Quantification of aquifer properties with surface nuclear magnetic resonance in the Platte River valley, central Nebraska, using a novel inversion method
Trevor P. Irons, Christopher M. Hobza, Gregory V. Steele, Jared D. Abraham, James C. Cannia, Duane D. Woodward
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5189
Surface nuclear magnetic resonance, a noninvasive geophysical method, measures a signal directly related to the amount of water in the subsurface. This allows for low-cost quantitative estimates of hydraulic parameters. In practice, however, additional factors influence the signal, complicating interpretation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Platte...
Coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave simulations of a storm event over the Gulf of Lion and Balearic Sea
Lionel Renault, Jacopo Chiggiato, John C. Warner, Marta Gomez, Guillermo Vizoso, Joaquin Tintore
2012, Journal of Geophysical Research (117)
The coastal areas of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea are one of the most challenging places for ocean forecasting. This region is exposed to severe storms events that are of short duration. During these events, significant air-sea interactions, strong winds and large sea-state can have catastrophic consequences in the coastal areas....
Estimating contributions of nitrate and herbicides from groundwater to headwater streams, northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA
Scott Ator, Judith M. Denver
2012, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (48) 1075-1090
Groundwater transport often complicates understanding of surface-water contamination. We estimated the regional flux of nitrate and selected herbicides from groundwater to nontidal headwater streams of the Atlantic Coastal Plain (New Jersey through North Carolina) based on late-winter or spring base-flow samples from 174 streams. Sampled streams were selected randomly, and...
Movement of water infiltrated from a recharge basin to wells
David R. O'Leary, John A. Izbicki, Jean E. Moran, Tanya Meeth, Brandon Nakagawa, Loren Metzger, Chris Bonds, Michael J. Singleton
2012, Ground Water (50) 242-255
Local surface water and stormflow were infiltrated intermittently from a 40-ha basin between September 2003 and September 2007 to determine the feasibility of recharging alluvial aquifers pumped for public supply, near Stockton, California. Infiltration of water produced a pressure response that propagated through unconsolidated alluvial-fan deposits to 125 m below...
Relying on fin erosion to identify hatchery-reared brown trout in a Tennessee river
Jonathan R. Meerbeek, Phillip William Bettoli
2012, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (32) 922-928
Hatchery-induced fin erosion can be used to identify recently stocked catchable-size brown trout Salmo trutta during annual surveys to qualitatively estimate contributions to a fishery. However, little is known about the longevity of this mark and its effectiveness as a short-term (≤ 1 year) mass-marking technique. We evaluated hatchery-induced pectoral...
Flood inundation map library, Fort Kent, Maine
Pamela J. Lombard
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3119
Severe flooding occurred in northern Maine from April 28 to May 1, 2008, and damage was extensive in the town of Fort Kent (Lombard, 2010). Aroostook County was declared a Federal disaster area on May 9, 2008. The extent of flooding on both the Fish and St. John Rivers during...
A benthic-macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity and assessment of conditions in selected streams in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1998-2009
Andrew G. Reif
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5116
The Stream Conditions of Chester County Biological Monitoring Network (Network) was established by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Chester County Water Resources Authority in 1969. Chester County encompasses 760 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania and has a rapidly expanding population. Land-use change has occurred in response to this continual...
Measurement and simulation of evapotranspiration at a wetland site in the New Jersey Pinelands
David M. Sumner, Robert S. Nicholson, Kenneth L. Clark
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5118
Evapotranspiration (ET) was monitored above a wetland forest canopy dominated by pitch-pine in the New Jersey Pinelands during November 10, 2004-February 20, 2007, using an eddy-covariance method. Twelve-month ET totals ranged from 786 to 821 millimeters (mm). Minimum and maximum ET rates occurred during December-February and in July, respectively. Relations...
Status of groundwater quality in the Coastal Los Angeles Basin, 2006-California GAMA Priority Basin Project
Dara A. Goldrath, Miranda S. Fram, Michael Land, Kenneth Belitz
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5048
Groundwater quality in the approximately 860-square-mile (2,227-square-kilometer) Coastal Los Angeles Basin study unit (CLAB) was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study area is located in southern California in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The GAMA Priority Basin...
Persistence and extirpation in invaded landscapes: patch characteristics and connectivity determine effects of non-native predatory fish on native salamanders
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle, Bryce A. Maxell
2012, Biological Invasions (15) 671-685
Studies have demonstrated negative effects of non-native, predatory fishes on native amphibians, yet it is still unclear why some amphibian populations persist, while others are extirpated, following fish invasion. We examined this question by developing habitat-based occupancy models for the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) and nonnative fish using survey data...
Natural growth and diet of known-age pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) early life stages in the upper Missouri River basin, Montana and North Dakota
P.J. Braaten, D.B. Fuller, R.D. Lott, T.M. Haddix, L.D. Holte, R.H. Wilson, M.L. Bartron, J.A. Kalie, P.W. DeHaan, W.R. Ardren, R.J. Holm, M.E. Jaeger
2012, Journal of Applied Ichthyology (28) 496-504
Prior to anthropogenic modifications, the historic Missouri River provided ecological conditions suitable for reproduction, growth, and survival of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus. However, little information is available to discern whether altered conditions in the contemporary Missouri River are suitable for feeding, growth and survival of endangered pallid sturgeon during the...
Evaluation of the relation between evapotranspiration and normalized difference vegetation index for downscaling the simplified surface energy balance model
Jonathan V. Haynes, Gabriel B. Senay
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5197
The Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) model uses satellite imagery to estimate actual evapotranspiration (ETa) at 1-kilometer resolution. SSEB ETa is useful for estimating irrigation water use; however, resolution limitations restrict its use to regional scale applications. The U.S. Geological Survey investigated the downscaling potential of SSEB ETa from 1...
Simulation of groundwater and surface-water interaction and effects of pumping in a complex glacial-sediment aquifer, east central Massachusetts
Jack R. Eggleston, Carl S. Carlson, Gillian M. Fairchild, Phillip J. Zarriello
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5172
The effects of groundwater pumping on surface-water features were evaluated by use of a numerical groundwater model developed for a complex glacial-sediment aquifer in northeastern Framingham, Massachusetts, and parts of surrounding towns. The aquifer is composed of sand, gravel, silt, and clay glacial-fill sediments up to 270 feet thick over...
Matrix population models from 20 studies of perennial plant populations
Martha M. Ellis, Jennifer L. Williams, Peter Lesica, Timothy J. Bell, Paulette Bierzychudek, Marlin Bowles, Elizabeth E. Crone, Daniel F. Doak, Johan Ehrlen, Albertine Ellis-Adam, Kathryn McEachern, Rengaian Ganesan, Penelope Latham, Sheila Luijten, Thomas N. Kaye, Tiffany M. Knight, Eric S. Menges, William F. Morris, Hans den Nijs, Gerard Oostermeijer, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, J. Stephen Shelly, Amanda Stanley, Andrea Thorpe, Ticktin Tamara, Teresa Valverde, Carl W. Weekley
2012, Ecology (93) 951-951
Demographic transition matrices are one of the most commonly applied population models for both basic and applied ecological research. The relatively simple framework of these models and simple, easily interpretable summary statistics they produce have prompted the wide use of these models across an exceptionally broad range of taxa. Here,...
More than a meal: integrating non-feeding interactions into food webs
Sonia Kéfi, Eric L. Berlow, Evie A. Wieters, Sergio A. Navarrete, Owen L. Petchey, Spencer A. Wood, Alice Boit, Lucas N. Joppa, Kevin D. Lafferty, Richard J. Williams, Neo D. Martinez, Bruce A. Menge, Carol A. Blanchette, Alison C. Iles, Ulrich Brose
2012, Ecology Letters (15) 291-300
Organisms eating each other are only one of many types of well documented and important interactions among species. Other such types include habitat modification, predator interference and facilitation. However, ecological network research has been typically limited to either pure food webs or to networks of only a few (<3) interaction...
Temporal changes in aquatic-invertebrate and fish assemblages in streams of the north-central and northeastern U.S.
Jonathan G. Kennen, Daniel J. Sullivan, Jason T. May, Amanda H. Bell, Karen M. Beaulieu, Donald E. Rice
2012, Ecological Indicators (18) 312-329
Many management agencies seek to evaluate temporal changes in aquatic assemblages at monitoring sites, but few have sites with ecological time series that are long enough for this purpose. Trends in aquatic-invertebrate and fish assemblage composition were assessed at 27 long-term monitoring sites in the north-central and northeastern United States....
Stable isotope deltas: Tiny, yet robust signatures in nature
Willi A. Brand, Tyler B. Coplen
2012, Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies (48) 393-409
Although most of them are relatively small, stable isotope deltas of naturally occurring substances are robust and enable workers in anthropology, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, food and drug authentication, forensic science, geochemistry, geology, oceanography, and paleoclimatology to study a variety of topics. Two fundamental processes explain the stable...
Unsupervised classification of lidar-based vegetation structure metrics at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Christine J. Kranenburg, Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Amar Nayegandhi, John Brock, Robert Woodman
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1096
Traditional vegetation maps capture the horizontal distribution of various vegetation properties, for example, type, species and age/senescence, across a landscape. Ecologists have long known, however, that many important forest properties, for example, interior microclimate, carbon capacity, biomass and habitat suitability, are also dependent on the vertical arrangement of branches and...
Guidelines for a graph-theoretic implementation of structural equation modeling
James B. Grace, Donald R. Schoolmaster Jr., Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Amanda M. Little, Brian R. Mitchell, Kathryn M. Miller, E. William Schweiger
2012, Ecosphere (3)
Structural equation modeling (SEM) is increasingly being chosen by researchers as a framework for gaining scientific insights from the quantitative analyses of data. New ideas and methods emerging from the study of causality, influences from the field of graphical modeling, and advances in statistics are expanding the rigor, capability, and...
Trimming the UCERF2 hazard logic tree
Keith A. Porter, Edward H. Field, Kevin Milner
2012, Seismological Research Letters (83) 815-828
The Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast 2 (UCERF2) is a fully time‐dependent earthquake rupture forecast developed with sponsorship of the California Earthquake Authority (Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities [WGCEP], 2007; Field et al., 2009). UCERF2 contains 480 logic‐tree branches reflecting choices among nine modeling uncertainties in the earthquake rate...
Sediment fluxes from California Coastal Rivers: the influences of climate, geology, and topography
E.D. Andrews, Ronald C. Antweiler
2012, Journal of Geology (120) 349-366
The influences of geologic and climatic factors on erosion and sedimentation processes in rivers draining the western flank of the California Coast Range are assessed. Annual suspended, bedload, and total sediment fluxes were determined for 16 river basins that have hydrologic records covering all or most of the period from...
Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and parts of the Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee River basins in Georgia and adjacent parts of Florida and Alabama during drought conditions, July 2011
Debbie W. Gordon, Michael F. Peck, Jaime A. Painter
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5179
As part of the U.S. Department of the Interior sustainable water strategy, WaterSMART, the U.S. Geological Survey documented hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and western and central Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee River basins in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia during low-flow conditions in July 2011. Moderate-drought conditions prevailed in this area...
Helicopter electromagnetic survey of the Model Land Area, Southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida
David V. Fitterman, Maria Deszcz-Pan, Scott T. Prinos
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1176
This report describes a helicopter electromagnetic survey flown over the Model Land Area in southeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, to map saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer. The survey, which is located south and east of Florida City, Florida, covers an area of 115 square kilometers with a flight-line spacing of...
Aspect control of water movement on hillslopes near the rain–snow transition of the Colorado Front Range
Eve-Lyn S. Hinckley, Brian A. Ebel, R. T. Barnes, R.S Anderson, M.W. Williams, S.P. Anderson
2012, Hydrological Processes (28) 74-85
In the Colorado Front Range, forested catchments near the rain–snow transition are likely to experience changes in snowmelt delivery and subsurface water transport with climate warming and associated shifts in precipitation patterns. Snowpack dynamics are strongly affected by aspect: Lodgepole pine forested north‐facing slopes develop a seasonal snowpack, whereas Ponderosa...
Response to "Comments on 'Theory for source-responsive and free-surface film modeling of unsaturated flow'"
John R. Nimmo
2012, Vadose Zone Journal (11)
I am grateful to Masciopinto (2012) for raising several issues from my study (Nimmo, 2010) that deserve elaboration or clarification. In this reply, I address these in what I judge to be the order of importance, the main ones being (i) the discrepancy of scales between the two domains that...
