The role of groundwater in contributing to surface water salinization in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Matthew P. Miller, Olivia L. Miller, Patrick C. Longley, Daniel R. Wise, Morgan C. McDonnell, Noah M. Schmadel, Jay R. Alder
2026, Geophysical Research Letters (53)
Freshwater salinization impacts the availability of water for human use and ecosystem needs worldwide. It has been estimated that total dissolved solids (TDS) in the Colorado River Basin cause $350 million/year in damages and substantial resources are devoted to reducing TDS loading to streams. This study describes the development and...
Evaluating snow depth measurements from ground-penetrating radar and airborne lidar in boreal forest and tundra environments during the NASA SnowEx 2023 campaign
Kajsa Holland-Goon, Randall Ray Bonnell, Daniel McGrath, W. Brad Baxter, Tate Meehan, Ryan Webb, Christopher F. Larsen, Hans-Peter Marshall, Megan A. Mason, Carrie Vuyovich
2026, The Cryosphere (20) 2169-2179
Snow is a vital component of high-latitude terrestrial systems, but environmental factors (e.g., permafrost) and complex vegetation challenge the accurate measurement of key snowpack properties. We evaluated local-scale ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and large-scale airborne lidar retrievals of snow depth collected during the NASA SnowEx 2023 campaign in tundra and boreal...
A Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for species diversity in ecology
Song S. Qian, Mark Richard Dufour, Sabrina Jaffe, Corbin David Hilling, William D. Hintz
2026, Ecological Informatics (95)
Species diversity is the foundation of many ecological disciplines. This metric is often approximated using species richness and evenness, even though actual richness likely exceeds observations due to imperfect sampling methods. Estimating the “true” species richness, which includes identifying the number of missing species, has intrigued ecologists for decades. We...
Hydrogeology, groundwater salinity distributions, and assessment of the effect of oil-production activities on groundwater in the Midway Valley area, western Kern County, San Joaquin Valley, California
Janice M. Gillespie, Riley Gannon, Lyndsay B. Ball, John G. Warden, Rhett R. Everett, Michael J. Stephens
2026, PLOS Water (5)
This study seeks to determine the effects of oil field produced water disposal operations and well mechanical integrity issues on groundwater quality in oil fields in the southwest San Joaquin Valley, California. Whereas previous studies used groundwater wells to study shallow aquifers outside the oil fields, this study demonstrates that...
Water volumes, heat flow, and solute discharge from Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, Yellowstone National Park, USA
Shaul Hurwitz, R. Blaine McCleskey, Maxwell L. Rudolph, Sara Peek, David A. Roth, Melissa Schott-Atkins, Michael Manga, Kiernan F. Folz Donahue, Mara H. Reed, Jefferson D.G. Hungerford
2026, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (474)
The iconic Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, USA, has attracted a significant amount of research because of the relative regularity and impressive size of its eruptions. Numerous studies have included observations, measurements, and analyses that informed models of geyser eruptions. However, fundamental quantities, including the associated mass and...
Critical minerals in zinc ore—An update on Earth Mapping Resources Initiative Research in the Boulder Batholith region, Montana
Sean Patrick Gaynor, Eric D. Anderson, Kyle A. Eastman, Karen Lund, Chris Gammons, Heather A. Lowers, Jay M. Thompson
2026, Fact Sheet 2026-3064
Plain Language Summary U.S. Geological Survey research, in collaboration with Montana Technical University and Montana Bureau of Geology and Mines, is providing key critical mineral information that may have potential for critical mineral production of several mining districts in the Boulder Batholith region, to better understand the abundance and distribution of...
Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1002
Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis based on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore indicates...
Historical ice jams and associated environmental conditions on Osoyoos Lake
Nicholas A. Sutfin, Stephen J. Breen
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5003
Ice jams occur regularly at the southern outlet of Osoyoos Lake, which spans the border between the State of Washington and British Columbia, Canada. In recent winters, ice jams caused (1) decreases in downstream discharge that may adversely affect salmon spawning habitat and (2) short-duration lake-level rise that can interfere...
A roadmap for implementing the Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity
Steve J. Cooke, Abigail Lynch, David Tickner, Robin Abell, Morgan L. Piczak, Angela H. Arthington, Michele Thieme, Denielle M. Perry, J. Robert Britton, Tatenda Dalu, Kim Birnie-Gauvin, Steve J. Ormerod, Fernanda Ayaviri Matuk, Rajeev Raghavan, John P. Smol
2026, Environmental Reviews (34) 1-7
No abstract available....
Comparative assessment of STIC sensors, streamflow and rain gauges for quantifying river connectivity in intermittent systems
Cienna R. Cooper, Jane S. Rogosch, Nathan G. Smith, Clinton R. Robertson, Wade M. Wilson
2026, Water Biology and Security
In intermittent stream systems, including those occurring in Texas, USA, the severity of low-flow conditions, duration of seasonal disconnection, and frequency of no-flow events have been amplified by drought. Documentation of these no-flow events is necessary to evaluate ecosystem health. However, many intermittent reaches remain un-gauged given that perennial river...
Late Miocene Colorado River arrival in the Bidahochi basin supports spillover origin of Grand Canyon
John J.Y. He, Ryan S. Crow, John R. Douglass, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Jorge A. Vazquez, Brian F. Gootee, Marsha I Lidzbarski, Laura Pianowski, Harrison J. Gray, Emma Heitmann, Phil Pearthree, Kyle House, Shannon Dulin
2026, Science (395) 285-295
The timing and mechanism of the integration of the Colorado River and incision of the Grand Canyon remain among geology’s enduring controversies. A key question is the configuration of the upper Colorado River watershed between 11 and 6 million years ago. In this study, we present new evidence from zircon...
Characterizing changes in postfire debris-flow hazard as burned areas recover
Andrew Paul Graber, Matthew A. Thomas, Jason W. Kean, Jonathan Michael King, Jaime Kostelnik
2026, Geosphere
Emergency assessments of postfire debris-flow hazards that are performed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provide estimates of debris-flow likelihood and rainfall triggering conditions that are used for evaluating and managing runoff-generated debris-flow hazards in recently burned areas throughout the western United States. Although the immediate postfire period, within roughly...
Analyses of meteorological and hydrological records support Tribal members’ accounts of changing climate on the Fort Apache Reservation, east–central Arizona
Jon P. Mason
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5140
The Fort Apache Reservation in east–central Arizona, home to the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona, contains several climate zones because of the large variation in surface elevation within the reservation. This study was carried out in cooperation with the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the...
Cenozoic distributed volcanism of the Arabia Plate—A review
Thomas W. Sisson, Andrew T. Calvert
2026, Professional Paper 1890-J
Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Arabia Plate cover about 140,000 square kilometers across a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from southern Yemen to southeastern Turkey. The majority of volcanic products are alkali basalts that erupted in restricted areas, commonly over periods of a million or more years, building mafic lava...
Why are ornithological studies so focused on the breeding stage? A test of hypotheses
Erin R. Stewart, Courtney J. Conway
2026, Ornithology
Unequal representation of focal research areas can arise during the initial stages of project development when investigators make decisions about what, when, and where to study. Regarding when research is conducted, publications on vertebrates are strongly skewed toward breeding-stage studies, leaving sizeable gaps in our knowledge pertaining to behavior and...
The global proliferation of aquatic, benthic Microcoleus: Taxonomy, distribution, toxin production, ecology, and future directions
Laura T. Kelly, Daniel G Beach, Joanna R. Blaszczak, Keith Bouma-Gregson, Sydney M. Brown, Haowu Cheng, Janette L. Davidson, Jutta Fastner, Marcus Francis, Andrea Garcia Jimenez, Laurel Genzoli, Ramesh Goel, Diego Gonzalez, Kim M. Handley, Sabine Hilt, Jean-Francois Humbert, Rob Jamieson, Lindsay Johnston, Pilar Junier, Janice Lawrence, Pearse McCarron, Sven Meissner, Jacob Mormando, Jonathan Puddick, Catherine Quiblier, Nagasaijanani Rajpirathap, Charlotte Schampera, Andy Selwood, Karen Shearer, Abeer Sohrab, Rosalina Stancheva, Cecilio Valadez-Cano, Jordan M. Zebrecky, Susanna A. Wood
2026, Water Research (294)
There have been sporadic reports of aquatic, benthic Microcoleus proliferations in freshwater rivers, lakes, and reservoirs for four decades, with reports increasing in frequency over the last twenty years, suggesting a possible rise in their global distribution, frequency, and intensity. Microcoleus can produce anatoxins which are neurotoxic, and ingestion of toxic...
Mount Rainier volcanic hazard information
Holly F. Weiss-Racine, Joseph A. Bard, Jessica L. Ball, Carolyn L. Mastin
2026, General Information Product 265
Introduction Eruptions at Mount Rainier produce lava flows, plumes of airborne volcanic ash, and avalanches of hot rock, ash, and gas—pyroclastic flows—that rush down the steep, ice-covered slopes of the volcano. Hot rock and ash ejected during an eruption can melt large quantities of snow and ice, forming huge, fast moving...
Evaluation of benthic habitat change within the national historic sites of Hawaiʻi’s Kona Coast
Meredith Leigh McPherson, Joshua B. Logan, Kristen Alkins, Sarah Groff, Gerry A. Hatcher, Ann E. Gibbs, Susan Cochran, Curt D. Storlazzi
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1061
Executive Summary Coral bleaching events have become increasingly common across the Hawaiian Archipelago since 1996 because of more frequent and intense marine heatwaves. The most significant bleaching event to date occurred from 2014 to 2015, which resulted in catastrophic state-wide coral loss. Bleaching events with less severe effects also occurred in...
Assessment of natural gas pipeline construction on stream temperature and turbidity in southwestern Virginia, 2017–25
Brendan M. Foster, Carly Marcella Maas, Alejandra Logan Flota
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5011
Despite the extensive natural gas pipeline network in the United States that intersects streams and other sensitive habitats, few case studies use a comparative upstream-to-downstream approach to evaluate potential short- and long-term effects of pipeline stream crossings from pre-construction through post-restoration. In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with...
Morphometric properties of the CP-21 landing site on the Moon at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
Jean-Pierre Williams, Sarah Valencia, Kristen A. Bennett, Margaret E. Landis, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Addison T. Dove, Patrick O'Brien, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine
2026, Planetary Science Journal (7)
Characterizing terrain surface properties is an essential step in assessing the feasibility of landing successfully at a location on a planetary surface. Slopes and terrain ruggedness index (TRI) values derived from high-resolution (2 m pixel−1) digital terrain models provided important constraints in selecting the landing site for the upcoming Payloads...
Proceedings of the Floodplain Vegetation Monitoring Workshop for the Long Term Resource Monitoring Element of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, January 7–8, 2025, Moline, Illinois
Shelby A. Weiss, Matthew L. Trumper, Nathan R. De Jager, Lyle J. Guyon, Molly Van Appledorn
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1001
Preface In anticipation for increased funding made possible by the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program identified a need to conduct river-wide assessments of floodplain vegetation. In January 2025, we assembled a group of subject matter experts to perform the following tasks:Review Upper Mississippi...
Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory strategic vision
Adam T. Ringler, David C. Wilson, Robert Anthony, Corey I. Beutel, Andrew Holcomb, Charles R. Hutt, Tom Telesha
2026, Circular 1563
This circular presents a strategic outlook for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) for the next 10 years (2026–36). The ASL is a USGS field office in the Geological Hazards Science Center that operates portions of the Advanced National Seismic System and the Global Seismographic Network and...
Opportunities and challenges in using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers for monitoring cyanotoxins in freshwater and estuarine environments
Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Keith Bouma-Gregson, Thomas D. Byl, Kurt D. Carpenter, Victoria Christensen, Rebecca M. Gorney, Jennifer L. Graham, Heather A. Heckathorn, Hayley T. Olds, Pamela A. Reilly, Joshua J. Rosen, Michael D.W. Stouder
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5093
Cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins) represent a substantial threat to drinking water supplies and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in watersheds worldwide. Monitoring cyanotoxins can be difficult because toxin events are variable in both space and time, are not always persistent, can be moved easily by wind and currents, and may...
Science strategy for Cotoni-Coast Dairies, an onshore unit of the California Coastal National Monument
Sarah E. Whipple, Sarah K. Carter, Zachary Ormsby, Benjamin Hoke, Michael Powers, Ryan E. O'Dell, Rebecca Spitzer
2026, Report
This science strategy describes the scientific mission of the unit, science previously conducted on or near the unit, and the partners who have given considerable effort to produce this science. Further, it identifies priority science needs, outlines the unit’s plan to meet those science needs in coordination with partners, shares...
The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project Phase 2 data release: An open data resource for the study of Earth's environmental history
Una Farrell, Hunter Olson, Maya Thompson, Michelle L. Abshire, Oyeleye Adeboye, Anne-Sofie Ahm, Lewis Alcott, Thomas Algeo, Ross Anderson, Arif Ansari, Lucas Bastos, Kohen Bauer, Brian Beaty, Justin E. Birdwell, Fred Bowyer, Jochen J. Brocks, Tessa Brunoir, James F. Busch, Donald Canfield, Fabrício Caxito, Chao-Chin Chang, Meng Cheng, Jean Clemente, David Cordie, Peter W. Crockford, Huan Cui, Celeste Cunningham, Tais Dahl, Janaina Rodrigues de Paula, Carol Dehler, Lucas Del Mouro, Keith Dewing, Dermeval Aparecido do Carmo, Stephen Dornbos, Nadja Drabon, Julie A. Dumoulin, Omabehere Ejeh, Emily Ellefson, Maya Elrick, Joseph Emmings, Bokanda Eric, Hao Fang, Gabriella Fazio, Henrique Fernandes, Katherine L. French, Robert R. Gaines, Richard Gaschnig, Timothy M. Gibson, Geoffrey J. Gilleaudeau, Karin Goldberg, Zheng Gong, Amy Hagen, Galen P. Halverson, Kalev G. Hantsoo, Emma R. Haxen, Miles A. Henderson, João-Pedro Hippertt, Malcolm S. W. Hodgskiss, Paul Hoffman, Edward Huang, Benjamin Johnson, Pavel B. Kabanov, Junyao Kang, C. Brenhin Keller, Brian Kendall, Julien Kimmig, Sara Kimmig, Michael A. Kipp, Andrew H. Knoll, Timmu Kreitsmann, Anurag Kulkarni, Alexandra Kunert, Marcus Kunzmann, Jiankang Lai, Richard O. Lease, Chao Li, Sen Li, Alex Lipp, Yang Liu, David Loydell, Xinze Lu, Katie Maloney, Kaarel Mänd, Alexie E. G. Millikin, N. Tanner Mills, Kento Motomura, Chiza N. Mwinde, Lyle Nelson, Nora M. Nieminski, Brennan O'Connell, Edel Mary O'Sullivan, Juliana Okubo, Jaden Olah, Frantz Ossa Ossa, Chadlin Ostrander, Kärt Paiste, Camille A. Partin, Egberto Pereira, Shanan Peters, Tiffany L. Playter, Susannah M. Porter, Simon W. Poulton, Sara B. Pruss, Zhen Qiu, Daven Quinn, Mariano Remirez, Sebastian Richiano, Sylvain Richoz, Kathryn Rico, Samantha R. Ritzer, Zachary Roney, Alan D. Rooney, William C. Rose, Elias Rugen, Swapan K. Sahoo, Shane D. Schoepfer, Judith A. Sclafani, Nathan D. Sheldon, Yanan Shen, Graham Shields, Pulkit Singh, Arvind Singh, Sarah P. Slotznick, Emily Smith, Haijun Song, Sam Spinks, Richard G. Stockey, Justin Strauss, Eva Stüeken, Zongyuan Sun, Dongjie Tang, Lidya Tarhan, Danielle Thomson, Nicholas Tosca, Rosalie Tostevin, Chenyi Tu, Maoli Vizcaíno, Yuxuan Wang, Changle Wang, Xiaomei Wang, Lucas Warren, Lucy Webb, Philip R. Wilby, Christina R. Woltz, Rachel Wood, Yuyang Wu, Xiuqing Yang, Inessa A. Yurchenko, Junpeng Zhang, Jessica Whiteside, Benjamin C. Gill, Akshay Mehra, Kimberly V. Lau, Noah J. Planavsky, David T. Johnston, Erik A Sperling
2026, Chemical Geology (712)
Geochemical data from sedimentary rocks are the primary source of information regarding Earth's surface evolution through time, including its air and water envelopes and interactions with life and deep Earth processes. The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project (SGP) is a scientific consortium centered around open data and community-driven development of...
