Calibration of a conodont apatite-based Ordovician 87Sr/86Sr curve to biostratigraphy and geochronology: Implications for stratigraphic resolution
M. R. Saltzman, C. T. Edwards, S. A. Leslie, Gary S. Dwyer, J. A. Bauer, John E. Repetski, A. G. Harris, S. M. Bergstrom
2014, GSA Bulletin (126) 1551-1568
The Ordovician 87Sr/86Sr isotope seawater curve is well established and shows a decreasing trend until the mid-Katian. However, uncertainties in calibration of this curve to biostratigraphy and geochronology have made it difficult to determine how the rates of 87Sr/86Sr decrease may have varied, which has implications for both the stratigraphic resolution possible...
Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2012 Java and vicinity
Eric S. Jones, Gavin P. Hayes, Melissa Bernardino, Fransiska K. Dannemann, Kevin P. Furlong, Harley M. Benz, Antonio Villaseñor
2014, Open-File Report 2010-1083-N
The Sunda convergent margin extends for 5,600 km from the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, both located northwest of the map area, towards the island of Sumba in the southeast, and then continues eastward as the Banda arc system. This tectonically active margin is a result of the...
Sampling little fish in big rivers: Larval fish detection probabilities in two Lake Erie tributaries and implications for sampling effort and abundance indices
Jeremy J. Pritt, Mark R. DuFour, Christine M. Mayer, Edward F. Roseman, Robin L. DeBruyne
2014, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (143) 1011-1027
Larval fish are frequently sampled in coastal tributaries to determine factors affecting recruitment, evaluate spawning success, and estimate production from spawning habitats. Imperfect detection of larvae is common, because larval fish are small and unevenly distributed in space and time, and coastal tributaries are often large and heterogeneous. We estimated...
Regional regression equations for the estimation of selected monthly low-flow duration and frequency statistics at ungaged sites on streams in New Jersey
Kara M. Watson, Amy R. McHugh
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5004
Regional regression equations were developed for estimating monthly flow-duration and monthly low-flow frequency statistics for ungaged streams in Coastal Plain and non-coastal regions of New Jersey for baseline and current land- and water-use conditions. The equations were developed to estimate 87 different streamflow statistics, which include the monthly 99-, 90-,...
Air-sea interactions during strong winter extratropical storms
Jill Nelson, Ruoying He, John C. Warner, John Bane
2014, Ocean Dynamics
A high-resolution, regional coupled atmosphere–ocean model is used to investigate strong air–sea interactions during a rapidly developing extratropical cyclone (ETC) off the east coast of the USA. In this two-way coupled system, surface momentum and heat fluxes derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting model and sea surface temperature (SST)...
Rapid reservoir erosion, hyperconcentrated flow, and downstream deposition triggered by breaching of 38 m tall Condit Dam, White Salmon River, Washington
Andrew C. Wilcox, James E. O'Connor, Jon J. Major
2014, Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface (119) 1376-1394
Condit Dam on the White Salmon River, Washington, a 38 m high dam impounding a large volume (1.8 million m3) of fine-grained sediment (60% sand, 35% silt and clay, and 5% gravel), was rapidly breached in October 2011. This unique dam decommissioning produced dramatic upstream and downstream geomorphic responses in...
Incubation success and habitat selection of shore-spawning kokanee Onchorhynchus nerka: effects of water level regulation and habitat characteristics.
Steven L. Whitlock, Michael C. Quist, Andrew M. Dux
2014, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (24) 412-423
Changes to water-level regimes have been known to restructure fish assemblages and interfere with the population dynamics of both littoral and pelagic species. The effect of altered water-level regimes on shore-spawning kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka incubation success was evaluated using a comprehensive in situ study in Lake Pend Oreille, ID, USA. Survival was not related...
Low-flow characteristics of streams in the Lahaina District, West Maui, Hawai'i
Chui Ling Cheng
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5087
The purpose of this study was to characterize streamflow availability under natural low-flow conditions for streams in the Lahaina District, west Maui, Hawaiʻi. The study-area streams included Honolua Stream and tributary Pāpua Gulch, Honokahua Stream and tributary Mokupeʻa Gulch, Kahana Stream, Honokōwai Stream and tributaries Amalu and Kapāloa Streams, Wahikuli...
Aboveground allometric models for freeze-affected black mangroves (Avicennia germinans): Equations for a climate sensitive mangrove-marsh ecotone
Michael J. Osland, Richard H. Day, Jack C. Larriviere, Andrew S. From
2014, PLoS ONE (9)
Across the globe, species distributions are changing in response to climate change and land use change. In parts of the southeastern United States, climate change is expected to result in the poleward range expansion of black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) at the expense of some salt marsh vegetation. The morphology of A....
Grass carp in the Great Lakes region: establishment potential, expert perceptions, and re-evaluation of experimental evidence of ecological impact
Marion E. Wittmann, Christopher L. Jerde, Jennifer G. Howeth, Sean P. Maher, Andrew M. Deines, Jill A. Jenkins, Gregory W. Whitledge, Sarah B. Burbank, William L. Chadderton, Andrew R. Mahon, Jeffrey T. Tyson, Crysta A. Gantz, Reuben P. Keller, John M. Drake, David M. Lodge
2014, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (71) 992-999
Intentional introductions of nonindigenous fishes are increasing globally. While benefits of these introductions are easily quantified, assessments to understand the negative impacts to ecosystems are often difficult, incomplete, or absent. Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) was originally introduced to the United States as a biocontrol agent, and recent observations of wild,...
Benthic habitat map of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative Kā'anapali priority study area and the State of Hawai'i Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, west-central Maui, Hawai'i
Susan A. Cochran, Ann E. Gibbs, Darla J. White
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1129
Nearshore areas off of west-central Maui, Hawai‘i, once dominated by abundant coral coverage, now are characterized by an increased abundance of turf algae and macroalgae. In an effort to improve the health and resilience of the coral reef system, the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area was established by the State...
Comparison of historical streamflows to 2013 Streamflows in the Williamson, Sprague, and Wood Rivers, Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon
Glen W. Hess, Adam J. Stonewall
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1128
In 2013, the Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon, experienced a dry spring, resulting in an executive order declaring a state of drought emergency in Klamath County. The 2013 drought limited the water supply and led to a near-total cessation of surface-water diversions for irrigation above Upper Klamath Lake once regulation...
Geologic map of MTM -30247, -35247, and -40247 quadrangles, Reull Vallis region of Mars
Scott C. Mest, David A. Crown
2014, Scientific Investigations Map 3245
Mars Transverse Mercator (MTM) –30247, –35247, and –40247 quadrangles cover a portion of southern Hesperia Planum and the highlands of eastern Promethei Terra, east of the Hellas basin. The map area (lat 27.5–42.5° S., long 110–115° E.) consists of cratered ancient highland materials of moderate relief, isolated knobs and massifs...
Floods of 2011 in New York
Richard Lumia, Gary D. Firda, Travis L. Smith
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5058
Record rainfall combined with above-average temperatures and substantial spring snowmelt resulted in record flooding throughout New York during 2011. Rainfall totals in eastern New York were the greatest since 1895 and as much as 60 percent above the long-term average within the Catskill Mountains area and the Susquehanna River Basin....
Can they dig it? Functional morphology and semifossoriality among small-eared shrews, genus Cryptotis (Mammalia, Soricidae)
Neal Woodman, Sarah A. Gaffney
2014, Journal of Morphology (275) 745-759
Small-eared shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae: Cryptotis), exhibit modifications of the forelimb skeleton that have been interpreted as adaptations for semifossoriality. Most species inhabit remote regions, however, and their locomotory and foraging behaviors remain mostly speculative. To better understand the morphological modifications in the absence of direct observations, we quantified variation in...
A multiscale assessment of tree avoidance by prairie birds
Sarah J. Thompson, Todd W. Arnold, Courtney L. Amundson
2014, The Condor (116) 303-315
In North America, grassland bird abundances have declined, likely as a result of loss and degradation of prairie habitat. Given the expense and limited opportunity to procure new grasslands, managers are increasingly focusing on ways to improve existing habitat for grassland birds, using techniques such as tree removal. To examine...
Assessment of metal and trace element contamination in water, sediment, plants, macroinvertebrates, and fish in Tavasci Marsh, Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona
Kimberly R. Beisner, Nicholas V. Paretti, Anne M.D. Brasher, Christopher C. Fuller, Matthew P. Miller
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5069
Tavasci Marsh is a large freshwater marsh within the Tuzigoot National Monument in central Arizona. It is the largest freshwater marsh in Arizona that is unconnected to the Colorado River and is designated as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. The marsh has been altered significantly by previous...
Review and bibliometric analysis of published literature citing data produced by the Gap Analysis Program (GAP)
Joan M. Ratz, Shannon J. Conk
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1294
The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produces geospatial datasets providing information on land cover, predicted species distributions, stewardship (ownership and conservation status), and an analysis dataset which synthesizes the other three datasets. The intent in providing these datasets is to support the conservation of biodiversity....
A quantitative life history of endangered humpback chub that spawn in the Little Colorado River: variation in movement, growth, and survival
Charles B. Yackulic, Michael D. Yard, Josh Korman, David R. Van Haverbeke
2014, Ecology and Evolution (4) 1006-1018
While the ecology and evolution of partial migratory systems (defined broadly to include skip spawning) have been well studied, we are only beginning to understand how partial migratory populations are responding to ongoing environmental change. Environmental change can lead to differences in the fitness of residents and migrants, which could...
A semi-automated method of monitoring dam passage of American Eels Anguilla rostrata
Stuart A. Welsh, Joni L. Aldinger
2014, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (34) 702-709
Fish passage facilities at dams have become an important focus of fishery management in riverine systems. Given the personnel and travel costs associated with physical monitoring programs, automated or semi-automated systems are an attractive alternative for monitoring fish passage facilities. We designed and tested a semi-automated system for eel ladder...
Landsat and water: case studies of the uses and benefits of landsat imagery in water resources
Larisa O. Serbina, Holly M. Miller
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1108
The Landsat program has been collecting and archiving moderate resolution earth imagery since 1972. The number of Landsat users and uses has increased exponentially since the enactment of a free and open data policy in 2008, which made data available free of charge to all users. Benefits from the information...
Correlations of daily flows at streamgages in and near West Virginia, 1930-2011, and streamflow characteristics relevant to the use of index streamgages
Terence Messinger, Katherine S. Paybins
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5061
Correlation of flows at pairs of streamgages were evaluated using a Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient to better identify gages that can be used as index gages to estimate daily flow at ungaged stream sites in West Virginia. Much of West Virginia (77 percent) is within areas where Spearman’s rho for...
Inundation of a barrier island (Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, USA) during a hurricane: Observed water-level gradients and modeled seaward sand transport
Christopher R. Sherwood, Joseph W. Long, Patrick Dickhudt, P. Soupy Dalyander, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant
2014, JGR Earth Surface (119) 1498-1515
Large geomorphic changes to barrier islands may occur during inundation, when storm surge exceeds island elevation. Inundation occurs episodically and under energetic conditions that make quantitative observations difficult. We measured water levels on both sides of a barrier island in the northern Chandeleur Islands during inundation by Hurricane Isaac. Wind...
InSAR detects increase in surface subsidence caused by an Arctic tundra fire
Lin Liu, Elchin E. Jafarov, Kevin M. Schaefer, Benjamin M. Jones, Howard A. Zebker, Christopher A. Williams, John Rogan, Tingjun Zhang
2014, Geophysical Research Letters (41) 3906-3913
Wildfire is a major disturbance in the Arctic tundra and boreal forests, having a significant impact on soil hydrology, carbon cycling, and permafrost dynamics. This study explores the use of the microwave Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to map and quantify ground surface subsidence caused by the Anaktuvuk River...
Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome
Wenping Yuan, Shuguang Liu, Wenjie Dong, Shunlin Liang, Shuqing Zhao, Jingming Chen, Wenfang Xu, Xianglan Li, Alan Barr, T. Andrew Black, Wende Yan, Michael Goulden, Liisa Kulmala, Anders Lindroth, Hank A. Margolis, Yojiro Matsuura, Eddy Moors, Michiel van der Molen, Takeshi Ohta, Kim Pilegaard, Andrej Varlagin, Timo Vesala
2014, Nature Communications (5)
The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower...
