Evaluation of the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) air temperature data products
Lei Ji, Gabriel B. Senay, James P. Verdin
2015, Journal of Hydrometeorology (16) 2463-2480
There is a high demand for agrohydrologic models to use gridded near-surface air temperature data as the model input for estimating regional and global water budgets and cycles. The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) developed by combining simulation models with observations provides a long-term gridded meteorological dataset at the...
Ground motion models used in the 2014 U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps
Sanaz Rezaeian, Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S59-S84
The National Seismic Hazard Maps (NSHMs) are an important component of seismic design regulations in the United States. This paper compares hazard using the new suite of ground motion models (GMMs) relative to hazard using the suite of GMMs applied in the previous version of the maps. The new source...
Conodont biostratigraphy of the Permian-Triassic boundary sequence at Lung Cam, Vietnam
Bruce R. Wardlaw, Merlynd K. Nestell, Galina P. Nestell, Brooks B. Ellwood, Luu Thi Phuong Lan
2015, Micropaleontology (61) 313-334
The occurrences of a few specimens of Clarkina and many specimens of Hindeodus at the Permian-Triassic boundary section at Lung Cam, Vietnam allow accurate graphic correlation to the P-T boundary stratotype at Meishan, China. One species of Clarkina, ten species and two subspecies of Hindeodus, and the apparatuses of Hindeodus...
Conodont faunas from a complete basinal succession of the upper part of the Wordian (Middle Permian, Guadalupian, West Texas)
Bruce R. Wardlaw, Merlynd K. Nestell
2015, Micropaleontology (61) 257-292
In the southern part of the Patterson Hills just to the west of the Guadalupe Mountains escarpment ofWest Texas, a 29m outcrop of alternating calcareous siltstone and silty limestone with a few thin fine sandstone interbeds displays the overlap occurrence of a narrowmorphotype of Jinogondolella nankingensis (herein named J. nankingensis...
Influence of grazing and land use on stream-channel characteristics among small dairy farms in the Eastern United States
Genevieve Brand, Bruce C. Vondracek, Nicholas R. Jordan
2015, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (30) 524-536
Rotational grazing (RG) is a livestock management practice that rotates grazing cattle on a scale of hours to days among small pastures termed paddocks. It may beneficially affect stream channels, relative to other livestock management practices. Such effects and other beneficial effects on hydrology are important to RG's potential to...
Annual survival rate estimate of satellite transmitter–marked eastern population greater sandhill cranes
David L. Fronczak, David E. Andersen, Everett E. Hanna, Thomas R. Cooper
2015, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (6) 464-471
Several surveys have documented the increasing population size and geographic distribution of Eastern Population greater sandhill cranes Grus canadensis tabida since the 1960s. Sport hunting of this population of sandhill cranes started in 2012 following the provisions of the Eastern Population Sandhill Crane Management Plan. However, there are currently no...
Hydrologic implications of GRACE satellite data in the Colorado River Basin
Bridget R. Scanlon, Zizhan Zhang, Robert C. Reedy, Donald R. Pool, Himanshu Save, Di Long, Jianli Chen, David M. Wolock, Brian D. Conway, Daniel Winester
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 9891-9903
Use of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites for assessing global water resources is rapidly expanding. Here we advance application of GRACE satellites by reconstructing long-term total water storage (TWS) changes from ground-based monitoring and modeling data. We applied the approach to the Colorado River Basin which has experienced...
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve: Geologic resources inventory report
Chad P. Hults, Christina A. Neal
2015, Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2015/1033
This GRI report is a companion document to previously completed GRI digital geologic map data. It was written for resource managers to support science-informed decision making. It may also be useful for interpretation. The report was prepared using available geologic information, and the NPS Geologic Resources Division conducted no new...
The nest-concealment hypothesis: New insights from a comparative analysis
Kathi L. Borgmann, Courtney J. Conway
2015, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (127) 646-660
Selection of a breeding site is critical for many animals, especially for birds whose offspring are stationary during development. Thus, birds are often assumed to prefer concealed nest sites. However, 74% of studies (n = 106) that have evaluated this relationship for open-cup nesting songbirds in North America failed to support...
Developing a conservation strategy to maximize persistence of an endangered freshwater mussel species while considering management effectiveness and cost
David R. Smith, Sarah E. McRae, Tom Augspurger, Judith A. Ratcliffe, Robert B. Nichols, Chris B. Eads, Tim Savidge, Arthur E. Bogan
2015, Freshwater Science (34) 1324-1339
We used a structured decision-making process to develop conservation strategies to increase persistence of Dwarf Wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in North Carolina, USA, while accounting for uncertainty in management effectiveness and considering costs. Alternative conservation strategies were portfolios of management actions that differed by location of management actions on the landscape....
Differences in ecosystem carbon distribution and nutrient cycling linked to forest tree species composition in a mid-successional boreal forest
April M. Melvin, Michelle C. Mack, Jill F. Johnstone, A. David McGuire, Helene Genet, Edward A.G. Schuur
2015, Ecosystems (18) 1472-1488
In the boreal forest of Alaska, increased fire severity associated with climate change is expanding deciduous forest cover in areas previously dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana). Needle-leaf conifer and broad-leaf deciduous species are commonly associated with differences in tree growth, carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, and C...
Determining climate change management priorities: A case study from Wisconsin
Olivia E. LeDee, Christine Ribic
2015, Journal of Conservation Planning (11) 1-12
A burgeoning dialogue exists regarding how to allocate resources to maximize the likelihood of long-term biodiversity conservation within the context of climate change. To make effective decisions in natural resource management, an iterative, collaborative, and learning-based decision process may be more successful than a strictly consultative approach. One important, early...
Seismic source characterization for the 2014 update of the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model
Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Mark D. Petersen, Oliver S. Boyd, Rui Chen, Edward H. Field, Arthur D. Frankel, Kathleen Haller, Stephen Harmsen, Charles S. Mueller, Russell Wheeler, Yuehua Zeng
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S31-S57
We present the updated seismic source characterization (SSC) for the 2014 update of the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the conterminous United States. Construction of the seismic source models employs the methodology that was developed for the 1996 NSHM but includes new and updated data, data types, source models,...
The 2014 update to the National Seismic Hazard Model in California
Peter M. Powers, Edward H. Field
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S177-S200
The 2014 update to the U. S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model in California introduces a new earthquake rate model and new ground motion models (GMMs) that give rise to numerous changes to seismic hazard throughout the state. The updated earthquake rate model is the third version of the...
Shoal basses: A clade of cryptic identity
Byron J. Freeman, Andrew T. Taylor, Kenneth J. Oswald, John Wares, Mary Freeman, Joseph M. Quattro, Jean Leitner
2015, Conference Paper, Black bass diversity: Multidisciplinary science for conservation
Shoal basses are a cryptic clade composed of Micropterus spp. restricted to the Apalachicola River system and three southeastern Atlantic slope river drainages in the southeastern United States. This reciprocally monophyletic clade includes the Shoal Bass M. cataractae (endemic to the Apalachicola River system), the Chattahoochee Bass M. chattahoochae, and two...
Sources and transport of phosphorus to rivers in California and adjacent states, U.S., as determined by SPARROW modeling
Joseph L. Domagalski, Dina Saleh
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 1463-1486
The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de-trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of...
2014 Update of the Pacific Northwest portion of the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps
Arthur D. Frankel, Rui Chen, Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Brian Sherrod
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S131-S148
Several aspects of the earthquake characterization were changed for the Pacific Northwest portion of the 2014 update of the national seismic hazard maps, reflecting recent scientific findings. New logic trees were developed for the recurrence parameters of M8-9 earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) and for the eastern edge...
The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles Mueller, Kathleen Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nico Luco, Russell Wheeler, Robert Williams, Anna H. Olsen
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S1-S30
New seismic hazard maps have been developed for the conterminous United States using the latest data, models, and methods available for assessing earthquake hazard. The hazard models incorporate new information on earthquake rupture behavior observed in recent earthquakes; fault studies that use both geologic and geodetic strain rate data; earthquake...
SPARROW modeling of nitrogen sources and transport in rivers and streams of California and adjacent states, U.S.
Dina Saleh, Joseph L. Domagalski
2015, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (51) 1487-1507
The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) model was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of total nitrogen (TN) sources, loads, watershed yields, and factors affecting transport and decay in the stream network of California and portions of adjacent states for the year 2002. The two major TN sources...
Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions
Nico Luco, Robert Bachman, C.B Crouse, James R. Harris, John D. Hooper, Charles A. Kircher, Phillp Caldwell, Kenneth S. Rukstales
2015, Earthquake Spectra (31) S245-S271
With the 2014 update of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) as a basis, the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) has updated the earthquake ground motion maps in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, with partial...
Low resistivity and permeability in actively deforming shear zones on the San Andreas Fault at SAFOD
Carolyn A. Morrow, David A. Lockner, Stephen H. Hickman
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research (120) 8240-8258
The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) scientific drillhole near Parkfield, California crosses the San Andreas Fault at a depth of 2.7 km. Downhole measurements and analysis of core retrieved from Phase 3 drilling reveal two narrow, actively deforming zones of smectite-clay gouge within a roughly 200 m-wide...
Book review: Natural resources in Afghanistan: Geographic and geologic perspectives on centuries of conflict
Jeff L. Doebrich
2015, Economic Geology (110) 1907-1908
This book is the outcome of four decades of work in Afghanistan by the author, John (Jack) Shroder. His travels and research throughout Afghanistan and his understanding of its place in regional and world history provide the foundation for this comprehensive 572-page reference. The book describes the interrelated nature of...
Evaluating potential conservation conflicts between two listed species: Sea otters and black abalone
Peter T. Raimondi, Laura J. Jurgens, M. Tim Tinker
2015, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (96) 3102-3108
Population consequences of endangered species interacting as predators and prey have been considered theoretically and legally, but rarely investigated in the field. We examined relationships between spatially variable populations of a predator, the California sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, and a prey species, the black abalone, Haliotis cracherodii. Both species are federally...
Book review: Bats: A world of science and mystery.
Paul M. Cryan
2015, Biological Conservation (192) 323-323
This book has something for everyone, from casual seekers of fascinating eye candy to professional scientists interested in the latest discoveries. Without losing sight of how mysterious bats remain despite decades of research, the authors deftly introduce readers to bats and the people who study them. The book...
Powell Center Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 1
Jill S. Baron, Marty Goldhaber
2015, Report
Bi-annual newsletter for the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, covering news through July of 2015...
