diverse and higher citation rates; Huang et al. 2024; Piwowar et al. 2018), widen collaborative networks (Tai and Robinson 2018), and help secure future funding...
Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs) from separate breeding sites subdivides the Prairie Pothole Region in space and time during southbound migration
Rosalyn E. Bathrick, James A. Johnson, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Katherine Christie, Anna Courtemanche, Callie Gesmundo, Laura Anne McDuffie, Nathan R. Senner
2026, Ornithological Applications
Some staging regions support multiple groups of the same migratory species, each of which may use the region differently. Characterizing the ways, in which separate groups use such regions can therefore help to identify vulnerabilities during this sensitive period of the annual cycle. The Prairie Pothole Region...
ECCOE Landsat quarterly calibration and validation report—Quarter 4, 2025
Md Obaidul Haque, Nahid Hasan, Ashish Shrestha, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Mark Lubke, Daniel Steinwand, Paul Bresnahan, Jerad L. Shaw, Kathryn Ruslander, Esad Micijevic, Michael J. Choate, Cody Anderson, Jeff Clauson, Kurt Thome, Amit Angal, Raviv Levy, Jeff Miller, Cibele Teixeira Pinto
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1014
Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team continually...
System characterization report on Tanager
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Jeff Clauson, Jim Vrabel, Ajit Sampath
2026, Open-File Report 2021-1030-W
Executive Summary This report addresses the system characterization of the Tanager satellite hyperspectral sensor created by Planet Labs PBC and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail...
Bird migration and energetics simulations incorporating oil spill effects
Benjamin M West, Mark L. Wildhaber, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Michael J. Hooper
2026, Ecological Modelling (519)
Oil spills are well-known for causing acute mortality of birds, but sublethal and delayed impacts are less understood. Focusing on the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), we used simulation modeling to explore how sublethal oiling may affect avian survival and breeding ground body condition. We used empirically informed migration and energetics simulations...
Monazite and xenotime U-Pb geochronology and thermometry of the Blue Ridge and Inner Piedmont of North Carolina: Implications for the thermal-metamorphic evolution of the southern Appalachian metamorphic “core”
Nicholas Edwin Powell, J. Ryan Thigpen, Brandon M. Spencer, Arthur J. Merschat, David P. Moecher, Calvin A. Mako, Robert D. Hatcher Jr., Harold H. Stowell, Andrew R.C. Kylander-Clark
2026, Tectonics (45)
The southern Appalachian orogen preserves a complex distribution of metamorphism and deformation varying in timing, magnitude, and spatial extent. These complexities give rise to disparate interpretations for southern Appalachian tectonic evolution, which complicates the testing and interpretation of tectonic models in this system. New monazite (Mnz) and...
Simulating past and future refugia for temperate trees in northern Italy
Azzurra Pistone, Paul Henne, Petra Boltshauser-Kaltenrieder, Willy Tinner, Christoph Schworer
2026, Ecography
During the Quaternary, trees responded to the climatic changes of glacial–interglacial cycles with large-scale range shifts. Over cold glacials, temperate tree species contracted their ranges and survived in areas known as refugia. Several studies point to the Euganean Hills (Colli Euganei), in Veneto, northern Italy, as one of the northernmost...
Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report
Suellen Lynn, Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1016
Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with an annual summary of the distribution, abundance, and breeding activity of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) and to present results of management actions implemented to attract flycatchers and enhance flycatcher habitat at Marine...
Continuous stream discharge, salinity, and associated data collected in the lower St. Johns River and its tributaries, Florida, 2023
Jennifer N. Carson, Matthew T. Benacquisto
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1012
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, deepened the St. Johns River channel in Jacksonville, Florida, to accommodate larger, fully loaded cargo vessels. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitored stage, discharge, and (or) water temperature and salinity at 26 continuous...
Analyses of eye lens stable isotopes across ontogeny of trophically diverse freshwater salmonids
Glenn T. Schumacher, Ernst B. Peebles, Nathan B. Furey, Michael T. Kinnison, Gregory R. Kronisch, Christina Amy Murphy
2026, PLoS ONE (21)
Ontogenetic niche shifts in fishes are nearly universal but remain poorly understood in many species despite being fundamentally important for the persistence, management, and conservation of fish populations, including those of vulnerable salmonids. Eye lens stable isotope analysis has proven useful in studying ontogeny in some marine species but has...
Multi-proxy thermal history of basin heating during Cordilleran orogenesis in the Magallanes-Austral retroarc foreland basin, Patagonian Andes
Rebecca A. VanderLeest, Julie C. Fosdick, Theresa Maude Schwartz, E.G. Hyland, M. Mastalerz
2026, Basin Research (38)
Resolving thermal histories in sedimentary basins is crucial for interpreting orogenic growth, basin burial, and tectonic processes during Cordilleran orogenesis. In the Magallanes–Austral Basin, Patagonian Andes, we integrate new (U-Th)/He thermochronology, vitrinite reflectance (%Ro), calcite-cement clumped isotope data and thermal history modelling to resolve the origin of the regionally extensive...
Spawning habitat suitability models for Lake Erie cisco (Coregonus artedi) during the historical period of pre- and post-population declines 1877–1957
Katelyn King, Cory O. Brant, Arthur Cooper, Gust Annis, Matthew Herbert, Karen M. Alofs
2026, Journal of Great Lakes Research
Coregonine fishes play a key role in the food webs and fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes and are a major focus of basin-wide conservation efforts. In Lake Erie, management goals prioritize rebuilding spawning populations of cisco (Coregonus artedi). However, the historical distribution of cisco spawning habitat and the environmental...
