Summary of the Ahankashan Area of Interest
Lawrence J. Drew, David M. Sutphin, John C. Mars, Anya K. Bogdanow
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1040
This report summarizes and interprets results of the work in the Ahankashan Area of Interest in northwestern Afghanistan and four study areas—the Ahankashan Prospect Area, Syahsang-Kushkak, Taghab-Soni, and Zakak-e ‘Olya—delineated for their potential undiscovered mineral occurrences with specific emphasis on porphyry copper and related occurrence types. The Area of Interest...
Case 3693 Cryptodacus Hendel, 1914 (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae): Proposed suppression of Cryptodacus Gundlach, 1862 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae)
Allen L. Norrbom, Roy W. McDiarmid, Xiao-Lin Chen, J. David, Marc De Meyer, Amnon Freidberg, Ho-Yeon Han, David Hancock, Gary J. Steck, Frank R. Thompson III, Ian M. White, Roberto A. Zucchi
2015, Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature (72) 204-208
The purpose of this application, under Article 23.9.3, is to conserve current usage of the well-established genus-group name Cryptodacus Hendel, 1914 for a genus of Neotropical fruit flies by suppression of the earlier, unused name Cryptodacus Gundlach, 1862, currently a junior synonym of Arrhyton Günther, 1858, a genus of snakes, under...
Prospective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands
Kevin Turpie, Victor Klemas, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi Kelly, Young-Heon Jo
2015, Remote Sensing of Environment (167) 206-217
Tidal wetlands are highly productive and act as critical habitat for a wide variety of plants, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife. These ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial environments also provide protection from storm damage, run-off filtering, and recharge of aquifers. Many wetlands along coasts have been exposed to stress-inducing alterations...
U.S. conterminous wall-to-wall anthropogenic land use trends (NWALT), 1974–2012
James A. Falcone
2015, Data Series 948
This dataset provides a U.S. national 60-meter, 19-class mapping of anthropogenic land uses for five time periods: 1974, 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012. The 2012 dataset is based on a slightly modified version of the National Land Cover Database 2011 (NLCD 2011) that was recoded to a schema of land...
Baseline coastal oblique aerial photographs collected from Key Largo, Florida, to the Florida/Georgia border, September 5-6, 2014
Karen L. M. Morgan
2015, Data Series 953
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts baseline and storm response photography missions to document and understand the changes in vulnerability of the Nation's coasts to extreme storms (Morgan, 2009). On September 5-6, 2014, the USGS conducted an oblique aerial photographic survey from Key Largo, Florida, to the Florida/Georgia border (Figure...
A case study demonstrating analysis of stormflows, concentrations, and loads of nutrients in highway runoff and swale discharge with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)
Gregory E. Granato, Susan C. Jones
2015, Conference Paper
Decisionmakers need information about the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff, the risk for adverse effects of runoff on receiving waters, and the potential effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce these risks. The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) uses Monte Carlo methods to generate stormflows, concentrations, and loads...
Biological and geochemical data along Indian Point, Vermilion Bay, Louisiana
Kathryn A. Richwine, Marci E. Marot, Christopher G. Smith, Lisa E. Osterman, C. Scott Adams
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1143
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected shallow sediment cores and surface samples from a coastal salt marsh environment next to Vermilion Bay in southwest Louisiana in January 2013. The sampling was part of a larger USGS study to gather data for assessing...
Molecular tracing of confiscated pangolin scales for conservation and illegal trade monitoring in Southeast Asia
Huarong Zhang, Mark P. Miller, Feng Yang, Ki Chan, Philippe Gaubert, Gary Ades, Gunter A. Fischer
2015, Global Ecology and Conservation (4) 414-422
Despite being protected by both international and national regulations, pangolins are threatened by illegal trade. Here we report mitochondrial DNA identification and haplotype richness estimation, using 239 pangolin scale samples from two confiscations in Hong Kong. We found a total of 13 genetically distinct cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) haplotypes...
Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in fractured-rock aquifers of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Physiographic Provinces, Bedford County, Virginia
Kurt J. McCoy, Bradley A. White, Richard M. Yager, George E. Harlow Jr.
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5113
An annual groundwater budget was computed as part of a hydrogeologic characterization and monitoring effort of fractured-rock aquifers in Bedford County, Virginia, a growing 764-square-mile (mi2) rural area between the cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia. Data collection in Bedford County began in the 1930s when continuous stream gages were...
USGS compilation of geographic information system (GIS) data of coal mines and coal-bearing areas in Mongolia
Michael H. Trippi, Harvey E. Belkin
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1144
Geographic information system (GIS) information may facilitate energy studies, which in turn provide input for energy policy decisions. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled GIS data representing coal mines, deposits (including those with and without coal mines), occurrences, areas, basins, and provinces of Mongolia as of 2009. These data...
Long-term effects of wildfire on greater sage-grouse - integrating population and ecosystem concepts for management in the Great Basin
Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Brian G. Prochazka, Kevin E. Doherty, Matthew L. Brooks, Michael L. Casazza
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1165
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereinafter, sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species that has declined concomitantly with the loss and fragmentation of sagebrush ecosystems across most of its geographical range. The species currently is listed as a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Increasing wildfire frequency and...
Influence of changes in wetland inundation extent on net fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane in northern high latitudes from 1993 to 2004
Qianlai Zhuang, Xudong Zhu, Yujie He, Catherine Prigent, Jerry M. Melillo, A. David McGuire, Ronald G. Prinn, David W. Kicklighter
2015, Environmental Research Letters (10)
Estimates of the seasonal and interannual exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) between land ecosystems north of 45°N and the atmosphere are poorly constrained, in part, because of uncertainty in the temporal variability of water-inundated land area. Here we apply a process-based biogeochemistry model to evaluate how interannual...
Slip pulse and resonance of Kathmandu basin during the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal imaged with space geodesy
John Galetzka, D. Melgar, J.F. Genrich, J. Geng, S. Owen, E. O. Lindsey, X. Xu, Y. Bock, J.-P. Avouac, L. B. Adhikari, B. N. Upreti, B. Pratt-Sitaula, T. N. Bhattarai, B. P. Sitaula, A. Moore, Kenneth W. Hudnut, W. Szeliga, J. Normandeau, M. Fend, M Flouzat, L. Bollinger, P. Shrestha, B. Koirala, U. Gautam, M. Bhatterai, R. Gupta, T. Kandel, C. Timsina, S.N. Sapkota, S. Rajaure, N. Maharjan
2015, Science (349) 1091-1095
Detailed geodetic imaging of earthquake rupture enhances our understanding of earthquake physics and induced ground shaking. The April 25, 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake is the first example of a large continental megathrust rupture beneath a high-rate (5 Hz) GPS network. We use GPS and InSAR data to model...
Sea-floor morphology and sedimentary environments in southern Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island
Katherine Y. McMullen, Lawrence J. Poppe, Dann S. Blackwood, Matthew J. Nardi, Matthew A. Andring
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1149
Multibeam echosounder data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration along with sediment samples and still and video photography of the sea floor collected by the U.S. Geological Survey were used to interpret sea-floor features and sedimentary environments in southern Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, as part of a long-term...
Linking climate change and health outcomes: Examining the relationship between temperature, precipitation and birth weight in Africa
Kathryn Grace, Frank Davenport, Heidi Hanson, Christopher C. Funk, Shraddhanand Shukla
2015, Global Environmental Change (35) 125-137
This paper examined the relationship between birth weight, precipitation, and temperature in 19 African countries. We matched recorded birth weights from Demographic and Health Surveys covering 1986 through 2010 with gridded monthly precipitation and temperature data derived from satellite and ground-based weather stations. Observed weather patterns during various stages of...
Chemical and ancillary data associated with bed sediment, young of year Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) tissue, and mussel (Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa) tissue collected after Hurricane Sandy in bays and estuaries of New Jersey and New York, 2013–14
Kelly L. Smalling, Ashok D. Deshpande, Vicki Blazer, Heather S. Galbraith, Bruce W. Dockum, Kristin M. Romanok, Kaitlyn Colella, Anna C. Deetz, Irene J. Fisher, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Beth Sharack, Lisa Summer, DeMond Timmons, John J. Trainor, Daniel Wieczorek, Jennifer Samson, Timothy J. Reilly, Michael J. Focazio
2015, Data Series 956
This report describes the methods and data associated with a reconnaissance study of young of year bluefish and mussel tissue samples as well as bed sediment collected as bluefish habitat indicators during August 2013–April 2014 in New Jersey and New York following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. This study was...
The Palos Verdes Fault offshore southern California: late Pleistocene to present tectonic geomorphology, seascape evolution and slip rate estimate based on AUV and ROV surveys
Daniel S. Brothers, James E. Conrad, Katherine L. Maier, Charles K. Paull, Mary L. McGann, David W. Caress
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (120) 4734-4758
The Palos Verdes Fault (PVF) is one of few active faults in Southern California that crosses the shoreline and can be studied using both terrestrial and subaqueous methodologies. To characterize the near-seafloor fault morphology, tectonic influences on continental slope sedimentary processes and late Pleistocene to present slip rate, a grid...
Ground motion simulation for the 23 August 2011, Mineral, Virginia earthquake using physics-based and stochastic broadband methods
Xiaodan Sun, Stephen H. Hartzell, Sanaz Rezaeian
2015, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (105) 2641-2661
Three broadband simulation methods are used to generate synthetic ground motions for the 2011 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake and compare with observed motions. The methods include a physics‐based model by Hartzell et al. (1999, 2005), a stochastic source‐based model by Boore (2009), and a stochastic site‐based model by Rezaeian and Der...
Methods for evaluating potential sources of chloride in surface waters and groundwaters of the conterminous United States
Gregory E. Granato, Leslie A. DeSimone, Jeffrey R. Barbaro, Lillian C. Jeznach
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1080
Chloride exists as a major ion in most natural waters, but many anthropogenic sources are increasing concentrations of chloride in many receiving waters. Although natural concentrations in continental waters can be as high as 200,000 milligrams per liter, chloride concentrations that are suitable for freshwater ecology, human consumption, and agricultural...
Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
A.J. Hotovec-Ellis, J.E. Vidale, Joan S. Gomberg, Weston A. Thelen, Seth C. Moran
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (120) 6226-6240
Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18 year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next 4 years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect...
A conceptual framework and monitoring strategy for movement of saltwater in the coastal plain aquifer system of Virginia
E. Randolph Mcfarland
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5117
A conceptual framework synthesizes previous studies to provide an understanding of conditions, processes, and relations of saltwater to groundwater withdrawal in the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system. A strategy for monitoring saltwater movement is based on spatial relations between the saltwater-transition zone and 612 groundwater-production wells that were regulated during...
Documentation of input datasets for the soil-water balance groundwater recharge model of the Upper Colorado River Basin
Fred D. Tillman
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1160
The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating more than 4.5 million acres of farmland, and generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power annually. The Upper Colorado River Basin, encompassing more...
Geophysical investigation of the pressure field produced by water guns at a pond site in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Ryan F. Adams, William S. Morrow
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1130
Three different geophysical sensor types were used to characterize the underwater pressure waves generated by the underwater firing of a seismic water gun and their suitability for establishing a pressure barrier to potentially direct or prevent the movement of the Asian carps. The sensors used to collect the seismic information...
Seasonally-dynamic presence-only species distribution models for a cryptic migratory bat impacted by wind energy development
Mark A. Hayes, Paul M. Cryan, Michael B. Wunder
2015, PLoS ONE (10)
Understanding seasonal distribution and movement patterns of animals that migrate long distances is an essential part of monitoring and conserving their populations. Compared to migratory birds and other more conspicuous migrants, we know very little about the movement patterns of many migratory bats. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), a cryptic, wide-ranging,...
Using sutures to attach miniature tracking tags to small bats for multimonth movement and behavioral studies
Kevin T. Castle, Theodore J. Weller, Paul M. Cryan, Cris D. Hein, Michael R. Schirmacher
2015, Ecology and Evolution (5) 2980-2989
1. Determining the detailed movements of individual animals often requires them to carry tracking devices, but tracking broad-scale movement of small bats (< 30g) has been limited by transmitter technology and long-term attachment methods. This limitation inhibits our understanding of bat dispersal and migration, particularly in the context of emerging...
