Suspended-sediment loads and reservoir sediment trap efficiency for Clinton Lake, Kansas, 2010-12
Kyle E. Juracek
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5153
Continuous streamflow and turbidity data collected from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2012, at a site upstream and downstream from Clinton Lake, Kansas, were used to compute the total suspended-sediment load delivered to and released from the reservoir as well as the sediment trap efficiency for the reservoir. Ongoing...
MODFLOW–LGR—Documentation of ghost node local grid refinement (LGR2) for multiple areas and the boundary flow and head (BFH2) package
Steffen W. Mehl, Mary C. Hill
2013, Techniques and Methods 6-A44
This report documents the addition of ghost node Local Grid Refinement (LGR2) to MODFLOW-2005, the U.S. Geological Survey modular, transient, three-dimensional, finite-difference groundwater flow model. LGR2 provides the capability to simulate groundwater flow using multiple block-shaped higher-resolution local grids (a child model) within a coarser-grid parent model. LGR2 accomplishes this...
Report of geomagnetic pulsation indices for space weather applications
Z. Xu, Jennifer L. Gannon, Erin J. Rigler
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1166
The phenomenon of ultra-low frequency geomagnetic pulsations was first observed in the ground-based measurements of the 1859 Carrington Event and has been studied for over 100 years. Pulsation frequency is considered to be “ultra” low when it is lower than the natural frequencies of the plasma, such as the ion...
Two new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from emerald tree skinks, Lamprolepis smaragdina (Lesson) (Sauria: Scincidae) from Papua New Guinea and the Philippines
Chris T. McAllister, R. Scott Seville, Donald W. Duszynski, Sarah E. Bush, Robert N. Fisher, Christopher C. Austin
2013, Systematic Parasitology (86) 165-171
Two new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875, from emerald tree skinks, Lamprolepis smaragdina (Lesson) are described from specimens collected in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Philippines. Oöcysts of Eimeria nuiailan n. sp. from the only L. smaragdina from PNG are ovoidal, with a smooth, colourless, bi-layered wall, measure 23.7...
Bedrock geology and outcrop fracture trends in the vicinity of the Savage Municipal Well Superfund site, Milford, New Hampshire
William C. Burton, Philip T. Harte
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1224
The Savage Municipal Well Superfund site consists of an eastward-directed plume of volatile organic compounds, principally tetrachloroethylene (PCE), in alluvium and glacial sand and gravel in the Souhegan River valley, just south of the river and about 4 kilometers west of the town of Milford, New Hampshire. Sampling of monitoring...
Biological and geochemical data of gravity cores from Mobile Bay, Alabama
Kathryn A. Richwine, Marci Marot, Christopher G. Smith, Lisa E. Osterman, C. Scott Adams
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1240
A study was conducted to understand the marine-influenced environments of Mobile Bay, Alabama, by collecting a series of box cores and gravity cores. One gravity core in particular demonstrates a long reference for changing paleoenvironmental parameters in Mobile Bay. Due to lack of abundance of foraminifers and (or) lack of...
Sex determination of duck embryos: observations on syrinx development
Robert E. Wilson, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, J. Christian Franson
2013, Avian Biology Research (6) 243-246
Ducks exhibit sexual dimorphism in vocal anatomy. Asymmetrical ossification of the syrinx (bulla syringealis) is discernable at about 10 days of age in male Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica) embryos, but information is lacking on the early development of the bulla in wild ducks. To evaluate the reliability of this...
Songbird abundance in native and planted grassland varies with type and amount of grassland in the surrounding landscape
Stephen K. Davis, Ryan Fisher, Susan Skinner, Terry L. Shaffer, R. Mark Brigham
2013, Journal of Wildlife Management (77) 908-919
Agriculture and wildlife conservation programs have converted vast amounts of cropland into grasslands planted with exotic species. Understanding how landscape context influences avian use of native and planted grasslands is essential for developing effective conservation strategies in agricultural landscapes. Our primary objective was to determine the extent to which the...
Late Quaternary stratigraphy, sedimentology, and geochemistry of an underfilled lake basin in the Puna (north-west Argentina)
Michael M. McGlue, Andrew S. Cohen, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Andrew L. Kowler
2013, Basin Research (25) 638-658
Depositional models of ancient lakes in thin-skinned retroarc foreland basins rarely benefit from appropriate Quaternary analogues. To address this, we present new stratigraphic, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of four radiocarbon-dated sediment cores from the Pozuelos Basin (PB; northwest Argentina) that capture the evolution of this low-accommodation Puna basin over the...
Caveats on tomographic images
Gillian R. Foulger, Giuliano F. Panza, Irina M. Artemieva, Ian D. Bastow, Fabio Cammarano, John R. Evans, Warren B. Hamilton, Bruce R. Julian, Michele Lustrino, Hans Thybo, Yanovskaya
2013, Terra Nova (25) 258-281
Geological and geodynamic models of the mantle often rely on joint interpretations of published seismic tomography images and petrological/geochemical data. This approach tends to neglect the fundamental limitations of, and uncertainties in, seismic tomography results. These limitations and uncertainties involve theory, correcting for the crust, the lack of rays throughout...
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Minnesota
William J. Carswell Jr.
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3051
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the State of Minnesota, elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, infrastructure and construction management, water supply...
Design of Cycle 3 of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 2013-23: Part 2: Science plan for improved water-quality information and management
Gary L. Rowe, Kenneth Belitz, Charlie R. Demas, Hedeff I. Essaid, Robert J. Gilliom, Pixie A. Hamilton, Anne B. Hoos, Casey J. Lee, Mark D. Munn, David W. Wolock
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1160
This report presents a science strategy for the third decade of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, which since 1991, has been responsible for providing nationally consistent information on the quality of the Nation's streams and groundwater; how water quality is changing over time; and the major natural and human...
Probabilistic accounting of uncertainty in forecasts of species distributions under climate change
Seth J. Wenger, Nicholas A. Som, Daniel C. Dauwalter, Daniel J. Isaak, Helen M. Neville, Charles H. Luce, Jason B. Dunham, Michael K. Young, Kurt D. Fausch, Bruce E. Rieman
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 3343-3354
Forecasts of species distributions under future climates are inherently uncertain, but there have been few attempts to describe this uncertainty comprehensively in a probabilistic manner. We developed a Monte Carlo approach that accounts for uncertainty within generalized linear regression models (parameter uncertainty and residual error), uncertainty among competing models (model...
Permanently enhanced dynamic triggering probabilities as evidenced by two M ≥ 7.5 earthquakes
Joan S. Gomberg
2013, Geophysical Research Letters (40) 4828-4833
The 2012 M7.7 Haida Gwaii earthquake radiated waves that likely dynamically triggered the 2013M7.5 Craig earthquake, setting two precedents. First, the triggered earthquake is the largest dynamically triggered shear failure event documented to date. Second, the events highlight a connection between geologic structure, sedimentary troughs that act as waveguides, and triggering...
LANDFIRE 2010 - updated data to support wildfire and ecological management
Kurtis J. Nelson, Joel A. Connot, Birgit E. Peterson, Joshua J. Picotte
2013, Earthzine
Wildfire is a global phenomenon that affects human populations and ecosystems. Wildfire effects occur at local to global scales impacting many people in different ways (Figure 1). Ecological concerns due to land use, fragmentation, and climate change impact natural resource use, allocation, and conservation. Access to consistent and current environmental...
Evaluating the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent for reducing bat fatalities at wind turbines
Edward B. Arnett, Cris D. Hein, Michael R. Schirmacher, Manuela M.P. Huso, Joseph M. Szewczak
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Large numbers of bats are killed by wind turbines worldwide and minimizing fatalities is critically important to bat conservation and acceptance of wind energy development. We implemented a 2-year study testing the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent for reducing bat fatalities at a wind energy facility in Pennsylvania. We...
Development of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) for environmental monitoring
David A. Alvarez
2013, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (32) 2179-2181
No abstract available....
Bioassay of estrogenicity and chemical analyses of estrogens in streams across the United States associated with livestock operations
David A. Alvarez, Nancy W. Shappell, L.O. Billey, Dietrich S. Bermudez, Vickie S. Wilson, Dana W. Kolpin, Stephanie D. Perkins, Nicola Evans, William T. Foreman, James L. Gray, J.M. Shipitalo, Michael T. Meyer
2013, Water Research (47) 3347-3363
Animal manures, used as a nitrogen source for crop production, are often associated with negative impacts on nutrient levels in surface water. The concentrations of estrogens in streams from these manures also are of concern due to potential endocrine disruption in aquatic species. Streams associated with livestock operations were sampled...
Landscape consequences of natural gas extraction in Beaver and Butler Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004-2010
Coral M. Roig-Silva, E. Terry Slonecker, Lesley E. Milheim, Alexander R. Malizia
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1226
Increased demands for cleaner burning energy, coupled with the relatively recent technological advances in accessing unconventional hydrocarbon-rich geologic formations, have led to an intense effort to find and extract natural gas from various underground sources around the country. One of these sources, the Marcellus Shale, located in the Allegheny Plateau,...
Landscape consequences of natural gas extraction in Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004-2010
L.E. Milheim, E.T. Slonecker, C.M. Roig-Silva, A.R. Malizia
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1227
Increased demands for cleaner burning energy, coupled with the relatively recent technological advances in accessing unconventional hydrocarbon-rich geologic formations, have led to an intense effort to find and extract natural gas from various underground sources around the country. One of these sources, the Marcellus Shale, located in the Allegheny Plateau,...
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) affects vegetation more than seed banks in mixed-grass prairies of the Northern Great Plains
Diane L. Larson, Dustin F. Haines, Jennifer L. Larson
2013, Invasive Plant Science and Management (6) 416-432
Exotic plants have the ability to modify soil seed banks in habitats they invade, but little is known about the legacy of invasion on seed banks once an exotic plant has successfully been controlled. Natural areas previously invaded by leafy spurge in the northern Great Plains typically have one of...
Obtaining changes in calibration-coil to seismometer output constants using sine waves
Adam T. Ringler, Charles R. Hutt, Lind S. Gee, Leo D. Sandoval, David C. Wilson
2013, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (104) 582-586
The midband sensitivity of a broadband seismometer is one of the most commonly used parameters from station metadata. Thus, it is critical for station operators to robustly estimate this quantity with a high degree of accuracy. We develop an in situ method for estimating changes in sensitivity using sine‐wave calibrations,...
Estimating the extent of impervious surfaces and turf grass across large regions
Peter R. Claggett, Frederick M. Irani, Renee L. Thompson
2013, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (49) 1057-1077
The ability of researchers to accurately assess the extent of impervious and pervious developed surfaces, e.g., turf grass, using land-cover data derived from Landsat satellite imagery in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is limited due to the resolution of the data and systematic discrepancies between developed land-cover classes, surface mines, forests,...
Parasites affect food web structure primarily through increased diversity and complexity
Jennifer A. Dunne, Kevin D. Lafferty, Andrew P. Dobson, Ryan F. Hechinger, Armand M. Kuris, Neo D. Martinez, John P. McLaughlin, Kim N. Mouritsen, Robert Poulin, Karsten Reise, Daniel B. Stouffer, David W. Thieltges, Richard J. Williams, Claus Dieter Zander
2013, PLoS Biology (11)
Comparative research on food web structure has revealed generalities in trophic organization, produced simple models, and allowed assessment of robustness to species loss. These studies have mostly focused on free-living species. Recent research has suggested that inclusion of parasites alters structure. We assess whether such changes in network structure result...
Preliminary groundwater flow model of the basin-fill aquifers in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys, Mohave County, northwestern Arizona
Fred D. Tillman, Bradley D. Garner, Margot Truini
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5122
Preliminary numerical models were developed to simulate groundwater flow in the basin-fill alluvium in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys in northwestern Arizona. The purpose of this exercise was to gather and evaluate available information and data, to test natural‑recharge concepts, and to indicate directions for improving future regional groundwater models...
