Development of a geodatabase for springs within and surrounding outcrops of the Trinity aquifer in northern Bexar County, Texas, 2010-11
Allan K. Clark, Diane E. Pedraza
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3044
The Trinity aquifer is an important source of groundwater in central Texas, including Bexar County, where population growth has resulted in an increased demand for water (Ashworth, 1983; Mace and others, 2000). Numerous springs issue from rock outcrops within and surrounding the Trinity aquifer in northern Bexar County (fig. 1)....
Software for analysis of chemical mixtures--composition, occurrence, distribution, and possible toxicity
Jonathon C. Scott, Kenneth A. Skach, Patricia L. Toccalino
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5030
The composition, occurrence, distribution, and possible toxicity of chemical mixtures in the environment are research concerns of the U.S. Geological Survey and others. The presence of specific chemical mixtures may serve as indicators of natural phenomena or human-caused events. Chemical mixtures may also have ecological, industrial, geochemical, or toxicological effects....
The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program planned monitoring and modeling activities for Texas, 2013–23
Patricia Ging
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3038
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and...
Linear extension rates of massive corals from the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida
Adis Muslic, Jennifer A. Flannery, Christopher D. Reich, Daniel K. Umberger, Joseph M. Smoak, Richard Z. Poore
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1121
Colonies of three coral species, Montastraea faveolata, Diploria strigosa, and Siderastrea siderea, located in the Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), Florida, were sampled and analyzed to evaluate annual linear extension rates. Montastraea faveolata had the highest average linear extension and variability in (DRTO: C2 = 0.67 centimeters/year (cm yr-1) ± 0.04, B3 = 0.85 cm...
Phylogeography and population genetic structure of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Dacey Mercer, Susan M. Haig, Daniel D. Roby
2013, Conservation Genetics (14) 823-836
We examined the genetic structure of doublecrested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) across their range in the United States and Canada. Sequences of the mitochondrial control region were analyzed for 248 cormorants from 23 breeding sites. Variation was also examined at eight microsatellite loci for 409 cormorants from the same sites. The mitochondrial...
The role of viscous magma mush spreading in volcanic flank motion at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
C. Plattner, F. Amelung, S. Baker, R. Govers, Michael P. Poland
2013, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (118) 2474-2487
Multiple mechanisms have been suggested to explain seaward motion of the south flank of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i. The consistency of flank motion during both waxing and waning magmatic activity at Kīlauea suggests that a continuously acting force, like gravity body force, plays a substantial role. Using finite element models, we...
Historical and contemporary geographic data reveal complex spatial and temporal responses of vegetation to climate and land stewardship
Miguel L. Villarreal, Laura M. Norman, Robert H. Webb, Raymond M. Turner
2013, Land (2) 194-224
Vegetation and land-cover changes are not always directional but follow complex trajectories over space and time, driven by changing anthropogenic and abiotic conditions. We present a multi-observational approach to land-change analysis that addresses the complex geographic and temporal variability of vegetation changes related to climate and land use. Using land-ownership...
Habitat and co-occurrence of native and invasive crayfish in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Christopher A. Pearl, M. J. Adams, Brome McCreary
2013, Aquatic Invasions (8) 171-184
Biological invasions can have dramatic effects on freshwater ecosystems and introduced crayfish can be particularly impacting. We document crayfish distribution in three large hydrographic basins (Rogue, Umpqua, Willamette/Columbia) in the Pacific Northwest USA. We used occupancy analyses to investigate habitat relationships and evidence for displacement of native Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana,...
Culvert Analysis Program Graphical User Interface 1.0--A preprocessing and postprocessing tool for estimating flow through culvert
D. Nathan Bradley
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3045
The peak discharge of a flood can be estimated from the elevation of high-water marks near the inlet and outlet of a culvert after the flood has occurred. This type of discharge estimate is called an “indirect measurement” because it relies on evidence left behind by the flood, such as...
Fire regimes of quaking aspen in the Mountain West
Douglas J. Shinneman, William L. Baker, Paul C. Rogers, Dominik Kulakowski
2013, Forest Ecology and Management (299) 22-34
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most widespread tree species in North America, and it is found throughout much of the Mountain West (MW) across a broad range of bioclimatic regions. Aspen typically regenerates asexually and prolifically after fire, and due to its seral status in many western conifer...
Water resources of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Robert B. Fendick Jr., Lawrence B. Prakken, Jason M. Griffith
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3029
This fact sheet summarizes basic information on the water resources of Claiborne Parish. Information on groundwater and surface-water availability, quality, development, use, and trends is based on previously published reports listed in the Cited References section. In 2010, about 2.60 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in...
Evolution of dike opening during the March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai`i
Paul Lundgren, Michael P. Poland, Asta Miklius, Tim R. Orr, Sang-Ho Yun, Eric Fielding, Zhen Liu, Akiko Tanaka, Walter Szeliga, Scott Hensley, Susan Owen
2013, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (118) 897-914
The 5–9 March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption along the east rift zone of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai`i, followed months of pronounced inflation at Kīlauea summit. We examine dike opening during and after the eruption using a comprehensive interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data set in combination with continuous GPS data. We...
Estimating raptor nesting success: old and new approaches
Jessi L. Brown, Karen Steenhof, Michael N. Kochert, Laura Bond
2013, Journal of Wildlife Management (77) 1067-1074
Studies of nesting success can be valuable in assessing the status of raptor populations, but differing monitoring protocols can present unique challenges when comparing populations of different species across time or geographic areas. We used large datasets from long-term studies of 3 raptor species to compare estimates of apparent nest...
Spatially explicit models for inference about density in unmarked or partially marked populations
Richard B. Chandler, J. Andrew Royle
2013, Annals of Applied Statistics (7) 936-954
Recently developed spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models represent a major advance over traditional capture–recapture (CR) models because they yield explicit estimates of animal density instead of population size within an unknown area. Furthermore, unlike nonspatial CR methods, SCR models account for heterogeneity in capture probability arising from the juxtaposition of animal...
Integrating resource selection information with spatial capture--recapture
J. Andrew Royle, Richard B. Chandler, Catherine C. Sun, Angela K. Fuller
2013, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (4) 520-530
1. Understanding space usage and resource selection is a primary focus of many studies of animal populations. Usually, such studies are based on location data obtained from telemetry, and resource selection functions (RSFs) are used for inference. Another important focus of wildlife research is estimation and modeling population size and...
Total suspended solids concentrations and yields for water-quality monitoring stations in Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1996-2009
Mark N. Landers
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1145
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, established a water-quality monitoring program during late 1996 to collect comprehensive, consistent, high-quality data for use by watershed managers. As of 2009, continuous streamflow and water-quality data as well as discrete water-quality samples were being collected...
Consideration of vertical uncertainty in elevation-based sea-level rise assessments: Mobile Bay, Alabama case study
Dean B. Gesch
2013, Journal of Coastal Research (63) 197-210
The accuracy with which coastal topography has been mapped directly affects the reliability and usefulness of elevationbased sea-level rise vulnerability assessments. Recent research has shown that the qualities of the elevation data must be well understood to properly model potential impacts. The cumulative vertical uncertainty has contributions from elevation data...
The predicted influence of climate change on lesser prairie-chicken reproductive parameters
Blake A. Grisham, Clint W. Boal, David A. Haukos, D. Davis, Kathy K. Boydston, Charles Dixon, Willard R. Heck
2013, PLoS ONE (8) 1-10
The Southern High Plains is anticipated to experience significant changes in temperature and precipitation due to climate change. These changes may influence the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) in positive or negative ways. We assessed the potential changes in clutch size, incubation start date, and nest survival for lesser prairie-chickens for...
Construction of 3-D geologic framework and textural models for Cuyama Valley groundwater basin, California
Donald S. Sweetkind, Claudia C. Faunt, Randall T. Hanson
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5127
Groundwater is the sole source of water supply in Cuyama Valley, a rural agricultural area in Santa Barbara County, California, in the southeasternmost part of the Coast Ranges of California. Continued groundwater withdrawals and associated water-resource management concerns have prompted an evaluation of the hydrogeology and water availability for the...
Geology, water-quality, hydrology, and geomechanics of the Cuyama Valley groundwater basin, California, 2008--12
Rhett R. Everett, Dennis R. Gibbs, Randall T. Hanson, Donald S. Sweetkind, Justin T. Brandt, Sarah E. Falk, Christopher R. Harich
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5108
To assess the water resources of the Cuyama Valley groundwater basin in Santa Barbara County, California, a series of cooperative studies were undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Santa Barbara County Water Agency. Between 2008 and 2012, geologic, water-quality, hydrologic and geomechanical data were collected from selected sites...
Preliminary stratigraphic and hydrogeologic cross sections and seismic profile of the Floridan aquifer system of Broward County, Florida
Ronald S. Reese, Kevin J. Cunningham
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1141
To help water-resource managers evaluate the Floridan aquifer system (FAS) as an alternative water supply, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study, in cooperation with the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department, to refine the hydrogeologic framework of the FAS in the eastern part of Broward County. This...
Hydrologic conditions in New Hampshire and Vermont, water year 2011
Richard G. Kiah, Jason D. Jarvis, Robert F. Hegemann, Gregory S. Hilgendorf, Sanborn L. Ward
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1135
Record-high hydrologic conditions in New Hampshire and Vermont occurred during water year 2011, according to data from 125 streamgages and lake gaging stations, 27 creststage gages, and 41 groundwater wells. Annual runoff for the 2011 water year was the sixth highest on record for New Hampshire and the highest on...
Snake River fall Chinook salmon life history investigations: Annual report 2011 (April 2011 - March 2012)
Kenneth F. Tiffan, William P. Connor, Brian J. Bellgraph, Tobias J. Kock, Frank Mullins, R. Kirk Steinhorst, Helena E. Christiansen, Stephen D. McCormick, Lori A. Ortega, Kathleen M. Carter, Evan V. Arntzen, Katherine J.C. Klett, Z. Daniel Deng, Tylor K. Abel, Timothy J. Linley, Valerie I. Cullinan, Scott J. St John, John M. Erhardt, Brad K. Bickford, Amanda Schmidt, Tobyn N. Rhodes
2013, Report
Executive Summary Chapter One – This chapter was published in the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society in 2012. We conducted a three-year radiotelemetry study in the lower Snake River to answer the questions: do fall Chinook salmon juveniles pass dams during winter when bypass systems and structures designed to prevent...
Bayesian inversion of data from effusive volcanic eruptions using physics-based models: Application to Mount St. Helens 2004--2008
Kyle Anderson, Paul Segall
2013, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (118) 2017-2037
Physics-based models of volcanic eruptions can directly link magmatic processes with diverse, time-varying geophysical observations, and when used in an inverse procedure make it possible to bring all available information to bear on estimating properties of the volcanic system. We develop a technique for inverting geodetic, extrusive flux, and other...
The simulated effects of wastewater-management actions on the hydrologic system and nitrogen-loading rates to wells and ecological receptors, Popponesset Bay Watershed, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Donald A. Walter
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5060
The discharge of excess nitrogen into Popponesset Bay, an estuarine system on western Cape Cod, has resulted in eutrophication and the loss of eel grass habitat within the estuaries. Septic-system return flow in residential areas within the watershed is the primary source of nitrogen. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for...
