Hydrogeologic units, contour maps, and cross sections of the Boone and Roubidoux aquifers, northeastern Oklahoma, 2020
Cory A. Russell, Jacob W. Stivers
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3452
The Boone and Roubidoux aquifers (or their equivalents) are the main sources of fresh groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma. Projected total water demand of both surface water and groundwater in northeastern Oklahoma is expected to increase approximately 56 percent from 2010 to 2060. This report provides an overview of the hydrogeology...
Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014
Bryant Jurgens, Miranda S. Fram, Jeffrey Rutledge, George L. V Bennett V
2020, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (https://www.springer.com/journal/10661) (192)
Areas of improving and degrading groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California were assessed using spatial weighting of a new metric for scoring wells based on constituent concentrations and the direction and magnitude of a trend slope (Sen). Individual well scores were aggregated across 2135 equal-area grid cells covering the...
USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory news media management guide — General protocols and templates
Carolyn L. Driedger, Elizabeth G. Westby
2020, Circular 1462
This guide describes general protocols and provides templates for news media management at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and is intended for use by the CVO scientist-in-charge, communications staff, scientists, and guest communications colleagues. This public version, with CVO names and contact information removed, may be useful...
Defining active, inactive, and extinct seafloor massive sulfide deposits
John W. Jamieson, Amy Gartman
2020, Marine Policy (117)
Hydrothermal activity results in the formation of hydrothermal mineral deposits, including seafloor massive sulfide deposits, at oceanic spreading ridges, arcs, and back-arcs. As hydrothermal systems age, the mineral deposits eventually become severed from the heat source and fluid-flow pathways responsible for their formation and become extinct. The timescales and processes...
Assessment of microscopic pathology in fishes collected at sites impacted by wood tar in Pennsylvania
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik, Adam J. Sperry, Diana Pavlick
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1024
In an effort to determine whether fish populations in an area affected by wood tar waste exhibited health effects, fish were collected and analyzed with histopathology. Multiple species, including Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), White Sucker (Catostumus commersonii), Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus), and...
Human dimensions considerations in wildlife disease management
Kirsten Leong, Daniel J. Decker
Katherine L. D. Richgels, Samantha E.J. Gibbs, Margaret A. Wild, editor(s)
2020, Techniques and Methods 15-C8
In 1943, Aldo Leopold observed that the real problem of wildlife management is not how to handle wildlife, but how to manage humans. As with any other aspect of wildlife management, social sciences can improve understanding the human dimensions of wildlife disease management (WDM). Human activities have accelerated the emergence...
Trends in streamflow and precipitation for selected sites in the Elkhorn River Basin and in streamflow in the Salt Creek and Platte River Basins, Nebraska, 1961–2011
Benjamin J. Dietsch, Kellan R. Strauch
2020, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5016
To better understand the streamflow trends at the streamgages in the Elkhorn River Basin in Nebraska, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District further investigated streamflow trends at the eight streamgages on the Elkhorn River, Salt Creek, and the Lower Platte River that...
Low stand density moderates growth declines during hot droughts in semi-arid forests
Caitlin M. Andrews, Anthony W. D’Amato, Shawn Fraver, Brian Palik, Michael A. Battaglia, John B. Bradford
2020, Journal of Applied Ecology (57) 1089-1102
Increasing heat and aridity in coming decades is expected to negatively impact tree growth and threaten forest sustainability in dry areas. Maintaining low stand density has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of increasingly severe droughts by minimizing competitive intensity.However, the direct impact of stand density on the...
The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Paul M. Konrad, Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl
2020, Professional Paper 1842-R
The key to Merlin (Falco columbarius) management is maintaining an interspersion of groves of deciduous or coniferous trees for nesting and open grasslands for hunting. Merlins do not build their own nests but rather use former nests of other bird species, including those of corvids (crows, ravens, and magpies) and...
The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii)
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Marriah L. Sondreal, Christopher M. Goldade, Melvin P. Nenneman, Travis L. Wooten, Jason P. Thiele, Betty R. Euliss
2020, Professional Paper 1842-W
Keys to Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) management include providing suitable grassland habitat, especially native prairie, with intermediate vegetation height and low visual obstruction, and controlling succession therein. Sprague’s Pipits have been reported to use habitats with no more than 49 centimeters (cm) average vegetation height, 4–14 cm visual obstruction reading,...
Quantifying background nitrate removal mechanisms in an agricultural watershed with contrasting subcatchment baseflow concentrations
Wesley O. Zell, Teresa B Culver, Ward E. Sanford, Jonathan L Goodall
2020, Journal of Environmental Quality (49) 392-403
Numerous studies have documented the linkages between agricultural nitrogen loads and surface water degradation. In contrast, potential water quality improvements due to agricultural best management practices are difficult to detect because of the confounding effect of background nitrate removal rates, as well as the groundwater-driven delay between land surface action...
Well predictive performance of play-wide and Subarea Random Forest models for Bakken productivity
Emil D. Attanasi, Philip A. Freeman, Tim Coburn
2020, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering (191)
In recent years, geologists and petroleum engineers have struggled to clearly identify the mechanisms that drive productivity in horizontal, hydraulically-fractured oil wells producing from the middle member of the Bakken formation. This paper fills a gap in the literature by showing how this play’s heterogeneity affects factors that drive well...
Sequential biodegradation of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene at oxic-anoxic groundwater interfaces in model laboratory columns
Steven J. Chow, Michelle Lorah, Amar R. Wadhawan, Neal D. Durant, Edward J. Bouwer
2020, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (231)
Halogenated organic solvents such as chlorobenzenes (CBs) are frequent groundwater contaminants due to legacy spills. When contaminated anaerobic groundwater discharges into surface water through wetlands and other transition zones, aeration can occur from various physical and biological processes at shallow depths, resulting in oxic-anoxic interfaces (OAIs). This study investigated the...
Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year-class formation, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2017 Monitoring Report
Ryan J. Bart, Summer M. Burdick, Marshal S. Hoy, Carl O. Ostberg
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1025
Executive SummaryPopulations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter referred to as Clear Lake; fig. 1), California, are experiencing long-term declines in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because juvenile suckers are not...
Surface to subsurface correlation of the Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation within a revised sequence stratigraphic framework
William A. Rouse, Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, David W. Houseknecht
2020, Interpretation (8) SJ1-SJ16
Recent work on cores and outcrops of the Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation has facilitated surface to subsurface correlation of depositional sequences across the Alaska North Slope. Five transgressive-regressive depositional sequences have been defined within three large-scale stratigraphic units. Outcrop spectral gamma-ray (GR) profiles were used to correlate observed stacking patterns...
Geologic map of the Bonanza caldera area, northeastern San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Peter W. Lipman
2020, Scientific Investigations Map 3394
The San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado have long been known as a site of exceptionally voluminous mid-Tertiary volcanism, including at least 22 major ignimbrite sheets (each 150–5,000 km³) and associated caldera structures active at 34–23 Ma. Recent volcanologic and petrologic studies in the San Juan region have focused mainly...
Development of microsatellite markers for three at risk tiger beetles Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis, C. d. media, and C. puritana
Aaron W. Aunins, Michael S. Eackles, David C. Kazyak, Michael Drummond, Tim L. King
2020, BMC Research Notes (13)
ObjectiveTiger beetles inhabiting sandy beaches and cliffs along the east coast of the United States are facing increasing habitat loss due to erosion, urbanization, and sea level rise. The northeastern beach tiger beetle Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis and Puritan tiger beetle Cicindela puritana are both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of...
Li and Ca enrichment in the Bristol Dry Lake brine compared to brines from Cadiz and Danby Dry Lakes, Barstow-Bristol Trough, California, USA
Michael R. Rosen, Lisa L. Stillings, Tyler Kane, Kate M. Campbell, Matthew Vitale, Ray Spanjers
2020, Minerals (10)
Relatively few discharging playas in western United States extensional basins have high concentrations of lithium (Li) and calcium (Ca) in the basin-center brines. However, the source of both these ions is not well understood, and it is not clear why basins in close proximity within the same...
Egg and larval collection methods affect spawning adult numbers inferred by pedigree analysis
Robert D. Hunter, Edward F. Roseman, Nick M. Sard, Daniel B. Hayes, Travis O. Brenden, Robin L. DeBruyne, Kim T. Scribner
2020, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (40) 307-319
Analytical methods that incorporate genetic data are increasingly used in monitoring and assessment programs for important rate functions of fish populations (e.g., recruitment). Because gear types vary in efficiencies and effective sampling areas, results from genetic‐based assessments likely differ depending on the sampling gear used to collect genotyped individuals; consequently,...
Evaluating dewatering approaches to protect larval Pacific lamprey
Theresa L. Liedtke, Lisa K. Weiland, Joseph J. Skalicky, Ann E. Gray
2020, Open-File Report 2020-1026
Executive SummaryLarval Pacific lamprey live for several years burrowed in nearshore sediments where they filter feed on detritus and organic matter. Dewatering of larval habitat can occur as a result of flow-management practices, construction projects, or seasonal closures of irrigation diversions. Effective management of dewatering events requires guidance on approaches...
Characterization of feed coals and coal combustion byproducts from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone, Powder River Basin, Wyoming
Michael E. Brownfield
2020, Mountain Geologist (57) 199-240
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined the physical and chemical properties of more than 260 feed coal and coal combustion byproducts from two coal-fired power plants. These plants utilized a low-sulfur (0.23-0.47 wt. % S) and low ash (4.9-6.3 wt. % ash) subbituminous coal from the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone...
Economic valuation of health benefits from using geologic data to communicate radon risk potential
Scott J. Chiavacci, Carl D. Shapiro, Emily Pindilli, Clyde F. Casey, Mary Kay Rayens, Amanda T. Wiggins, William M. Andrews Jr., Ellen J. Hahn
2020, Environmental Health (19)
Background: Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide and represents a major health concern within and outside the United States. Mitigating exposure to radon is especially critical in places with high rates of tobacco smoking (e.g., Kentucky, USA), as radon-induced lung cancer is markedly greater among...
Electrofishing encounter probability, survival, and dispersal of stocked age-0 Muskellunge in Wisconsin lakes
Daniel J. Dembkowski, Janice A. Kerns, Emma G. Easterly, Daniel A. Isermann
2020, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (40) 383-393
Boat electrofishing is often used to sample age-0 Muskellunge Esox masquinongy for indexing recruitment or evaluating stocking success. However, electrofishing samples typically result in low CPUE, prompting concerns regarding whether catch rates reflect actual abundance or whether boat electrofishing is generally ineffective for capturing age-0 Muskellunge (i.e., if fish are not being...
40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb SIMS zircon ages of Ediacaran dikes from the Arabian-Nubian Shield of south Jordan
Hind Ghanem, Ryan J. McAleer, Ghaleb H. Jarrar, Mu’ayyad Al Hseinat, Martin Whitehouse
2020, Precambrian Research (434)
A spectacular feature of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) is the abundance of well-exposed and extensive Neoproterozoic dike swarms of multiple generations. These dikes are generally categorized into metamorphosed and unmetamorphosed post-orogenic dike swarms. The unmetamorphosed dikes in the northern ANS can be grouped into an old and young generations. We...
Altered climate leads to positive density‐dependent feedbacks in a tropical wet forest
Armando Barreto-Muñoz, Aura M. Alonso-Rodriguez, Laura Aldrich-Wolfe, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Tana E Wood
2020, Global Change Biology (26) 3417-3428
Climate change is predicted to result in warmer and drier Neotropical forests relative to current conditions. Negative density‐dependent feedbacks, mediated by natural enemies, are key to maintaining the high diversity of tree species found in the tropics, yet we have little understanding of how projected changes...
