Precipitation-driven flood-inundation mapping of the Little Blue River at Grandview, Missouri
David C. Heimann, Jonathon D. Voss, Paul H. Rydlund Jr.
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5068
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Grandview, Missouri, assessed flooding of the Little Blue River at Grandview resulting from varying precipitation magnitudes and durations and expected land-cover changes. The precipitation scenarios were used to develop a library of flood-inundation maps that included a 3.5-mile reach...
Concentrations, loads, and associated trends of nutrients entering the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Dina Saleh, Joseph L. Domagalski
2021, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (19) 1-25
Statistical modeling of water-quality data collected at the Sacramento River at Freeport and San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California, USA, was used to examine trends in concentrations and loads of various forms of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus that entered the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) from upstream sources...
Dominant Sonoran Desert plant species have divergent phenological responses to climate change
Luke J Zachmann, John F. Wiens, Kim Franklin, Shelley D. Crausbay, Vincent A. Landau, Seth M. Munson
2021, Madroño - A West American Journal of Botany (68) 473-486
The southwestern U.S. is a global hotspot of climate change. Models project that temperatures will continue to rise through the end of the 21st century, accompanied by significant changes to the hydrological cycle. Within the Sonoran Desert, a limited number of studies have documented climate...
Evaluating the effects of replacing septic systems with municipal sewers on groundwater quality in a densely developed coastal neighborhood, Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2016–19
Timothy D. McCobb, Jeffrey R. Barbaro, Denis R. LeBlanc, Marcel Belaval
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5130
Land disposal of sewage wastewater through septic systems and cesspools is a major cause of elevated concentrations of nitrogen in the shallow coastal aquifers of southern New England. The discharge of nitrogen from these sources at the coast is affecting the environmental health of coastal saltwater bodies. In response, local,...
Technique to estimate generalized skew coefficients of annual peak streamflow for natural watershed conditions in Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico
William H. Asquith, Monica Veale Yesildirek, Raven N. Landers, Theodore G Cleveland, Zheng N. Fang, Jiaqi Zhang
2021, Book chapter, Generalized skew update and regional study of distribution shape for Texas flood frequency analyses
Reliable information about the frequency of annual peak streamflow is needed for floodplain management, objective assessment of flood risk, and cost-effective design of dams, levees, other flood-control structures, and roads, bridges, and culverts. Generalized skew coefficients are among the data needed for log-Pearson type III peak-streamflow frequency analyses of annual...
Bayesian updating of seismic ground failure estimates via causal graphical models and satellite imagery
S. Xu, J. Dimasaka, David J. Wald, H. Noh
2021, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
Earthquake-induced secondary ground failure hazards, such as liquefaction and landslides, result in catastrophic building and infrastructure damage as well as human fatalities. To facilitate emergency responses and mitigate losses, the U.S. Geological Survey provides a rapid hazard estimation system for earthquake-triggered landslides and liquefaction using geospatial susceptibility proxies and ShakeMap...
Multi-period response spectra
Sanaz Rezaeian, Nico Luco, C. A. Kircher
2021, Conference Paper, Proceedings of the 2021 Los Angeles tall buildings confrerence
Multi-period response spectra (MPRS) are incorporated in the development of seismic design ground motions in the 2020 edition of the NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures (2020 NEHRP Provisions) and are approved for adoption in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standard, Minimum Design Loads...
A desert tortoise-common raven viable conflict threshold
Kerry L. Holcomb, Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Timothy Shields, William I. Boarman
2021, Human–Wildlife Interactions (15) 405-421
Since 1966, common raven (Corvus corax; raven) abundance has increased throughout much of this species’ Holarctic distribution, fueled by an ever-expanding supply of anthropogenic resource subsidies (e.g., water, food, shelter, and nesting substrate) to ecoregion specific raven population carrying capacities. Consequently, ravens are implicated in declines of both avian and...
Exploring probabilistic seismic risk assessment to monitor the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
V. Silva, A. Calderon, C. Costa, J. Dabbeek, L. Martins, A. Rao, Catalina Yepes-Estrada, A. Acevedo, H. Crowley, M. Journeay, M. Pittore
2021, Extramural-Authored Publication Paper
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) calls upon the systematic collection of damage and loss data between 2015 and 2030 to monitor a number of disaster indicators. These indicators include the number of deaths, number of injured people, number of people affected by disasters, and direct economic losses....
Near real-time updating of pager loss estimates
Davis Engler, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Hae Young Noh, David J. Wald
2021, Conference Paper
Initial alerts by PAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) within minutes following an earthquake include several uncertainties, mainly due to potential inaccuracies in location, depth, fault delineation, and shaking estimates. We enhance an updating framework by incorporating early reports of fatalities within the first 24 hours, or so,...
Numerical modelling of mine pollution to inform remediation decision-making in watersheds
Patrick Byrne, Patrizia Onnis, Robert L. Runkel, Ilaria Frau, Sarah F. L. Lynch, Aaron M. L. Brown, Iain Robertson, Paul Edwards
2021, Conference Paper, Proceedings of international mine water association 2021
Prioritisation of mine pollution sources for remediation is a key challenge facing environmental managers. This paper presents a numerical modelling methodology to evaluate potential improvements in stream water quality from remediation of important mine pollution sources. High spatial resolution synoptic sampling data from a Welsh watershed were used to calibrate...
Risk-informed levee erosion countermeasure site selection and design in the Sacramento area part 2: Probabilistic numerical simulation of bank erosion
Todd M. Rivas, Jonathan AuBuchon, Anna Shidlovskaya, Eddy J. Langendoen, Paul A. Work, Daniel N. Livsey, Anna Timchenko, Kellie Jemes, Jean-Louis Briaud
2021, Conference Paper
USACE partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States Geological Survey, and Texas A&M University to evaluate the erodibility of the river banks and levees to inform probabilistic numerical simulations using the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM). This paper, the second of two...
Risk-informed levee erosion countermeasure site selection and design in the Sacramento area part 1: Soil sampling, testing, and data processing
Todd M. Rivas, Jonathan AuBuchon, Anna Shidlovskaya, Eddy J. Langendoen, Paul A. Work, Daniel N. Livsey, Anna Timchenko, Jean-Louis Briaud
2021, Conference Paper
USACE partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States Geological Survey, and Texas A&M University to evaluate the erodibility of the river banks and levees to inform probabilistic numerical simulations using the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM). This paper discusses the measurement of...
Estimating trends of common raven populations in North America, 1966—2018
Seth M. Harju, Peter S. Coates, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Pat J. Jackson, Michael P. Chenaille
2021, Human-Wildlife Interactions (15) 248-269
Over the last half century, common raven (Corvus corax; raven) populations have increased in abundance across much of North America. Ravens are generalist predators known to depredate the eggs and young of several sensitive species. Quantifying raven population increases at multiple spatial scales across North America will help wildlife resource managers...
Aplicación de un modelo basado en procesos de patrones de sismicidad pre – eruptiva al volcán Ubinas, episodio eruptivo 2019
Mayra A. Ortega, Wendy McCausland, Randall A. White, Rosa M. Anccasi, Beto Ccallata
2021, Incasciences, Revista del Instituto Geológico, Minero y Metalúrgico (1) 53-61
Using a volcanic monitoring data set from Ubinas volcano, we applied a process-based model of pre-eruptive seismic patterns to the 2019 eruptive episode with the goal of identifying possible seismic precursors in order to help forecast future eruptions. This conceptual model, based on geologic processes, is divided into four seismicity...
Evaluating common raven take for greater sage-grouse in Oregon’s Baker County Priority Conservation Area and Great Basin Region
Frank F. Rivera-Milan, Peter S. Coates, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Michael Greenfield, Patrick K. Devers
2021, Human–Wildlife Interactions (15) 544-555
The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is a nest predator of species of conservation concern, such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Reducing raven abundance by take requires authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. To support U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s take decisions (e.g., those that authorize killing a...
Geologic map of the Middendorf quadrangle, Chesterfield County, South Carolina
Christopher S. Swezey, Bradley A. Fitzwater, G. Richard Whittecar
2021, South Carolina Geological Survey Geologic Quadrangle Map GQM-56
The Middendorf 7.5-minute quadrangle is located entirely within the Carolina Sandhills region of the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain province in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. The Carolina Sandhills, which has been recognized as a separate region for a long time (e.g., McGee, 1890, 1891; Holmes, 1893), extends from central North Carolina...
Revising the marine range of the endangered black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata: occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico and exposure to conservation threats
Patrick G.R. Jodice, P.E. Michael, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satge
2021, Endangered Species Research (46) 49-65
The black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata is an Endangered seabird endemic to the western North Atlantic. Although estimated at ~1000 breeding pairs, only ~100 nests have been located at 2 sites in Haiti and 3 sites in the Dominican Republic. At sea, the species primarily occupies waters of the western Gulf Stream...
Can we prove that an undetected species is absent? Evaluating whether brown treesnakes are established on the island of Saipan using surveillance and expert opinion
Amy A. Yackel Adams, Patrick D Barnhart, Gordon H. Rodda, Eric T. Hileman, Melia Gail Nafus, Robert Reed
2021, Management of Biological Invasions (12) 901-926
Detection of invasive species and decisions centered around early detection and rapid response (EDRR) are notorious challenges for decision makers. Detection probability is low for cryptic species, resources are limited, and ecological harm (especially for island ecosystems) can result from...
NGA-Subduction research program
Yousef Bozorgnia, Norman A. Abrahamson, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Timothy D. Ancheta, Linda Al Atik, Ralph J. Archuleta, Gail M. Atkinson, David M Boore, Kenneth W. Campbell, Brian S-J Chiou, Victor Contreras, Robert B. Darragh, Sahar Derakhshan, Jennifer L Donahue, Nick Gregor, Zeynep Gulerce, Izzat M Idriss, Chengxin Jiang, Tadahiro Kishida, Albert R. Kottke, Nicolas Kuehn, Dongyoup Kwak, Annie O-L Kwok, Person Lin, Jorge Macedo, Silvia Mazzoni, Saburoh Midorikawa, Sifat Muin, Grace Alexandra Parker, Sanaz Rezaeian, Hongjun Si, Walter J Silva, Jonathan P. Stewart, Melanie Walling, Katie Wooddell, Robert R Youngs
2021, Earthquake Spectra (38) 783-798
This article summarizes the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) Subduction (NGA-Sub) project, a major research program to develop a database and ground motion models (GMMs) for subduction regions. A comprehensive database of subduction earthquakes recorded worldwide was developed. The database includes a total of 214,020 individual records from...
Surface infiltration and unsaturated zone characterization in support of managed aquifer recharge in Bedell Flat, Washoe County, Nevada
Todd Caldwell, Ramon C. Naranjo, David Smith, Christian Kropf
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5137
Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) expands the portfolio of public water supply and improves resiliency to drought and future water demand. This study investigated the feasibility of ASR in the Bedell Flat Hydrographic Area using land-based methods including in-channel managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and rapid infiltration basins (RIB). Bedell Flat,...
Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Aaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin D. Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin N. Saari, Patrick Kocovsky
2021, Journal of Vertebrate Biology (70)
Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp...
Effects of diet and provisioning behavior on chick growth in Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Scott Jennings, Katie M. Dugger, Grant Ballard, David G. Ainley
2021, Waterbirds (44) 55-67
When provisioning chicks, parents trade-off their time, energy, and other resources to maximize reproductive success. As parents adjust investment to maximize their fitness, impacts on offspring growth can occur. We investigated provisioning and chick growth of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at one of the...
Mapping habitat quality and threats for eastern Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis)
Bryan S. Stevens, Courtney J. Conway
2021, Waterbirds (44) 245-256
Documenting the spatial distribution of high-quality habitat patches, the distributions of threats and protected areas, and the vulnerability of habitat patches to changes in environmental conditions is vital for conservation of rare species. Range-wide species distribution models were developed for Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis) to...
Planetary dunes tell of otherworldly winds
Timothy N. Titus, S. Diniega, L.K. Fenton, Lynn Neakrase, James R. Zimbelman
2021, Eos, American Geophysical Union
Dune fields are common on beaches and in deserts—think of the imposing sand hills and sinuous ripples of the Sahara in Africa or the Karakum in Central Asia, for example—as well as underwater on the beds of rivers, lakes, and oceans. The varied shapes, sizes, and orientations of both modern...
