Evaluating snow depth measurements from ground-penetrating radar and airborne lidar in boreal forest and tundra environments during the NASA SnowEx 2023 campaign
Kajsa Holland-Goon, Randall Ray Bonnell, Daniel McGrath, W. Brad Baxter, Tate Meehan, Ryan Webb, Christopher F. Larsen, Hans-Peter Marshall, Megan A. Mason, Carrie Vuyovich
2026, The Cryosphere (20) 2169-2179
Snow is a vital component of high-latitude terrestrial systems, but environmental factors (e.g., permafrost) and complex vegetation challenge the accurate measurement of key snowpack properties. We evaluated local-scale ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and large-scale airborne lidar retrievals of snow depth collected during the NASA SnowEx 2023 campaign in tundra and boreal...
A Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for species diversity in ecology
Song S. Qian, Mark Richard Dufour, Sabrina Jaffe, Corbin David Hilling, William D. Hintz
2026, Ecological Informatics (95)
Species diversity is the foundation of many ecological disciplines. This metric is often approximated using species richness and evenness, even though actual richness likely exceeds observations due to imperfect sampling methods. Estimating the “true” species richness, which includes identifying the number of missing species, has intrigued ecologists for decades. We...
Water volumes, heat flow, and solute discharge from Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, Yellowstone National Park, USA
Shaul Hurwitz, R. Blaine McCleskey, Maxwell L. Rudolph, Sara Peek, David A. Roth, Melissa Schott-Atkins, Michael Manga, Kiernan F. Folz Donahue, Mara H. Reed, Jefferson D.G. Hungerford
2026, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (474)
The iconic Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, USA, has attracted a significant amount of research because of the relative regularity and impressive size of its eruptions. Numerous studies have included observations, measurements, and analyses that informed models of geyser eruptions. However, fundamental quantities, including the associated mass and...
Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1002
Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis based on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore indicates...
Historical ice jams and associated environmental conditions on Osoyoos Lake
Nicholas A. Sutfin, Stephen J. Breen
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5003
Ice jams occur regularly at the southern outlet of Osoyoos Lake, which spans the border between the State of Washington and British Columbia, Canada. In recent winters, ice jams caused (1) decreases in downstream discharge that may adversely affect salmon spawning habitat and (2) short-duration lake-level rise that can interfere...
Logical data model for hydrographic data based on HY_Features concepts
David L. Blodgett, editor(s)
2026, OCG Public Engineering Report 25-045
This report describes background and design of the “hydrofabric data model” which defines logic for implementation of data schemas and software that deals with hydrologic geospatial data. As a “logical” data model, the hydrofabric data model specifies details necessary to support compatibility of data and software that satisfy diverse needs...
Characterizing changes in postfire debris-flow hazard as burned areas recover
Andrew Paul Graber, Matthew A. Thomas, Jason W. Kean, Jonathan Michael King, Jaime Kostelnik
2026, Geosphere (22) 494-515
Emergency assessments of postfire debris-flow hazards that are performed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provide estimates of debris-flow likelihood and rainfall triggering conditions that are used for evaluating and managing runoff-generated debris-flow hazards in recently burned areas throughout the western United States. Although the immediate postfire period, within roughly...
The global proliferation of aquatic, benthic Microcoleus: Taxonomy, distribution, toxin production, ecology, and future directions
Laura T. Kelly, Daniel G Beach, Joanna R. Blaszczak, Keith Bouma-Gregson, Sydney M. Brown, Haowu Cheng, Janette L. Davidson, Jutta Fastner, Marcus Francis, Andrea Garcia Jimenez, Laurel Genzoli, Ramesh Goel, Diego Gonzalez, Kim M. Handley, Sabine Hilt, Jean-Francois Humbert, Rob Jamieson, Lindsay Johnston, Pilar Junier, Janice Lawrence, Pearse McCarron, Sven Meissner, Jacob Mormando, Jonathan Puddick, Catherine Quiblier, Nagasaijanani Rajpirathap, Charlotte Schampera, Andy Selwood, Karen Shearer, Abeer Sohrab, Rosalina Stancheva, Cecilio Valadez-Cano, Jordan M. Zebrecky, Susanna A. Wood
2026, Water Research (294)
There have been sporadic reports of aquatic, benthic Microcoleus proliferations in freshwater rivers, lakes, and reservoirs for four decades, with reports increasing in frequency over the last twenty years, suggesting a possible rise in their global distribution, frequency, and intensity. Microcoleus can produce anatoxins which are neurotoxic, and ingestion of toxic...
Predicted range shifts of non‐native grasses in response to climate change are influenced by photosynthetic pathway: A case study in the Hawaiian Islands
Curtis Daehler, Kevin Faccenda, Elizabeth Aquino Peterson, Kelsey C. Brock, Lucas B. Fortini
2026, Diversity and Distributions (32)
AimGrasses comprise three main photosynthetic pathway variants (C3-BOP, C3-PACMAD and C4-PACMAD hereafter referred to as C4). We sought to confirm climate niche differences among these photosynthetic pathway variants and assessed whether predicted non-native grass range shift patterns with climate change differ among photosynthetic pathway variants.<h3 id="ddi70190-sec-0002-title" class="article-section__sub-title...
Morphometric properties of the CP-21 landing site on the Moon at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
Jean-Pierre Williams, Sarah Valencia, Kristen A. Bennett, Margaret E. Landis, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Addison T. Dove, Patrick O'Brien, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine
2026, Planetary Science Journal (7)
Characterizing terrain surface properties is an essential step in assessing the feasibility of landing successfully at a location on a planetary surface. Slopes and terrain ruggedness index (TRI) values derived from high-resolution (2 m pixel−1) digital terrain models provided important constraints in selecting the landing site for the upcoming Payloads...
Biological and environmental drivers of early life fawn survival in a declining pronghorn population
Derek P. Hahn, Robert Charles Lonsinger, M. Colter Chitwood, Anna K. Moeller, Matthew T. Turnley, Marlin M. Dart, Levi J. Heffelfinger, Evan P. Tanner, Michael J. Cherry, H. George Wang, W. Sue Fairbanks
2026, Wildlife Biology (2026)
Pronghorn Antilocapra americana occupy only a portion of their historical range and in Oklahoma occur at the eastern edge of the species' contemporary distribution. Monitoring has suggested pronghorn populations in Oklahoma have declined in recent years. We captured and collared 125 adult females across two winters, monitored them for...
Two-stage approach to automatic detection with machine learning for improved surveillance of the invasive Cuban treefrog
Kaitlin Huber, J. Hardin Waddle, Brad M. Glorioso, Therese M. Donovan
2026, Ecological Informatics (95)
The Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), as an invasive species in the southern United States, presents a need for effective surveillance. Automated detection expedites processing of audio data for large-scale surveillance and monitoring programs. However, current available methods commonly used for anuran species have not been sufficient to...
Initial condition uncertainty exerts a large and persistent influence on model simulations of ecosystem carbon dynamics in California
Paul C. Selmants, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Colin J. Daniel
2026, Environmental Research: Ecology (5)
Uncertainties in terrestrial ecosystem models limit their predictive power. Efforts to reduce projection error have rarely focused on constraining uncertainty in the initial state of the ecosystem, however, despite evidence that matching model initial conditions to real-world observations reduces overall model bias. Here we use an integrated...
Channel morphology and large wood control postfire debris-flow erosion and deposition
Francis K. Rengers, Jason M. Stoker, Jaime Kostelnik, Jason W. Kean, Ellen E. Wohl, Katherine R. Barnhart, Lauren Elizabeth Guido
2026, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (51)
Runoff-generated debris flows are a known response to wildfire, and accurately predicting the volume of these debris flows is important for estimating the magnitude of downstream hazards. Prior data collection efforts have focused on debris-flow volume measurements at catchment outlets, but few studies have considered how erosion...
The Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Stations, version 3
Chris Funk, Pete Peterson, Laura Harrison, Robert Saldivar, Martin Landsfeld, Diego Pedreros, Shraddhanand Shukla, Andreas H. Fink, Frank Davenport, Seth H. Peterson, William Turner, Austin Sonnier, Michael Budde, Karyn Tabor, James Verdin, Disha Hauzaree, Mohamed Naim, Daniella Alaso, Gregory Husak
2026, Scientific Data (13)
The Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) data stream combines: (1) a high-resolution climatology, (2) thermal infrared (TIR) geostationary satellite observations, and (3) station observations. In the past, CHIRPS version 2 (CHIRPS2) has proven to be valuable for drought monitoring, hydrologic modeling, scientific studies and agricultural decision making....
Quality and quantity of terrestrial landscape connectivity in the US Great Lakes Coastal Zone
Lindsay Elizabeth Franc Hunt, Noel B. Pavlovic, Ralph Grundel
2026, Landscape Ecology (Volume 41)
ContextThe Great Lakes Coastal Zone (GLCZ), the world’s longest continuous freshwater coastline, consists of interspersed natural and developed landcover and is inhabited by millions of people. Anthropogenic change fragments the GLCZ, decreasing landscape connectivity.ObjectivesWe evaluated functional landscape connectivity of the U.S. GLCZ, assessing regional connectivity, protected...
Arsenic and isotope concentrations in the lower Platte River valley of eastern Nebraska, early 1970s to 2023
Matthew T. Moser, Mikaela L. Cherry, Brent M. Hall
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5138
The City of Lincoln, Nebraska, has been monitoring concentrations of arsenic in their source water and evaluating their options for treatment and removal since at least 2002. In 2022, the City of Lincoln, Nebr., with funding assistance from the Nebraska Water Sustainability Fund, began cooperating with the U.S. Geological Survey...
Simulation of groundwater flow to evaluate hydrogeologic controls on a PFAS plume, Coakley Landfill Superfund Site, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Phil Harte, Andrew L. Collins
2026, Preprint
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), have been detected at combined concentrations above 2,000 nanograms per liter (ng/L) at groundwater seep locations near the Coakley Landfill Superfund site, in North Hampton, New Hampshire. The landfill was active from 1972 to 1985. An impermeable...
Incorporating data sets with multiple sources of uncertainty in integrated species distribution models
Fiona Lunt, C. Lane Scher, Riley Olivia Mummah, David A.W. Miller
2026, Ecology and Evolution (16)
Data integration methods aim to improve species distribution estimates by incorporating multiple sources of uncertainty across datasets. Two major sources of uncertainty are: (1) variation in sampling effort across space and within datasets, and (2) variation in reliability associated with data collection protocols or timing among datasets. Our goal was...
Semantic segmentation of light-toned veins in multimodal ChemCam data
Ana Lomashvili, Kristin Rammelkamp, Protim Bhattacharjee, Olivier Gasnault, Elise Clavé, Christoph H. Egerland, Susanne Schröder, Travis S.J. Gabriel, Ari Essunfeld, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Begüm Demir
2026, Scientific Reports (16)
Since the Mars Science Laboratory landed in 2012, the ChemCam instrument aboard the rover has collected in-situ laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data and context images along more than 35 km of the Gale Crater traverse, providing valuable observations including diagenetic features such as light-toned veins. These veins...
Describing the seasonal abundance and growth rates of larval fishes across productivity gradients in Lake Huron in 2017
David B. Bunnell, Lauren A. Eaton, Patricia M. Dieter, Paris D. Collingsworth, Joel C. Hoffman, Mark D. Rowe, Wendylee Stott, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Edward S. Rutherford
2026, Journal of Great Lakes Research
Several of the Laurentian Great Lakes, including Lake Huron, have undergone oligotrophication in the past decades and prey fish biomass has concomitantly declined. One potential mechanism to explain declines in prey fish is slower growth and lower survival at the larval stage. To determine whether reduced productivity...
Simulated seasonal loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus by major source from watersheds draining to Washington waters of the Salish Sea, 2005 through 2020
Noah M. Schmadel, Cristiana Figueroa-Kaminsky, Daniel R. Wise, Jamie K. Wasielewski, Zachary Johnson, Robert W. Black
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5001
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) have developed watershed models of seasonal load estimates of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) discharging into the Washington State waters of the Salish Sea from 2005 through 2020. The modeling approach used was dynamic SPARROW (SPAtially...
Influence of modeling assumptions on pedestrian evacuation success for non-eruptive lahar hazards at Mount Rainier, Washington
Nathan J. Wood, Jeff Peters
2026, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (139)
Previous efforts to characterize lahar threats posed to communities downstream of volcanoes have focused primarily on delineating hazard zones that lack information on lahar-arrival times and exposure estimates that implicitly treat threats to be the same regardless of distance from the volcano. Estimated lahar-arrival times, travel times for individuals to...
Drought resistance is greater in montane conifers compared to coastal conifers in northern California
Gabriel J. Roletti, Rosemary L. Sherriff, Lucy P. Kerhoulas, Wallis Robinson, Jill J. Beckmann, Phillip J. van Mantgem
2026, Forest Ecology and Management (612)
Frequent and intense droughts are rapidly altering stand dynamics in western North American forests. The ecological and geographical diversity of northern California provides a unique opportunity to measure these responses across species, habitat types, and levels of competitive pressure. This study used dendrochronological techniques and linear mixed-effects models to assess...
Long-term monotonic trends in water budget components in the contiguous United States: Insights from two hydrologic models
Phillip J. Goodling, Sydney Foks, Jessica Ayers
2026, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (62)
Characterizing changes to water availability for domestic, industrial, agricultural, and other uses is essential to support water management. To better quantify these changes, the U.S. Geological Survey and National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research produced two hydrologic models simulating water budget components from 1980 to 2021 over the...
