Determination of earthquake magnitude for early warning from the time-dependence of P-wave amplitudes
Shunta Noda, William L. Ellsworth
2017, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (107) 1860-1867
We propose a method that utilizes the time dependence of P‐wave displacement amplitudes to estimate the final magnitude (M) for earthquake early warning (EEW) before the arrival of the peak amplitude. A relation between M and P‐wave displacement amplitude is employed for the method. Its value is set as a...
A spatiotemporal clustering model for the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3‐ETAS): Toward an operational earthquake forecast
Edward H. Field, Kevin R. Milner, Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Morgan T. Page, Nicholas van der Elst, Thomas H. Jordan, Andrew J. Michael, Bruce E. Shaw, Maximillan J. Werner
2017, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (107) 1049-1081
We, the ongoing Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, present a spatiotemporal clustering model for the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3), with the goal being to represent aftershocks, induced seismicity, and otherwise triggered events as a potential basis for operational earthquake forecasting (OEF). Specifically, we add an epidemic‐type...
Adding a nitrogen footprint to Colorado State University’s sustainability plan
Jacob Kimiecik, Jill Baron, Timothy Weinmann, Emily Taylor
2017, Sustainability (10) 89-95
As a large land grant university with more than 32,000 students, Colorado State University has both on-campus non-agricultural and agricultural sources of nitrogen (N) released to the environment. We used the Nitrogen Footprint Tool to estimate the amount of N released from different sectors of the university for the CSU...
Life history constraints explain negative relationship between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon in lakes
Nicola Craig, Stuart E. Jones, Brian Weidel, Christopher T. Solomon
2017, Ecology and Evolution (7) 6201-6209
Resource availability constrains the life history strategies available to organisms and may thereby limit population growth rates and productivity. We used this conceptual framework to explore the mechanisms driving recently reported negative relationships between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in lakes. We studied populations of bluegill (Lepomis...
Diel periodicity and chronology of upstream migration in yellow-phase American eels (Anguilla rostrata)
Joni L. Aldinger, Stuart A. Welsh
2017, Environmental Biology of Fishes (100) 829-838
Yellow-phase American eel (Anguilla rostrata) upstream migration is temporally punctuated, yet migration chronology within diel time periods is not well-understood. This study examined diel periodicity, chronology, and total length (TL) of six multi-day, high-count (285–1,868 eels) passage events of upstream migrant yellow-phase American eels at the Millville Dam...
USGS Integration of New Science and Technology, Appendix A
Marybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, Aaron R. Cupp, Jon Amberg, Duane Chapman, Robin D. Calfee, James J. Duncker
2017, Report, 2017 Asian Carp Monitoring and Response Plan
This product summarizes the USGS plans for integration of new science and technology into Asian Carp control efforts for 2017. This includes the 1) implementation and evaluation of new tactics and behavioral information for monitoring, surveillance, control and containment; 2) understanding behavior and reproduction of Asian carp in established and...
The difficulty of measuring the absorption of scattered sunlight by H2O and CO2 in volcanic plumes: A comment on Pering et al. “A novel and inexpensive method for measuring volcanic plume water fluxes at high temporal resolution,” Remote Sens. 2017, 9, 146
Christoph Kern
2017, Remote Sensing (9)
In their recent study, Pering et al. (2017) presented a novel method for measuring volcanic water vapor fluxes. Their method is based on imaging volcanic gas and aerosol plumes using a camera sensitive to the near-infrared (NIR) absorption of water vapor. The imaging data are empirically calibrated by comparison with...
Remote measurement of high preeruptive water vapor emissions at Sabancaya volcano by passive differential optical absorption spectroscopy
Christoph Kern, Pablo Masias, Fredy Apaza, Kevin Reath, Ulrich Platt
2017, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (122) 3540-3564
Water (H2O) is by far the most abundant volcanic volatile species and plays a predominant role in driving volcanic eruptions. However, numerous difficulties associated with making accurate measurements of water vapor in volcanic plumes have limited their use as a diagnostic tool. Here we present the first detection of water...
How uncertainty analysis of streamflow data can reduce costs and promote robust decisions in water management applications
Hilary McMilan, Jan Seibert, Asgeir Petersen-Overleir, Michel Lang, Paul White, Ton Snelder, Kit Rutherford, Tobias Krueger, Robert R. Mason, Jr., Julie E. Kiang
2017, Water Resources Research (53) 5220-5228
Streamflow data are used for important environmental and economic decisions, such as specifying and regulating minimum flows, managing water supplies, and planning for flood hazards. Despite significant uncertainty in most flow data, the flow series for these applications are often communicated and used without uncertainty information. In this commentary, we...
Chemical and isotopic evidence for CO2 charge and migration within Bravo Dome and potential CO2 leakage to the southwest
Sean T. Brennan
2017, Energy Procedia (114) 2996-3005
Gas analyses from northeastern New Mexico, USA indicate that previous interpretations of the location of gas charge into the northeastern portion of Bravo Dome are likely correct, and that there may be multiple migration pathways from the same source for different regions in northeastern New Mexico....
Geomorphic processes responsible for decadal-scale arroyo changes, Rio Puerco, New Mexico
Allen C. Gellis, John G. Elliott, Milan Pavich
2017, Geological Society of America Bulletin (129) 1660-1680
The channel and arroyo of the Rio Puerco have continued to evolve since incision in the late 1800s. Resurveys of channel cross sections and aerial imagery over time indicate that between the 1970s and 1990s, the upstream reaches (type 1 morphology) of the Rio Puerco have continued to undergo construction...
Understanding and finding solutions to the problem of sedimentation in the National Wildlife Refuge System
Max Post van der Burg, Karen Jenni, Timothy L. Nieman, Josh D. Eash, Gregory A. Knutsen
2017, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (8) 648-660
The National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) is a collection of public lands maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for migratory birds and other wildlife. Wetlands on individual National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges) may be at risk of increased sedimentation because of land use...
Numerical simulations of sand production in interbedded hydrate-bearing sediments during depressurization
Shun Uchida, Jeen-Shang Lin, Evgeniy Myshakin, Yongkoo Seol, Timothy S. Collett, Ray Boswell
2017, Conference Paper, Proceeding of the 9th International Conference on Gas Hydrates
Geomechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments during gas production is complex, involving changes in hydrate-dependent mechanical properties. When interbedded clay layers are present, the complexity is more pronounced because hydrate dissociation tends to occur preferentially in the sediments adjacent to the clay layers due to clay layers acting as a heat...
Genetic assessment of the effects of streamscape succession on coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch colonization in recently deglaciated streams
Kim T. Scribner, Chad Soiseth, Jeffrey J. McGuire, G. Kevin Sage, Lyman K. Thorsteinson, J. L. Nielsen, E. Knudsen
2017, Journal of Fish Biology (91) 195-218
Measures of genetic diversity within and among populations and historical geomorphological data on stream landscapes were used in model simulations based on approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) to examine hypotheses of the relative importance of stream features (geomorphology and age) associated with colonization events and gene flow for coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch breeding...
Autonomous acoustic recorders reveal complex patterns in avian detection probability
Sarah J. Thompson, Colleen M. Handel, Lance B. McNew
2017, Journal of Wildlife Management (81) 1228-1241
Avian point‐count surveys are typically designed to occur during periods when birds are consistently active and singing, but seasonal and diurnal patterns of detection probability are often not well understood and may vary regionally or between years. We deployed autonomous acoustic recorders to assess how avian availability for detection (i.e.,...
Integration of vegetation community spatial data into a prescribed fire planning process at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (USA)
John A. Young, Carolyn G. Mahan, Melissa Forder
2017, Natural Areas Journal (37) 394-405
Many eastern forest communities depend on fire for regeneration or are enhanced by fire as a restoration practice. However, the use of prescribed fire in the mesic forested environments and the densely populated regions of the eastern United States has been limited. The objective of our research was to develop...
Volcanic unrest and hazard communication in Long Valley Volcanic Region, California
David P. Hill, Margaret T. Mangan, Stephen R. McNutt
2017, Book chapter, Advances in volcanology
The onset of volcanic unrest in Long Valley Caldera, California, in 1980 and the subsequent fluctuations in unrest levels through May 2016 illustrate: (1) the evolving relations between scientists monitoring the unrest and studying the underlying tectonic/magmatic processes and their implications for geologic hazards, and (2) the challenges in communicating...
PeRL: A circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database
Sina Muster, Kurt Roth, Moritz Langer, Stephan Lange, Fabio Cresto Aleina, Annett Bartsch, Anne Morgenstern, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, A. B. K. Sannel, Ylva Sjoberg, Frank Gunther, Christian Andresen, Alexandra Veremeeva, Prajna R. Lindgren, Frederic Bouchard, Mark J. Lara, Daniel Fortier, Simon Charbonneau, Tarmo A. Virtanen, Gustaf Hugelius, J. Palmtag, Matthias B. Siewert, William J. Riley, Charles Koven, Julia Boike
2017, Earth System Science Data (9) 317-348
Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1. 0 × 104 m2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost...
Does bioelectrical impedance analysis accurately estimate the condition of threatened and endangered desert fish species?
Kimberly L. Dibble, Micheal D. Yard, David L. Ward, Charles B. Yackulic
2017, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (146) 888-902
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a nonlethal tool with which to estimate the physiological condition of animals that has potential value in research on endangered species. However, the effectiveness of BIA varies by species, the methodology continues to be refined, and incidental mortality rates are unknown. Under laboratory conditions we...
Life history migrations of adult Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in the upper Yellowstone River
Brian D. Ertel, Thomas E. McMahon, Todd M. Koel, Robert E. Gresswell, Jason Burckhardt
2017, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (37) 743-755
Knowledge of salmonid life history types at the watershed scale is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for effective management. In this study, we used radiotelemetry to characterize the life history movements of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri in the upper Yellowstone River, an extensive tributary that composes nearly half of the...
Use of spatial capture–recapture to estimate density of Andean bears in northern Ecuador
Santiago Molina, Angela K. Fuller, Dana J. Morin, J. Andrew Royle
2017, Ursus (28) 117-126
The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only extant species of bear in South America and is considered threatened across its range and endangered in Ecuador. Habitat loss and fragmentation is considered a critical threat to the species, and there is a lack of knowledge regarding its distribution and abundance....
An “EAR” on environmental surveillance and monitoring: A case study on the use of Exposure–Activity Ratios (EARs) to prioritize sites, chemicals, and bioactivities of concern in Great Lakes waters
Brett R. Blackwell, Gerald T. Ankley, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Kieth A. Houck, Richard S. Judson, Shibin Li, Matthew T. Martin, Elizabeth Murphy, Anthony L. Schroeder, Edwin R. Smith, Joe Swintek, Daniel L. Villeneuve
2017, Environmental Science & Technology (51) 8713-8724
Current environmental monitoring approaches focus primarily on chemical occurrence. However, based on concentration alone, it can be difficult to identify which compounds may be of toxicological concern and should be prioritized for further monitoring, in-depth testing, or management. This can be problematic because toxicological characterization is lacking for many emerging...
Puffins reveal contrasting relationships between forage fish and ocean climate in the North Pacific
William J. Sydeman, John F. Piatt, Sarah Ann Thompson, Marisol Garcia-Reyes, Scott A. Hatch, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Leslie Slater, Jeffrey C. Williams, Nora A. Rojek, Stephani G. Zador, Heather M. Renner
2017, Fisheries Oceanography (26) 379-395
Long-term studies of predator food habits (i.e., ‘predator-based sampling’) are useful for identifying patterns of spatial and temporal variability of forage nekton in marine ecosystems. We investigated temporal changes in forage fish availability and relationships to ocean climate by analyzing diet composition of three puffin species (horned puffin Fratercula corniculata, tufted...
Tributary use by imperiled Flannelmouth and Bluehead Suckers in the upper Colorado River Basin
Gregory S. Fraser, Dana L. Winkelman, Kevin R. Bestgen, Kevin G. Thompson
2017, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (146) 858-871
Habitat alterations and establishment of nonnative fishes have reduced the distributions of Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnis and Bluehead Sucker C. discobolus to less than 50% of their historical ranges in the Colorado River basin. Tributaries are sometimes less altered than main-stem habitat in the basin and may be important to support various life history...
Use of eddy-covariance methods to "calibrate" simple estimators of evapotranspiration
David M. Sumner, Jeffrey S. Geurink, Amy Swancar
2017, Conference Paper, 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting
Direct measurement of actual evapotranspiration (ET) provides quantification of this large component of the hydrologic budget, but typically requires long periods of record and large instrumentation and labor costs. Simple surrogate methods of estimating ET, if “calibrated†to direct measurements of ET, provide a reliable means to quantify ET. Eddy-covariance...