Modified Mercalli Intensity for scenario earthquakes in Evansville, Indiana
Chris Cramer, Jennifer Haase, Oliver Boyd
2012, General Information Product 138
Evansville, Indiana, has experienced minor damage from earthquakes several times in the past 200 years. Because of this history and the fact that Evansville is close to the Wabash Valley and New Madrid seismic zones, there is concern about the hazards from earthquakes. Earthquakes currently cannot be predicted, but scientists...
Latitudinal species diversity gradient of marine zooplankton for the last three million years
Moriaki Yasuhara, Gene Hunt, Harry J. Dowsett, Marci M. Robinson, Danielle K. Stoll
2012, Ecology Letters (15) 1174-1179
High tropical and low polar biodiversity is one of the most fundamental patterns characterising marine ecosystems, and the influence of temperature on such marine latitudinal diversity gradients is increasingly well documented. However, the temporal stability of quantitative relationships among diversity, latitude and temperature is largely unknown. Herein we document marine...
Selection of nest-site habitat by interior least terns in relation to sandbar construction
Mark H. Sherfy, Jennifer H. Stucker, Deborah A. Buhl
2012, Journal of Wildlife Management (76) 363-371
Federally endangered interior least terns (Sternula antillarum) nest on bare or sparsely vegetated sandbars on midcontinent river systems. Loss of nesting habitat has been implicated as a cause of population declines, and managing these habitats is a major initiative in population recovery. One such initiative involves construction of mid-channel sandbars...
Understanding earthquake hazards in urban areas - Evansville Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project
Oliver S. Boyd
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3014
The region surrounding Evansville, Indiana, has experienced minor damage from earthquakes several times in the past 200 years. Because of this history and the proximity of Evansville to the Wabash Valley and New Madrid seismic zones, there is concern among nearby communities about hazards from earthquakes. Earthquakes currently cannot be...
Quality of major ion and total dissolved solids data from groundwater sampled by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 1992–2010
Eliza L. Gross, Bruce D. Lindsey, Michael G. Rupert
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5153
Proper interpretation of water quality requires consideration of the effects that contamination bias and sampling variability might have on measured analyte concentrations. The effect of contamination bias and sampling variability on major ion and total dissolved solids data in water samples collected in 48 of the 52 National Water-Quality Assessment...
Uranium isotopes (234U/238U) in rivers of the Yukon Basin (Alaska and Canada) as an aid in identifying water sources, with implications for monitoring hydrologic change in arctic regions
Thomas F. Kraemer, Timothy P. Brabets
2012, Hydrogeology Journal (20) 469-481
The ability to detect hydrologic variation in large arctic river systems is of major importance in understanding and predicting effects of climate change in high-latitude environments. Monitoring uranium isotopes (234U and 238U) in river water of the Yukon River Basin of Alaska and northwestern Canada (2001–2005) has enhanced the ability to...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Amu Darya Basin and Afghan-Tajik Basin Provinces, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, 2011
T. R. Klett, Christopher J. Schenk, Craig J. Wandrey, Ronald R. Charpentier, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Troy A. Cook, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2012, Fact Sheet 2011-3154
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources for the Amu Darya Basin and Afghan–Tajik Basin Provinces of Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The mean volumes were estimated at 962 million barrels of crude oil, 52 trillion cubic feet...
Diversity and distribution of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the South Platte River Basin, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, 1873-2010
Robert E. Zuellig, Brian D. Heinold, Boris C. Kondratieff, David E. Ruiter
2012, Data Series 606
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado), compiled collection record data to document the historical and present-day occurrence of mayfly, stonefly, and caddisfly species in the South Platte River Basin. Data were compiled from records collected between...
Social values for ecosystem services (SolVES): Documentation and user manual, version 2.0
Benson C. Sherrouse, Darius J. Semmens
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1023
In response to the need for incorporating quantified and spatially explicit measures of social values into ecosystem services assessments, the Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center (RMGSC), in collaboration with Colorado State University, developed a geographic information system (GIS) application, Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES). With version 2.0 (SolVES 2.0),...
Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport in the Rogue River basin, southwestern Oregon
Krista L. Jones, Jim E. O'Connor, Mackenzie K. Keith, Joseph F. Mangano, J. Rose Wallick
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1280
This report summarizes a preliminary assessment of bed-material transport, vertical and lateral channel changes, and existing datasets for the Rogue River basin, which encompasses 13,390 square kilometers (km2) along the southwestern Oregon coast. This study, conducted to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel mining, revealed that:The Rogue River in its...
Population size of island loggerhead shrikes on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands
Thomas R. Stanley, Susan Teel, Linnea S. Hall, Linda C. Dye, Lyndal L. Laughrin
2012, Wildlife Society Bulletin (36) 61-69
Island loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California's Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina Islands (USA). This subspecies is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and has been petitioned for federal...
Effects of resource chemistry on the composition and function of stream hyporheic biofilms.
E. K. Hall, K. Besemer, L. Kohl, C. Preiler, K. Reidel, T. Schneider, W. Wanek, T.J. Battin
2012, Frontiers in Microbiology (3)
Fluvial ecosystems process large quantities of dissolved organic matter as it moves from the headwater streams to the sea. In particular, hyporheic sediments are centers of high biogeochemical reactivity due to their elevated residence time and high microbial biomass and activity. However, the interaction between organic matter and microbial dynamics...
Book review: Seismic acquisition from yesterday to tomorrow
Seth S. Haines
2012, The Leading Edge (January 2012) 102-102
In this 236-page volume, Julien Meunier presents a thorough description of P-wave seismic data acquisition. The treatment includes historical aspects along with some discussion of trends for the future, but the main focus is on present-day approaches and their theoretical underpinnings. Although it was written as the text for the...
Genetic diversity of a newly established population of golden eagles on the Channel Islands, California
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Timothy J. Coonan, Brian C. Latta, George K. Sage, Sandra L. Talbot
2012, Biological Conservation (146) 116-122
Gene flow can have profound effects on the genetic diversity of a founding population depending on the number and relationship among colonizers and the duration of the colonization event. Here we used data from nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA control region loci to assess genetic diversity in golden eagles of...
Multi-scale remote sensing sagebrush characterization with regression trees over Wyoming, USA: laying a foundation for monitoring
Collin G. Homer, Cameron L. Aldridge, Debra K. Meyer, Spencer J. Schell
2012, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (14) 233-244
agebrush ecosystems in North America have experienced extensive degradation since European settlement. Further degradation continues from exotic invasive plants, altered fire frequency, intensive grazing practices, oil and gas development, and climate change – adding urgency to the need for ecosystem-wide understanding. Remote sensing is often identified as a key information...
Inflation rates, rifts, and bands in a pāhoehoe sheet flow
Richard P. Hoblitt, Tim R. Orr, Christina Heliker, Roger Denlinger, Ken Hon, Peter F. Cervelli
2012, Geosphere (8) 179-195
The margins of sheet flows—pāhoehoe lavas emplaced on surfaces sloping <2°—are typically delineated by structures that form to accommodate vertical flow inflation. We refer to these structures as inflation rifts. The surfaces of inflation rifts almost always exhibit bands of varying color and texture. Various explanations for the bands have...
Microanatomy of passerine hard-cornified tissues: Beak and claw structure of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Caroline R. Van Hemert, Colleen M. Handel, John E. Blake, Rhonda Swor, Todd M. O'Hara
2012, Journal of Morphology (273) 226-240
The microanatomy of healthy beaks and claws in passerine birds has not been well described in the literature, despite the importance of these structures in avian life. Histological processing of hard‐cornified tissues is notoriously challenging and only a few reports on effective techniques have been published. An emerging epizootic of...
Selection indicates preference in diverse habitats: A ground-nesting bird (Charadrius melodus) using reservoir shoreline
Michael J. Anteau, Mark H. Sherfy, Mark T. Wiltermuth
2012, PLoS ONE (7) e30347
Animals use proximate cues to select resources that maximize individual fitness. When animals have a diverse array of available habitats, those selected could give insights into true habitat preferences. Since the construction of the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River in North Dakota, Lake Sakakawea (SAK) has become an important...
Influence of a thin veneer of low-hydraulic-conductivity sediment on modelled exchange between river water and groundwater in response to induced infiltration
Donald O. Rosenberry, Richard W. Healy
2012, Hydrological Processes (26) 544-557
A thin layer of fine‐grained sediment commonly is deposited at the sediment–water interface of streams and rivers during low‐flow conditions, and may hinder exchange at the sediment–water interface similar to that observed at many riverbank‐filtration (RBF) sites. Results from a numerical groundwater‐flow model indicate that a low‐permeability veneer reduces the...
Effect of dissolved organic carbon on the transport and attachment behaviors of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and carboxylate-modified microspheres advected through temperate humic and tropical volcanic agricultural soil
Arvind Mohanram, Chittaranjan Ray, David W. Metge, Larry B. Barber, Joseph N. Ryan, Ronald W. Harvey
2012, Environmental Science & Technology (46) 2088-2094
Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and microspheres in two disparate (a clay- and Fe-rich, volcanic and a temperate, humic) agricultural soils were studied in the presence and absence of 100 mg L–1 of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), and Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) at pH 5.0–6.0. Transport of carboxylate-modified, 1.8 μm microspheres...
Utilizing multichannel electrical resistivity methods to examine the dynamics of the fresh water–seawater interface in two Hawaiian groundwater systems
Natasha T. Dimova, Peter W. Swarzenski, Henrieta Dulaiova, Craig R. Glenn
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans (117)
Multichannel electrical resistivity (ER) measurements were conducted at two contrasting coastal sites in Hawaii to obtain new information on the spatial scales and dynamics of the fresh water–seawater interface and rates of coastal groundwater exchange. At Kiholo Bay (located on the dry, Kona side of the Big Island) and at...
Spatial distribution of landslides triggered from the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan Earthquake
Brian D. Collins, Robert E. Kayen, Yasuo Tanaka
2012, Engineering Geology (127) 14-26
Understanding the spatial distribution of earthquake-induced landslides from specific earthquakes provides an opportunity to recognize what to expect from future events. The July 16, 2007 Mw 6.6 (MJMA 6.8) Niigata Chuetsu–Oki Japan earthquake triggered hundreds of landslides in the area surrounding the coastal city of Kashiwazaki and provides one such opportunity to...
Effect of low-head lock and dam structures on migration and spawning of American shad and striped bass in the Cape Fear River, North Carolina
Joseph A. Smith, Joseph E. Hightower
2012, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (141) 402-413
Anadromous fish populations within the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, have declined substantially since the late 1800s. Three low-head lock-and-dam (LD) structures on the river (LD-1–3) contributed to this decline by limiting access to upstream spawning habitat. We used egg sampling and sonic telemetry to examine the effects of the...
Using assemblage data in ecological indicators: A comparison and evaluation of commonly available statistical tools
Joseph M. Smith, Martha E. Mather
2012, Ecological Indicators (13) 253-262
Ecological indicators are science-based tools used to assess how human activities have impacted environmental resources. For monitoring and environmental assessment, existing species assemblage data can be used to make these comparisons through time or across sites. An impediment to using assemblage data, however, is that these data are complex and...
Autumn migration of of Mississippi Flyway mallards as determined by satellite telemetry
David G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor
2012, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (3) 238-251
We used satellite telemetry to study autumn migration timing, routes, stopover duration, and final destinations of mallardsAnas platyrhynchos captured the previous spring in Arkansas from 2004 to 2007. Of those mallards that still had functioning transmitters on September 15 (n = 55), the average date when autumn migration began was October 23...
