Response of deep groundwater to land use change in desert basins of the Trans-Pecos region, Texas, USA: Effects on infiltration, recharge, and nitrogen fluxes
Wendy Marie Robertson, J.K. Bohlke, John M. Sharp
2017, Hydrological Processes (31) 2349-2364
Quantifying the effects of anthropogenic processes on groundwater in arid regions can be complicated by thick unsaturated zones with long transit times. Human activities can alter water and nutrient fluxes, but their impact on groundwater is not always clear. This study of basins in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas links...
Two-step adaptive management for choosing between two management actions
Alana L. Moore, Leila Walker, Michael C. Runge, Eve McDonald-Madden, Michael A McCarthy
2017, Ecological Applications (27) 1210-1222
Adaptive management is widely advocated to improve environmental management. Derivations of optimal strategies for adaptive management, however, tend to be case specific and time consuming. In contrast, managers might seek relatively simple guidance, such as insight into when a new potential management action should be considered, and how much effort...
Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report
Karen E. Jenni, Martin B. Goldhaber, Julio L. Betancourt, Jill S. Baron, Sky Bristol, Mary Cantrill, Paul E. Exter, Michael J. Focazio, John W. Haines, Lauren E. Hay, Leslie Hsu, Victor F. Labson, Kevin D. Lafferty, K. A. Ludwig, Paul C. D. Milly, Toni L. Morelli, Suzette A. Morman, Nedal T. Nassar, Timothy R. Newman, Andrea C. Ostroff, Jordan S. Read, Sasha C. Reed, Carl D. Shapiro, Richard A. Smith, Ward E. Sanford, Terry L. Sohl, Edward G. Stets, Adam J. Terando, Donald E. Tillitt, Michael A. Tischler, Patricia L. Toccalino, David J. Wald, Mark P. Waldrop, Anne Wein, Jake F. Weltzin, Christian E. Zimmerman
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1076
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of advancing the traditional Earth science disciplines and identifying opportunities to integrate USGS science across disciplines to address complex societal problems. The USGS science strategy for 2007–2017 laid out key challenges in disciplinary and interdisciplinary arenas, culminating in a call...
Rare earth mineral potential in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain from integrated geophysical, geochemical, and geological approaches
Anjana K. Shah, Carleton R. Bern, Bradley S. Van Gosen, David L. Daniels, William Benzel, James R. Budahn, Karl J. Ellefsen, Adam T. Karst, Richard Davis
2017, GSA Bulletin (129) 1140-1157
We combined geophysical, geochemical, mineralogical, and geological data to evaluate the regional presence of rare earth element (REE)−bearing minerals in heavy mineral sand deposits of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. We also analyzed regional differences in these data to determine probable sedimentary provenance. Analyses of heavy mineral separates covering the...
On the probability distribution of daily streamflow in the United States
Annalise G. Blum, Stacey A. Archfield, Richard M. Vogel
2017, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (21) 3093-3103
Daily streamflows are often represented by flow duration curves (FDCs), which illustrate the frequency with which flows are equaled or exceeded. FDCs have had broad applications across both operational and research hydrology for decades; however, modeling FDCs has proven elusive. Daily streamflow is a complex time series with flow values...
Relative seismic velocity variations correlate with deformation at Kilauea volcano
Clare Donaldson, Corentin Caudron, Robert G. Green, Weston Thelen, Robert S White
2017, Science Advances (3)
Seismic noise interferometry allows the continuous and real-time measurement of relative seismic velocity through a volcanic edifice. Because seismic velocity is sensitive to the pressurization state of the system, this method is an exciting new monitoring tool at active volcanoes. Despite the potential of this tool, no studies have yet...
New methodology for computing tsunami generation by subaerial landslides: Application to the 2015 Tyndall Glacier landslide, Alaska
David L. George, Richard M. Iverson, Charles M. Cannon
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 7276-7284
Landslide-generated tsunamis pose significant hazards and involve complex, multiphase physics that are challenging to model. We present a new methodology in which our depth-averaged two-phase model D-Claw is used to seamlessly simulate all stages of landslide dynamics as well as tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Because the model describes the...
A hybrid machine learning model to predict and visualize nitrate concentration throughout the Central Valley aquifer, California, USA
Katherine M. Ransom, Bernard T. Nolan, Jonathan A. Traum, Claudia C. Faunt, Andrew M. Bell, Jo Ann M. Gronberg, David C. Wheeler, Celia Zamora, Bryant C. Jurgens, Gregory E. Schwarz, Kenneth Belitz, Sandra M. Eberts, George Kourakos, Thomas Harter
2017, Science of the Total Environment (601-602) 1160-1172
Intense demand for water in the Central Valley of California and related increases in groundwater nitrate concentration threaten the sustainability of the groundwater resource. To assess contamination risk in the region, we developed a hybrid, non-linear, machine learning model within a statistical learning framework to predict nitrate contamination of groundwater...
Assessment of phytoplankton resources suitable for bigheaded carps in Lake Michigan derived from remote sensing and bioenergetics
Karl R. Anderson, Duane Chapman, Tim T. Wynne, Craig P. Paukert
2017, Journal of Great Lakes Research (43) 90-99
We used bioenergetic simulations combined with satellite-measured water temperature and estimates of algal food availability to predict the habitat suitability of Lake Michigan for adult silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis). Depending on water temperature, we found that bigheaded carp require ambient algal concentrations between 1 and...
Daily reservoir sedimentation model: Case study from the Fena Valley Reservoir, Guam
Mathieu D. Marineau, Scott Wright
2017, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering (143)
A model to compute reservoir sedimentation rates at daily timescales is presented. The model uses streamflow and sediment load data from nearby stream gauges to obtain an initial estimate of sediment yield for the reservoir’s watershed; it is then calibrated to the total deposition calculated from repeat bathymetric surveys. Long-term...
Parcels versus pixels: modeling agricultural land use across broad geographic regions using parcel-based field boundaries
Terry L. Sohl, Jordan Dornbierer, Steve Wika, Kristi L. Sayler, Robert Quenzer
2017, Journal of Land Use Science (12) 197-217
Land use and land cover (LULC) change occurs at a local level within contiguous ownership and management units (parcels), yet LULC models primarily use pixel-based spatial frameworks. The few parcel-based models being used overwhelmingly focus on small geographic areas, limiting the ability to assess LULC change impacts at regional to...
The Neogene genus Streptochilus (Brönnimann and Resig, 1971) from the Gulf of California
A.Y. Miranda Martinez, A.L. Carreno, Kristin McDougall
2017, Marine Micropaleontology (132) 35-52
Four species of the planktonic foraminiferal genus Streptochilus from key Neogene marine localities are documented in relation to the evolution of the Gulf of California: S. globigerus, S. latus, S. macdougallae sp. nov., and S. inglei sp. nov. Planktonic foraminiferal bioevents and strontium isotopes in the Bouse, Tirabuzón, Carmen and...
U-Pb ages and geochemistry of zircon from Proterozoic plutons of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, Colorado, U.S.A.: Implications for crustal growth of the central Colorado province
Richard J. Moscati, Wayne R. Premo, Ed Dewitt, Joseph L. Wooden
2017, Rocky Mountain Geology (52) 17-106
A broad study of zircons from plutonic rocks of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges of west-central Colorado (U.S.A.) was undertaken to significantly refine the magmatic chronology and chemistry of this under-studied region of the Colorado province. This region was chosen because it lies just to the north of the...
The contribution of lakes to global inland fisheries harvest
Andrew M. Deines, David B. Bunnell, Mark W. Rogers, David Bennion, Whitney Woelmer, Michael J. Sayers, Amanda G. Grimm, Robert A. Shuchman, Zachary B. Raymer, Colin N. Brooks, Justin G. Mychek-Londer, William W. Taylor, Beard Jr.
2017, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (15) 293-298
Freshwater ecosystems provide numerous services for communities worldwide, including irrigation, hydropower, and municipal water; however, the services provided by inland fisheries – nourishment, employment, and recreational opportunities – are often comparatively undervalued. We provide an independent estimate of global lake harvest to improve biological and socioeconomic assessments of inland fisheries....
California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) habitat use patterns in a burned landscape
Stephanie Eyes, Susan L. Roberts, Matthew D. Johnson
2017, The Condor (119) 375-388
Fire is a dynamic ecosystem process of mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, but there is limited scientific information addressing wildlife habitat use in burned landscapes. Recent studies have presented contradictory information regarding the effects of stand-replacing wildfires on Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) and their habitat. While fire promotes heterogeneous...
Essential information: Uncertainty and optimal control of Ebola outbreaks
Shou-Li Li, Ottar Bjornstad, Matthew J. Ferrari, Riley Mummah, Michael C. Runge, Christopher J. Fonnesbeck, Michael J. Tildesley, William J. M. Probert, Katriona Shea
2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (114) 5659-5664
Early resolution of uncertainty during an epidemic outbreak can lead to rapid and efficient decision making, provided that the uncertainty affects prioritization of actions. The wide range in caseload projections for the 2014 Ebola outbreak caused great concern and debate about the utility of models. By coding and running 37...
Optimal hydrograph separation using a recursive digital filter constrained by chemical mass balance, with application to selected Chesapeake Bay watersheds
Jeff P. Raffensperger, Anna C. Baker, Joel D. Blomquist, Jessica A. Hopple
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5034
Quantitative estimates of base flow are necessary to address questions concerning the vulnerability and response of the Nation’s water supply to natural and human-induced change in environmental conditions. An objective of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Project is to determine how hydrologic systems are affected by watershed characteristics,...
In-vitro replication of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 in organotypic skin cultures from Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas)
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Tina Weatherby, George H. Balazs, Mathias Ackermann
2017, Journal of Virology (91)
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor disease of marine turtles associated with Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) that has historically been refractory to growth in tissue culture. Here, we show for the first time de novo formation of ChHV5-positive intranuclear inclusions in cultured green turtle cells, which is indicative for active lytic...
Spatial and temporal distribution of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)-size fish near the floating surface collector in the North Fork Reservoir, Oregon, 2016
Noah S. Adams, Collin D. Smith
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1080
Acoustic cameras were used to assess the behavior and abundance of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)-size fish at the entrance to the North Fork Reservoir juvenile fish floating surface collector (FSC). The purpose of the FSC is to collect downriver migrating juvenile salmonids at the North Fork Dam, and safely...
Streamflow alteration at selected sites in Kansas
Kyle E. Juracek, Ken Eng
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5046
An understanding of streamflow alteration in response to various disturbances is necessary for the effective management of stream habitat for a variety of species in Kansas. Streamflow alteration can have negative ecological effects. Using a modeling approach, streamflow alteration was assessed for 129 selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the...
Using dynamic population simulations to extend resource selection analyses and prioritize habitats for conservation
Julie A. Heinrichs, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael S. O’Donnell, Nathan Schumaker
2017, Ecological Modelling (359) 449-459
Prioritizing habitats for conservation is a challenging task, particularly for species with fluctuating populations and seasonally dynamic habitat needs. Although the use of resource selection models to identify and prioritize habitat for conservation is increasingly common, their ability to characterize important long-term habitats for dynamic populations are variable. To examine...
US Topo—Topographic maps for the Nation
Kristin A. Fishburn, William J. Carswell Jr.
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3045
Building on the success of 125 years of mapping, the U.S. Geological Survey created US Topo, a georeferenced digital map produced from The National Map data. US Topo maps are designed to be used like the traditional 7.5-minute quadrangle paper topographic maps for which the U.S. Geological Survey is so...
Evidence of fuels management and fire weather influencing fire severity in an extreme fire event
Jamie M Lydersen, Brandon M. Collins, Matthew L. Brooks, John R. Matchett, Kristen L. Shive, Nicholas A. Povak, Van R. Kane, Douglas F. Smith
2017, Ecological Applications (27) 2013-2030
Following changes in vegetation structure and pattern, along with a changing climate, large wildfire incidence has increased in forests throughout the western U.S. Given this increase there is great interest in whether fuels treatments and previous wildfire can alter fire severity patterns in large wildfires. We assessed the relative influence...
Field-trip guide to the vents, dikes, stratigraphy, and structure of the Columbia River Basalt Group, eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington
Victor E Camp, Stephen P. Reidel, Martin E. Ross, Richard J. Brown, Stephen Self
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5022-N
The Columbia River Basalt Group covers an area of more than 210,000 km2 with an estimated volume of 210,000 km3. As the youngest continental flood-basalt province on Earth (16.7–5.5 Ma), it is well preserved, with a coherent and detailed stratigraphy exposed in the deep canyonlands of eastern Oregon...
Towards a planetary spatial data infrastructure
Jason Laura, Trent M. Hare, Lisa R. Gaddis, Robin L. Fergason, Skinner Jr., Justin Hagerty, Brent A. Archinal
2017, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (6)
Planetary science is the study of planets, moons, irregular bodies such as asteroids and the processes that create and modify them. Like terrestrial sciences, planetary science research is heavily dependent on collecting, processing and archiving large quantities of spatial data to support a range of activities. To address the complexity...
