Creating a monthly time series of the potentiometric surface in the Upper Floridan aquifer, Northern Tampa Bay area, Florida, January 2000-December 2009
Terrie M. Lee, Geoffrey G. Fouad
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5038
In Florida’s karst terrain, where groundwater and surface waters interact, a mapping time series of the potentiometric surface in the Upper Floridan aquifer offers a versatile metric for assessing the hydrologic condition of both the aquifer and overlying streams and wetlands. Long-term groundwater monitoring data were used to generate a...
An individual-based growth and competition model for coastal redwood forest restoration
Phillip J. van Mantgem, Adrian J. Das
2014, Canadian Journal of Forest Research (44) 1051-1057
Thinning treatments to accelerate coastal redwood forest stand development are in wide application, but managers have yet to identify prescriptions that might best promote Sequoia sempervirens (Lamb. ex D. Don) Endl. (redwood) growth. The creation of successful thinning prescriptions would be aided by identifying the underlying mechanisms governing how individual tree growth...
Freshwater availability and coastal wetland foundation species: ecological transitions along a rainfall gradient
Michael J. Osland, Nicholas M. Enwright, Camille L. Stagg
2014, Ecology (95) 2789-2802
Climate gradient-focused ecological research can provide a foundation for better understanding critical ecological transition points and nonlinear climate-ecological relationships, which is information that can be used to better understand, predict, and manage ecological responses to climate change. In this study, we examined the influence of freshwater availability upon the coverage...
Beach science in the Great Lakes
Meredith B. Nevers, Murulee N. Byappanahalli, Thomas A. Edge, Richard L. Whitman
2014, Journal of Great Lakes Research (40) 1-14
Monitoring beach waters for human health has led to an increase and evolution of science in the Great Lakes, which includes microbiology, limnology, hydrology, meteorology, epidemiology, and metagenomics, among others. In recent years, concerns over the accuracy of water quality standards at protecting human health have led to a significant...
Home range characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls in the Rincon Mountains, Arizona
David W. Willey, Charles van Riper III
2014, Wilson Journal of Ornithology (126) 53-59
We studied a small isolated population of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) from 1996–1997 in the Rincon Mountains of Saguaro National Park, southeastern Arizona, USA. All mixed-conifer and pine-oak forest patches in the park were surveyed for Spotted Owls, and we located, captured, and radio-tagged 10 adult birds representing...
The distribution and extent of heavy metal accumulation in song sparrows along Arizona's upper Santa Cruz River
Michael B. Lester, Charles van Riper III
2014, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (186) 4779-4791
Heavy metals are persistent environmental contaminants, and transport of metals into the environment poses a threat to ecosystems, as plants and wildlife are susceptible to long-term exposure, bioaccumulation, and potential toxicity. We investigated the distribution and cascading extent of heavy metal accumulation in southwestern song sparrows (Melospiza melodia fallax), a...
Factors affecting public-supply well vulnerability in two karst aquifers
MaryLynn Musgrove, Brian G. Katz, Lynne S. Fahlquist, Christy A. Crandall, Richard J. Lindgren
2014, Ground Water (52) 63-75
Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants...
Mercury concentrations in water, and mercury and selenium concentrations in fish from Brownlee Reservoir and selected sites in Boise and Snake Rivers, Idaho and Oregon, 2013
Dorene E. MacCoy
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1099
Mercury (Hg) analyses were conducted on samples of sport fish and water collected from six sampling sites in the Boise and Snake Rivers, and Brownlee Reservoir to meet National Pollution Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements for the City of Boise, Idaho. A water sample was collected from each...
Sea otters are recolonizing southern California in fits and starts
Kevin D. Lafferty, M. Tim Tinker
2014, Ecosphere (5)
After near extinction as a result of the fur trade in the 1700s and 1800s, the southern sea otter slowly reoccupied the core of its range in central California. Range expansion beyond central California is seen as key to full recovery of otters, but the rate of expansion has been...
Cruise report for P1-13-LA, U.S. Geological Survey gas hydrates research cruise, R/V Pelican April 18 to May 3, 2013, deepwater Gulf of Mexico
Seth S. Haines, Patrick E. Hart, Carolyn Ruppel, Thomas O'Brien, Wayne Baldwin, Jenny White, Eric Moore, Peter Dal Ferro, Peter Lemmond
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1080
The U.S. Geological Survey led a seismic acquisition cruise in the Gulf of Mexico from April 18 to May 3, 2013, with the objectives of (1) achieving improved imaging and characterization at two established gas hydrate study sites, and (2) refining geophysical methods for gas hydrate characterization in other locations....
Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: outer mainland shelf and slope, Gulf of Santa Catalina, southern California
Peter Dartnell, James E. Conrad, Holly F. Ryan, David P. Finlayson
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1094
In 2010 and 2011, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the outer shelf and slope region offshore of southern California. The surveys were conducted as part of the USGS Marine Geohazards Program. Assessment of the hazards posed by...
Earthquake catalog for estimation of maximum earthquake magnitude, Central and Eastern United States: Part A, Prehistoric earthquakes
Russell L. Wheeler
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1025-A
Computation of probabilistic earthquake hazard requires an estimate of Mmax, the maximum earthquake magnitude thought to be possible within a specified geographic region. This report is Part A of an Open-File Report that describes the construction of a global catalog of moderate to large earthquakes, from which one can estimate...
Distribution and landscape controls of organic layer thickness and carbon within the Alaskan Yukon River Basin
Neal J. Pastick, Matthew B. Rigge, Bruce K. Wylie, M. Torre Jorgenson, Joshua R. Rose, Kristofer D. Johnson, Lei Ji
2014, Geoderma (230-231) 79-94
Understanding of the organic layer thickness (OLT) and organic layer carbon (OLC) stocks in subarctic ecosystems is critical due to their importance in the global carbon cycle. Moreover, post-fire OLT provides an indicator of long-term successional trajectories and permafrost susceptibility to thaw. To these ends, we 1) mapped OLT and...
Water levels and water quality in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer (middle Claiborne aquifer) in Arkansas, spring-summer 2011
T.P. Schrader
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5044
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and the Arkansas Geological Survey, has monitored water levels in the Sparta Sand of Claiborne Group and Memphis Sand of Claiborne Group (herein referred to as “the Sparta Sand” and “the Memphis Sand,” respectively) since the 1920s. Groundwater...
Corticosterone metabolite concentrations in greater sage-grouse are positively associated with the presence of cattle grazing
M.D. Jankowski, Robin E. Russell, J. Christian Franson, Robert J. Dusek, M.K. Hines, M. Gregg, Erik K. Hofmeister
2014, Rangeland Ecology and Management (67) 237-246
The sagebrush biome in the western United States is home to the imperiled greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and encompasses rangelands used for cattle production. Cattle grazing activities have been implicated in the range-wide decline of the sage-grouse, but no studies have investigated the relationship between the physiological condition of sage-grouse...
Events affecting gold exploration in Venezuela since 1999
David R. Wilburn
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1068
The structure of the gold mining industry in Venezuela has changed significantly since 1999 as a result of Government policy changes and industry response to these changes. This report documents the policy decisions that have affected the mining industry, discusses the response of the industry on a site by site...
Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska
Michael P. Carey, Christian E. Zimmerman
2014, Ecology and Evolution (4) 1981-1993
Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish...
The shallow stratigraphy and sand resources offshore from Cat Island, Mississippi
Jack L. Kindinger, Jennifer L. Miselis, Noreen A. Buster
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1070
In collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected over 487 line kilometers (> 300 miles) of high-resolution geophysical data around Cat Island, Mississippi, to improve understanding of the island's geologic evolution and identify potential...
Porphyry copper assessment of eastern Australia
Arthur A. Bookstrom, Richard A. Len, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson Jr., Michael L. Zientek, Benjamin J. Drenth, Subhash Jaireth, Pamela M. Cossette, John C. Wallis
2014, Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5090-L
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts national and global assessments of resources (mineral, energy, water, and biologic) to provide science in support of decision making. Mineral resource assessments provide syntheses of available information about where mineral deposits are known and suspected to occur in the Earth’s crust and which commodities...
Unified facilities criteria 3-301-01: structural engineering
Sean M. McGowan, Sanaz Rezaeian, Nicolas Luco
2014, Report
This Unified Facility Criteria (UFC) provides requirements for structures designed and constructed for the Department of Defense (DoD). These technical requirements are based on the 2012 International Building Code (IBC 2012), as modified by UFC 1-200- 01. This information shall be used by structural engineers to develop design calculations, specifications, plans,...
Characterization of very-long-period seismicity accompanying summit activity at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i: 2007-2013
Phillip B. Dawson, Bernard A. Chouet
2014, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (278-279) 59-85
Eruptive activity returned to the summit region of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i with the formation of the “Overlook crater” within the Halema'uma'u Crater in March 2008. The new crater continued to grow through episodic collapse of the crater walls and as of late 2013 had grown into an approximately elliptical opening...
Weekly resolution particulate flux from a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2008-2012
Julie N. Richey, Caitlin E. Reynolds, Eric Tappa, Robert Thunell
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1035
The U.S. Geological Survey anchored a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico to collect time-series data on sediment flux from 2008 to 2012. There are continuous measurements of total mass flux and organic carbon flux (ogC) at 7–14 day resolution from 2008 to 2012. The flux of calcium...
Comparison of three DNA extraction kits to establish maximum yield and quality of coral-associated microbial DNA
Erin J. Baker, Christina A. Kellogg
2014, Open-File Report 2014-1066
Coral microbiology is an expanding field, yet there is no standard DNA extraction protocol. Although many researchers depend on commercial extraction kits, no specific kit has been optimized for use with coral samples. Both soil and plant DNA extraction kits from MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., have been used by many...
A new Liopropoma sea bass (Serranidae, Epinephelinae, Liopropomini) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on depth distributions of western Atlantic liopropomins
Carole C. Baldwin, D. Ross Robertson
2014, ZooKeys (409) 71-92
Collecting reef-fish specimens using a manned submersible diving to 300 m off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, is resulting in the discovery of numerous new fish species. The new Liopropoma sea bass described here differs from other western Atlantic members of the genus in having VIII, 13 dorsal-fin rays; a moderately indented dorsal-fin margin;...
Mapping large-area landscape suitability for honey bees to assess the influence of land-use change on sustainability of national pollination services
Alisa L. Gallant, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Zac Browning
2014, PLoS ONE (9) 1-14
Pollination is a critical ecosystem service affected by various drivers of land-use change, such as policies and programs aimed at land resources, market values for crop commodities, local land-management decisions, and shifts in climate. The United States is the world's most active market for pollination services by honey bees, and...
