Characterization of streamflow, salinity, and selenium loading and land-use change in Montrose Arroyo, western Colorado, from 1992 to 2013
Rodney J. Richards, Jennifer L. Moore
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5039
Salinity and dissolved selenium are known water-quality impairments in the lower Gunnison River watershed of western Colorado. Salinity is a concern because of its adverse effects on agricultural land and equipment, and on municipal and industrial users. The Montrose Arroyo watershed in Montrose, Colorado, contains agricultural and residential areas as...
Ten ways remote sensing can contribute to conservation
Robert A. Rose, Dirck Byler, J. Ron Eastman, Erica Fleishman, Gary Geller, Scott Goetz, Liane Guild, Healy Hamilton, Matt Hansen, Rachel Headley, Jennifer Hewson, Ned Horning, Beth A. Kaplin, Nadine Laporte, Allison K. Leidner, Peter Leimgruber, Jeffrey T. Morisette, John Musinsky, Lilian Pintea, Ana Prados, Volker C. Radeloff, Mary Rowen, Sassan Saatchi, Steve Schill, Karyn Tabor, Woody Turner, Anthony Vodacek, James Vogelmann, Martin Wegmann, David Wilkie, Cara Wilson
2015, Conservation Biology (29) 350-359
In an effort to increase conservation effectiveness through the use of Earth observation technologies, a group of remote sensing scientists affiliated with government and academic institutions and conservation organizations identified 10 questions in conservation for which the potential to be answered would be greatly increased by use of remotely sensed...
Is there a single best estimator? selection of home range estimators using area- under- the-curve
W. David Walter, Dave P. Onorato, Justin W. Fischer
2015, Movement Ecology (3)
Background Global positioning system (GPS) technology for monitoring home range and movements of wildlife has resulted in prohibitively large sample sizes of locations for traditional estimators of home range. We used area-under-the-curve to explore the fit of 8 estimators of home range to data collected with...
Forecasting sagebrush ecosystem components and greater sage-grouse habitat for 2050: learning from past climate patterns and Landsat imagery to predict the future
Collin G. Homer, George Z. Xian, Cameron L. Aldridge, Debra K. Meyer, Thomas R. Loveland, Michael S. O’Donnell
2015, Ecological Indicators (55) 131-145
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems constitute the largest single North American shrub ecosystem and provide vital ecological, hydrological, biological, agricultural, and recreational ecosystem services. Disturbances have altered and reduced this ecosystem historically, but climate change may ultimately represent the greatest future risk. Improved ways to quantify, monitor, and predict climate-driven gradual...
Surface geophysics and porewater evaluation at the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2013
Charles W. Walker, James R. Degnan, Michael J. Brayton, Roberto M. Cruz, Michelle M. Lorah
2015, Data Series 927
In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is participating in an ongoing study to aid in the identification of subsurface heterogeneities that may act as preferential pathways for contaminant transport in and around the Lower Darby Creek Area (LDCA) Superfund Site,...
Sediment contributions from floodplains and legacy sediments to Piedmont streams of Baltimore County, Maryland
Mitchell Donovan, Andrew Miller, Matthew Baker, Allen C. Gellis
2015, Geomorphology (235) 88-105
Disparity between watershed erosion rates and downstream sediment delivery has remained an important theme in geomorphology for many decades, with the role of floodplains in sediment storage as a common focus. In the Piedmont Province of the eastern USA, upland deforestation and agricultural land use following European settlement led...
Seismic-hazard maps for the conterminous United States, 2014
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles S. Mueller, Kathleen M. Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen C. Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Nicolas Luco, Russell L. Wheeler, Robert A. Williams, Anna H. Olsen, Kenneth S. Rukstales
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3325
The maps presented here provide an update to the 2008 data contained in U.S Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3195 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3195/).Probabilistic seismic-hazard maps were prepared for the conterminous United States for 2014 portraying peak horizontal acceleration and horizontal spectral response acceleration for 0.2- and 1.0-second periods with probabilities of...
Image mosaic and topographic map of the moon
Trent M. Hare, Rosalyn K. Hayward, Jennifer S. Blue, Brent A. Archinal
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3316
Sheet 1: This image mosaic is based on data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera (WAC; Robinson and others, 2010), an instrument on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft (Tooley and others, 2010). The equatorial WAC images were orthorectified onto the Global Lunar...
Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array Type L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic for the Kahiltna terrane, Alaska, 2007-2010
Christopher J. Cole, Michaela R. Johnson, Garth E. Graham
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3323
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has initiated a multi-disciplinary study investigating the applicability of remote sensing technologies for geologic mapping and identification of prospective areas for base and precious metal deposits in remote parts of Alaska. The Kahiltna terrane in southwestern Alaska was selected for investigation because of its known...
Accelerometer-derived activity correlates with volitional swimming speed in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
J.D. Thiem, J.W. Dawson, A.C. Gleiss, E.G. Martins, Alexander J. Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, A. J. Danylchuk, R. P. Wilson, S. J. Cooke
2015, Canadian Journal of Zoology (93) 645-654
Quantifying fine-scale locomotor behaviours associated with different activities is challenging for free-swimming fish.Biologging and biotelemetry tools can help address this problem. An open channel flume was used to generate volitionalswimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired withsimultaneously recorded...
Remigial molt of sea ducks
Margaret R. Petersen, Jean-Pierre L. Savard
2015, Book chapter, Ecology and conservation of North American sea ducks; Studies in Avian Biology v. 46
Molt is a dynamic process occurring throughout much of the year in waterfowl. The molt of flight feathers by waterfowl, especially sea ducks, however, occurs over a compressed period of time and in spcific areas used each year. We provide an overview of the flight feather molt of sea ducks....
Diet of yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) in Arctic lakes during the nesting season inferred from fatty acid analysis
T B Haynes, Joel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, S J Iverson, V. M. Padula, A E Rosenberger
2015, Polar Biology (38) 1239-1247
Understanding the dietary habits of yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) can give important insights into their ecology, however, studying the diet of loons is difficult when direct observation or specimen collection is impractical. We investigate the diet of yellow-billed loons nesting on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska using...
Delineation of fractures, foliation, and groundwater of the bedrock at a geothermal feasibility site on Roosevelt Island, New York County, New York
Frederick Stumm, Anthony Chu, Michael D. Como, Michael L. Noll, Peter K. Joesten
2015, Conference Paper
Advanced borehole-geophysical methods were used to investigate the hydrogeology of the crystalline bedrock in three boreholes on Roosevelt Island, New York County, New York. Cornell University was evaluating the feasibility of using geothermal energy for a future campus at the site. The borehole-logging techniques were used to delineate bedrock fractures,...
Response to "Comment on and Reinterpretation of Gabriel et al. (2014) "Fish Mercury and Surface Water Sulfate Relationships in the Everglades Protection Area""
Mark C. Gabriel, Don Axelrad, William H. Orem, Todd Z. Osborne
2015, Environmental Management (55) 1227-1231
The purpose of this forum is to respond to a rebuttal submitted by Julian et al., Environ Manag 55:1–5, 2015 where they outlined their overall disagreement with the data preparation, methods, and interpretation of results presented in Gabriel et al. (Environ Manag 53:583–593, 2014). Here, we provide background information on the...
The water-energy nexus: an earth science perspective
Richard W. Healy, William M. Alley, Mark A. Engle, Peter B. McMahon, Jerad D. Bales
2015, Circular 1407
Water availability and use are closely connected with energy development and use. Water cannot be delivered to homes, businesses, and industries without energy, and most forms of energy development require large amounts of water. The United States faces two significant and sometimes competing challenges: to provide sustainable supplies of freshwater...
Revision and proposed modification for a total maximum daily load model for Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
Susan A. Wherry, Tamara M. Wood, Chauncey W. Anderson
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5041
This report presents Phase 2 of the review and development of the mass balance water-quality model, originally developed in 2001, that guided establishment of the phosphorus (P) total maximum daily load (TMDL) for Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon. The purpose of Phase 2 was to incorporate a longer (19-year)...
A case study of data integration for aquatic resources using semantic web technologies
Janice M. Gordon, Nina Chkhenkeli, David L. Govoni, Frances L. Lightsom, Andrea C. Ostroff, Peter N. Schweitzer, Phethala Thongsavanh, Dalia E. Varanka, Stephan Zednik
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1004
Use cases, information modeling, and linked data techniques are Semantic Web technologies used to develop a prototype system that integrates scientific observations from four independent USGS and cooperator data systems. The techniques were tested with a use case goal of creating a data set for use in exploring potential relationships...
Evaluation of mean-monthly streamflow-regression equations for Colorado, 2014
Michael S. Kohn, Michael R. Stevens, Andrew R. Bock, Stephen J. Char
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5016
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, evaluated the predictive uncertainty of mean-monthly streamflow-regression equations representative of natural streamflow conditions in Colorado. This study evaluates the predictive uncertainty of mean-monthly streamflow-regression equations developed in a 2009 U.S. Geological Survey study using streamflow data collected over...
New argon-argon (40Ar/39Ar) radiometric age dates from selected subsurface basalt flows at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
Mary K. V. Hodges, Brent D. Turrin, Duane E. Champion, Carl C. Swisher III
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5028
In 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected samples for 12 new argon-argon radiometric ages from eastern Snake River Plain olivine tholeiite basalt flows in the subsurface at the Idaho National Laboratory. The core samples were collected from flows that had previously published...
Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: Permian and Palo Duro Basins and Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin: Chapter K in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources
Matthew D. Merrill, Ernie R. Slucher, Tina L. Roberts-Ashby, Peter D. Warwick, Madalyn S. Blondes, P.A. Freeman, Steven M. Cahan, Christina A. DeVera, Celeste D. Lohr
Peter D. Warwick, M.D. Corum, editor(s)
2015, Open-File Report 2012-1024-K
The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resource in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of...
Digital surfaces and thicknesses of selected hydrogeologic units of the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina
Lester J. Williams, Joann F. Dixon
2015, Data Series 926
Digital surfaces and thicknesses of selected hydrogeologic units of the Floridan aquifer system were developed to define an updated hydrogeologic framework as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program. The dataset contains structural surfaces depicting the top and base of the aquifer system, its major and minor hydrogeologic...
Revised hydrogeologic framework of the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina
Lester J. Williams, Eve L. Kuniansky
2015, Professional Paper 1807
The hydrogeologic framework for the Floridan aquifer system has been revised throughout its extent in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. The updated framework generally conforms to the original framework established by the U.S. Geological Survey in the 1980s, except for adjustments made to the internal boundaries...
Effect of tides, river flow, and gate operations on entrainment of juvenile salmon into the interior Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
Russell W. Perry, Patricia L. Brandes, Jon R. Burau, Philip T. Sandstrom, John R. Skalski
2015, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (144) 445-455
Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha emigrating from natal tributaries of the Sacramento River, California, must negotiate the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereafter, the Delta), a complex network of natural and man-made channels linking the Sacramento River with San Francisco Bay. Fish that enter the interior and southern Delta—the region to...
Hydrogeologic framework, hydrology, and refined conceptual model of groundwater flow for Coastal Plain aquifers at the Standard Chlorine of Delaware, Inc. Superfund Site, New Castle County, Delaware, 2005-12
Michael J. Brayton, Roberto M. Cruz, Luke Myers, James R. Degnan, Jeff P. Raffensperger
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5224
From 1966 to 2002, activities at the Standard Chlorine of Delaware chemical facility in New Castle County, Delaware resulted in the contamination of groundwater, soils, and wetland sediment. In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3, and the Delaware Department of...
Hydrologic effects of potential changes in climate, water use, and land cover in the Upper Scioto River Basin, Ohio
Andrew D. Ebner, G. F. Koltun, Chad J. Ostheimer
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5024
This report presents the results of a study to provide information on the hydrologic effects of potential 21st-century changes in climate, water use, and land cover in the Upper Scioto River Basin, Ohio (from Circleville, Ohio, to the headwaters). A precipitation-runoff model, calibrated on the basis of historical climate and...
