Subglacial discharge at tidewater glaciers revealed by seismic tremor
Timothy C. Bartholomaus, Jason M. Amundson, Jacob I. Walter, Shad O’Neel, Michael E. West, Christopher F. Larsen
2015, Geophysical Research Letters (42) 6391-6398
Subglacial discharge influences glacier basal motion and erodes and redeposits sediment. At tidewater glacier termini, discharge drives submarine terminus melting, affects fjord circulation, and is a central component of proglacial marine ecosystems. However, our present inability to track subglacial discharge and its variability significantly hinders our understanding of these processes....
Phylogenetic and pathogenic characterization of novel adenoviruses from long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis)
Katrina Counihan, Lee Skerratt, J. Christian Franson, Tuula E. Hollmen
2015, Virology (485) 393-401
Novel adenoviruses were isolated from a long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) mortality event near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in 2000. The long-tailed duck adenovirus genome was approximately 27 kb. A 907 bp hexon gene segment was used to design primers specific for the long-tailed duck adenovirus. Nineteen isolates were phylogenetically characterized based...
Development of twelve microsatellite loci in the red tree corals Primnoa resedaeformis and Primnoa pacifica
Cheryl L. Morrison, Marcus J. Springmann, Kelsey Shroades, Robert P. Stone
2015, Conservation Genetics Resources (7) 763-765
A suite of tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide microsatellite loci were developed from Roche 454 pyrosequencing data for the cold-water octocorals Primnoa resedaeformis and P. pacifica. Twelve of 98 primer sets tested consistently amplified in 30 P. resedaeformis samples from Baltimore...
Re-colonization by common eiders Somateria mollissima in the Aleutian Archipelago following removal of introduced arctic foxes Vulpes lagopus
Margaret R. Petersen, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Matthew G. Sexson
2015, Journal of Avian Biology (46) 538-549
Islands provide refuges for populations of many species where they find safety from predators, but the introduction of predators frequently results in elimination or dramatic reductions in island-dwelling organisms. When predators are removed, re-colonization for some species occurs naturally, and inter-island phylogeographic relationships and current movement patterns can illuminate processes...
A rapid estimation of near field tsunami run-up
Sebastian Riqueime, Mauricio Fuentes, Gavin P. Hayes, Jamie Campos
2015, Journal of Geophysical Research (120) 6487-6500
Many efforts have been made to quickly estimate the maximum run-up height of tsunamis associated with large earthquakes. This is a difficult task, because of the time it takes to construct a tsunami model using real time data from the source. It is possible to construct a database of potential...
2013 volcanic activity in Alaska: summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory
James P. Dixon, Cheryl Cameron, Robert G. McGimsey, Christina A. Neal, Chris Waythomas
2015, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5110
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) responded to eruptions, volcanic unrest or suspected unrest, and seismic events at 18 volcanic centers in Alaska during 2013. Beginning with the 2013 AVO Summary of Events, the annual description of the AVO seismograph network and activity, once a stand-alone publication, is now part of...
Glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland
Marin Sharp, G. Wolken, D. Burgess, J.G. Cogley, L. Copland, L. Thomson, A. Arendt, B. Wouters, J. Kohler, L. M. Andreassen, Shad O’Neel, M. Pelto
2015, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (96) S135-S137
Mountain glaciers and ice caps cover an area of over 400 000 km2 in the Arctic, and are a major influence on global sea level (Gardner et al. 2011, 2013; Jacob et al. 2012). They gain mass by snow accumulation and lose mass by meltwater runoff. Where they terminate in...
Distribution and movements of Alaska-breeding Steller's Eiders in the nonbreeding period
Philip D. Martin, David C. Douglas, Tim Obritschkewitsch, Shannon Torrence
2015, The Condor (117) 341-353
Mapping benefits from updated ifsar data in Alaska: improved source data enables better maps
Kari J. Craun
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3051
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and partners in other Federal and State agencies are working collaboratively toward Statewide coverage of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) elevation data in Alaska. These data will provide many benefits to a wide range of stakeholders and users. Some applications include development of more accurate...
Conceptual data modeling of wildlife response indicators to ecosystem change in the Arctic
Dennis H. Walworth, John M. Pearce
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1148
Large research studies are often challenged to effectively expose and document the types of information being collected and the reasons for data collection across what are often a diverse cadre of investigators of differing disciplines. We applied concepts from the field of information or data modeling to the U.S. Geological...
Distribution of near-surface permafrost in Alaska: estimates of present and future conditions
Neal J. Pastick, M. Torre Jorgenson, Bruce K. Wylie, Shawn J. Nield, Kristofer D. Johnson, Andrew O. Finley
2015, Remote Sensing of Environment (168) 301-315
High-latitude regions are experiencing rapid and extensive changes in ecosystem composition and function as the result of increases in average air temperature. Increasing air temperatures have led to widespread thawing and degradation of permafrost, which in turn has affected ecosystems, socioeconomics, and the carbon cycle of high latitudes. Here we overcome complex interactions...
Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes
Alexa R. Van Eaton, Larry G. Mastin, M. Herzog, Hans F. Schwaiger, David J. Schneider, Kristi L. Wallace, Amanda B Clarke
2015, Nature Communications (6)
During explosive eruptions, airborne particles collide and stick together, accelerating the fallout of volcanic ash and climate-forcing aerosols. This aggregation process remains a major source of uncertainty both in ash dispersal forecasting and interpretation of eruptions from the geological record. Here we illuminate the mechanisms and timescales of particle aggregation...
Landscape and local effects on occupancy and densities of an endangered wood-warbler in an urbanizing landscape
Jennifer Reidy, Frank R. Thompson III, Courtney L. Amundson, Lisa O’Donnell
2015, Landscape Ecology (31) 365-382
Context Golden-cheeked warblers (Setophaga chrysoparia), an endangered wood-warbler, breed exclusively in woodlands co-dominated by Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) in central Texas. Their breeding range is becoming increasingly urbanized and habitat loss and fragmentation are a main threat to the species’ viability. Objectives We investigated the...
Limits to benthic feeding by eiders in a vital Arctic migration corridor due to localized prey and changing sea ice
James R. Lovvorn, Aariel R. Rocha, Stephen C. Jewett, Douglas Dasher, Steffen Oppel, Abby Powell
2015, Progress in Oceanography (136) 162-174
Four species of threatened or declining eider ducks that nest in the Arctic migrate through the northeast Chukchi Sea, where anticipated industrial development may require prioritizing areas for conservation. In this nearshore corridor (10–40 m depth), the eiders’ access to benthic prey during the spring is restricted to variable areas of...
Mapping surficial minerals at high latitudes: The USGS 2014 imaging spectrometer data collection in Alaska
Raymond F. Kokaly, Todd M. Hoefen, Garth Graham, Karen Kelly, Michaela Johnson, Bernard Hubbard, Richard Goldfarb
2015, Conference Paper
Passive optical remote sensing of high latitude regions faces many challenges including a short acquisition season and poor illumination due to low solar elevation. Additional complications are encountered in the identification of surface minerals for mineral resource characterization because minerals of interest commonly are exposed on steep terrain, further challenging...
Preliminary interpretation of industry two-dimensional seismic data from Susitna Basin, south-central Alaska
Kristen A. Lewis, Christopher J. Potter, Anjana K. Shah, Richard G. Stanley, Peter J. Haeussler, Richard W. Saltus
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1138
Located approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Anchorage, Alaska, the Susitna Basin is a complex sedimentary basin whose tectonic history has been poorly understood. Recent interpretation of two-dimensional seismic reflection data integrated with well, aeromagnetic, and gravity data provides new insights into the structural and stratigraphic nature of the basin. This report...
Potential for real‐time understanding of coupled hydrologic and biogeochemical processes in stream ecosystems: Future integration of telemetered data with process models for glacial meltwater streams
Diane M. McKnight, Karen D. Cozzetto, James D. S. Cullis, Michael N. Gooseff, Christopher Jaros, Joshua C. Koch, W. Berry Lyons, Roseanna M. Neupauer, Adam N. Wlostowski
2015, Water Resources Research (51) 6725-6738
While continuous monitoring of streamflow and temperature has been common for some time, there is great potential to expand continuous monitoring to include water quality parameters such as nutrients, turbidity, oxygen, and dissolved organic material. In many systems, distinguishing between watershed and stream ecosystem controls can be challenging. The usefulness...
Geologic Map of Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska
Susan M. Karl, Peter J. Haeussler, Glen R. Himmelberg, Cathy L. Zumsteg, Paul W. Layer, Richard M. Friedman, Sarah M. Roeske, Lawrence W. Snee
2015, Scientific Investigations Map 3335
This map updates the geology of Baranof Island based on fieldwork, petrographic analyses, paleontologic ages, and isotopic ages. These new data provide constraints on depositional and metamorphic ages of lithostratigraphic rock units and the timing of structures that separate them. Kinematic analyses and thermobarometric calculations provide insights on the regional...
Geologic framework of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, and the Alaska Peninsula terrane
Frederic H. Wilson, Robert L. Detterman, Gregory D. DuBois
2015, Bulletin 1969-B
The Alaska Peninsula is composed of the late Paleozoic to Quaternary sedimentary, igneous, and minor metamorphic rocks that record the history of a number of magmatic arcs. These magmatic arcs include an unnamed Late Triassic(?) and Early Jurassic island arc, the early Cenozoic Meshik arc, and the late Cenozoic Aleutian...
Surface melt dominates Alaska glacier mass balance
Larsen Chris F, E Burgess, A.A. Arendt, Shad O’Neel, A. J. Johnson, C. Kienholz
2015, Geophysical Research Letters (42) 5902-5908
Mountain glaciers comprise a small and widely distributed fraction of the world's terrestrial ice, yet their rapid losses presently drive a large percentage of the cryosphere's contribution to sea level rise. Regional mass balance assessments are challenging over large glacier populations due to remote and rugged geography, variable response of...
USGS Arctic Science Strategy
Mark Shasby, Durelle Smith
2015, Fact Sheet 2015-3049
The United States is one of eight Arctic nations responsible for the stewardship of a polar region undergoing dramatic environmental, social, and economic changes. Although warming and cooling cycles have occurred over millennia in the Arctic region, the current warming trend is unlike anything recorded previously and is affecting the...
Geospatial compilation of results from field sample collection in support of mineral resource investigations, Western Alaska Range, Alaska, July 2013
Michaela R. Johnson, Garth E. Graham, Bernard E. Hubbard, William Benzel
2015, Data Series 943
This Data Series summarizes results from July 2013 sampling in the western Alaska Range near Mount Estelle, Alaska. The fieldwork combined in situ and camp-based spectral measurements of talus/soil and rock samples. Five rock and 48 soil samples were submitted for quantitative geochemical analysis (for 55 major and trace elements),...
User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0
Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1123
The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The...
Estimating the abundance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation with aerial surveys
Martyn E. Obbard, Seth P. Stapleton, Kevin R. Middel, Isabelle Thibault, Vincent Brodeur, Charles Jutras
2015, Polar Biology (38) 1713-1725
The Southern Hudson Bay (SH) polar bear subpopulation occurs at the southern extent of the species’ range. Although capture–recapture studies indicate abundance was likely unchanged between 1986 and 2005, declines in body condition and survival occurred during the period, possibly foreshadowing a future decrease in abundance. To obtain a current...
Monitoring population status of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska: options and considerations
George G. Esslinger, Daniel Esler, S. Howlin, L.A. Starcevich
2015, Open-File Report 2015-1119
After many decades of absence from southeast Alaska, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are recolonizing parts of their former range, including Glacier Bay, Alaska. Sea otters are well known for structuring nearshore ecosystems and causing community-level changes such as increases in kelp abundance and changes in the size and number of...
