The Quaternary thrust system of the northern Alaska Range
Sean P. Bemis, Gary A. Carver, Richard D. Koehler
2012, Geosphere (8) 196-205
The framework of Quaternary faults in Alaska remains poorly constrained. Recent studies in the Alaska Range north of the Denali fault add significantly to the recognition of Quaternary deformation in this active orogen. Faults and folds active during the Quaternary occur over a length of ∼500 km along the...
Elevated CO2 did not mitigate the effect of a short-term drought on biological soil crusts
Timothy M. Wertin, Susan L. Phillips, Sasha C. Reed, Jayne Belnap
2012, Biology and Fertility of Soils (48) 797-805
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are critical components of arid and semi-arid ecosystems that contribute significantly to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fixation, water retention, soil stability, and seedling recruitment. While dry-land ecosystems face a number of environmental changes, our understanding of how biocrusts may respond to such perturbation remains notably...
A comparison of selected parametric and imputation methods for estimating snag density and snag quality attributes
Bianca Eskelson, Joan Hagar, Hailemariam Temesgen
2012, Forest Ecology and Management 26-34
Snags (standing dead trees) are an essential structural component of forests. Because wildlife use of snags depends on size and decay stage, snag density estimation without any information about snag quality attributes is of little value for wildlife management decision makers. Little work has been done to develop models that...
Parameter estimation method and updating of regional prediction equations for ungaged sites in the desert region of California
Nancy A. Barth, Andrea G. Veilleux
2012, Conference Paper
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently updating at-site flood frequency estimates for USGS streamflow-gaging stations in the desert region of California. The at-site flood-frequency analysis is complicated by short record lengths (less than 20 years is common) and numerous zero flows/low outliers at many sites. Estimates of the three...
Physiological ecology of desert biocrust moss following 10 years exposure to elevated CO2: Evidence for enhanced photosynthetic thermotolerance
Kirsten K. Coe, Jayne Belnap, Edmund E. Grote, Jed P. Sparks
2012, Physiologia Plantarum (144) 346-356
In arid regions, biomes particularly responsive to climate change, mosses play an important biogeochemical role as key components of biocrusts. Using the biocrust moss Syntrichia caninervis collected from the Nevada Desert Free Air CO2 Enrichment Facility, we examined the physiological effects of 10 years of exposure to elevated CO2, and...
Methylation of Hg downstream from the Bonanza Hg mine, Oregon
John E. Gray, Mark E. Hines, David P. Krabbenhoft, Bryn Thoms
2012, Applied Geochemistry (27) 106-114
Speciation of Hg and conversion to methyl-Hg were evaluated in stream sediment, stream water, and aquatic snails collected downstream from the Bonanza Hg mine, Oregon. Total production from the Bonanza mine was >1360t of Hg, during mining from the late 1800s to 1960, ranking it as an intermediate sized Hg...
Appendix A: other methods for estimating trends of Arctic birds
Jonathan Bart, Stephen Brown, R.I. Guy Morrison, Paul A. Smith
Jonathan Bart, Victoria Johnston, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, Arctic shorebirds in North America: a decade of monitoring
The Arctic PRISM was designed to determine shorebird population size and trend. During an extensive peer review of PRISM, some reviewers suggested that measuring demographic rates or monitoring shorebirds on migration would be more appropriate than estimating population size on the breeding grounds. However, each method has its own limitations....
Old groundwater in parts of the upper Patapsco aquifer, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Maryland, USA: Evidence from radiocarbon, chlorine-36 and helium-4
Niel Plummer, John R. Eggleston, Jeff P. Raffensperger, Andrew G. Hunt, Gerolamo C. Casile, D. C. Andreasen
2012, Hydrogeology Journal (20) 1269-1294
Apparent groundwater ages along two flow paths in the upper Patapsco aquifer of the Maryland Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA, were estimated using 14C, 36Cl and 4He data. Most of the ages range from modern to about 500 ka, with one sample at 117 km downgradient from the recharge area dated by radiogenic...
Mineral resource of the month: hydraulic cement
Hendrik G. van Oss
2012, Earth (2012) 29-29
Hydraulic cements are the binders in concrete and most mortars and stuccos. Concrete, particularly the reinforced variety, is the most versatile of all construction materials, and most of the hydraulic cement produced worldwide is portland cement or similar cements that have portland cement as a basis, such as blended cements...
Physical setting and natural sources of exposure to carcinogenic trace elements and radionuclides in Lahontan Valley, Nevada
Ralph L. Seiler
2012, Chemico-Biological Interactions (196) 79-86
In Lahontan Valley, Nevada, arsenic, cobalt, tungsten, uranium, radon, and polonium-210 are carcinogens that occur naturally in sediments and groundwater. Arsenic and cobalt are principally derived from erosion of volcanic rocks in the local mountains and tungsten and uranium are derived from erosion of granitic rocks in headwater reaches of...
Upper Klamath Basin Landsat Image for August 19, 2006: Path 44 Row 31
Daniel T. Snyder
2012, Report
This subset of a Landsat-5 image shows part of the upper Klamath Basin. The original images were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS). EROS is responsible for archive management and distribution of Landsat data products. The Landsat-5 satellite is part of an ongoing...
In-ground disposal of human sewage can contaminate nearshore waters and reefs with bacteria and viruses
Erin K. Lipp, Dale W. Griffin, J.C. Futch
2012, Book chapter, Tropical connections: south Florida's marine environment
No abstract available....
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Off-Project Water Program evapotranspiration map for September 2004
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
2012, Report
Parasite invasion following host reintroduction: a case of Yellowstone’s wolves
Paul C. Cross, Emily S. Almberg, Andrew P. Dobson, Douglas W. Smith, Peter J. Hudson
2012, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (367) 2840-2851
Wildlife reintroductions select or treat individuals for good health with the expectation that these individuals will fare better than infected animals. However, these individuals, new to their environment, may also be particularly susceptible to circulating infections and this may result in high morbidity and mortality, potentially jeopardizing the goals of...
Migrating birds’ use of stopover habitat in the southwestern United States
Janet M. Ruth, R.H. Diehl, R.K. Felix Jr.
2012, The Condor (114) 698-710
In the arid Southwest, migratory birds are known to use riparian stopover habitats; we know less about how migrants use other habitat types during migratory stopover. Using radar data and satellite land-cover data, we determined the habitats with which birds are associated during migration stopover. Bird densities differed significantly by...
Quantifying urban land cover change between 2001 and 2006 in the Gulf of Mexico region
George Z. Xian, Collin G. Homer, Brett Bunde, Patrick Danielson, Jon Dewitz, Joyce Fry, Ruiliang Pu
2012, Geocarto International (27) 479-497
We estimated urbanization rates (2001–2006) in the Gulf of Mexico region using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 and 2006 impervious surface products. An improved method was used to update the NLCD impervious surface product in 2006 and associated land cover transition between 2001 and 2006. Our estimation reveals...
Genetic diversity and species diversity of stream fishes covary across a land-use gradient
M.J. Blum, M.J. Bagley, D.M. Walters, S.A. Jackson, F.B. Daniel, D.J. Chaloud, Brian S. Cade
2012, Oecologia (168) 83-95
Genetic diversity and species diversity are expected to covary according to area and isolation, but may not always covary with environmental heterogeneity. In this study, we examined how patterns of genetic and species diversity in stream fishes correspond to local and regional environmental conditions. To do so, we compared population...
Volcanoes: observations and impact
Clifford Thurber, Stephanie G. Prejean
2012, Book chapter, Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology
Volcanoes are critical geologic hazards that challenge our ability to make long-term forecasts of their eruptive behaviors. They also have direct and indirect impacts on human lives and society. As is the case with many geologic phenomena, the time scales over which volcanoes evolve greatly exceed that of a human...
Upper Klamath Basin Landsat Image for September 20, 2006: Path 44 Row 31
Daniel T. Snyder
2012, Report
This subset of a Landsat-5 image shows part of the upper Klamath Basin. The original images were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS). EROS is responsible for archive management and distribution of Landsat data products. The Landsat-5 satellite is part of an ongoing...
The hidden cost of wildfires: Economic valuation of health effects of wildfire smoke exposure in Southern California
L.A. Richardson, P.A. Champ, J.B. Loomis
2012, Journal of Forest Economics (18) 14-35
There is a growing concern that human health impacts from exposure to wildfire smoke are ignored in estimates of monetized damages from wildfires. Current research highlights the need for better data collection and analysis of these impacts. Using unique primary data, this paper quantifies the economic cost of health effects...
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Off-Project Water Program Total Evapotranspiration Map for April to October 2004
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
2012, Report
Reaching toward the integration of research into resource management activities: A 20 year evaluation of Colorado Biennial Conferences
Martha E. Lee, Carena J. van Riper, Charles van Riper III, Gerard T. Kyle
Charles van Riper III, Miguel L. Villarreal, Carena J. van Riper, M. J. Johnson, editor(s)
2012, Book chapter, The Colorado Plateau V: Research, environmental planning, and management for collaborative conservation
No abstract available....
Confirmation of white-nose syndrome in bats of Europe and implications of this discovery toward understanding the disease in bats of North America
Carol U. Meteyer, David S. Blehert, Paul M. Cryan
2012, Bat Research News (53) 1-4
No abstract available....
Laboratory investigations of the effects of nitrification-induced acidification on Cr cycling in vadose zone material partially derived from ultramafic rocks
Christopher T. Mills, Martin B. Goldhaber
2012, Science of the Total Environment (435-436) 363-373
Sacramento Valley (California, USA) soils and sediments have high concentrations of Cr(III) because they are partially derived from ultramafic material. Some Cr(III) is oxidized to more toxic and mobile Cr(VI) by soil Mn oxides. Valley soils typically have neutral to alkaline pH at which Cr(III) is highly immobile. Much of...
Surface heat flow and CO2 emissions within the Ohaaki hydrothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand
C. Rissmann, B. Christenson, Cynthia A. Werner, M. Leybourne, J. Cole, D. Gravley
2012, Applied Geochemistry (27) 223-239
Carbon dioxide emissions and heat flow have been determined from the Ohaaki hydrothermal field, Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand following 20 a of production (116 MWe). Soil CO2 degassing was quantified with 2663 CO2 flux measurements using the accumulation chamber method, and 2563 soil temperatures were measured and converted to equivalent heat flow...
