Seasonal Variability in Vadose zone biodegradation at a crude oil pipeline rupture site
Natasha J. Sihota, Jared J. Trost, Barbara Bekins, Andrew M. Berg, Geoffrey N. Delin, Brent E. Mason, Ean Warren, K. Ulrich Mayer
2016, Vadose Zone Journal (15)
Understanding seasonal changes in natural attenuation processes is critical for evaluating source-zone longevity and informing management decisions. The seasonal variations of natural attenuation were investigated through measurements of surficial CO2 effluxes, shallow soil CO2 radiocarbon contents, subsurface gas concentrations, soil temperature, and volumetric water contents during a 2-yr period. Surficial...
Including land cover change in analysis of greenness trends using all available Landsat 5, 7, and 8 images: A case study from Guangzhou, China (2000–2014)
Zhe Zhu, Yingchun Fu, Curtis Woodcock, Pontus Olofsson, James Vogelmann, Christopher Holden, Min Wang, Shu Dai, Yang Yu
2016, Remote Sensing of Environment (185) 243-257
Remote sensing has proven a useful way of evaluating long-term trends in vegetation “greenness” through the use of vegetation indices like Normalized Differences Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). In particular, analyses of greenness trends have been performed for large areas (continents, for example) in an attempt...
Spatiotemporal patterns of mercury accumulation in lake sediments of western North America
Paul Drevnick, Colin A. Cooke, Daniella Barraza, Jules M. Blais, Kenneth Coale, Brian F. Cumming, Chris Curtis, Biplob Das, William F. Donahue, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Daniel R. Engstrom, William F. Fitzgerald, Chad V. Furl, John R. Gray, Roland I. Hall, Togwell A. Jackson, Kathleen R. Laird, W. Lyle Lockhart, Robie W. Macdonald, M. Alisa Mast, Callie Mathieu, Derek C.G. Muir, Peter Outridge, Scott Reinemann, Sarah E. Rothenberg, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandex, Louis, Rhea Sanders, Hamed Sanei, Elliott Skierszkan, Peter C. Van Metre, Timothy Veverica, Johan A. Wiklund, Brent B. Wolfe
2016, Science of the Total Environment (568) 1157-1170
For the Western North America Mercury Synthesis, we compiled mercury records from 165 dated sediment cores from 138 natural lakes across western North America. Lake sediments are accepted as faithful recorders of historical mercury accumulation rates, and regional and sub-regional temporal and spatial trends were...
An assessment of mercury in estuarine sediment and tissue in Southern New Jersey using public domain data
Kara Ng, Zoltan Szabo, Pamela A. Reilly, Julia Barringer, Kelly L. Smalling
2016, Marine Pollution Bulletin (107) 22-35
Mercury (Hg) is considered a contaminant of global concern for coastal environments due to its toxicity, widespread occurrence in sediment, and bioaccumulation in tissue. Coastal New Jersey, USA, is characterized by shallow bays and wetlands that provide critical habitat for wildlife but share space with expanding urban landscapes. This study...
Hemidactylus parvimaculatus (Sri Lankan spotted house gecko)
Brad M. Glorioso
2016, Herpetological Review (47) 81-81
USA: LOUISIANA: St. Tammany Parish: private property ca. 4 km S of Abita Springs, E of State Hwy 59, and N of Interstate 12 (30.44000°N, 90.02000°W; WGS 84). 18 August 2013. Brad M. Glorioso. Verified by David Heckard. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 176422, photo voucher). New parish record....
The role of ocean tides on groundwater-surface water exchange in a mangrove-dominated estuary: Shark River Slough, Florida Coastal Everglades, USA
Christopher G. Smith, Rene M. Price, Peter W. Swarzenski, Jeremy C. Stalker
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 1600-1616
Low-relief environments like the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) have complicated hydrologic systems where surface water and groundwater processes are intimately linked yet hard to separate. Fluid exchange within these lowhydraulic-gradient systems can occur across broad spatial and temporal scales, with variable contributions to material transport and transformation. Identifying and assessing...
Genetic reconstruction of a bullfrog invasion to elucidate vectors of introduction and secondary spread
Pauline L. Kamath, Adam J. Sepulveda, Megan J. Layhee
2016, Ecology and Evolution (6) 5221-5233
Reconstructing historical colonization pathways of an invasive species is critical for uncovering factors that determine invasion success and for designing management strategies. The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is endemic to eastern North America, but now has a global distribution and is considered to be one of the worst invaders in...
Characterizing supraglacial meltwater channel hydraulics on the Greenland Ice Sheet from in situ observations
Colin J. Gleason, Laurence C. Smith, Vena W. Chu, Carl J. Legleiter, Lincoln H. Pitcher, Brandon T. Overstreet, Asa K. Rennermalm, Richard R. Forster, Kang Yang
2016, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (41) 2111-2122
Supraglacial rivers on the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) transport large volumes of surface meltwater toward the ocean, yet have received relatively little direct research. This study presents field observations of channel width, depth, velocity, and water surface slope for nine supraglacial channels on the southwestern GrIS collected between 23 July...
Geology and biology of the "Sticky Grounds," shelf-margin carbonate mounds, and mesophotic ecosystem in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
Stanley D. Locker, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington, Stacey Harter, Albert C. Hine, Shane Dunn
2016, Continental Shelf Research (125) 71-87
Shelf-margin carbonate mounds in water depths of 116–135 m in the eastern Gulf of Mexico along the central west Florida shelf were investigated using swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom imaging, rock dredging, and submersible dives. These enigmatic structures, known to fisherman as the “Sticky Grounds”, trend along slope, are...
Geographic distribution of genetic diversity in populations of Rio Grande Chub Gila pandora
Rene Galindo, Wade Wilson, Colleen A. Caldwell
2016, Conservation Genetics (17) 1081-1091
In the southwestern United States (US), the Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora) is state-listed as a fish species of greatest conservation need and federally listed as sensitive due to habitat alterations and competition with non-native fishes. Characterizing genetic diversity, genetic population structure, and effective number of breeders...
High concentrations of manganese and sulfur in deposits on Murray Ridge, Endeavour Crater, Mars
Raymond E. Arvidson, Steven W. Squyres, Richard V. Morris, Andrew H. Knoll, Ralf Gellert, Benton C. Clark, Jeffrey G. Catalano, Bradley L. Jolliff, Scott M. McLennan, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Scott VanBommel, David W. Mittelfehldt, John P. Grotzinger, Edward A. Guinness, Jeffrey R. Johnson, James F. Bell III, William H. Farrand, Nathan Stein, Valerie K. Fox, Matthew P. Golombek, Margaret A. G. Hinkle, Wendy M. Calvin, Paulo A. de Souza Jr.
2016, American Mineralogist (101) 1389-1405
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE images and Opportunity rover observations of the ~22 km wide Noachian age Endeavour Crater on Mars show that the rim and surrounding terrains were densely fractured during the impact crater-forming event. Fractures have also propagated upward into the overlying Burns formation sandstones. Opportunity’s observations show that...
Impact of formation water geochemistry and crude oil biodegradation on microbial methanogenesis
Jenna L. Shelton, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Peter D. Warwick, John E. McCray
2016, Organic Geochemistry (98) 105-117
Converting non-producible crude oil to CH4 via methanogenic crude oil biodegradation in oil reservoirs could serve as one way to increase our energy profile. Yet, field data supporting the direct relationship between methanogenesis and crude oil biodegradation are sparse. Indicators of methanogenesis, based on the formation water and gas geochemistry...
An association between a cusk eel (Bassozetus sp.) and a black coral (Schizopathes sp.) in the deep western Indian Ocean
Andrew R. Gates, Kirsty Morris, Daniel O.B. Jones, Kenneth J. Sulak
2016, Marine Biodiversity Records (47) 971-977
Detailed observations in the deep sea can reveal previously unknown behaviour, species interactions and fine-scale habitat heterogeneity. Here, the first in situ images of the black coral Schizopathes sp. (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) in the deep western Indian Ocean have been obtained from remotely operated vehicle video footage and time-lapse photography. In...
Regional differences in upland forest to developed (urban) land cover conversions in the conterminous U.S., 1973–2011
Roger F. Auch, Mark A. Drummond, George Z. Xian, Kristi L. Sayler, William Acevedo, Janis Taylor
2016, Forests (7)
In this U.S. Geological Survey study of forest land cover across the conterminous U.S. (CONUS), specific proportions and rates of forest conversion to developed (urban) land were assessed on an ecoregional basis. The study period was divided into six time intervals between 1973 and 2011. Forest land cover was the...
Jaguar taxonomy and genetic diversity for southern Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico
Melanie Culver, Alexander Ochoa Hein
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1109
Executive SummaryThe jaguar is the largest Neotropical felid and the only extant representative of the genus Panthera in the Americas. In recorded history, the jaguars range has extended from the Southern United States, throughout Mexico, to Central and South America, and they occupy a wide variety of habitats. A previous...
Estimation of peak discharge quantiles for selected annual exceedance probabilities in northeastern Illinois
Thomas M. Over, Riki J. Saito, Andrea G. Veilleux, Padraic S. O’Shea, Jennifer B. Sharpe, David T. Soong, Audrey L. Ishii
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5050
This report provides two sets of equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) of 0.50, 0.20, 0.10, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.002 (recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years, respectively) for watersheds in Illinois based on annual maximum peak...
Reconsidering earthquake scaling
Joan S. Gomberg, Aaron G. Wech, Kenneth Creager, K. Obara, Duncan Agnew
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 6243-6251
The relationship (scaling) between scalar moment, M0, and duration, T, potentially provides key constraints on the physics governing fault slip. The prevailing interpretation of M0-T observations proposes different scaling for fast (earthquakes) and slow (mostly aseismic) slip populations and thus fundamentally different driving mechanisms. We show that a single model of slip events within...
Loss of genetic diversity and increased subdivision in an endemic Alpine Stonefly threatened by climate change
Steve Jordan, J. Joseph Giersch, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Scott Hotalling, Liz Fanning, Tyler H. Tappenbeck, Gordon Luikart
2016, PLoS ONE (11)
Much remains unknown about the genetic status and population connectivity of high-elevation and high-latitude freshwater invertebrates, which often persist near snow and ice masses that are disappearing due to climate change. Here we report on the conservation genetics of the meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana (Ricker) of Montana, USA, a cold-water...
Small-scale barriers mitigate desertification processes and enhance plant recruitment in a degraded semiarid grassland
Stephen E. Fick, Cheryl E. Decker, Michael C. Duniway, Mark E. Miller
2016, Ecosphere (7)
Anthropogenic desertification is a problem that plagues drylands globally; however, the factors which maintain degraded states are often unclear. In Canyonlands National Park on the Colorado Plateau of southeastern Utah, many degraded grasslands have not recovered structure and function >40 yr after release from livestock grazing pressure, necessitating active...
Groundwater-flow model for the Wood River Valley aquifer system, south-central Idaho
Jason C. Fisher, James R. Bartolino, Allan H. Wylie, Jennifer Sukow, Michael McVay
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5080
A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow was developed for the Wood River Valley (WRV) aquifer system, Idaho, to evaluate groundwater and surface-water availability at the regional scale. This mountain valley is located in Blaine County and has a drainage area of about 2,300 square kilometers (888 square miles). The...
Threshold sensitivity of shallow Arctic lakes and sublake permafrost to changing winter climate
Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Guido Grosse, Allen C. Bondurant, Vladimir E. Romanovksy, Kenneth M. Hinkel, Andrew D. Parsekian
2016, Geophysical Research Letters (43) 6358-6365
Interactions and feedbacks between abundant surface waters and permafrost fundamentally shape lowland Arctic landscapes. Sublake permafrost is maintained when the maximum ice thickness (MIT) exceeds lake depth and mean annual bed temperatures (MABTs) remain below freezing. However, declining MIT since the 1970s is likely causing talik development below...
A spatially explicit suspended-sediment load model for western Oregon
Daniel R. Wise, Jim O’Connor
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5079
We calibrated the watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes) to give estimates of suspended-sediment loads for western Oregon and parts of northwestern California. Estimates of suspended-sediment loads were derived from a nonlinear least squares regression that related explanatory variables representing landscape and transport conditions to measured suspended-sediment...
Estimating peak-flow frequency statistics for selected gaged and ungaged sites in naturally flowing streams and rivers in Idaho
Molly S. Wood, Ryan L. Fosness, Kenneth D. Skinner, Andrea G. Veilleux
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5083
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Idaho Transportation Department, updated regional regression equations to estimate peak-flow statistics at ungaged sites on Idaho streams using recent streamflow (flow) data and new statistical techniques. Peak-flow statistics with 80-, 67-, 50-, 43-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent annual...
The role of habitat filtering in the leaf economics spectrum and plant susceptibility to pathogen infection
Miranda E Welsh, James P. Cronin, Charles E. Mitchell
2016, Journal of Ecology (104) 1768-1777
1.The Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES) describes global covariation in the traits of plant leaves. The LES is thought to arise from biophysical constraints and habitat filtering (ecological selection against unfit trait combinations along environmental gradients). However, the role of habitat filtering in generating the LES has not been tested experimentally. 2.If...
The Maryland Coastal Plain Aquifer Information System: A GIS-based tool for assessing groundwater resources
David C. Andreasen, Mark R. Nardi, Andrew W. Staley, Grufron Achmad, John W. Grace
2016, Special Paper of the Geological Society of America (520) 159-170
Groundwater is the source of drinking water for ∼1.4 million people in the Coastal Plain Province of Maryland (USA). In addition, groundwater is essential for commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses. Approximately 0.757 × 109 L d–1 (200 million gallons/d) were withdrawn in 2010. As a result of decades of withdrawals...
