Correction of elevation offsets in multiple co-located lidar datasets
David M. Thompson, P. Soupy Dalyander, Joseph W. Long, Nathaniel G. Plant
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1031
IntroductionTopographic elevation data collected with airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) can be used to analyze short- and long-term changes to beach and dune systems. Analysis of multiple lidar datasets at Dauphin Island, Alabama, revealed systematic, island-wide elevation differences on the order of 10s of centimeters (cm) that were not...
Observations and 3D hydrodynamics-based modeling of decadal-scale shoreline change along the Outer Banks, North Carolina
Ilgar Safak, Jeffrey H. List, John C. Warner, Nirnimesh Kumar
2017, Coastal Engineering (120) 78-92
Long-term decadal-scale shoreline change is an important parameter for quantifying the stability of coastal systems. The decadal-scale coastal change is controlled by processes that occur on short time scales (such as storms) and long-term processes (such as prevailing waves). The ability to predict decadal-scale shoreline change is not well established...
Flowering phenology shifts in response to biodiversity loss
Amelia A. Wolf, Erika S Zavaleta, Paul C. Selmants
2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (114) 3463-3468
Observational studies and experimental evidence agree that rising global temperatures have altered plant phenology—the timing of life events, such as flowering, germination, and leaf-out. Other large-scale global environmental changes, such as nitrogen deposition and altered precipitation regimes, have also been linked to changes in flowering times. Despite our increased understanding...
The interaction of climate change and methane hydrates
Carolyn D. Ruppel, John D. Kessler
2017, Reviews of Geophysics (55) 126-168
Gas hydrate, a frozen, naturally-occurring, and highly-concentrated form of methane, sequesters significant carbon in the global system and is stable only over a range of low-temperature and moderate-pressure conditions. Gas hydrate is widespread in the sediments of marine continental margins and permafrost areas, locations where ocean and atmospheric warming may...
Nocturnal arboreality in snakes in the swamplands of the Atchafalaya Basin of south-central Louisiana and Big Thicket National Preserve of Southeast Texas
Brad M. Glorioso, J. Hardin Waddle
2017, Journal of North American Herpetology (2017) 11-18
The southeastern United States is home to a diverse assemblage of snakes, but only one species, the Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus), is considered specialized for a predominantly arboreal lifestyle. Other species, such as Ratsnakes (genus Pantherophis) and Ribbonsnakes/Gartersnakes (genus Thamnophis), are widely known to climb into vegetation and trees. Some...
Are coastal managers ready for climate change? A case study from estuaries along the Pacific coast of the United States
Karen M. Thorne, Deborah L. Elliott-Fisk, Chase M. Freeman, Thuy-Vy D. Bui, Katherine Powelson, Christopher Janousek, Kevin Buffington, John Y. Takekawa
2017, Ocean and Coastal Management (143) 38-50
A key challenge for coastal resource managers is to plan and implement climate change adaptation strategies inlight of uncertainties and competing management priorities. In 2014, we held six workshops across estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America with over 150 participants to evaluate resource managers' perceived level of understanding...
Counterintuitive roles of experience and weather on migratory performance
Adrian I. Rus, Adam E. Duerr, Tricia A. Miller, James R. Belthoff, Todd E. Katzner
2017, The Auk (134) 485-497
Migration allows animals to live in resource-rich but seasonally variable environments. Because of the costs of migration, there is selective pressure to capitalize on variation in weather to optimize migratory performance. To test the degree to which migratory performance (defined as speed of migration) of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) was...
Terrestrial subaqueous seafloor dunes: Possible analogs for Venus
Lynn Neakrase, Martina Klose, Timothy N. Titus
2017, Aeolian Research (26) 47-56
Dunes on Venus, first discovered with Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in the early 1990s, have fueled discussions about the viability of Venusian dunes and aeolian grain transport. Confined to two locations on Venus, the existence of the interpreted dunes provides evidence that there could be transportable material being mobilized...
Summary of hydrologic conditions in Kansas, water year 2016
Justin M. Louen
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3020
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, maintains a long-term network of hydrologic monitoring sites in Kansas. Real-time data are collected at 216 streamgage sites and are verified throughout the year with regular measurements of streamflow made by USGS personnel. Annual assessments of hydrologic...
Assessment of Permian tight oil and gas resources in the Junggar basin of China, 2016
Christopher J. Potter, Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Timothy R. Klett, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Thomas M. Finn, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Ronald M. Drake II
2017, Fact Sheet 2017-3021
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 764 million barrels of oil and 3.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in tight reservoirs in the Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar basin of northwestern China....
Seismic displacement of gently-sloping coastal and marine sediment under multidirectional earthquake loading
Robert E. Kayen
2017, Engineering Geology (227) 84-92
Gentle sediment-laden slopes are typical of the onshore coastal zone and offshore continental shelf and slope. Coastal sediment are commonly young weakly consolidated materials that are well stratified, have low strength, and can mobilize shear displacements at low levels of stress. Seismically-driven plastic displacements of these sediment pose a hazard...
Observations and a linear model of water level in an interconnected inlet-bay system
Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Neil K. Ganju, Bradford Butman, Richard P. Signell
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans (122) 2760-2780
A system of barrier islands and back-barrier bays occurs along southern Long Island, New York, and in many coastal areas worldwide. Characterizing the bay physical response to water level fluctuations is needed to understand flooding during extreme events and evaluate their relation to geomorphological changes. Offshore sea level is one...
Legacy introductions and climatic variation explain spatiotemporal patterns of invasive hybridization in a native trout
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Ryan P. Kovach, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Stephen J. Amish, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Robb F. Leary, Winsor H. Lowe, Gordon Luikart, Phil Matson, David A. Schmetterling, Bradley B. Shepard, Peter A. H. Westley, Diane Whited, Andrew R. Whiteley, Fred W. Allendorf
2017, Global Change Biology (23) 4663-4674
Hybridization between invasive and native species, a significant threat to worldwide biodiversity, is predicted to increase due to climate-induced expansions of invasive species. Long-term research and monitoring are crucial for understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that modulate the effects of invasive species. Using a large, multi-decade genetics dataset (N...
Brackish groundwater in the United States
Jennifer S. Stanton, David W. Anning, Craig J. Brown, Richard B. Moore, Virginia L. McGuire, Sharon L. Qi, Alta C. Harris, Kevin F. Dennehy, Peter B. McMahon, James R. Degnan, John Karl Bohlke
2017, Professional Paper 1833
For some parts of the Nation, large-scale development of groundwater has caused decreases in the amount of groundwater that is present in aquifer storage and that discharges to surface-water bodies. Water supply in some areas, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, is not adequate to meet demand, and...
The logic of selecting an appropriate map projection in a Decision Support System (DSS)
Michael P. Finn, E. Lynn Usery, Laura N. Woodard, Kristina H. Yamamoto
2017, Book chapter, Choosing a Map Projection
There are undeniable practical consequences to consider when choosing an appropriate map projection for a specific region. The surface of a globe covered by global, continental, and regional maps are so singular that each type distinctively affects the amount of distortion incurred during a projection transformation because of the an...
Quantifying habitat benefits of channel reconfigurations on a highly regulated river system, Lower Missouri River, USA
Susannah O. Erwin, Robert B. Jacobson, Caroline M. Elliott
2017, Ecological Engineering (103) 59-75
We present a quantitative analysis of habitat availability in a highly regulated lowland river, comparing a restored reach with two reference reaches: an un-restored, channelized reach, and a least-altered reach. We evaluate the effects of channel modifications in terms of distributions of depth and velocity as well as distributions and...
Occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in finished drinking water and fate during drinking water treatment
Kathryn L. Klarich, Nicholas C. Pflug, Eden M. DeWald, Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, David M. Cwiertny, Gergory H. LeFevre
2017, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (4) 173
Neonicotinoid insecticides are widespread in surface waters across the agriculturally-intensive Midwestern US. We report for the first time the presence of three neonicotinoids in finished drinking water and demonstrate their general persistence during conventional water treatment. Periodic tap water grab samples were collected at the University of Iowa over seven...
Acute sensitivity of the vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi (Anostraca; Branchinectidae), and surrogate species to 10 chemicals
Chris D. Ivey, John M. Besser, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Ning Wang, D. Christopher Rogers, Sandy Raimondo, Candice R. Bauer, Edward J. Hammer
2017, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (36) 797-806
Vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi, (Branchiopoda; Anostraca) and other fairy shrimp species have been listed as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. Because few data exist about the sensitivity of Branchinecta spp. to toxic effects of contaminants, it is difficult to determine whether they are adequately...
Fungal and bacterial contributions to nitrogen cycling in cheatgrass-invaded and uninvaded native sagebrush soils of the western USA
Nicole DeCrappeo, Elizabeth J. DeLorenze, Andrew T Giguere, David A. Pyke, Peter J. Bottomley
2017, Plant and Soil (416) 271-281
AimThere is interest in determining how cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) modifies N cycling in sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) soils of the western USA.MethodsTo gain insight into the roles of fungi and bacteria in N cycling of...
Coastal river plumes: Collisions and coalescence
Jonathan A. Warrick, Katherine L Farnsworth
2017, Progress in Oceanography (151) 245-260
Plumes of buoyant river water spread in the ocean from river mouths, and these plumes influence water quality, sediment dispersal, primary productivity, and circulation along the world’s coasts. Most investigations of river plumes have focused on large rivers in a coastal region, for which the...
Genetic structure among greater white-fronted goose populations of the Pacific Flyway
Craig R. Ely, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 2956-2968
An understanding of the genetic structure of populations in the wild is essential for long-term conservation and stewardship in the face of environmental change. Knowledge of the present-day distribution of genetic lineages (phylogeography) of a species is especially important for organisms that are exploited or utilize habitats that may be...
North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature Report 12 – Revision of article 37, lithodemic units, of the North American Stratigraphic Code
Robert M. Easton, Lucy E. Edwards, Randall C. Orndorff, Manuel Duguet, Ismael Ferrusquia-Villafranca
2017, Stratigraphy (13) 220-222
At the 71st Annual Meeting of the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature, 26 September, 2016, in Denver, Colorado, the Commission voted unanimously to accept the revision of Article 37 of the North American Stratigraphic Code (North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature, 2005), printed below. It replaces all older versions...
Water-quality trends in the nation’s rivers and streams, 1972–2012—Data preparation, statistical methods, and trend results
Gretchen P. Oelsner, Lori A. Sprague, Jennifer C. Murphy, Robert E. Zuellig, Henry M. Johnson, Karen R. Ryberg, James A. Falcone, Edward G. Stets, Aldo V. Vecchia, Melissa L. Riskin, Laura A. De Cicco, Taylor J. Mills, William H. Farmer
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5006
Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Federal, State, and local governments have invested billions of dollars to reduce pollution entering rivers and streams. To understand the return on these investments and to effectively manage and protect the Nation’s water resources in the future, we need to know...
The Beringian coevolution project: Holistic collections of mammals and associated parasites reveal novel perspectives on evolutionary and environmental change in the North
Joseph A. Cook, Kurt E. Galbreath, Mariel Campbell, Susanne Carriere, Jocelyn P. Colella, Natalie G. Dawson, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Stephen E. Greiman, Vadim B. Fedorov, Genevieve M. S. Haas, Voitto Haukisalmi, Heikki Henttonen, Andrew G. Hope, Donavan Jackson, Tom Jung, Anson V. Koehler, John M. Kinsella, Dianna Krejsa, Susan J. Kutz, Schuyler Liphardt, Stephen O. MacDonald, Jason L. Malaney, Arseny Makarikov, Jon Martin, Bryan S. McLean, Robert Mulders, Batsaikhan Nyamsuren, Sandra L. Talbot, Vasyl V. Tkach, Albina Tsvetkova, Heather M. Toman, Eric C. Waltari, Jackson S. Whitman, Eric P. Hoberg
2017, Arctic Science (3) 585-617
The Beringian Coevolution Project (BCP), a field program underway in the high northern latitudes since 1999, has focused on building key scientific infrastructure for integrated specimen-based studies on mammals and their associated parasites. BCP has contributed new insights across temporal and spatial scales into how ancient climate and environmental change...
Test of a non-physical barrier consisting of light, sound, and bubble screen to block upstream movement of sea lamprey in an experimental raceway
Scott M. Miehls, Nicholas S. Johnson, Pete J. Hrodey
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 660-666
Control of the invasive Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus is critical for management of commercial and recreational fisheries in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Use of physical barriers to block Sea Lampreys from spawning habitat is a major component of the control program. However, the resulting interruption of natural streamflow and blockage of nontarget...
