Bacterial dominance in subseafloor sediments characterized by methane hydrates
Brandon R. Briggs, Fumio Inagaki, Yuki Morono, Taiki Futagami, Carme Huguet, Antoni Rosell-Mele, T.D. Lorenson, Frederick S. Colwell
2015, FEMS Microbiology Ecology (81) 88-98
The degradation of organic carbon in subseafloor sediments on continental margins contributes to the largest reservoir of methane on Earth. Sediments in the Andaman Sea are composed of ~ 1% marine-derived organic carbon and biogenic methane is present. Our objective was to determine microbial abundance and diversity in sediments that...
The central uplift of Ritchey crater, Mars
Ning Ding, Veronica J. Bray, Alfred S. McEwen, Sarah S. Mattson, Chris H. Okubo, Matthew Chojnacki, Livio L. Tornabene
2015, Icarus (252) 255-270
Ritchey crater is a ∼79 km diameter complex crater near the boundary between Hesperian ridged plains and Noachian highland terrain on Mars (28.8°S, 309.0°E) that formed after the Noachian. High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images of the central peak reveal fractured massive bedrock and megabreccia with large clasts. Compact Reconnaissance...
Intersexual allometry differences and ontogenetic shifts of coloration patterns in two aquatic turtles, Graptemys oculifera and Graptemys flavimaculata
Joshua R. Ennen, Peter V. Lindeman, Jeffrey E. Lovich
2015, Ecology and Evolution (5) 2296-2305
Coloration can play critical roles in a species' biology. The allometry of color patterns may be useful for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for shaping the traits. We measured characteristics relating to eight aspects of color patterns from Graptemys oculifera and G. flavimaculata to investigate the allometric differences among male, female, and unsexed juvenile specimens....
Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors
Michael C. Duniway, Emily C. Palmquist, Mark E. Miller
2015, Ecosphere (6)
Uncontrolled wildfire in arid and semiarid ecosystems has become an increasing concern in recent decades. Active rehabilitation of fire-affected areas is often quickly initiated to minimize long-term ecosystem damage. However, the complex soil-geomorphic-vegetation patterns and low and variable moisture conditions in these regions makes restoration challenging. To further inform these...
Performance of species occurrence estimators when basic assumptions are not met: a test using field data where true occupancy status is known
David A. W. Miller, Larissa L. Bailey, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brett T. McClintock, Linda A. Weir, Theodore R. Simons
2015, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (6) 557-565
Populations are rarely censused. Instead, observations are subject to incomplete detection, misclassification and detection heterogeneity that result from human and environmental constraints. Though numerous methods have been developed to deal with observational uncertainty, validation under field conditions is rare because truth is rarely known in these cases. We...
Functional skeletal morphology and its implications for locomotory behavior among three genera of myosoricine shrews (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)
Neal Woodman, Frank A. Stabile
2015, Journal of Morphology (276) 550-563
Myosoricinae is a small clade of shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) that is currently restricted to the African continent. Individual species have limited distributions that are often associated with higher elevations. Although the majority of species in the subfamily are considered ambulatory in their locomotory behavior, species of the myosoricine genus Surdisorex are...
Slipstream: an early Holocene slump and turbidite record from the frontal ridge of the Cascadia accretionary wedge off western Canada and paleoseismic implications
T.S. Hamilton, Randolph J. Enkin, Michael Riedel, Gary C. Rogers, John W. Pohlman, Heather M. Benway
2015, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (52) 1-26
Slipstream Slump, a well-preserved 3 km wide sedimentary failure from the frontal ridge of the Cascadia accretionary wedge 85 km off Vancouver Island, Canada, was sampled during Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) John P. Tully cruise 2008007PGC along a transect of five piston cores. Shipboard sediment analysis and physical property logging revealed...
Flood-inundation maps for the Hoosic River, North Adams and Williamstown, Massachusetts, from the confluence with the North Branch Hoosic River to the Vermont State line
Pamela J. Lombard, Gardner C. Bent
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5236
A series of nine digital flood-inundation maps were developed for an 8-mile reach of the Hoosic River in North Adams and Williamstown, Massachusetts, by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The coverage of the maps extends from the confluence with the North Branch...
Effectiveness of two commercial rotenone formulations in the eradication of virile crayfish Orconectes virillis
Matthew S. Recsetar, Scott A. Bonar
2015, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (35) 616-620
The virile or northern crayfish Orconectes virilis is an invasive species throughout much of the USA, damaging aquatic communities where it is introduced. Therefore, identification of effective methods for its eradication from areas in which it is unwanted is important. We studied the effectiveness of two commercial formulations of rotenone,...
Unusual downhole and surface free-field records near the Carquinez Strait bridges during the 24 August 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa, California earthquake
Mehmet Çelebi, S. Farid Ghahari, Ertugrul Taciroglu
2015, Seismological Research Letters (86) 1128-1134
This paper reports the results of Part A of a study of the recorded strong-motion accelerations at the well-instrumented network of the two side-by-side parallel bridges over the Carquinez Strait during the 24 August 2014 (Mw6.0 ) South Napa, Calif. earthquake that occurred at 03:20:44 PDT with epicentral coordinates...
Geologic map of the southern White Ledge Peak and Matilija quadrangles, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, California
Scott A. Minor, Theodore R. Brandt
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3321
This report presents a digital geologic strip map of the southern parts of the contiguous White Ledge Peak and Matilija 7.5’ quadrangles in coastal southern California. With a compilation scale of 1:24,000 (one inch on the map to 2,000 feet on the ground), the map depicts the distribution of bedrock...
Evaluating turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration relations from the North Fork Toutle River basin near Mount St. Helens, Washington; annual, seasonal, event, and particle size variations - a preliminary analysis.
Mark A. Uhrich, Kurt R. Spicer, Adam R. Mosbrucker, Tami S. Christianson
2015, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the joint federal interagency conference 2015
Regression of in-stream turbidity with concurrent sample-based suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) has become an accepted method for producing unit-value time series of inferred SSC (Rasmussen et al., 2009). Turbidity-SSC regression models are increasingly used to generate suspended-sediment records for Pacific Northwest rivers (e.g., Curran et al., 2014; Schenk and Bragg, 2014;...
Estimates of hydraulic fracturing (Frac) sand production, consumption, and reserves in the United States
Donald I. Bleiwas
2015, Rock Products (118) 60-60
The practice of fracturing reservoir rock in the United States as a method to increase the flow of oil and gas from wells has a relatively long history and can be traced back to 1858 in Fredonia, New York, when a gas well situated in shale of the Marcellus Formation...
Initiation of migration and movement rates of Atlantic salmon smolts in fresh water
Daniel S. Stich, Michael T. Kinnison, John F. Kocik, Joseph D. Zydlewski
2015, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (72) 1339-1351
Timing of ocean entry is critical for marine survival of both hatchery and wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts. Management practices and barriers to migration such as dams may constrain timing of smolt migrations resulting in suboptimal performance at saltwater entry. We modeled influences of stocking location, smolt development, and...
Estimating exposure of piscivorous birds and sport fish to mercury in California lakes using prey fish monitoring: a predictive tool for managers
Joshua T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark P. Herzog, Jay Davison, Gary Ichikawa, Autumn Bonnema
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1106
Numerous water bodies in California are listed under the Clean Water Act as being impaired due to mercury (Hg) contamination. The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), via the Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG), has recently completed statewide surveys of contaminants in sport fish tissue from more than 250 lakes and...
Book review: Flight ways: Life and loss at the edge of extinction.
Paul C. Banko
2015, Journal of Field Ornithology (86) 180-182
In less than 200 pages, Thom van Dooren aims in his ambitious book, Flight Ways, to reconnect humans empathetically with the rest of the planet's inhabitants, but especially vanishing species. This is asking a lot, but he succeeds—or at least makes great strides—using evocative storytelling and compelling discourse. A number of...
End-of-winter snow depth variability on glaciers in Alaska
Daniel Mcgrath, Louis C. Sass, Shad O’Neel, Anthony Arendt, Gabriel Wolken, Alessio Gusmeroli, Christian Kienholz, Christopher J. McNeil
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface (120) 1530-1550
A quantitative understanding of snow thickness and snow water equivalent (SWE) on glaciers is essential to a wide range of scientific and resource management topics. However, robust SWE estimates are observationally challenging, in part because SWE can vary abruptly over short distances in complex terrain due to interactions between topography...
Groundwater flow in the Brunswick/Glynn County area, Georgia, 2000-04
Gregory S. Cherry
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5061
An existing regional steady-state model for coastal Georgia, and parts of South Carolina and Florida, was revised to evaluate the local effects of pumping on the migration of high chloride (saline) water in the Upper Floridan aquifer located in the Brunswick/Glynn County, Georgia (Ga.) area. Revisions were focused on enhancing...
Exposure-related effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens, strain CL145A, on coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater fish
James A. Luoma, Kerry L. Weber, Denise A. Mayer
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1104
The exposure-related effects of a commercially prepared spray-dried powder (SDP) formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens, strain CL145A, were evaluated on coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater fish endemic to the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River Basins. Nine species of young-of-the-year fish were exposed to SDP for 24 hours by using continuous-flow, serial-dilution...
Comparisons of estimates of annual exceedance-probability discharges for small drainage basins in Iowa, based on data through water year 2013
David A. Eash
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5055
Traditionally, the Iowa Department of Transportation has used the Iowa Runoff Chart and single-variable regional-regression equations (RREs) from a U.S. Geological Survey report (published in 1987) as the primary methods to estimate annual exceedance-probability discharge (AEPD) for small (20 square miles or less) drainage basins in Iowa. With the publication...
Evaluation of groundwater levels in the South Platte River alluvial aquifer, Colorado, 1953-2012, and design of initial well networks for monitoring groundwater levels
Tristan Wellman
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5015
The South Platte River and underlying alluvial aquifer form an important hydrologic resource in northeastern Colorado that provides water to population centers along the Front Range and to agricultural communities across the rural plains. Water is regulated based on seniority of water rights and delivered using a network of administration...
Geotechnical soil characterization of intact Quaternary deposits forming the March 22, 2014 SR-530 (Oso) landslide, Snohomish County, Washington
Michael F. Riemer, Brian D. Collins, Thomas C. Badger, Csilla Toth, Yat Chun Yu
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1089
During the late morning of March 22, 2014, a devastating landslide occurred near the town of Oso, Washington. The landslide with an estimated volume of 10.9 million cubic yards (8.3 x 106 m3) of both intact glacially deposited and previously disturbed landslide sediments, reached speeds averaging 40 miles per hour...
Simulated effects of Lower Floridan aquifer pumping on the Upper Floridan aquifer at Rincon, Effingham County, Georgia
Gregory S. Cherry, John S. Clarke
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5072
Steady-state simulations using a revised regional groundwater-flow model based on MODFLOW were run to assess the potential long-term effects on the Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA) of pumping the Lower Floridan aquifer (LFA) at well (36S048) near the City of Rincon in coastal Georgia near Savannah. Simulated pumping of well 36S048...
Modeling apple snail population dynamics on the Everglades landscape
Phil Darby, Donald L. DeAngelis, Stephanie S. Romanach, Kevin J. Suir, Joshua L. Bridevaux
2015, Landscape Ecology (30) 1497-1510
Context The Florida Everglades has diminished in size and its existing wetland hydrology has been altered. The endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) has nearly abandoned the Everglades, and its prey, the apple snail (Pomacea paludosa), has declined. Objective We developed a population model (EverSnail) to understand apple snail response to inter- and intra-annual...
Automated calculation of surface energy fluxes with high-frequency lake buoy data
R. Iestyn Woolway, Ian D. Jones, David P. Hamilton, Stephen C Maberly, Kohji Muroaka, Jordan S. Read, Robyn L Smyth, Luke A. Winslow
2015, Environmental Modelling and Software (70) 191-198
Lake Heat Flux Analyzer is a program used for calculating the surface energy fluxes in lakes according to established literature methodologies. The program was developed in MATLAB for the rapid analysis of high-frequency data from instrumented lake buoys in support of the emerging field of aquatic sensor network science. To...
