A rare moderate‐sized (Mw 4.9) earthquake in Kansas: Rupture process of the Milan, Kansas, earthquake of 12 November 2014 and its relationship to fluid injection
George Choy, Justin L. Rubinstein, William L. Yeck, Daniel E. McNamara, Charles Mueller, Oliver S. Boyd
2016, Seismological Research Letters (87) 1433-1441
The largest recorded earthquake in Kansas occurred northeast of Milan on 12 November 2014 (Mw 4.9) in a region previously devoid of significant seismic activity. Applying multistation processing to data from local stations, we are able to detail the rupture process and rupture geometry of the mainshock, identify the causative fault...
River rating complexity
Robert R. Holmes Jr.
2016, Conference Paper, River flow 2016
Accuracy of streamflow data depends on the veracity of the rating model used to derive a continuous time series of discharge from the surrogate variables that can readily be collected autonomously at a streamgage. Ratings are typically represented as a simple monotonic increasing function (simple rating), meaning the discharge is...
Using structural equation modeling to link human activities to wetland ecological integrity
E. William Schweiger, James B. Grace, David Cooper, Ben Bobowski, Mike Britten
2016, Ecosphere (7) 1-30
The integrity of wetlands is of global concern. A common approach to evaluating ecological integrity involves bioassessment procedures that quantify the degree to which communities deviate from historical norms. While helpful, bioassessment provides little information about how altered conditions connect to community response. More detailed information is needed for conservation...
Critical considerations for the application of environmental DNA methods to detect aquatic species
Caren S. Goldberg, Cameron R. Turner, Kristy Deiner, Katy E. Klymus, Philip Francis Thomsen, Melanie A. Murphy, Stephen F. Spear, Anna McKee, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Robert S. Cornman, Matthew B. Laramie, Andrew R. Mahon, Richard F. Lance, David S. Pilliod, Katherine M. Strickler, Lisette P. Waits, Alexander K. Fremier, Teruhiko Takahara, Jelger E. Herder, Pierre Taberlet
2016, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (7) 1299-1307
Species detection using environmental DNA (eDNA) has tremendous potential for contributing to the understanding of the ecology and conservation of aquatic species. Detecting species using eDNA methods, rather than directly sampling the organisms, can reduce impacts on sensitive species and increase the power of field surveys for...
An optimal sample data usage strategy to minimize overfitting and underfitting effects in regression tree models based on remotely-sensed data
Yingxin Gu, Bruce K. Wylie, Stephen P. Boyte, Joshua J. Picotte, Danny Howard, Kelcy Smith, Kurtis Nelson
2016, Remote Sensing (8) 1-13
Regression tree models have been widely used for remote sensing-based ecosystem mapping. Improper use of the sample data (model training and testing data) may cause overfitting and underfitting effects in the model. The goal of this study is to develop an optimal sampling data usage strategy for any dataset and...
Quality of surface water in Missouri, water year 2015
Miya N. Barr, David C. Heimann
2016, Data Series 1023
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, designed and operates a series of monitoring stations on streams and springs throughout Missouri known as the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network. During water year 2015 (October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015), data were collected at 74...
Smartphone-based distributed data collection enables rapid assessment of shorebird habitat suitability
E. Robert Thieler, Sara L. Zeigler, Luke Winslow, Megan Hines, Jordan S. Read, Jordan I. Walker
2016, PLoS ONE (11)
Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. It is difficult to acquire such information; data often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source...
Community exposure to potential climate-driven changes to coastal-inundation hazards for six communities in Essex County, Massachusetts
Nina Abdollahian, Jamie L. Ratliff, Nathan J. Wood
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1187
IntroductionUnderstanding if and how community exposure to coastal hazards may change over time is crucial information for coastal managers tasked with developing climate adaptation plans. This report summarizes estimates of population and asset exposure to coastal-inundation hazards associated with sea-level-rise and storm scenarios in six coastal communities of the Great...
St. Louis area earthquake hazards mapping project; seismic and liquefaction hazard maps
Chris H. Cramer, Robert A. Bauer, Jae-won Chung, David Rogers, Larry Pierce, Vicki Voigt, Brad Mitchell, David Gaunt, Robert Williams, David Hoffman, Gregory L. Hempen, Phyllis Steckel, Oliver S. Boyd, Connor M. Watkins, Kathleen Tucker, Natasha McCallister
2016, Seismological Research Letters (88) 206-223
We present probabilistic and deterministic seismic and liquefaction hazard maps for the densely populated St. Louis metropolitan area that account for the expected effects of surficial geology on earthquake ground shaking. Hazard calculations were based on a map grid of 0.005°, or about every 500 m, and are thus higher...
Sedimentation survey of Lago Caonillas, Utuado, Puerto Rico, September–November 2012
Luis R. Soler-Lopez
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3368
During September–November 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, conducted a sedimentation survey of Lago Caonillas to estimate current (2012) reservoir storage capacity and the recent (2000–2012) reservoir sedimentation rate by comparing the 2012 bathymetric survey data with the February 2000 data....
Integrating remote sensing with species distribution models; Mapping tamarisk invasions using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)
Amanda M. West, Paul H. Evangelista, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Nicholas E. Young, Thomas J. Stohlgren, Colin Talbert, Marian Talbert, Jeffrey Morisette, Ryan Anderson
2016, Journal of Visualized Experiments (116)
Early detection of invasive plant species is vital for the management of natural resources and protection of ecosystem processes. The use of satellite remote sensing for mapping the distribution of invasive plants is becoming more common, however conventional imaging software and classification methods have been shown to be unreliable. In...
Estimated use of water in the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, 2010
Susan S. Hutson, Kristin S. Linsey, Russell A. Ludlow, Betzaida Reyes, Jennifer L. Shourds
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5142
The Delaware River Basin (DRB) was selected as a Focus Area Study in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the USGS National Water Census. The National Water Census is a USGS research program that focuses on national water availability and use and then develops new water...
The 3D Elevation Program and America's infrastructure
Vicki Lukas, Carswell
2016, Fact Sheet 2016-3093
Infrastructure—the physical framework of transportation, energy, communications, water supply, and other systems—and construction management—the overall planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to end—are critical to the Nation’s prosperity. The American Society of Civil Engineers has warned that, despite the importance of the Nation’s infrastructure, it is in...
Dissolved methane in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 1992-2009; sources and atmospheric flux
Thomas D. Lorenson, Jens Greinert, Richard B. Coffin
2016, Limnology and Oceanography (61) S300-S323
Methane concentration and isotopic composition was measured in ice-covered and ice-free waters of the Arctic Ocean during eleven surveys spanning the years of 1992-1995 and 2009. During ice-free periods, methane flux from the Beaufort shelf varies from 0.14 to 0.43 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Maximum fluxes from localized areas of...
Streamflow data
Gregg J. Wiche, Robert R. Holmes Jr.
2016, Book chapter, Flood forecasting: A global perspective
Streamflow data are vital for a variety of water-resources issues, from flood warning to water supply planning. The collection of streamflow data is usually an involved and complicated process. This chapter serves as an overview of the streamflow data collection process. Readers with the need for the detailed information on...
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 2. Borehole constraints
Carolyn D. Ruppel, Bruce M. Herman, Laura L. Brothers, Patrick E. Hart
2016, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (17) 4333-4353
Borehole logging data from legacy wells directly constrain the contemporary distribution of subsea permafrost in the sedimentary section at discrete locations on the U.S. Beaufort Margin and complement recent regional analyses of exploration seismic data to delineate the permafrost's offshore extent. Most usable borehole data were acquired on a ∼500...
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data
Laura L. Brothers, Bruce M. Herman, Patrick E. Hart, Carolyn D. Ruppel
2016, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (17) 4354-4365
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost (IBPF) and associated gas hydrate in the Arctic have been subject to a warming climate and saline intrusion since the last transgression at the end of the Pleistocene. The consequent degradation of IBPF is potentially associated with significant degassing of dissociating gas hydrate deposits. Previous studies interpreted...
Deposition, accumulation, and alteration of Cl−, NO3−, ClO4− and ClO3− salts in a hyper-arid polar environment: Mass balance and isotopic constraints
Andrew Jackson, Alfonso F. Davila, John Karl Böhlke, Neil C. Sturchio, Ritesh Sevanthi, Nubia Estrada, Maeghan Brundrett, Denis Lacelle, Christopher P. McKay, Armen Poghosyan, Wayne Pollard, Kris Zacny
2016, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (182) 197-215
The salt fraction in permafrost soils/sediments of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica can be used as a proxy for cold desert geochemical processes and paleoclimate reconstruction. Previous analyses of the salt fraction in MDV permafrost soils have largely been conducted in coastal regions where permafrost soils are variably...
Fault segmentation: New concepts from the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah, USA
Christopher DuRoss, Stephen F. Personius, Anthony J. Crone, Susan S. Olig, Michael D. Hylland, William R. Lund, David P. Schwartz
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (121) 1131-1157
The question of whether structural segment boundaries along multisegment normal faults such as the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) act as persistent barriers to rupture is critical to seismic hazard analyses. We synthesized late Holocene paleoseismic data from 20 trench sites along the central WFZ to evaluate earthquake rupture length and...
Characterization of sediment and measurement of groundwater levels and temperatures, Camas National Wildlife Refuge, eastern Idaho
Brian V. Twining, Gordon W. Rattray
2016, Data Series 1024
The Camas National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in eastern Idaho, established in 1937, contains wetlands, ponds, and wet meadows that are essential resting and feeding habitat for migratory birds and nesting habitat for waterfowl. Initially, natural sources of water supported these habitats. However, during the past few decades, climate change...
Exploiting differential vegetation phenology for satellite-based mapping of semiarid grass vegetation in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico
Dennis G. Dye, Barry R. Middleton, John M. Vogel, Zhuoting Wu, Miguel G. Velasco
2016, Remote Sensing (8) 1-33
We developed and evaluated a methodology for subpixel discrimination and large-area mapping of the perennial warm-season (C4) grass component of vegetation cover in mixed-composition landscapes of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. We describe the methodology within a general, conceptual framework that we identify as the differential vegetation phenology...
The automated reference toolset: A soil-geomorphic ecological potential matching algorithm
Travis W. Nauman, Michael C. Duniway
2016, Soil Science Society of America Journal (80) 1317-1328
Ecological inventory and monitoring data need referential context for interpretation. Identification of appropriate reference areas of similar ecological potential for site comparison is demonstrated using a newly developed automated reference toolset (ART). Foundational to identification of reference areas was a soil map of particle size in the control section (PSCS),...
Light Goose Conservation Order effects on nontarget waterfowl behavior and energy expenditure
Andrew J. Dinges, Elisabeth B. Webb, Mark P. Vrtiska
2016, Wildlife Society Bulletin (40) 694-704
When the Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) was established during 1999 in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, USA, LGCO activities were limited to 4 days/week and 16 public wetlands were closed to the LGCO to limit disturbance to nontarget waterfowl during this energetically important time period. However, the effects of...
Determination of eruption temperature of Io's lavas using lava tube skylights
Ashley G. Davies, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Alfred S. McEwen
2016, Icarus (278) 266-278
Determining the eruption temperature of Io's dominant silicate lavas would constrain Io's present interior state and composition. We have examined how eruption temperature can be estimated at lava tube skylights through synthesis of thermal emission from the incandescent lava flowing within the lava tube. Lava tube skylights should be present...
A cellular automata downscaling based 1 km global land use datasets (2010–2100)
Xuecao Li, Le Yu, Terry L. Sohl, Nicholas Clinton, Wenyu Li, Zhiliang Zhu, Xiaoping Liu, Peng Gong
2016, Science Bulletin (61) 1651-1661
Global climate and environmental change studies require detailed land-use and land-cover(LULC) information about the past, present, and future. In this paper, we discuss a methodology for downscaling coarse-resolution (i.e., half-degree) future land use scenarios to finer (i.e., 1 km) resolutions at the global scale using a grid-based spatially explicit cellular automata (CA)...
