Complex carbonate ore mineralogy in the Mountain Pass carbonatite rare earth element deposit, USA
Kathryn E. Watts, Allen K. Andersen
2026, American Mineralogist (111) 11-28
Economic concentrations of rare earth element (REE) minerals are uncommon in the Earth’s crust, with most occurring in carbonatites. Unlike most igneous rocks composed of silicate minerals, carbonatites are dominated by carbonate minerals, some of which can incorporate significant light REEs (LREEs; La, Ce, Pr, Nd). Technological applications of REEs...
Forecasting dynamics of a recolonizing wolf population under different management strategies
Lisanne S. Petracca, Sarah J. Converse, Benjamin T. Maletzke, Beth Gardner
2026, Animal Conservation (29) 21-33
Species recovery can be influenced by a wide variety of factors, such that predicting the spatiotemporal dynamics of recovering species can be exceedingly difficult. These predictions, however, are valuable for decision makers tasked with managing species and determining their legal status. We applied a spatially explicit projection model to estimate...
Evaluating episodic sediment deposition zones in freshwater mussel habitats across Missouri, USA
Qingqing Sun, Bin Wang, Brandon James Sansom, Kathleen Trauth, Henry Brown, Wenyu Zhu, James L. Kunz, M. Christopher Barnhart, Stephen E. McMurray, Andrew D Roberts, Christopher Shulse, Caleb Knerr, Jeffery A. Steevens, Baolin Deng
2026, Journal of Ecohydaulics (11) 56-70
Point-source sedimentation, such as spills from construction-related activities, can introduce substantial sediments into streams in the short term, potentially leading to mussel burial. To estimate downstream areas where freshwater mussels might face threats from sediment burial within the mussel habitats of Missouri streams and rivers, we examined 49 reaches where...
Submarine canyon sediment transport and accumulation during sea level highstand: Interactive seasonal regimes in the head of Astoria Canyon, WA
E. Lahr, A. Ogston, Jenna C. Hill, H. Glover, Kurt J. Rosenberger
2026, Marine Geology (484)
The majority of submarine canyons on Earth today do not directly intersect littoral or fluvial sediment sources, yet these systems are rarely studied. The shelf-incised head of Astoria Canyon receives sediment from the nearby Columbia River and is subject to energetic forcing from shelf and slope processes, making it an ideal site to evaluate...
Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji
Simon G. Scarpetta, Robert D. Fisher, Benjamin R. Karin, Jone B. Niukula, Ammon Corl, Todd R. Jackman, Jimmy A. McGuire
2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (122)
Founder-event speciation can occur when one or more organisms colonize a distant, unoccupied area via long-distance dispersal, leading to the evolution of a new species lineage. Species radiations established by long-distance, and especially transoceanic, dispersal can cause substantial shifts in regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the occurrence and timing of...
Field trip to a Laramide shallow subduction channel: Orocopia Schist in the Gavilan Hills, southeasternmost California; with incidental localities for three blue minerals
Gordon B. Haxel, Carl E. Jacobson, Gabe S. Epstein
2025, Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report CR-25-A
No abstract available....
Capturing the uncertainty of seismicity observations in earthquake rate estimates: Implications for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis and the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model
Andrew J. Michael, Andrea L. Llenos
2025, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
The rate of earthquakes in a region is a fundamental input to Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis. We present a Monte Carlo method for computing that rate from seismicity catalogs while including a range of data and analysis uncertainties. This method is applied to regions for which the b value is assumed to...
Neotectonic origins for the Meadow Bank scarp, Wabash Valley seismic zone USA
Edward W Woolery, William J. Stephenson, Kevin Woller, Alena L. Leeds, Noah Silas Lindberg, Jackson K. Odum, Cooper Cearley, Ron Counts
2025, The Seismic Record (5) 352-362
The Meadow Bank scarp (MBS) in southeastern Illinois is a linear geomorphic expression, ∼10 km long and ∼8 m high above a relatively flat landscape. It parallels an underlying northeast‐oriented Late‐Precambrian–Early‐Cambrian structural fabric, called the Wabash Valley fault zone, and is within an area of modern, historic, and paleo seismicity, called the...
Evaluating hydrologic data products for scientific and management applications related to potential future streamflow conditions in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
Molly Van Appledorn, Lucie Sawyer, John Delaney, Chanel Mueller, Leigh Youngblood, Jane Harrell, Brian Breaker, Chris Frans
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5101
The hydrology of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers is a fundamental driver of ecosystem patterns and processes across a large portion of the United States. Quantitative hydrologic data for the main stems of these rivers underlie numerous scientific investigations, statistical models, and decision-making processes for local, State, and Federal...
Pleistocene porcupine (Erethizontidae) records in arid southwestern North America and comparisons with the modern distribution of Erethizon dorsatum in southern California and Arizona
Jeffrey E. Lovich, George T. Jefferson
2025, Western North American Naturalist (85)
he North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is widely distributed throughout many ecosystems on the continent from northern Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, except for the southeastern portion of the United States. Habitats include the arid Desert Southwest region where modern records are generally sparse. The paleogeographic range in the Desert...
Moose survival and habitat‐associated risk of endoparasites
Jennifer A. Grauer, Jacqueline L. Frair, Krysten L. Schuler, Manigandan Lejeune, David W. Kramer, Angela K. Fuller
2025, Ecology and Evolution (15)
Parasite-induced morbidity and mortality can alter the trajectories of incidental host populations. Yet, parasites rarely act in isolation and may be one of a multitude of biotic and abiotic stressors that collectively shape mortality risk in vertebrate populations. We quantified sources of mortality in a low-density population of moose (Alces...
Status of Clear Lake Hitch in Lower Blue Lake, Lake County, California
Jordan Mae-Jean Buxton, Marissa L. Wulff, Veronica L. Violette, Danielle L. Palm, Matthew J. Young, Frederick Feyrer
2025, California Fish and Wildlife Journal (111)
No abstract available....
Watershed forest cover and habitat restoration can offset some negative impacts of climate change on freshwater fishes and mussels
Jennifer B. Rogers, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Allison H. Roy, Jason Carmignani, Rebecca S.M. O’Brien, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Todd Richards
2025, PLOS Climate (4)
Many species of freshwater fishes and freshwater mussels have experienced population declines over the past century due to threats including habitat degradation, overexploitation, species invasion, and climate change. Management actions may offset climate-related changes to biodiversity, although identifying appropriate strategies is challenging. Our goal was to identify...
Satellite radar advances could transform global snow monitoring
Randall Ray Bonnell, Jack Tarricone, Hans-Peter Marshall, Elias Deeb, Carrie Vuyovich
2025, Eos, American Geophysical Union (106)
The recent SnowEx campaign and the new NISAR satellite mission are lighting the way to high-resolution snowpack monitoring and improved decisionmaking in critical river basins around the world....
Elevation mediates juvenile steelhead demographic response to stream temperature and flow
Ryan A. Vosbigian, Alexa Ballinger, Timothy E. Link, Timothy Copeland, Matthew Richard Falcy
2025, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (82)
Climate change alters streams by modifying flow dynamics, temperature, and biotic communities, changing the habitat where stream dwelling fish have evolved. We used snorkel survey data spanning four decades to investigate how juvenile steelhead (anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss) counts and size structure were influenced by stream temperature and flow....
Using visualization science to inform the design of environmental decision-support tools—A case study of the U.S. Geological Survey Waterwatch
Michael D. Gerst, Melissa A. Kenney, Emily Read
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5085
Environmental decision-support tools are increasingly being used to serve both expert and non-expert audiences. Many existing tools are primarily expert-focused, and redesigning them can be challenging because experts and non-experts interact with tools differently, existing users may be resistant to changes, and there is little guidance on how to prioritize...
Advancing current understanding of Martian impact-generated hydrothermal systems through novel coupled modeling: Insights from Gale, Jezero, and other craters
Alexander J. Trowbridge, Simone Marchi, Joshua M. Taron, Gordon R. Osinski
2025, Journal of Geophysical Research - Planets (130)
Impact-generated hydrothermal systems are considered potentially habitable environments on Mars, Earth, and other planetary bodies for microbial life. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding what geological features on Mars provide definitive evidence for such systems. Although earlier studies have modeled hydrothermal processes in Martian craters, they often lacked integration...
MTAB 113, December 2025
Kyra Harvey, Jennifer L. McKay
2025, Newsletter
This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 113) was released in December 2025. Subjects in this this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp – End-of-Year Message and BBL’s Year in Numbers; 2. Alerts –Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Screw-worms; 3. News – GameBirds Data Release and Banders Without Borders Updates;...
Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection
Michael G. Bertram, Marlene Ågerstrand, Jack A. Brand, Bryan W. Brooks, ZhiChao Dang, Alex T. Ford, Henner Hollert, Matthew K. LeFauve, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Marcus Michelangeli, Maria Moiron, Eleanor R. Moore, Holly J. Puglis, Andrew Sih, Jeffery A. Steevens, Eli S.J. Thoré, Bob B.M. Wong, Lauren Zink, Tomas Bodin
2025, Environmental Science and Technology (60) 86-95
A substantial body of evidence exists demonstrating that exposure to environmental contaminants can alter animal behavior. Moreover, methodological and technological advancements, as well as increasing standardization, mean that behavioral ecotoxicity studies are more rigorous and reliable than ever before. Despite this, behavioral data are still seldom used in the risk...
The geology of Canadian potash: A critical mineral for feeding the world
E.J. Matheson, Mark D. Cocker, M. E. Snyder, Craig Funk, R. Boehner, Chaowei Yang, M.P.B. Nicolas, N. W. Kruger
2025, Facets (10) 1-40
Potash, potassium-bearing water-soluble salt, is the primary global economic source of potassium. Potash is recognized as a critical mineral in Canada as it is the largest source of potassium used in fertilizers. It is essential for global agricultural productivity and food security. Canada is the world’s largest...
Assessment of treated wastewater infiltration in Bright Angel Wash and the potential for contaminants of emerging concern influencing spring water quality along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Nicholas V. Paretti, Kimberly R. Beisner, Sarah J.R. Shepherd
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5095
In April 2021, a synoptic study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) identified wastewater-related contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in springs along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. These springs are located north of Bright Angel Wash, an ephemeral channel that receives treated...
Evaluating uncertainties with sample-collection method and source selection in sediment fingerprinting: an example from a Great Lakes tributary
Tanja N. Williamson, James D. Blount, Heidi Mae Broerman, Faith Fitzpatrick, Isaac James Mevis, Dayle J. Hoefling, Shannon Murphy Pace, Matthew J. Komiskey, Rebecca Kreiling
2025, Journal of Soils and Sediments (25) 4140-4163
PurposeIdentifying suspended-sediment (SS) sources, seasonal variability, and phosphorus (P) transported with SS is critical information for basin managers, although there may be concerns about comparability between flow-integrated SS samples used for sediment fingerprinting and discrete samples used for concentrations and loads in basins where SS is mostly silt + clay...
A laboratory-based spectrometer intercomparison for the measurement of snow spectra
Benjamin M. Roberts-Pierel, Christopher J. Crawford, Steven W. Brown, Raymond F. Kokaly, Kelly E. Gleason, Anne W. Nolin, Edward H. Bair, Brenton A. Wilder, Anton J. Surunis, S. McKenzie K. Skiles, Joachim Meyer, Allyson E. Fitts, Jeremy M. Johnston, Adam G. Hunsaker, Martin Steufer, Trond Løke
2025, Cold Regions Science and Technology (245)
Seasonal snow is an integral component of global hydrological systems, global energy budget and Earth's climate. As an important part of many Earth systems, seasonal snow is also an essential source of water for many human populations and ecosystems around the world. As such, the measurement of...
Big River bluegill: Combining vital rates and long-term monitoring to understand population dynamics in large rivers
Kristen L. Bouska, Levi E. Solomon, Andrew D. Bartels, Melvin C. Bowler, Steven A. DeLain, Eric J. Gittinger, Travis Kueter, Kristopher A. Maxson, Eric N. Ratcliff, John L. West, James T. Lamer, Hae H. Kim, Quinton Edward Phelps
2025, River Research and Applications
Long-term monitoring indicates bluegill catch rates are relatively stable in some reaches of the Upper Mississippi River and highly variable in others, whereas in the Illinois River, catch rates have decreased. A lack of age structure information precludes understanding population processes responsible for patterns in catch rates....
Speciation genomics in the tiger whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis tigris complex)
Anthony J. Barley, David V. Ho, Peter Baumann, Ian J. Wang, H. Bradley Shaffer, Robert N. Fisher, Levi N. Gray, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Robert E. Espinoza, Merly Escalona, Erin Toffelmier, Ruta Sahasrabudhe, Oanh Nguyen, Colin W. Fairbairn, Eric Beraut, Robert C. Thomson
2025, Genome Biology and Evolution (17)
The transition from small genetic to genome-scale datasets for studying biodiversity has revealed that genetic exchange through introgressive hybridization is a widespread phenomenon in nature. Despite this, a lack of high-quality reference genomes for most non-model species limits our understanding of the impact of this process for...
