Distribution of chlorinated volatile organic compounds and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in monitoring wells at the former Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey, 2014–17
Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Alex R. Fiore
2021, Open-File Report 2020-1105
A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Navy (the Navy) to determine the status of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in groundwater at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) in West Trenton, New Jersey. Wells contaminated with...
A more representative community of ecologists
David S Schimel, Jill S. Baron
2021, Ecological Applications (31)
Ecologists play a crucial role in providing solutions to the challenges facing the world. For most of the history of the field, however, the science of ecology has been pursued by white men, and increasingly, by white women. This lack of diversity is untenable today, not only because it is...
Fully accounting for nest age reduces bias when quantifying nest survival
Emily L. Weiser
2021, Ornithological Applications (123)
Accurately measuring nest survival is challenging because nests must be discovered to be monitored, but nests are typically not found on the first day of the nesting interval. Studies of nest survival therefore often monitor a sample that overrepresents older nests. To account for this sampling bias, a daily...
Delineating the Pierre Shale from geophysical surveys within and near Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2019
Colton J. Medler, Todd M. Anderson
2021, Scientific Investigations Map 3474
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Center, investigated the use of surface geophysical methods to delineate the top of the Cretaceous Pierre Shale along survey transects in selected areas within and near Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. Two complementary geophysical methods—electrical resistivity...
Chemical connectivity and multi-element composition of groundwater in depressional wetlands
Yuxiang Yuan, Xiaoyan Zhu, David M. Mushet, Matthew J. Solensky, Marinus L. Otte
2021, Wetlands (41)
Little is known about the element composition of groundwater along flow paths between wetlands. What is known is based on a few major elements, such as Na and Ca. We examined the spatial and temporal variation of elements in a depressional-wetland, groundwater-flow system in the Prairie...
Identifying policy-relevant indicators for assessing landscape vegetation patterns to inform planning and management on multiple use public lands
Sarah K. Carter, Lucy Burris, Chris Domschke, Steven L Garman, Travis Haby, Benjamin R Harms, Emily Kachergis, Kevin Miller, S. E. Litschert
2021, Environmental Management (68) 426-443
Understanding the structure and composition of landscapes can empower agencies to effectively manage public lands for multiple uses while sustaining land health. Many landscape metrics exist, but they are not often used in public land decision-making. Our objectives were to (1) develop and (2) apply a process for identifying a...
Identification of low-frequency earthquakes on the San Andreas fault with deep learning
A. M. Thomas, A. Inbal, J. Searcy, David R. Shelly, R. Bürgmann
2021, Geophysical Research Letters (48)
Low-frequency earthquakes are a seismic manifestation of slow fault slip. Their emergent onsets, low amplitudes, and unique frequency characteristics make these events difficult to detect in continuous seismic data. Here, we train a convolutional neural network to detect low-frequency earthquakes near Parkfield, CA using the catalog of...
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Erin E. Poor, Nathan J. Kleist, Heidi L. Bencin, Alison C. Foster, Sarah K. Carter
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1031
Integrating recent science into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing science information can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of...
Point clouds of bridge generated by terrestrial laser scanner and images via Structure from Motion technique: Comparison study
Shakzod Takhirov, Robert E. Kayen
2021, Conference Paper, 2021 3rd International Congress on Human-Computer Interaction, Optimization and Robotic Applications (HORA)
A collection of points representing an object in space is commonly called a point cloud. There are several techniques for collecting point clouds. This research is focused on a comparison study of two approaches: (1) collecting point clouds with a surveying grade terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and (2) generating point...
Proposed standard weight (Ws) equation and length categories for Utah Chub
Aaron Black, Zach Beard, Jon Flinders, Michael Quist
2021, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (41) 1299-1309
Condition indices, such as relative weight (Wr), provide a simple method for comparing length–weight relationships among populations. However, no standard weight (Ws) equation has been developed for Utah Chub Gila atraria, a species of important management focus in the Intermountain West. We obtained length–weight data for 30,541 Utah Chub from 24 populations in...
Relative effectiveness of D-Frame dip nets, quatrefoil light traps, and towed ichthyoplankton nets for larval Muskellunge
Jared E. Krebs, Ethan J. Brandt, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Daniel A. Isermann
2021, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (41) 1334-1340
Muskellunge Esox masquinongy are large, predatory game fish whose association with shallow, complex habitats is well documented, particularly during early life stages. Despite this association, relatively little guidance exists regarding effective sampling of Muskellunge larvae and previous efforts to sample larval Muskellunge have been met with limited success. Therefore, our objective was...
Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States
Mark W. Vandever, Sarah K. Carter, Timothy J. Assal, Kenneth Elgersma, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert S. Arkle, Rich Iovanna
2021, Environmental Research Letters (16)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, establishing perennial vegetation on environmentally sensitive lands formerly in agricultural production. Over its 35 year existence, the CRP has evolved to include diverse conservation practices (CPs) while concomitantly...
Review: “Jacob’s Zoo”— How using Jacob’s method for aquifer testing leads to more intuitive understanding of aquifer characteristics
Hans-Olaf Pfannkuch, Howard D. Mooers, Donald I. Siegel, John J. Quinn, Donald O. Rosenberry, Scott C. Alexander
2021, Hydrogeology Journal (29) 2001-2015
The interpretation of aquifer responses to pumping tests is an important tool for assessing aquifer geometry and properties, which are critical in the assessment of water resources or in environmental remediation. However, the responses of aquifers, measured by time-drawdown relationships in monitoring wells, are nonunique solutions that are affected by...
Local fruit availability and en route wind conditions are poor predictors of bird abundance and composition during fall migration in coastal Yucatán Peninsula
Richard E Feldman, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Jill L. Deppe, Alfredo Dorantes-Euan
2021, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (132) 850-867
In migratory stopover habitats, bird abundance and composition change on a near daily basis. On any given day, the local bird community should reflect local environmental conditions but also the environments that birds encountered previously along their migratory route. For example, during fall migration, the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula...
Preliminary estimates of sequoia mortality in the 2020 Castle Fire
Nathan L. Stephenson, Christy Brigham
2021, Report
Although some of California’s giant sequoia trees have stood for thousands of years and are adapted to withstand frequent low and mixed severity fires (Stephenson 1996), preliminary estimates suggest that the 2020 Castle Fire killed between 31% to 42% of large sequoias within the Castle Fire footprint, or 10% to...
Maintenance of nest quality in Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae: An additional benefit to life in the center
Virginia Morandini, Katie Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Annie Schmidt, Grant Ballard
2021, Polar Biology (44) 1562
In colonial seabirds, differences in the nesting or fledging success have been associated with differences in nest position within the breeding aggregation (subcolony): less successful nests are located on the periphery, with more successful nests closer to the center. For Pygoscelid penguins, central nests tend to be larger,...
HydroMet: A new code for automated objective optimization of hydrometeorological thresholds for landslide initiation
Jacob L. Conrad, Michael D. Morphew, Rex L. Baum, Benjamin B. Mirus
2021, Water (13)
Landslide detection and warning systems are important tools for mitigation of potential hazards in landslide prone areas. Traditionally, warning systems for shallow landslides have been informed by rainfall intensity-duration thresholds. More recent advances have introduced the concept of hydrometeorological thresholds that are informed not only by rainfall, but also by...
Long-term African dust delivery to the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara and Sahel regions: Evidence from Quaternary paleosols on the Canary Islands, Spain
Daniel R. Muhs, Joaquín Meco, James R. Budahn, Gary L. Skipp, Kathleen R. Simmons, Mathew C. Baddock, J.T. Betancort, A. Lomoschitz
2021, Quaternary Science Reviews (265)
Africa is the most important source of dust in the world today and dust storms from that continent frequently deposit sediment on the nearby Canary Islands. Many investigators have inferred African dust inputs to Canary Islands paleosols based only on the presence of quartz....
Chemical analysis of archived stream-sediment samples, Alaska
Bronwen Wang, George N.D. Case, Mathew Granitto, Keith A. Labay, Nora B. Shew, Andrew D. Ingraham, Jaime S. Azain, Zachary C. Bueghly, Susan M. Karl, Karen D. Kelley
2021, Open-File Report 2021-1058
Geochemical data are presented for more than 1,500 archived stream-sediment samples and accompanying quality control samples. The archived sediments were reanalyzed to improve the stream geochemical dataset for Alaska and to support ongoing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studies. Sediment samples were primarily from the USGS Mineral Resources Program’s sample...
Two-dimensional hydraulic analyses of Joachim Creek, De Soto, Missouri
Kyle D. Hix, Paul H. Rydlund Jr., David C. Heimann
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5058
A two-dimensional hydraulic model; water-surface profiles; and digital maps of water-surface elevation, velocities, and water depths were developed for a 6.7-mile reach of Joachim Creek within and near the city of De Soto, Missouri. Water-surface profiles were generated for the 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, and 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability (10-,...
Hydrogeologic framework and groundwater characterization in selected alluvial basins in the upper Rio Grande basin, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, United States, and Chihuahua, Mexico, 1980 to 2015
Natalie A. Houston, Jonathan V. Thomas, Linzy K. Foster, Diana E. Pedraza, Toby L. Welborn
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5035
Increasing demand for the limited water resources of the United States continues to put pressure on resource management agencies to balance the competing needs of ecosystem health with municipal, agricultural, and other uses. To meet these needs, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a multiyear study to evaluate water resources in...
Assessing cyanobacterial frequency and abundance at surface waters near drinking water intakes across the United States
Megan Coffer, Blake A. Schaeffer, Katherine Foreman, Alex Porteous, Keith A. Loftin, Richard Stumpf, Jeremy Werdell, Erin Urquhart, Ryan Albert, John Darling
2021, Water Research (201)
This study presents the first large-scale assessment of cyanobacterial frequency and abundance of surface water near drinking water intakes across the United States. Public water systems serve drinking water to nearly 90% of the United States population. Cyanobacteria and their toxins may degrade the quality of finished drinking water and...
Borehole analysis, single-well aquifer testing, and water quality for the Burnpit well, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota
William G. Eldridge, Galen K. Hoogestraat, Steven E. Rice
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2021-5059
Mount Rushmore National Memorial (hereafter referred to as “the memorial”), in western South Dakota, is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) and includes 1,278 acres of land in the east-central part of the Black Hills. An ongoing challenge for NPS managers at the memorial is providing water from sustainable...
Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians
Kelly L. Smalling, Emily Bea Oja, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jon D Davenport, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead, Kenzi M Stemp, Brian J. Tornabene, Zachary J Bunnell, Blake R. Hossack
2021, Environmental Pollution (287)
Amphibian larvae are commonly used as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health because they are susceptible to contaminants. However, there is limited information on how species characteristics and trophic position influence contaminant loads in larval amphibians. Importantly, there remains a...
Exploring the potential of electrospray-Orbitrap for stable isotope analysis using nitrate as a model
Andreas Hilkert, J.K. Bohlke, Stanley J. Mroczkowski, Kyle L. Fort, Konstantin Aizikov, Xinchen T. Wang, Sebastian H. Kopf, Cajetan Neubauer
2021, Analytical Chemistry (93) 9139-9148
Widely used isotope ratio mass spectrometers have limited capabilities to measure metabolites, drugs, or small polyatomic ions without the loss of structural isotopic information. A new approach has recently been introduced that uses electrospray ionization Orbitrap to measure multidimensional isotope signatures of intact polar compounds. Using nitrate as a model...
