Estimating flood magnitude and frequency at gaged and ungaged sites on streams in Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada, based on data through water year 2012
Janet H. Curran, Nancy A. Barth, Andrea G. Veilleux, Robert T. Ourso
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5024
Estimates of the magnitude and frequency of floods are needed across Alaska for engineering design of transportation and water-conveyance structures, flood-insurance studies, flood-plain management, and other water-resource purposes. This report updates methods for estimating flood magnitude and frequency in Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada. Annual peak-flow data through water...
Linking hydrodynamic complexity to delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) distribution in the San Francisco Estuary, USA
Aaron J. Bever, Michael L. MacWilliams, Bruce Herbold, Larry R. Brown, Frederick V. Feyrer
2016, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (14) 1-27
Long-term fish sampling data from the San Francisco Estuary were combined with detailed three dimensional hydrodynamic modeling to investigate the relationship between historical fish catch and hydrodynamic complexity. Delta Smelt catch data at 45 stations from the Fall Midwater Trawl (FMWT) survey in the vicinity of Suisun Bay were used...
Seasonal response of ghrelin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor I in the free-ranging Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Rachel L Tighe, Robert K. Bonde, Julie P. Avery
2016, Mammalian Biology (81) 247-254
Seasonal changes in light, temperature, and food availability stimulate a physiological response in an animal. Seasonal adaptations are well studied in Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and hibernating mammals; however, limited studies have been conducted in sub-tropical species. The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), a sub-tropical marine mammal,...
Spatial and temporal patterns of cloud cover and fog inundation in coastal California: Ecological implications
Bharat Rastogi, A. Park Williams, Douglas T. Fischer, Sam F. Iacobellis, Kathryn McEachern, Leila Carvalho, Charles Leslie Jones, Sara A. Baguskas, Christopher J. Still
2016, Earth Interactions (20)
The presence of low-lying stratocumulus clouds and fog has been known to modify biophysical and ecological properties in coastal California where forests are frequently shaded by low-lying clouds or immersed in fog during otherwise warm and dry summer months. Summer fog and stratus can ameliorate summer drought stress and enhance...
Estimating abundance in the presence of species uncertainty
Thierry A. Chambert, Blake R. Hossack, LeeAnn Fishback, Jon M. Davenport
2016, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (7) 1041-1049
1.N-mixture models have become a popular method for estimating abundance of free-ranging animals that are not marked or identified individually. These models have been used on count data for single species that can be identified with certainty. However, co-occurring species often look similar during one or more life stages,...
The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) Phase 2: Scientific objectives and experimental design
Alan M. Haywood, Harry J. Dowsett, Aisling M. Dolan, David Rowley, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Mark A. Chandler, Stephen J. Hunter, Daniel J. Lunt, Matthew Pound, Ulrich Salzmann
2016, Climate of the Past (12) 663-675
The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) is a co-ordinated international climate modelling initiative to study and understand climate and environments of the Late Pliocene, as well as their potential relevance in the context of future climate change. PlioMIP examines the consistency of model predictions in simulating Pliocene climate...
Potential effects of alterations to the hydrologic system on the distribution of salinity in the Biscayne aquifer in Broward County, Florida
Joseph D. Hughes, Dorothy F. Sifuentes, Jeremy T. White
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5022
To address concerns about the effects of water-resource management practices and rising sea level on saltwater intrusion, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Broward County Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division, initiated a study to examine causes of saltwater intrusion and predict the effects of future alterations to...
Rockfall triggering by cyclic thermal stressing of exfoliation fractures
Brian D. Collins, Greg M. Stock
2016, Nature Geoscience (9) 395-400
Exfoliation of rock deteriorates cliffs through the formation and subsequent opening of fractures, which in turn can lead to potentially hazardous rockfalls. Although a number of mechanisms are known to trigger rockfalls, many rockfalls occur during periods when likely triggers such as precipitation, seismic activity and freezing conditions are absent....
Hydrologic data and groundwater-flow simulations in the Brown Ditch Watershed, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, near Beverly Shores and Town of Pines, Indiana
David C. Lampe
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5141
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected data and simulated groundwater flow to increase understanding of the hydrology and the effects of drainage alterations on the water table in the vicinity of Great Marsh, near Beverly Shores and Town of Pines, Indiana. Prior land-management practices have modified drainage and caused changes...
Variability of surface-water quantity and quality and shallow groundwater levels and quality within the Rio Grande Project Area, New Mexico and Texas, 2009–13
Jessica M. Driscoll, Lauren R. Sherson
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5006
Drought conditions during the study period of January 1, 2009, to September 30, 2013, caused a reduction in surface-water releases from water-supply storage infrastructure of the Rio Grande Project, which led to changes in surface-water and groundwater (conjunctive) use in downstream agricultural alluvial valleys. Surface water and groundwater in the...
Assessing the evolution of soil moisture and vegetation conditions during the 2012 United States flash drought
Jason A. Otkin, Martha C. Anderson, Christopher Hain, Mark Svoboda, David Johnson, Richard Mueller, Tsegaye Tadesse, Brian D. Wardlow, Jesslyn F. Brown
2016, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology (218-219) 230-242
This study examines the evolution of several model-based and satellite-derived drought metrics sensitive to soil moisture and vegetation conditions during the extreme flash drought event that impacted major agricultural areas across the central U.S. during 2012. Standardized anomalies from the remote sensing based Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) and Vegetation...
Effects of experimental removal of barred owls on population demography of northern spotted owls in Washington and Oregon—2015 progress report
J. David Wiens, Katie M. Dugger, Krista E. Lewicki, David C. Simon
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1041
Evidence indicates that competition with newly established barred owls (Strix varia) is causing rapid declines in populations of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), and that the longterm persistence of spotted owls may be in question without additional management intervention. A pilot study in California showed that lethal removal of...
Complementary approaches to diagnosing marine diseases: a union of the modern and the classic
Colleen A. Burge, Carolyn S. Friedman, Rodman G. Getchell, Marcia House, Kevin D. Lafferty, Laura D. Mydlarz, Katherine C. Prager, Kathryn P. Sutherland, Tristan Renault, Ikunari Kiryu, Rebecca Vega-Thurber
2016, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (371) 1-11
Linking marine epizootics to a specific aetiology is notoriously difficult. Recent diagnostic successes show that marine disease diagnosis requires both modern, cutting-edge technology (e.g. metagenomics, quantitative real-time PCR) and more classic methods (e.g. transect surveys, histopathology and cell culture). Here, we discuss how this combination of traditional and modern approaches...
What a drag: Quantifying the global impact of chronic bottom trawling on continental shelf sediment
Ferdinand K. J. Oberle, Curt D. Storlazzi, Till J.J. Hanebuth
2016, Journal of Marine Systems (159) 109-119
Continental shelves worldwide are subject to intense bottom trawling that causes sediment to be resuspended. The widely used traditional concepts of modern sedimentary transport systems on the shelf rely only on estimates for naturally driven sediment resuspension such as through storm waves, bottom currents, and gravity-driven flows but they overlook...
Efficacy of landscape scale woodland and savanna restoration at multiple spatial and temporal scales
H. Tyler Pittman, David G. Krementz
2016, Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (3) 233-242
The loss of historic ecosystem conditions has led forest managers to implement woodland and savanna ecosystem restoration on a landscape scale (≥10,000 ha) in the Ozark Plateau of Arkansas. Managers are attempting to restore and conserve these ecosystems through the reintroduction of disturbance, mainly short-rotation early-growing-season prescribed fire. Short-rotation early-growing...
Methods to estimate historical daily streamflow for ungaged stream locations in Minnesota
David L. Lorenz, Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5181
Effective and responsible management of water resources relies on a thorough understanding of the quantity and quality of available water; however, streamgages cannot be installed at every location where streamflow information is needed. Therefore, methods for estimating streamflow at ungaged stream locations need to be developed. This report presents a...
Estimation of a Trophic State Index for selected inland lakes in Michigan, 1999–2013
Lori M. Fuller, Richard S. Jodoin
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5023
A 15-year estimated Trophic State Index (eTSI) for Michigan inland lakes is available, and it spans seven datasets, each representing 1 to 3 years of data from 1999 to 2013. On average, 3,000 inland lake eTSI values are represented in each of the datasets by a process that relates field-measured...
GIS representation of coal-bearing areas in Antarctica
Matthew D. Merrill
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1031
Understanding the distribution of coal-bearing geologic units in Antarctica provides information that can be used in sedimentary, geomorphological, paleontological, and climatological studies. This report is a digital compilation of information on Antarctica’s coal-bearing geologic units found in the literature. It is intended to be used in small-scale spatial geographic information...
Measuring spatial patterns in floodplains: A step towards understanding the complexity of floodplain ecosystems: Chapter 6
Murray W. Scown, Martin C. Thoms, Nathan R. De Jager
David J. Gilvear, Malcolm T. Greenwood, Martin C. Thoms, Paul J. Wood, editor(s)
2016, Book chapter, River science: Research and management for the 21st century
Floodplains can be viewed as complex adaptive systems (Levin, 1998) because they are comprised of many different biophysical components, such as morphological features, soil groups and vegetation communities as well as being sites of key biogeochemical processing (Stanford et al., 2005). Interactions and feedbacks among the biophysical components often result...
Assessing the socioeconomic impact and value of open geospatial information
Francoise Pearlman, Jay Pearlman, Richard Bernknopf, Andrew Coote, Massimo Craglia, Lawrence Friedl, Jason Gallo, Henry Hertzfeld, Claire Jolly, Molly K. Macauley, Carl Shapiro, Alan Smart
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1036
The production and accessibility of geospatial information including Earth observation is changing greatly both technically and in terms of human participation. Advances in technology have changed the way that geospatial data are produced and accessed, resulting in more efficient processes and greater accessibility than ever before. Improved technology has also...
Prioritizing avian species for their risk of population-level consequences from wind energy development
Julie A. Beston, James E. Diffendorfer, Scott Loss, Douglas H. Johnson
2016, PLoS ONE (11) Article e0150813
Recent growth in the wind energy industry has increased concerns about its impacts on wildlife populations. Direct impacts of wind energy include bird and bat collisions with turbines whereas indirect impacts include changes in wildlife habitat and behavior. Although many species may withstand these effects, species that are long-lived with...
Assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources of sub-Saharan Africa
Michael E. Brownfield
2016, Data Series 69-GG
Introduction The main objective of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National and Global Petroleum Assessment Project is to assess the potential for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and natural gas resources of the United States and the world (U.S. Geological Survey World Conventional Resources Assessment Team, 2012). The USGS updated assessments that...
Changing regional emissions of airborne pollutants reflected in the chemistry of snowpacks and wetfall in the Rocky Mountain region, USA, 1993–2012
George P. Ingersoll, Debra C. Miller, Kristi H. Morris, Jill A. McMurray, Garrett M. Port, Brian Caruso
2016, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution (227) 1-18
Wintertime precipitation sample data from 55 Snowpack sites and 17 National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network Wetfall sites in the Rocky Mountain region were examined to identify long-term trends in chemical concentration, deposition, and precipitation using Regional and Seasonal Kendall tests. The Natural Resources Conservation Service snow-telemetry...
The effect of suspended sediment and color on ultraviolet spectrophotometric nitrate sensors
Teri T. Snazelle
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1014
Four commercially available ultraviolet nitrate spectrophotometric sensors were evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) to determine the effects of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) on sensor accuracy. The evaluated sensors were: the Hach NITRATAX plus sc (5-millimeters (mm) path length), Hach...
Hydrologic conditions, recharge, and baseline water quality of the surficial aquifer system at Jekyll Island, Georgia, 2012-13
Debbie W. Gordon, Lynn J. Torak
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1017
An increase of groundwater withdrawals from the surficial aquifer system on Jekyll Island, Georgia, prompted an investigation of hydrologic conditions and water quality by the U.S. Geological Survey during October 2012 through December 2013. The study demonstrated the importance of rainfall as the island’s main source of recharge to maintain...
