Modeling elk and bison carrying capacity for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and The Nature Conservancy's Medano Ranch, Colorado
Gary Wockner, Randall Boone, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Linda Zeigenfuss
2015, Open-File Report 2014-1200
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the neighboring Baca National Wildlife Refuge constitute an extraordinary setting that offers a variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation and natural resource preservation in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Adjacent to these federal lands, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) manages the historic...
Pre-fieldwork surveys
Robert C. Witter
Ian Shennan, Antony J. Long, Benajamin P. Horton, editor(s)
2015, Book chapter, Handbook of sea-level research
In sea-level studies, initial surveys at the office or library can increase a project’s likelihood of success. Pre-fieldwork surveys should begin with a thorough review of prior research literature that appraises available data, identifies data gaps, and places the project objectives into a broader scientific context. Whereas peer reviewed journal...
Metal Mixture Modeling Evaluation project: 2. Comparison of four modeling approaches
Kevin J. Farley, Joe Meyer, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Karl DeSchamphelaere, Yuichi Iwasaki, Colin Janssen, Masashi Kamo, Steve Lofts, Christopher A. Mebane, Wataru Naito, Adam C. Ryan, Robert C. Santore, Edward Tipping
2015, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (34) 741-753
As part of the Metal Mixture Modeling Evaluation (MMME) project, models were developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan), the U.S. Geological Survey (USA), HDR⎪HydroQual, Inc. (USA), and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK) to address the effects of metal mixtures on biological responses...
Occurrence and distribution of fecal indicator bacteria and gene markers of pathogenic bacteria in Great Lakes tributaries, March-October 2011
Angela K. Brennan, Heather E. Johnson, Alexander R. Totten, Joseph W. Duris
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1013
From March through October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), conducted a study to determine the frequency of occurrence of pathogen gene markers and densities of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in 22 tributaries to the Great Lakes. This project was funded as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)...
Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) radiometric performance on-orbit
Ron Morfitt, Julia A. Barsi, Raviv Levy, Brian L. Markham, Esad Micijevic, Lawrence Ong, Pat Scaramuzza, Kelly Vanderwerff
2015, Remote Sensing (7) 2208-2237
Expectations of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) radiometric performance onboard Landsat-8 have been met or exceeded. The calibration activities that occurred prior to launch provided calibration parameters that enabled ground processing to produce imagery that met most requirements when data were transmitted to the ground. Since launch, calibration updates have...
C3 and C4 plant responses to increased temperatures and altered monsoonal precipitation in a cool desert on the Colorado Plateau, USA
Timothy M. Wertin, Sasha C. Reed, Jayne Belnap
2015, Oecologia (177) 997-1013
Dryland ecosystems represent >40 % of the terrestrial landscape and support over two billion people; consequently, it is vital to understand how drylands will respond to climatic change. However, while arid and semiarid ecosystems commonly experience extremely hot and dry conditions, our understanding of how further temperature increases or altered precipitation...
Likelihood analysis of spatial capture-recapture models for stratified or class structured populations
J. Andrew Royle, Christopher S. Sutherland, Angela K. Fuller, Catherine C. Sun
2015, Ecosphere (6)
We develop a likelihood analysis framework for fitting spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models to data collected on class structured or stratified populations. Our interest is motivated by the necessity of accommodating the problem of missing observations of individual class membership. This is particularly problematic in SCR data arising from DNA analysis...
Coping with earthquakes induced by fluid injection
Arthur F. McGarr, Barbara Bekins, Nina Burkardt, James W. Dewey, Paul S. Earle, William L. Ellsworth, Shemin Ge, Stephen H. Hickman, Austin F. Holland, Ernest Majer, Justin L. Rubinstein, Anne Sheehan
2015, Science (347) 830-831
Large areas of the United States long considered geologically stable with little or no detected seismicity have recently become seismically active. The increase in earthquake activity began in the mid-continent starting in 2001 (1) and has continued to rise. In 2014, the rate of occurrence of earthquakes with magnitudes (M)...
Development of regression equations to revise estimates of historical streamflows for the St. Croix River at Stillwater, Minnesota (water years 1910-2011), and Prescott, Wisconsin (water years 1910-2007)
Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, Suzanne Magdalene
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5239
A natural dam of glacial-era sediments at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers forms Lake St. Croix, a riverine lake that comprises the lowest 25 miles of the St. Croix River. Historically, backwater effects from the Mississippi River prevented the use of traditional streamgages for collecting continuous...
Assessment of unconventional oil and gas resources in the Jurassic Sargelu Formation of Iraq, 2014
Christopher J. Schenk, Janet K. Pitman, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Michael E. Brownfield, Heidi M. Leathers, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3006
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quantitatively assessed the potential for unconventional (continuous) oil and gas resources within the Jurassic Sargelu Formation of Iraq. Organic-rich shales of the Jurassic Sargelu Formation are one of the main petroleum source rocks for conventional fields in the Arabian Peninsula. The Sargelu Formation consists of...
High influx of carbon in walls of agglutinated foraminifers during the Permian-Triassic transition in global oceans
Galina P. Nestell, Merlynd K. Nestell, Brooks B. Ellwood, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Asish R. Basu, Nilotpal Ghosh, Luu Thi Phuong Lan, Harry D. Rowe, Andrew G. Hunt, Jonathan H. Tomkin, Kenneth T. Ratcliffe
2015, International Geology Review (57) 411-427
The Permian–Triassic mass extinction is postulated to be related to the rapid volcanism that produced the Siberian flood basalt (Traps). Unrelated volcanic eruptions producing several episodes of ash falls synchronous with the Siberian Traps are found in South China and Australia. Such regional eruptions could have caused wildfires, burning of coal deposits,...
Novel Eurasian highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5 viruses in wild birds, Washington, USA, 2014
S. Ip, Mia Kim Torchetti, Rocio Crespo, Paul Kohrs, Paul DeBruyn, Kristin G. Mansfield, Timothy Baszler, Lyndon Badcoe, Barbara L. Bodenstein, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Mary L. Killian, Janice C. Pederson, Nichole Hines, Thomas Gidlewski, Thomas J. DeLiberto, Jonathan M. Sleeman
2015, Emerging Infectious Diseases (21) 886-890
Novel Eurasian lineage avian influenza A(H5N8) virus has spread rapidly and globally since January 2014. In December 2014, H5N8 and reassortant H5N2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Washington, USA, and subsequently in backyard birds. When they infect commercial poultry, these highly pathogenic viruses pose substantial trade issues....
Hydroecological condition and potential for aquaculture in lakes of the arid region of Khorezm, Uzbekistan
Africa Crootof, Nodirbek Mullabaev, Laurel Saito, Lisa Atwell, Michael R. Rosen, Marhabo Bekchonova, Elena Ginatullina, Julian Scott, Sudeep Chandra, Bakhriddin Nishonov, John P.A. Lamers, Dilorom Fayzieva
2015, Journal of Arid Environments (117) 37-46
With >400 small (<1 ha) lakes, the arid Khorezm Province in Uzbekistan may be well-suited for aquaculture production. Developing water resources to provide a local food supply could increase fish consumption while improving the rural economy. Hydroecological (biological and physical) and chemical characteristics (including legacy pesticides ΣDDT and ΣHCH) of four...
Reducing soluble phosphorus in dairy effluents through application of mine drainage residuals
Philip L. Sibrell, Chad J. Penn, Robert S. Hedin
2015, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis (46) 545-563
Three different dairy manure wastewater effluent samples were amended with mine drainage residuals (MDR) to evaluate the suitability of MDR for sequestration of phosphorus (P). Geochemical modeling of the manure wastewater compositions indicated that partially soluble P-bearing minerals including hydroxyapatite, octacalcium phosphate, and vivianite were all oversaturated in each of...
Collaborative decision-analytic framework to maximize resilience of tidal marshes to climate change
Karen M. Thorne, Brady J. Mattsson, John Y. Takekawa, Jonathan Cummings, Debby Crouse, Giselle Block, Valary Bloom, Matt Gerhart, Steve Goldbeck, Beth Huning, Christina Sloop, Mendel Stewart, Karen Taylor, Laura Valoppi
2015, Ecology and Society (20)
Decision makers that are responsible for stewardship of natural resources face many challenges, which are complicated by uncertainty about impacts from climate change, expanding human development, and intensifying land uses. A systematic process for evaluating the social and ecological risks, trade-offs, and cobenefits associated with future changes is critical to...
Groundwater geochemical and selected volatile organic compound data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June and September 2014
Raegan L. Huffman
2015, Data Series 920
Previous investigations indicate that concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are substantial in groundwater beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey has continued to monitor groundwater geochemistry to ensure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant biodegradation...
Potentiometric surface, 2013, and water-level differences, 1991-2013, of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in northwest Louisiana
Robert B. Fendick Jr., Kayla Carter
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3311
The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is the primary source of fresh groundwater for public supply as well as industrial, agricultural, and domestic uses in several parishes in northwestern Louisiana, including Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, and Webster. In 2010, about 19 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) were withdrawn...
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: fluvial sediment load
Christopher S. Magirl, Robert C. Hilldale, Christopher A. Curran, Jeffrey J. Duda, Timothy D. Straub, Marian M. Domanski, James R. Foreman
2015, Geomorphology (246) 669-686
The Elwha River restoration project, in Washington State, includes the largest dam-removal project in United States history to date. Starting September 2011, two nearly century-old dams that collectively contained 21 ± 3 million m3 of sediment were removed over the course of three years with a top-down deconstruction strategy designed to meter the release of...
Water resources of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2015, Fact Sheet 2014-3118
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the...
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: coastal geomorphic change
Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew W. Stevens, Ian M. Miller, Jonathan A. Warrick, Andrea S. Ogston, Emily Eidam
2015, Geomorphology (246) 649-668
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of mud, sand, and gravel since 1927, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, initiated in September 2011, induced massive increases in river sediment...
Water-quality characteristics and trends for selected wells possibly influenced by wastewater disposal at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 1981-2012
Linda C. Davis, Roy C. Bartholomay, Jason C. Fisher, Neil V. Maimer
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5003
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, analyzed water-quality data collected from 64 aquifer wells and 35 perched groundwater wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from 1981 through 2012. The wells selected for the study were wells that possibly were affected by wastewater disposal at...
Basement domain map of the conterminous United States and Alaska
Karen Lund, Stephen E. Box, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Carma A. San Juan, Richard J. Blakely, Richard W. Saltus, Eric D. Anderson, Ed DeWitt
2015, Data Series 898
The basement-domain map is a compilation of basement domains in the conterminous United States and Alaska designed to be used at 1:5,000,000-scale, particularly as a base layer for national-scale mineral resource assessments. Seventy-seven basement domains are represented as eighty-three polygons on the map. The domains are based on interpretations of...
Sediment transport and capacity change in three reservoirs, Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1900-2012
Michael J. Langland
2015, Open-File Report 2014-1235
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted numerous sediment transport studies in the Susquehanna River and in particular in three reservoirs in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin to determine sediment transport rates over the past century and to document changes in storage capacity. The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary...
The 21 May 2014 Mw 5.9 Bay of Bengal earthquake: macroseismic data suggest a high‐stress‐drop event
Stacey Martin, Susan E. Hough
2015, Seismological Research Letters (86) 369-377
A modest but noteworthy Mw 5.9 earthquake occurred in the Bay of Bengal beneath the central Bengal fan at 21:51 Indian Standard Time (16:21 UTC) on 21 May 2014. Centered over 300 km from the eastern coastline of India (Fig. 1), it caused modest damage by virtue of its location and magnitude. However, shaking...
Estuarine water quality in parks of the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network: vital signs estuarine nutrient-enrichment monitoring, 2006-11
James M. Caldwell, Matthew E. Nixon, Hilary A. Neckles, Penelope S. Pooler
2015, Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCBN/NRR - 2015/902
This report summarizes results of water-quality monitoring within estuaries of the National Park Service Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) from 2006 through 2011. Data collection formed part of the NCBN Vital Signs Monitoring Program implemented to detect threats of estuarine nutrient enrichment. Data included here were collected from six...
