Geospace environment modeling 2008--2009 challenge: Dst index
L. Rastatter, M.M. Kuznetsova, A. Glocer, D. Welling, X. Meng, J. Raeder, M. Wittberger, V.K. Jordanova, Y. Yu, S. Zaharia, R.S. Weigel, S. Sazykin, R. Boynton, H. Wei, V. Eccles, W. Horton, M.L. Mays, J. Gannon
2013, Space Weather (11) 187-205
This paper reports the metrics-based results of the Dst index part of the 2008–2009 GEM Metrics Challenge. The 2008–2009 GEM Metrics Challenge asked modelers to submit results for four geomagnetic storm events and five different types of observations that can be modeled by statistical, climatological or physics-based models of the...
Analysis of 1997–2008 groundwater level changes in the upper Deschutes Basin, Central Oregon
Marshall W. Gannett, Kenneth E. Lite Jr.
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5092
Groundwater-level monitoring in the upper Deschutes Basin of central Oregon from 1997 to 2008 shows water-level declines in some places that are larger than might be expected from climate variations alone, raising questions regarding the influence of groundwater pumping, canal lining (which decreases recharge), and other human influences. Between the...
USGS Arctic Ocean carbon cruise 2010: field activity H-03-10-AR to collect carbon data in the Arctic Ocean, August - September 2010
Lisa L. Robbins, Kimberly K. Yates, Matthew D. Gove, Paul O. Knorr, Jonathan Wynn, Robert H. Byrne, Xuewu Liu
2013, Data Series 741
Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is absorbed at the surface of the ocean by reacting with seawater to form carbonic acid, a weak, naturally occurring acid. As atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, the concentration of carbonic acid in seawater also increases, causing a decrease in ocean pH and carbonate mineral...
Efficacy of trap modifications for increasing capture rates of aquatic snakes in floating aquatic funnel traps
Brian J. Halstead, Glenn D. Wylie, Michael L. Casazza
2013, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (8) 65-74
Increasing detection and capture probabilities of rare or elusive herpetofauna of conservation concern is important to inform the scientific basis for their management and recovery. The Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is an example of a secretive, wary, and generally difficult-to-sample species about which little is known regarding its patterns of...
Transport of nitrogen in a treated-wastewater plume to coastal discharge areas, Ashumet Valley, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Jeffrey R. Barbaro, Donald A. Walter, Denis R. LeBlanc
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5061
Land disposal of treated wastewater from a treatment plant on the Massachusetts Military Reservation in operation from 1936 to 1995 has created a plume of contaminated groundwater that is migrating toward coastal discharge areas in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. To develop a better understanding of the potential impact of...
Evaluation of stream chemistry trends in US Geological Survey reference watersheds, 1970-2010
M. Alisa Mast
2013, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (185) 9343-9359
The Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) is a long-term monitoring program established by the US Geological Survey in the 1960s to track changes in the streamflow and stream chemistry in undeveloped watersheds across the USA. Trends in stream chemistry were tested at 15 HBN stations over two periods (1970–2010 and 1990–2010)...
Comparing effects of transmitters within and among populations: application to swimming performance of juvenile Chinook salmon
Russell W. Perry, John M. Plumb, Scott D. Fielding, Noah S. Adams, Dennis W. Rondorf
2013, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (142) 901-911
The sensitivity of fish to a transmitter depends on factors such as environmental conditions, fish morphology, life stage, rearing history, and tag design. However, synthesizing general trends across studies is difficult because each study focuses on a particular performance measure, species, life stage, and transmitter model. These differences motivated us...
Foraging area fidelity for Kemp's ridleys in the Gulf of Mexico
Donna J. Shaver, Kristen M. Hart, Ikuko Fujisaki, Cynthia Rubio, Autumn R. Sartain-Iverson, Jaime Peña, Patrick M. Burchfield, Daniel Gomez Gamez, Jaime Ortiz
2013, Ecology and Evolution (3) 2002-2012
For many marine species, locations of key foraging areas are not well defined. We used satellite telemetry and switching state-space modeling (SSM) to identify distinct foraging areas used by Kemp's ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) tagged after nesting during 1998–2011 at Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, USA (PAIS; N = 22),...
USGS Arctic Ocean carbon cruise 2011: field activity H-01-11-AR to collect carbon data in the Arctic Ocean, August - September 2011
Lisa L. Robbins, Kimberly K. Yates, Paul O. Knorr, Jonathan Wynn, John Lisle, Brian J. Buczkowski, Barbara Moore, Larry Mayer, Andrew Armstrong, Robert H. Byrne, Xuewu Liu
2013, Data Series 748
Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is absorbed at the surface of the ocean by reacting with seawater to form a weak, naturally occurring acid called carbonic acid. As atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, the concentration of carbonic acid in seawater also increases, causing a decrease in ocean pH and carbonate...
Winter climate change and coastal wetland foundation species: Salt marshes vs. mangrove forests in the southeastern United States
Michael J. Osland, Richard H. Day, Thomas W. Doyle, Nicholas Enwright
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 1482-1494
We live in an era of unprecedented ecological change in which ecologists and natural resource managers are increasingly challenged to anticipate and prepare for the ecological effects of future global change. In this study, we investigated the potential effect of winter climate change upon salt marsh and mangrove forest foundation...
How does pedogenesis drive plant diversity?
Etienne Laliberte, James B. Grace, Michael A. Huston, Hans Lambers, Francois P. Teste, Benjamin L. Turner, David A. Wardle
2013, Trends in Ecology and Evolution (28) 331-340
Some of the most species-rich plant communities occur on ancient, strongly weathered soils, whereas those on recently developed soils tend to be less diverse. Mechanisms underlying this well-known pattern, however, remain unresolved. Here, we present a conceptual model describing alternative mechanisms by which pedogenesis (the process of soil formation) might...
The use of process models to inform and improve statistical models of nitrate occurrence, Great Miami River Basin, southwestern Ohio
Donald A. Walter, J. Jeffrey Starn
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5001
Statistical models of nitrate occurrence in the glacial aquifer system of the northern United States, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, use observed relations between nitrate concentrations and sets of explanatory variables—representing well-construction, environmental, and source characteristics— to predict the probability that nitrate, as nitrogen, will exceed a threshold concentration....
A conceptual hydrogeologic model for the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
Jonathan V. Thomas, Gregory P. Stanton, Johnathan R. Bumgarner, Daniel K. Pearson, Andrew Teeple, Natalie A. Houston, Jason Payne, MaryLynn Musgrove
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3024
The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses in the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas. A conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system in the 4,700 square-mile study area was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the...
Final report for sea-level rise response modeling for San Francisco Bay estuary tidal marshes
John Y. Takekawa, Karen M. Thorne, Kevin J. Buffington, Kyle A. Spragens, Kathleen M. Swanson, Judith Z. Drexler, David H. Schoellhamer, Cory T. Overton, Michael L. Casazza
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1081
The International Panel on Climate Change has identified coastal ecosystems as areas that will be disproportionally affected by climate change. Current sea-level rise projections range widely with 0.57 to 1.9 meters increase in mea sea level by 2100. The expected accelerated rate of sea-level rise through the 21st century will...
Geomorphic characterization of the U.S. Atlantic continental margin
Daniel S. Brothers, Uri S. ten Brink, Brian D. Andrews, Jason D. Chaytor
2013, Marine Geology (338) 46-63
The increasing volume of multibeam bathymetry data collected along continental margins is providing new opportunities to study the feedbacks between sedimentary and oceanographic processes and seafloor morphology. Attempts to develop simple guidelines that describe the relationships between form and process often overlook the importance of inherited physiography in slope depositional...
Postwildfire debris-flow hazard assessment of the area burned by the 2012 Little Bear Fire, south-central New Mexico
Anne C. Tillery, Anne Marie Matherne
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1108
A preliminary hazard assessment was developed of the debris-flow potential from 56 drainage basins burned by the Little Bear Fire in south-central New Mexico in June 2012. The Little Bear Fire burned approximately 179 square kilometers (km2) (44,330 acres), including about 143 km2 (35,300 acres) of National Forest System lands...
The effect of increasing salinity and forest mortality on soil nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Gregory B. Noe, Ken W. Krauss, B. Graeme Lockaby, William H. Conner, Cliff R. Hupp
2013, Biogeochemistry (114) 225-244
Tidal freshwater wetlands are sensitive to sea level rise and increased salinity, although little information is known about the impact of salinification on nutrient biogeochemistry in tidal freshwater forested wetlands. We quantified soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) mineralization using seasonal in situ incubations of modified resin cores along spatial...
Relation of watershed setting and stream nutrient yields at selected sites in central and eastern North Carolina, 1997-2008
Stephen L. Harden, Thomas F. Cuffney, Silvia Terziotti, Katharine R. Kolb
2013, Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5007
Data collected between 1997 and 2008 at 48 stream sites were used to characterize relations between watershed settings and stream nutrient yields throughout central and eastern North Carolina. The focus of the investigation was to identify environmental variables in watersheds that influence nutrient export for supporting the development and prioritization...
Use of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) habitat models to predict breeding birds on the San Pedro River, Arizona
Tiffany Marie McFarland, Charles van Riper III
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1100
Successful management practices of avian populations depend on understanding relationships between birds and their habitat, especially in rare habitats, such as riparian areas of the desert Southwest. Remote-sensing technology has become popular in habitat modeling, but most of these models focus on single species, leaving their applicability to understanding broader...
Bathymetric surveys of selected lakes in Missouri--2000-2008
Joseph M. Richards
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1101
Years of sediment accumulation and abnormally dry conditions in the Midwest in 1999 and 2000 led to the water level decline of many water-supply lakes in Missouri, and caused renewed interest in modernizing outdated area/volume tables for these lakes. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of...
Chronology from sediment cores collected in southwestern Everglades National Park, Florida
C.E. Bernhardt, G.L. Wingard, Debra A. Willard, M. E. Marot, B. Landacre, C. W. Holmes
2013, Open-File Report 2012-1275
Age model data are presented for 10 cores from the southwestern coastal mangrove zone of Everglades National Park, Florida, collected in Common Era (CE) 2004 and 2005 and used for paleoecological analysis. Carbon-14 (14C), lead-210 (210Pb), cesium-137 (137Cs), radium-226 (226Ra), and pollen biostratigraphic information is included, and age models were...
Surficial geologic map of the Mount Grace-Ashburnham-Monson-Webster 24-quadrangle area in central Massachusetts
Janet Radway Stone
2013, Open-File Report 2006-1260-I
The surficial geologic map shows the distribution of nonlithified earth materials at land surface in an area of 24 7.5-minute quadrangles (1,238 mi2 total) in central Massachusetts. Across Massachusetts, these materials range from a few feet to more than 500 ft in thickness. They overlie bedrock, which crops out in...
Space can substitute for time in predicting climate-change effects on biodiversity
Jessica L. Blois, John W. Williams, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Stephen T. Jackson, Simon Ferrier
2013, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (110) 9374-9379
“Space-for-time” substitution is widely used in biodiversity modeling to infer past or future trajectories of ecological systems from contemporary spatial patterns. However, the foundational assumption—that drivers of spatial gradients of species composition also drive temporal changes in diversity—rarely is tested. Here, we empirically test the space-for-time assumption by constructing orthogonal...
Intragenomic sequence variation at the ITS1 - ITS2 region and at the 18S and 28S nuclear ribosomal DNA genes of the New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Hydrobiidae: mollusca)
Marshal S. Hoy, Rusty J. Rodriguez
2013, Journal of Molluscan Studies (79) 205-217
Molecular genetic analysis was conducted on two populations of the invasive non-native New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), one from a freshwater ecosystem in Devil's Lake (Oregon, USA) and the other from an ecosystem of higher salinity in the Columbia River estuary (Hammond Harbor, Oregon, USA). To elucidate potential genetic...
Flood-inundation maps for the East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana
Pamela J. Lombard
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3255
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.4-mile reach of the East Fork White River at Columbus, Indiana, from where the Flatrock and Driftwood Rivers combine to make up East Fork White River to just upstream of the confluence of Clifty Creek with the East Fork White River, were created by the...
