2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities
Jo Ellen Hinck, Joseph Stachyra
2018, Fact Sheet 2018-3063
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted areas, and scientific studies...
Altitude of the potentiometric surface, 2000–15, and historical water-level changes in the Memphis aquifer in the Memphis area, Tennessee
James A. Kingsbury
2018, Scientific Investigations Map 3415
The Memphis and Fort Pillow aquifers are the principal sources of water for municipal, industrial, and commercial uses in the Memphis area. About 207 million gallons per day of groundwater were withdrawn in Shelby County, Tennessee, from both aquifers in 2010 for these uses, with most of the water coming...
Revised technical implementation plan for the ShakeAlert system—An earthquake early warning system for the West Coast of the United States
Douglas D. Given, Richard M. Allen, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Paul Bodin, Elizabeth S. Cochran, Kenneth Creager, Robert M. de Groot, Lind S. Gee, Egill Hauksson, Thomas H. Heaton, Margaret Hellweg, Jessica R. Murray, Valerie I. Thomas, Douglas Toomey, Thomas S. Yelin
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1155
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), along with partner organizations, has developed an earthquake early warning (EEW) system called ShakeAlert for the highest risk areas of the United States: namely, California, Oregon, and Washington. The purpose of the system is to reduce the impact of earthquakes and save lives and property...
Hydrologic characteristics and water quality of headwater streams and wetlands at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Summit area, Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania, 2014–16
Charles A. Cravotta III, Daniel G. Galeone, Kathy A. Penrod
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1125
The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (ALPO) in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania, protects historic features of the first railroad portage over the Allegheny Front and the first railroad tunnel in the United States. This report, which was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National...
Observations of rotational motions from local earthquakes using two temporary portable sensors in Waynoka, Oklahoma
Adam T. Ringler, Robert Anthony, David C. Wilson, A.A. Holland, C.-J. Lin
2018, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (108) 3562-3575
Characterizing rotational motions from earthquakes at local distances has the potential to improve earthquake engineering and seismic gradiometry by better characterizing the complete seismic wavefield. Applied Technology Associates (ATA) has developed a proto‐seismic magnetohydrodynamic (SMHD) three‐component rotational rate sensor. We deploy two ATA rotational rate sensors at a temporary aftershock...
Climate Assessments and Scenario Planning (CLASP)
Alexander Bryan
2018, Report
The NE CASC boasts an interdisciplinary array of scientists, from ecologists to biologists, hydrologists to climatologists, each contributing new, original academic research to advance our understanding of the impacts of climate change on wildlife and other natural resources in the Northeast. Needed was an...
Current research in land, water, and agroecosystems: ASABE journals 2017 year in review
Kyle R. Douglas-Mankin
2018, Transactions of the ASABE (61) 1639-1651
This article highlights current research into land and water resources, agroecosystems, and agricultural production systems published by the Natural Resources and Environmental Systems (NRES) community of ASABE journals (Transactions of the ASABE and Applied Engineering in Agriculture) in 2017. This article reviews the context, scope, and key results of the...
Examining the relationship between portable luminescence reader measurements and depositional ages of paleowetland sediments, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada
Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan, Kathleen B. Springer, Jeffrey S. Pigati
2018, Quaternary Geochronology (48) 80-90
Portable luminescence readers are exciting new tools that have the potential to rapidly determine the age structure of late Quaternary stratigraphic columns. This is important because high-resolution age profiling can reveal details about the temporal dynamics of climate cause and ecosystem effect, often while researchers are still in the field. In this paper, we compare new...
Impacts of temporal revisit designs on the power to detect trend with a linear mixed model: An application to long-term monitoring of Sierra Nevada lakes
Leigh Ann H. Starcevich, Kathryn M. Irvine, Andrea M. Heard
2018, Ecological Indicators (93) 847-855
Long-term ecological monitoring programs often use linear mixed models to estimate trend in an ecological indicator sampled across large landscapes. A linear mixed model is versatile for estimating a linear trend in time as well as components of spatial and temporal variationin the case of unbalanced data structures, which are common in complex monitoring designs where...
Multidirectional abundance shifts among North American birds and the relative influence of multifaceted climate factors
Qiongyu Huang, John R. Sauer, Ralph O. Dubayah
2018, Global Change Biology (23) 3610-3622
Shifts in species distributions are major fingerprint of climate change. Examining changes in species abundance structures at a continental scale enables robust evaluation of climate change influences, but few studies have conducted these evaluations due to limited data and methodological constraints. In this study, we estimate temporal changes in abundance...
Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation
Natalie E. Wildermann, Christian Gredzens, Larisa Avens, Hector A. Barrios-Garrido, Ian Bell, Janice Blumenthal, Alan B. Bolten, Joanne Braun McNeill, Paolo Casale, Maikon Di Domenico, Camila A. Domit, Sheryan P. Epperly, Matthew H. Godfrey, Brendan J. Godley, Victoria Gonzalez-Carman, Mark Hamann, Kristen M. Hart, Takashi Ishihara, Kate Mansfield, Tasha L. Metz, Jeffrey D. Miller, Nicolas J. Pilcher, Mark A. Read, Christopher Sasso, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Erin E. Seney, Amanda Southwood Williard, Jesus Tomas, Gabriela M. Velez-Rubio, Matthew Ware, Jessica L. Williams, Jeanette Wyneken, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
2018, Endangered Species Research (37) 55-76
Although sea turtles have received substantial focus worldwide, research on the immature life stages is still relatively limited. The latter is of particular importance, given that a large proportion of sea turtle populations comprises immature individuals. We set out to identify knowledge gaps and identify the main barriers hindering...
A 30-m landsat-derived cropland extent product of Australia and China using random forest machine learning algorithm on Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform
Pardhasaradhi Teluguntla, Prasad S. Thenkabail, Adam Oliphant, Jun Xiong, Murali Krishna Gumma, Russell G. Congalton, Kamini Yadav, Alfredo Huete
2018, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (144) 325-340
Mapping high resolution (30-m or better) cropland extent over very large areas such as continents or large countries or regions accurately, precisely, repeatedly, and rapidly is of great importance for addressing the global food and water security challenges. Such cropland extent products capture individual farm fields, small or large, and...
Simulation of groundwater flow, 1895–2010, and effects of additional groundwater withdrawals on future stream base flow in the Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, central Nebraska—Phase three
Amanda T. Flynn, Jennifer S. Stanton
2018, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5106
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Lewis and Clark, Lower Elkhorn, Lower Loup, Lower Platte North, Lower Niobrara, Middle Niobrara, Upper Elkhorn, and the Upper Loup Natural Resources Districts, designed a study to refine the spatial and temporal discretization of a previously modeled area. This updated study focused on...
Occupancy modeling species–environment relationships with non‐ignorable survey designs
Kathryn M. Irvine, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Wilson J. Wright, Anthony R. Olsen
2018, Ecological Applications (28) 1616-1625
Statistical models supporting inferences about species occurrence patterns in relation to environmental gradients are fundamental to ecology and conservation biology. A common implicit assumption is that the sampling design is ignorable and does not need to be formally accounted for in analyses. The analyst assumes data are representative of the...
Great Lakes coastal fish habitat classification and assessment
K. E. Kovalenko, L.B. Johnson, C. M. Riseng, M. J. Cooper, K. Johnson, L. A. Mason, James E. McKenna Jr., B. L. Sparks-Jackson, D.G. Uzarski
2018, Journal of Great Lakes Research (44) 1100-1109
Basin-scale assessment of fish habitat in Great Lakes coastal ecosystems would increase our ability to prioritize fish habitat management and restoration actions. As a first step in this direction, we identified key habitat factors associated with highest probability of occurrence for several societally and ecologically important coastal fish species as well as community metrics,...
Persistence-based area prioritization for conservation: Applying occupancy and habitat threats and risks analyses
L. M. Yirka, Jaime A. Collazo, S. G. Williams, D. T. Cobb
2018, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (9) 554-564
Effective habitat conservation is predicated on maintaining high levels or increasing local persistence probability of the species it purports to protect. Thus, methodological approaches that improve the inferential value of local persistence are of utmost value to guide conservation planning as they inform area selection processes. Herein we used the...
The San Andreas Fault System--Complexities along a major transform fault system and relation to earthquake hazards
Katherine M. Scharer, Ashley Streig
2018, Book chapter, Transform plate boundaries and fracture zones
The San Andreas Fault System is a 1300-km-long transform boundary that accommodates motion between the North American and Pacific Plates. New technologies and data reveal rich details about the present configuration of faults, distribution of strain and associated seismic hazard on this complex network of faults. This contribution...
A new modeling approach to prioritize riparian restoration to reduce sediment loading in two Virginia river basins
Lisa N. Scott, Amy M. Villamagna, Paul L. Angermeier
2018, Environmental Management (62) 721-739
Human impact, particularly land cover changes (e.g., agriculture, construction) increase erosion and sediment loading into streams. Benthic species are negatively affected by silt deposition that coats and embeds stream substrate. Given that riparian buffers are effective sediment filters, riparian restoration is increasingly implemented by conservation groups to protect stream habitats....
Diel fledging patterns among grassland passerines: Relative impacts of energetics and predation risk
Christine Ribic, Christoph Ng, Nicola Koper, Kevin Ellison, Pamela J. Pietz, David J. Rugg
2018, The Auk (135) 1100-1112
The time of day that nestlings fledge from a nest is thought to be shaped by predation risk and energetics. To minimize predation risk, fledging is predicted to start as early in the day as possible so that nestlings can maximize time outside the nest to find a safe place...
Sensor suite: The Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory Instrumentation Testing Suite
A. Kearns, Adam T. Ringler, James Holland, Tyler Storm, David C. Wilson, Robert Anthony
2018, Seismological Research Letters (89) 2374-2385
To standardize parameters used in seismometer testing and calibration and to make these algorithms accessible to the seismological community, we have developed a new seismometer testing software package called Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) Sensor Test Suite. This software is written in Java and makes use of Seismological Exchange for Earthquake...
Practical approaches to maximizing the resolution of sparker seismic reflection data
Jared W. Kluesner, Daniel S. Brothers, Patrick E. Hart, Nathaniel C. Miller, Gerry A. Hatcher
2018, Marine Geophysical Research (40) 279-301
Sparkers are a type of sound source widely used by the marine seismic community to provide high-resolution imagery of the shallow sub-bottom (i.e., < 1000 m). Although sparkers are relatively simple, inexpensive, and high-frequency (100–2500 Hz) sources, they have several potential pitfalls due to their complicated and unpredictable signature. In this study we...
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Scott A. Kinney, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Ofori N. Pearson, Katherine J. Whidden, Russell F. Dubiel, Christopher J. Schenk, Lauri A. Burke, Timothy R. Klett, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Tracey J. Mercier, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Phuong A. Le, Thomas M. Finn, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Sarah J. Hawkins, Kristen R. Marra, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1134
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Bossier Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (unconventional) and conventional methodologies...
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Scott A. Kinney, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Ofori N. Pearson, Katherine J. Whidden, Russell F. Dubiel, Christopher J. Schenk, Lauri A. Burke, Timothy R. Klett, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Tracey J. Mercier, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Phuong A. Le, Thomas M. Finn, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Sarah J. Hawkins, Kristen R. Marra, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1130
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Haynesville Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (unconventional) and conventional methodologies...
Variation in the vital rates of an Antarctic marine predator: the role of individual heterogeneity
J. Terrill Paterson, Jay J. Rotella, William A. Link, Robert A. Garrott
2018, Ecology (99) 2385-2396
Variation in life‐history traits such as lifespan and lifetime reproductive output is thought to arise, in part, due to among‐individual differences in the underlying probabilities of survival and reproduction. However, the stochastic nature of demographic processes can also generate considerable variation in fitness‐related traits among otherwise‐identical individuals. An improved understanding...
A causal partition of trait correlations: using graphical models to derive statistical models from theoretical language
James P. Cronin, Donald Schoolmaster
2018, Ecosphere (9) 1-15
Recent studies hypothesize various causes of species‐level trait covariation, namely size (e.g., metabolic theory of ecology and leaf economics spectrum), pace‐of‐life (e.g., slow‐to‐fast continuum; lifestyle continuum), evolutionary history (e.g., phylogenetic conservatism), and ecological conditions (e.g., stabilizing selection). Various methods have been used in attempts to partition trait correlation among these...
