Field manual for identifying and preserving high-water mark data
Toby D. Feaster, Todd A. Koenig
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1105
This field manual provides general guidance for identifying and collecting high-water marks and is meant to be used by field personnel as a quick reference. The field manual describes purposes for collecting and documenting high-water marks along with the most common types of high-water marks. The manual provides a list...
Bathymetric surveys of the Neosho River, Spring River, and Elk River, northeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri, 2016–17
Shelby L. Hunter, Chad E. Ashworth, S. Jerrod Smith
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5101
In February 2017, the Grand River Dam Authority filed to relicense the Pensacola Hydroelectric Project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The predominant feature of the Pensacola Hydroelectric Project is Pensacola Dam, which impounds Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees (locally called Grand Lake) in northeastern Oklahoma. Identification of information gaps...
The influence of soil resources and plant traits on invasion and restoration in a subtropical woodland
Stephanie G. Yelenik, Carla M. D’Antonio, Elizabeth August-Schmidt
2017, Plant Ecology (218) 1149-1161
It has been shown in some cases that nitrogen (N) addition to soil will increase abundance of plant invaders because many invaders have traits that promote rapid growth in response to high resource supply. Similarly, it has been suggested, and sometimes shown, that decreasing soil N via carbon (C) additions...
Using models to identify the best data: An example from northern Wisconsin
Andrew T. Leaf
2017, Groundwater (55) 641-645
Linear-based data-worth analysis is an efficient and straightforward method for identifying the most important data for model forecasts....
Camera traps reveal an apparent mutualism between a common mesocarnivore and an endangered ungulate
Michael V. Cove, Andrew S. Maurer, Allan F. O’Connell
2017, Mammalian Biology (87) 143-145
Camera traps are commonly used to study mammal ecology and they occasionally capture previously undocumented species interactions. The key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) is an endangered endemic subspecies of the Florida Keys, where it exists with few predators. We obtained a camera trap sequence of 80 photos in which a...
Structural equation model of total phosphorus loads in the Red River of the North Basin, USA and Canada
Karen R. Ryberg
2017, Journal of Environmental Quality (46) 1072-1080
Attribution of the causes of trends in nutrient loading is often limited to correlation, qualitative reasoning, or references to the work of others. This paper represents efforts to improve causal attribution of water-quality changes. The Red River of the North basin provides a regional test case because of international interest...
Refining fault slip rates using multiple displaced terrace risers-An example from the Honey Lake fault, NE California, USA
Ryan D. Gold, Richard W. Briggs, Anthony J. Crone, Christopher DuRoss
2017, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (477) 134-146
Faulted terrace risers are semi-planar features commonly used to constrain Quaternary slip rates along strike-slip faults. These landforms are difficult to date directly and therefore their ages are commonly bracketed by age estimates of the adjacent upper and lower terrace surfaces. However, substantial differences in the ages of the upper and lower terrace...
Projecting impacts of climate change on water availability using artificial neural network techniques
Eric D. Swain, Julieta Gomez-Fragoso, Sigfredo Torres-Gonzalez
2017, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (143)
Lago Loíza reservoir in east-central Puerto Rico is one of the primary sources of public water supply for the San Juan metropolitan area. To evaluate and predict the Lago Loíza water budget, an artificial neural network (ANN) technique is trained to predict river inflows. A method is...
National assessment of shoreline change—Summary statistics for updated vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the north coast of Alaska, U.S.-Canadian Border to Icy Cape
Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1107
Long-term rates of shoreline change for the north coast of Alaska, from the U.S.-Canadian border to the Icy Cape region of northern Alaska, have been updated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project. Short-term shoreline change rates are reported for the first time. Additional...
Biogeographical variation of plumage coloration in the sexually dichromatic Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens)
Jacqueline M. Gaudioso-Levita, Patrick J. Hart, Dennis Lapointe, Anne Veillet, Esther Sebastian-Gonzalez
2017, Journal of Ornithology (158) 955-964
Plumage coloration in birds can be of major importance to mate selection, social signaling, or predator avoidance. Variations in plumage coloration related to sex, age class, or seasons have been widely studied, but the effect of other factors such as climate is less known. In this study, we examine how...
Factors associated with bat mortality at wind energy facilities in the United States
Maureen Thompson, Julie A. Beston, Matthew A. Etterson, James E. Diffendorfer, Scott R. Loss
2017, Biological Conservation (215) 241-245
Hundreds of thousands of bats are killed annually by colliding with wind turbines in the U.S., yet little is known about factors causing variation in mortality across wind energy facilities. We conducted a quantitative synthesis of bat collision mortality with wind turbines by reviewing 218 North American studies representing 100...
Holocene earthquakes of magnitude 7 during westward escape of the Olympic Mountains, Washington
Alan R. Nelson, Stephen Personius, Ray E. Wells, Elizabeth R. Schermer, Lee-Ann Bradley, Jason Buck, Nadine G. Reitman
2017, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (107) 2394-2415
The Lake Creek–Boundary Creek fault, previously mapped in Miocene bedrock as an oblique thrust on the north flank of the Olympic Mountains, poses a significant earthquake hazard. Mapping using 2015 light detection and ranging (lidar) confirms 2004 lidar mapping of postglacial (<<mn...
Coming to terms about describing Golden Eagle reproduction
Karen Steenhof, Michael N. Kochert, Carol L. McIntyre, Jessi L. Brown
2017, Journal of Raptor Research (51) 378-390
Clearly defined terms are essential for reporting and understanding research findings, and inconsistent terminology can complicate efforts to compare findings from different studies. In this article, we reiterate and clarify recommended terms for describing Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) territory occupancy and reproduction. Several authors have provided recommendations for reporting data...
Concentration and trend of 1,4-dioxane in wells sampled during 2002–2017 in the vicinity of the Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site, Arizona
Fred D. Tillman
2017, Scientific Investigations Map 3385
Industrial activities causing extensive groundwater contamination led to the listing of the Tucson International Airport Area (TIAA) as a Superfund Site in 1983. Early groundwater investigations identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including the chlorinated solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), in wells in the area. Several responsible parties were identified...
Semipermanent GPS (SPGPS) as a volcano monitoring tool: Rationale, method, and applications
Daniel Dzurisin, Michael Lisowski, Charles W. Wicks Jr.
2017, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (344) 40-51
Semipermanent GPS (SPGPS) is an alternative to conventional campaign or survey-mode GPS (SGPS) and to continuous GPS (CGPS) that offers several advantages for monitoring ground deformation. Unlike CGPS installations, SPGPS stations can be deployed quickly in response to changing volcanic conditions or earthquake activity such as a swarm or aftershock...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia, 2017
Christopher J. Schenk, Michael E. Brownfield, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Phuong A. Le, Tracey J. Mercier, Thomas M. Finn, Sarah J. Hawkins, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Timothy R. Klett, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Cheryl A. Woodall
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3060
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous resources of 0.45 billion barrels of oil and 1.0 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia....
Low-flow characteristics of streams in South Carolina
Toby D. Feaster, Wladmir B. Guimaraes
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1110
An ongoing understanding of streamflow characteristics of the rivers and streams in South Carolina is important for the protection and preservation of the State’s water resources. Information concerning the low-flow characteristics of streams is especially important during critical flow periods, such as during the historic droughts that South Carolina has...
Organic petrology and micro-spectroscopy of Tasmanites microfossils: Applications to kerogen transformations in the early oil window
Paul C. Hackley, Clifford C. Walters, S.R. Kelemen, Maria Mastalerz, Heather A. Lowers
2017, Organic Geochemistry (114) 23-44
The transformation of kerogen to hydrocarbons in the early stages of oil generation is critical for understanding the resource potential of liquid-rich shale plays. Organic petrology commonly is used for visual evaluation of type, quality, and thermal maturity of organic matter,...
Assessment of critical minerals: Updated application of an early-warning screening methodology
Erin A. McCullough, Nedal Nassar
2017, Mineral Economics (30) 257-272
Increasing reliance on non-renewable mineral resources reinforces the need for identifying potential supply constraints before they occur. The US National Science and Technology Council recently released a report that outlines a methodology for screening potentially critical minerals based on three indicators: supply risk (R), production growth (<i class="EmphasisTypeItalic...
Do you hear what I see? Vocalization relative to visual detection rates of Hawaiian hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus semotus)
P. Marcos Gorresen, Paul M. Cryan, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Frank Bonaccorso
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 6669-6679
Bats vocalize during flight as part of the sensory modality called echolocation, but very little is known about whether flying bats consistently call. Occasional vocal silence during flight when bats approach prey or conspecifics has been documented for relatively few species and situations. Bats flying alone in clutter-free airspace are...
Measuring the role of seagrasses in regulating sediment surface elevation
Maria Potouroglou, James C. Bull, Ken W. Krauss, Hilary A. Kennedy, Marco Fusi, Daniele Daffonchio, Mwita M. Mangora, Michael N. Githaiga, Karen Diele, Mark Huxham
2017, Scientific Reports (7)
Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem services and their rapid global loss may reduce human welfare as well as ecological integrity. In common with the other ‘blue carbon’ habitats (mangroves and tidal marshes) seagrasses are thought to provide coastal defence and encourage sediment stabilisation and surface elevation. A sophisticated understanding of...
Annual estimates of recharge, quick-flow runoff, and ET for the contiguous U.S. using empirical regression equations
Meredith Reitz, Ward E. Sanford, Gabriel Senay, J. Cazenas
2017, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (53) 961-983
This study presents new data-driven, annual estimates of the division of precipitation into the recharge, quick-flow runoff, and evapotranspiration (ET) water budget components for 2000-2013 for the contiguous United States (CONUS). The algorithms used to produce these maps ensure water budget consistency over this broad spatial scale, with contributions from...
Pitted terrains on (1) Ceres and implications for shallow subsurface volatile distribution
H.G. Sizemore, Thomas Platz, Norbert Schorghofer, Thomas Prettyman, Maria Christina De Sanctis, David A. Crown, Nico Schmedemann, Andeas Nessemann, Thomas Kneissl, Simone Marchi, Paul M. Schenk, Michael T. Bland, B.E. Schmidt, Kynan H.G. Hughson, F. Tosi, F Zambon, S.C. Mest, R.A. Yingst, D.A. Williams, C.T. Russell, C.A. Raymond
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 6570-6578
Prior to the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres, the dwarf planet was anticipated to be ice-rich. Searches for morphological features related to ice have been ongoing during Dawn's mission at Ceres. Here we report the identification of pitted terrains associated with fresh Cerean impact craters. The Cerean pitted...
Multiple-source tracking: Investigating sources of pathogens, nutrients, and sediment in the Upper Little River Basin, Kentucky, water years 2013–14
Angela S. Crain, Mac A. Cherry, Tanja N. Williamson, Aubrey R. Bunch
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5086
The South Fork Little River (SFLR) and the North Fork Little River (NFLR) are two major headwater tributaries that flow into the Little River just south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Both tributaries are included in those water bodies in Kentucky and across the Nation that have been reported with declining water...
Monarch butterfly population decline in North America: identifying the threatening processes
Wayne E. Thogmartin, Ruscena Wiederholt, Karen Oberhauser, Ryan G. Drum, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Sonia Altizer, Orley R. Taylor, John M. Pleasants, Darius J. Semmens, Brice X. Semmens, Richard A. Erickson, Kaitlin Libby, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
2017, Royal Society Open Science (4)
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population in North America has sharply declined over the last two decades. Despite rising concern over the monarch butterfly's status, no comprehensive study of the factors driving this decline has been conducted. Using partial least-squares regressions and time-series analysis, we investigated climatic and habitat-related factors...
