Maximizing the science and resource mapping potential of Orbital VSWIR Spectral measurements of Mars
Scott L. Murchie, Raymond E. Arvidson, Janice L Bishop, Wendy M. Calvin, John Carter, John Christian, Roger N. Clark, Colin M. Dundas, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Valerie K. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Timothy A Goudge, Briony H. N. Horgan, Madison N Hughes, Ellen K Leask, Alfred S. McEwen, John F Mustard, Mario Parente, Kathryn E Powell, Frank P. Seelos, Kimberly D. Seelos, Jesse D Tarnas, Christina E Viviano, James J. Wray
2021, Report, Planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey 2023-2032
The last 16 years witnessed a rapid growth in understanding the composition and aqueous alteration of Mars’ surface from orbital data from the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) [1] and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) [2]. Both are sensitive to water-, hydroxyl-, sulfate-,...
Mid-latitude ice on Mars: A science target for planetary climate histories and an exploration target for in situ resources
Ali Bramson, Chimira Andres, Jonathan Bapst, Patricio Becerra, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Shannon M Hibbard, John W Holt, Suniti Karunatillake, Aditya Khuller, Michael T. Mellon, Gareth A Morgan, R. W. Obbard, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, David E Stillman, Paul Wooster
2021, Report, Planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey 2023-2032
In the last decade, aided by the high-resolution data and long-term monitoring by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and other spacecraft, extensive evidence has emerged supporting the presence of abundant H2O ground ice throughout much of the mid-latitudes of Mars. Growing evidence indicates that much of this ice is relatively...
Storms and floods of July 30, 2016, and May 27, 2018, in Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland
Edward J. Doheny, Christopher W. Nealen
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3025
IntroductionOn July 30, 2016, and May 27, 2018, the downtown area of Ellicott City, Maryland (fig. 1), was severely flooded by intense, short-duration rainfall that resulted in loss of life; significant damage to buildings, roads, infrastructure; and hundreds of vehicles washed away. Precipitation from the 2016 event totaled 6.60 inches...
Time-domain electromagnetic soundings and passive-seismic measurements for delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee Valley-fill aquifer system, western New York, 2016–17
John Williams, William M. Kappel, Carole D. Johnson, Eric A. White, Paul M. Heisig, John W. Lane Jr.
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5008
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, used noninvasive surface geophysics in the investigation of the distribution of saline groundwater in the valley-fill aquifer system of the Genesee River Valley near the former Retsof salt mine in western New York. In 1994,...
Capturing the transient hydrological response in sandy soils during a rare cloudburst associated with shallow slope failures; A case study in the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, USA
Francis Ashland, Pamela A. Reilly, Alex R. Fiore
2021, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology (54)
A cloudburst on 7 August 2018 in the coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, induced flooding, erosion and multiple shallow slope failures that adversely affected the surrounding hillside residential area. Historically, short-duration deluges are rare in the New York Bay region, with only eight cloudbursts of greater magnitude...
Demethylation of methylmercury in bird, fish, and earthworm
Alain Manceau, Jean-Paul Bourdineaud, Ricardo B. Oliveira, Sandra LF Sarrazin, David P. Krabbenhoft, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, Robin Stewart, Christian Ward-Deitrich, M Estela del Castillo Busto, Heidi Goenaga-Infante, Aude Wack, Marius Retegan, Blanka Detlefs, Pieter Glatzel, Paco Bustamante, Kathryn L. Nagy, Brett Poulin
2021, Environmental Science & Technology (55) 1527-1534
Toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) to wildlife and humans results from its binding to cysteine residues of proteins, forming MeHg-cysteinate (MeHgCys) complexes that hinder biological functions. MeHgCys complexes can be detoxified in vivo, yet how this occurs is unknown. We report that MeHgCys complexes are transformed into selenocysteinate (Hg(Sec)4) complexes in...
Performance of bedload sediment transport formulas applied to the Lower Minnesota River
Elisa Armijos, Gustavo Henrique Merten, Joel T. Groten
2021, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering (26)
Despite limitations in reproducing complex bedload sediment transport processes in rivers, formulas have been preferred over collection and analysis of field data due to the high cost and time-consuming nature of bedload discharge measurements. However, the performance of such formulas depends on the hydraulic and sedimentological conditions...
Single-well production history matching and geostatistical modeling as proxy to multi-well reservoir simulation for evaluating dynamic reservoir properties of coal seams
C. Ozgen Karacan
2021, International Journal of Coal Geology (241)
Reservoir properties of coal seams such as gas and water effective permeabilities and gas content, as well as spatial distributions thereof, affect the success of gas production and CO2-enhanced gas recovery (EGR) with simultaneous CO2 sequestration. These properties change during production and injection operations due to variations in reservoir pressure, matrix shrinkage/swelling, and water saturation...
Assessment of wave attenuation, current patterns, and sediment deposition and erosion during winter storms by living shoreline structures in Gandys Beach, New Jersey
H. Wang, William D. Capurso, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu, Lukasz M. Niemoczynski, Gregg Snedden
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1040
This study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and Northeastern University in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy. This report summarizes field investigation and analysis of waves, current patterns, and sediment deposition and erosion along the Gandys Beach, New Jersey, salt marsh vegetated...
Water-quality, bed-sediment, and invertebrate tissue trace-element concentrations for tributaries in the Clark Fork Basin, Montana, October 2018–September 2019
Gregory D. Clark, Michelle I. Hornberger, Eric J. Hepler, Thomas E. Cleasby, Terry L. Heinert
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1027
Water, bed sediment, and invertebrate tissue were sampled in streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the Clark Fork Basin. The sampling program was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to characterize aquatic resources in...
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) science goals and instrument trades in radar, imaging, and spectroscopy
Wendy M. Calvin, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Colin M. Dundas, Ali M Bramson, Briony H. N. Horgan, Kim D Seelos, Hanna G Sizemore, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Gareth A Morgan, John W Holt, Scott L. Murchie, G Wesley Patterson
2021, The Planetary Science Journal (2)
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) was selected as one of NASA's 2019 Planetary Mission Concept Studies. The mission builds upon recent discoveries and current knowledge gaps linked to two primary scientific questions: (1) when did elements of the cryosphere form and how are ice deposits linked...
Arctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
Sarah M. Laske, Kirsty E. B. Gurney, Joshua C. Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mark S. Wipfli
2021, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (53) 110-126
Freshwater ponds provide habitats for aquatic insects that emerge and subsidize consumers in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic, insects provide an important seasonal source of energy to birds that breed and rear young on the tundra. The abundance and timing of insect emergence from arctic thaw ponds is poorly understood,...
Measurement of suction pressure dynamics of sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus
Hongyang Shi, Christopher M. Holbrook, Yunqi Cao, Nelson Sepulveda, Xiaobo Tan
2021, PLoS ONE (16)
Species-specific monitoring activities represent fundamental tools for natural resource management and conservation but require techniques that target species-specific traits or markers. Sea lamprey, a destructive invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and conservation target in North America and Europe, is among very few fishes that...
Bathymetric survey and sedimentation analysis of Lago Patillas, Puerto Rico, August 2019
Julieta M. Gómez-Fragoso
2021, Scientific Investigations Map 3471
In August 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, conducted a bathymetric survey of Lago Patillas to update stage-volume data in order to determine the sediment infill rates and to generate a bathymetry map. Water-depth data were collected along predefined lines using...
Maryland and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3022
Maryland, called “America in Miniature,” encompasses nearly every geographical feature in the United States except a desert. Water dominates the State, whose borders run along much of Chesapeake Bay. The bay is the country’s largest estuary, where freshwater from watershed tributaries mingles with the ocean’s saltwater and teems with life.The...
New York and Landsat
U.S. Geological Survey
2021, Fact Sheet 2021-3020
From the iconic skyline of New York City to the forested landscapes of the Adirondack Mountains and the countryside of the Allegheny Plateau, the State of New York is overflowing with diversity and life. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and two of the Great Lakes to the...
Risk-based decision-support groundwater modeling for the lower San Antonio River Basin, Texas, USA
Linzy K. Foster, Jeremy T. White, Andrew T. Leaf, Natalie A. Houston, Aarin Teague
2021, Groundwater (59) 581-596
A numerical surface-water/groundwater model was developed for the lower San Antonio River Basin to evaluate the responses of low base flows and groundwater levels within the basin under conditions of reduced recharge and increased groundwater withdrawals. Batch data assimilation through history matching used a simulation of...
Mercury and water level management in lakes of northern Minnesota
James H. Larson, Ryan P. Maki, Victoria Christensen, Enrika Hlavacek, Mark B. Sandheinrich, Jaime F. LeDuc, Claire Kissane, Brent C. Knights
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Water level (WL) fluctuations substantially alter the fauna, flora, and microbial community of nearshore aquatic ecosystems. Water level management therefore has the potential to strongly influence a wide variety of ecosystem processes. Many northern temperate lake food webs experience substantial methylmercury contamination, which is partially mediated by the action of...
Riverine complexity and life history inform restoration in riparian environments in the southwestern U.S.
Emily C. Palmquist, Gerald J Allan, Kiona Ogle, Thomas G. Whitham, Bradley J. Butterfield, Patrick B. Shafroth
2021, Restoration Ecology (29)
Riparian habitat in the southwestern USA has undergone substantial degradation over the past century, prompting extensive management and restoration of these critical ecosystems. Most restoration efforts, however, do not account for life history traits or riverine complexity that may influence genetic diversity and structure. Here, we use simple sequence repeat...
West-wide drought analysis
Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Gregory J. McCabe, Tom Pruitt, Brandon House
2021, Report, West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment, Technical Memorandum No. ENV-2021-001
This chapter describes analyses of the variability and characteristics of drought for historical and future projected climate conditions across the Western United States. The analyses are performed using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI; Palmer, 1965) to define drought events. The advantage of using PDSI to define droughts is that...
Radionuclides in surface water and groundwater
Kate M. Campbell, Tyler Kane
2021, Book chapter, Handbook of Water Purity and Quality
Unique among all the contaminants that adversely affect surface- and groundwater quality, radioactive compounds pose a double threat from toxicity and ionizing radiation. The high energy potential of many of these materials makes them both useful and hazardous. The unique properties of...
Hydrologic effects on growth and hatching success of age-0 Channel Catfish in the Tallapoosa River basin: Implications for management in regulated systems
Keith A. Erickson, Peter C. Sakaris, Hannah Conner, Elise R. Irwin
2021, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (41) S118-S132
We assessed the effects of hydrology on growth and hatching success of age‐0 Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus in regulated and unregulated reaches of the Tallapoosa River basin, Alabama. Age‐0 Channel Catfish (N = 91) were collected from sites in both the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions in fall 2003 and fall 2005. Lapillus...
Quantifying diagenesis, contributing factors, and resulting isotopic bias in benthic foraminifera using the Foraminiferal Preservation Index: Implications for geochemical proxy records
Robert Poirier, Madison Q. Gaetano, Kimberly Acevedo, Morgan F. Morgan F. Schaller, Maureen E. Raymo, Reinhard Kozdon
2021, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology (36)
Geochemical records generated from the calcite tests of benthic foraminifera, especially those of the genera Cibicidoides and Uvigerina, provide the basis for proxy reconstructions of past climate. However, the extent to which benthic foraminifera are affected by postdepositional alteration is poorly constrained. Furthermore, how diagenesis may alter the geochemical composition of benthic foraminiferal...
Microbial ecology of coral-dominated reefs in the Federated States of Micronesia
Amy Apprill, Henry Holm, Alyson E. Santoro, Cynthia Becker, Matthew Neave, Konrad Hughen, Angela Richards Dona, Greta Aeby, Thierry M. Work, Laura Weber, Sean McNally
2021, Aquatic Microbial Ecology (86) 115-136
Microorganisms are central to the functioning of coral reef ecosystems, but their dynamics are unstudied on most reefs. We examined the microbial ecology of shallow reefs within the Federated States of Micronesia. We surveyed 20 reefs surrounding 7 islands and atolls (Yap, Woleai, Olimarao, Kosrae, Kapingamarangi, Nukuoro, and Pohnpei), spanning...
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2017–September 2019
Cassandra A. Pfeifle, Jessica L. Cain, Ryan B. Rasmussen
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1020
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of...
