A probabilistic method for constructing wave time-series at inshore locations using model scenarios
Joseph W. Long, Nathaniel G. Plant, P. Soupy Dalyander, David M. Thompson
2014, Coastal Engineering (89) 53-62
Continuous time-series of wave characteristics (height, period, and direction) are constructed using a base set of model scenarios and simple probabilistic methods. This approach utilizes an archive of computationally intensive, highly spatially resolved numerical wave model output to develop time-series of historical or future wave conditions without performing additional, continuous...
Seismic investigation of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico: 2013 multi-component and high-resolution 2D acquisition at GC955 and WR313
Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart, William W. Shedd, Matthew Frye
2014, Book
The U.S. Geological Survey led a seismic acquisition cruise at Green Canyon 955 (GC955) and Walker Ridge 313 (WR313) in the Gulf of Mexico from April 18 to May 3, 2013, acquiring multicomponent and high-resolution 2D seismic data. GC955 and WR313 are established, world-class study sites where high gas hydrate saturations...
Seismic profile analysis of sediment deposits in Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs near Cambridge, Idaho
James Flocks, Kyle Kelso, Ryan Fosness, Chris Welcker
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1019
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, in cooperation with the USGS Idaho Water Science Center and the Idaho Power Company, collected high-resolution seismic reflection data in the Brownlee and Hells Canyon Reservoirs, in March of 2013.These reservoirs are located along the Snake River, and...
Surface disposal of produced waters in western and southwestern Pennsylvania: potential for accumulation of alkali-earth elements in sediments
Katherine J. Skalak, Mark A. Engle, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Glenn D. Jolly, Kathryn M. Conko, Adam J. Benthem, Thomas F. Kraemer
2014, International Journal of Coal Geology (126) 162-170
Waters co-produced with hydrocarbons in the Appalachian Basin are of notably poor quality (concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and total radium up to and exceeding 300,000 mg/L and 10,000 pCi/L, respectively). Since 2008, a rapid increase in Marcellus Shale gas production has led to a commensurate rise in associated...
Assessing the potential effects of fungicides on nontarget gut fungi (trichomycetes) and their associated larval black fly hosts
Emma R. Wilson, Kelly L. Smalling, Timothy J. Reilly, Elmer Gray, Laura Bond, Lance Steele, Prasanna Kandel, Alison Chamberlin, Justin Gause, Nicole Reynolds, Ian Robertson, Stephen Novak, Kevin Feris, Merlin M. White
2014, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (50) 420-433
Fungicides are moderately hydrophobic and have been detected in water and sediment, particularly in agricultural watersheds, but typically are not included in routine water quality monitoring efforts. This is despite their widespread use and frequent application to combat fungal pathogens. Although the efficacy of these compounds on fungal pathogens is...
Particulate organic matter quality influences nitrate retention and denitrification in stream sediments: evidence from a carbon burial experiment
Robert S. Stelzer, J. Thad Scott, Lynn Bartsch, Thomas B. Parr
2014, Biogeochemistry (119) 387-402
Organic carbon supply is linked to nitrogen transformation in ecosystems. However, the role of organic carbon quality in nitrogen processing is not as well understood. We determined how the quality of particulate organic carbon (POC) influenced nitrogen transformation in stream sediments by burying identical quantities of varying quality POC (northern...
Passive acoustic monitoring to detect spawning in large-bodied catostomids
Carrie A. Straight, Byron J. Freeman, Mary Freeman
2014, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (143) 595-605
Documenting timing, locations, and intensity of spawning can provide valuable information for conservation and management of imperiled fishes. However, deep, turbid or turbulent water, or occurrence of spawning at night, can severely limit direct observations. We have developed and tested the use of passive acoustics to detect distinctive acoustic signatures...
Selection of anthropogenic features and vegetation characteristics by nesting Common Ravens in the sagebrush ecosystem
Kristy B. Howe, Peter S. Coates, David J. Delehanty
2014, The Condor (116) 35-49
Common Raven (Corvus corax) numbers and distribution are increasing throughout the sagebrush steppe, influencing avian communities in complex ways. Anthropogenic structures are thought to increase raven populations by providing food and nesting subsidies, which is cause for concern because ravens are important nest predators of sensitive species, including Greater Sage-Grouse...
A unified assessment of hydrological and biogeochemical responses in research watersheds in Eastern Puerto Rico using runoff-concentration relations
Robert F. Stallard, Sheila F. Murphy
2014, Aquatic Geochemistry (20) 115-139
An examination of the relation between runoff rate, R, and concentration, C, of twelve major constituents in four small watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico demonstrates a consistent pattern of responses. For solutes that are not substantially bioactive (alkalinity, silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and chloride), the log(R)–log(<i...
Sands at Gusev Crater, Mars
Nathalie A. Cabrol, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Andrew H. Knoll, Jack D. Farmer, Raymond E. Arvidson, E.A. Grin, Ron Li, Lori Fenton, B. Cohen, J.F. Bell III, R. Aileen Yingst
2014, Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets (119) 941-967
Processes, environments, and the energy associated with the transport and deposition of sand at Gusev Crater are characterized at the microscopic scale through the comparison of statistical moments for particle size and shape distributions. Bivariate and factor analyses define distinct textural groups at 51 sites along the traverse completed by...
Reducing bias in survival under non-random temporary emigration
Claudia L. Peñaloza, William L. Kendall, Catherine Ann Langtimm
2014, Ecological Applications (24) 1155-1166
Despite intensive monitoring, temporary emigration from the sampling area can induce bias severe enough for managers to discard life-history parameter estimates toward the terminus of the times series (terminal bias). Under random temporary emigration unbiased parameters can be estimated with CJS models. However, unmodeled Markovian temporary emigration causes bias in...
Uranium and radon in private bedrock well water in Maine: geospatial analysis at two scales
Qiang Yang, Paul Smitherman, C.T. Hess, Charles W. Culbertson, Robert G. Marvinney, Yan Zheng
2014, Environmental Science & Technology (48) 4298-4306
In greater Augusta of central Maine, 53 out of 1093 (4.8%) private bedrock well water samples from 1534 km2 contained [U] >30 μg/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water; and 226 out of 786 (29%) samples from 1135 km2 showed [Rn] >4,000 pCi/L...
Amphibians in the climate vise: loss and restoration of resilience of montane wetland ecosystems in the western US
Maureen E. Ryan, Wendy J. Palen, M. J. Adams, Regina M. Rochefort
2014, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (12) 232-240
Wetlands in the remote mountains of the western US have undergone two massive ecological “experiments” spanning the 20th century. Beginning in the late 1800s and expanding after World War II, fish and wildlife managers intentionally introduced millions of predatory trout (primarily Oncorhynchus spp) into fishless mountain ponds and lakes across...
BatTool: an R package with GUI for assessing the effect of White-nose syndrome and other take events on Myotis spp. of bats
Richard A. Erickson, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Jennifer A. Szymanski
2014, Source Code for Biology and Medicine (9)
Background: Myotis species of bats such as the Indiana Bat and Little Brown Bat are facing population declines because of White-nose syndrome (WNS). These species also face threats from anthropogenic activities such as wind energy development. Population models may be used to provide insights into threats facing these species. We...
Estimating magnitude and frequency of floods using the PeakFQ 7.0 program
Andrea G. Veilleux, Timothy A. Cohn, Kathleen M. Flynn, Mason Jr., Paul R. Hummel
2014, Fact Sheet 2013-3108
Flood-frequency analysis provides information about the magnitude and frequency of flood discharges based on records of annual maximum instantaneous peak discharges collected at streamgages. The information is essential for defining flood-hazard areas, for managing floodplains, and for designing bridges, culverts, dams, levees, and other flood-control structures. Bulletin 17B (B17B) of the...
Effect of sulfate and carbonate minerals on particle-size distributions in arid soils
Dirk Goossens, Brenda J. Buck, Yuazxin Teng, Colin Robins, Harland L. Goldstein
2014, Soil Science Society of America Journal (78) 881-893
Arid soils pose unique problems during measurement and interpretation of particle-size distributions (PSDs) because they often contain high concentrations of water-soluble salts. This study investigates the effects of sulfate and carbonate minerals on grain-size analysis by comparing analyses in water, in which the minerals dissolve, and isopropanol (IPA), in which...
Response to heavy, non-floating oil spilled in a Great Lakes river environment: a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach for submerged oil assessment and recovery
Ralph H. Dollhopf, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Jeffrey W. Kimble, Daniel M. Capone, Thomas P. Graan, Ronald B. Zelt, Rex Johnson
2014, Conference Paper, International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings
The Enbridge Line 6B pipeline release of diluted bitumen into the Kalamazoo River downstream of Marshall, MI in July 2010 is one of the largest freshwater oil spills in North American history. The unprecedented scale of impact and massive quantity of oil released required the development and implementation of new...
Geodesy- and geology-based slip-rate models for the Western United States (excluding California) national seismic hazard maps
Mark D. Petersen, Yuehua Zeng, Kathleen M. Haller, Robert McCaffrey, William C. Hammond, Peter Bird, Morgan Moschetti, Zhengkang Shen, Jayne Bormann, Wayne Thatcher
2014, Open-File Report 2013-1293
The 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps for the conterminous United States incorporate additional uncertainty in fault slip-rate parameter that controls the earthquake-activity rates than was applied in previous versions of the hazard maps. This additional uncertainty is accounted for by new geodesy- and geology-based slip-rate models for the Western United...
Late Paleozoic fusulinids from Sonora, Mexcio: importance for interpretation of depositional settings, biogeography, and paleotectonics
Calvin H. Stevens, Forrest G. Poole, Ricardo Amaya-Martinez
2014, Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas (31) 14-27
Three sets of fusulinid faunas in Sonora, Mexico, discussed herein, record different depositional and paleotectonic settings along the southwestern margin of Laurentia (North America) during Pennsylvanian and Permian time. The settings include: offshelf continental rise and ocean basin (Rancho Nuevo Formation in the Sonora allochthon), shallow continental shelf (La Cueva...
40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints on the formation of the Dayingezhuang gold deposit: New implications for timing and duration of hydrothermal activity in the Jiaodong gold province, China
Li-Qiang Yang, J. Deng, Richard J. Goldfarb, Jiahua Zhang, Bang-Fei Gao, Zhong-Liang Wang
2014, Gondwana Research (25) 1469-1483
China's largest gold resource is located in the highly endowed northwestern part of the Jiaodong gold province. Most gold deposits in this area are associated with the NE- to NNE-trending shear zones on the margins of the 130–126 Ma Guojialing granite. These deposits collectively formed at ca. 120 ± 5 Ma during rapid uplift...
Effects of smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus biomass on water transparency, nutrients, and productivity in shallow experimental ponds
Daniel B. Goetz, Robert Kroger, Leandro E. Miranda
2014, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (92) 503-508
The smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus is a native benthivore to floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. Based on evidence from other benthivorous fish studies we hypothesized high biomasses of I. bubalus contribute to poor water quality conditions. We tested this hypothesis in shallow (< 1.5 m) 0.05 ha...
Influence of drift and admixture on population structure of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Central Interior Highlands, USA, 50 years after translocation
Emily E. Puckett, Thea V. Kristensen, Clay M. Wilton, Sara B. Lyda, Karen V. Noyce, Paula M. Holahan, David M. Leslie Jr., J. Beringer, Jerrold L. Belant, D. White Jr., Lori S. Eggert
2014, Molecular Ecology (23) 2414-2427
Bottlenecks, founder events, and genetic drift often result in decreased genetic diversity and increased population differentiation. These events may follow abundance declines due to natural or anthropogenic perturbations, where translocations may be an effective conservation strategy to increase population size. American black bears (Ursus americanus) were nearly extirpated from the...
Multi-trophic resilience of boreal lake ecosystems to forest fires
Tyler L. Lewis, Mark S. Lindberg, Joel A. Schmutz, M.R. Bertram
2014, Ecology (95) 1253-1263
Fires are the major natural disturbance in the boreal forest, and their frequency and intensity will likely increase as the climate warms. Terrestrial nutrients released by fires may be transported to boreal lakes, stimulating increased primary productivity, which may radiate through multiple trophic levels. Using a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design, with...
From theoretical to actual ecosystem services: mapping beneficiaries and spatial flows in ecosystem service assessments
Kenneth J. Bagstad, Ferdinando Villa, David Batker, Jennifer Harrison-Cox, Brian Voigt, Gary W. Johnson
2014, Ecology and Society (19)
Ecosystem services mapping and modeling has focused more on supply than demand, until recently. Whereas the potential provision of economic benefits from ecosystems to people is often quantified through ecological production functions, the use of and demand for ecosystem services has received less attention, as have the spatial flows of...
USGS US topo maps for Alaska
Becci Anderson, Tracy Fuller
2014, The Alaska Miner (42) 14-18
In July 2013, the USGS National Geospatial Program began producing new topographic maps for Alaska, providing a new map series for the state known as US Topo. Prior to the start of US Topo map production in Alaska, the most detailed statewide USGS topographic maps were 15-minute 1:63,360-scale maps, with...
