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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS2024

Getting to the surface of the problem: A dynamic rupture benchmark for shallowly dipping faults near Earth’s surface

The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Dynamic Rupture Group workshop “Getting to the Surface of the Problem: A Dynamic Rupture Benchmark for Shallowly-Dipping Faults Near Earth’s Surface” was convened virtually, in an online meeting on November 4, 2024. 52 people participated, including two who sent pre-recorded lightning talks earlier, but were unable to join us that day due to the international time-zone difference. One-half of our participants were students or postdocs, and the group included scientists from 11 countries (USA, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland).

Final Report↗
USGS2025

Integrating sea level rise scenarios into Everglades restoration planning

One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is occurring in the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both agriculture and drinking supply within the state. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), authorized by Congress in 2000, guides federal, state, and local efforts to build the infrastructure necessary to bring more water into the Everglades and restore its ecological integrity, while balancing other water-related needs such as water supply and flood protection in the human environment. The Everglades encompasses the southern coast of Florida and restoration efforts are likely to be impacted by climate-induced sea level rise. However, currently, many project planning studies do not formally incorporate the potential impacts of sea level rise when evaluating restoration plan outcomes. Resource managers and project planners require methods and tools to confidently incorporate scenarios of sea level rise into their evaluations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and partners from the University of Florida worked with project planners from multiple agencies to identify restoration questions for consideration when addressing sea level rise. In addition, our project team sought to understand the types of sea level rise decision-support tools that would be of interest, and then worked with Everglades restoration managers and project planners to develop those tools. The tools developed by this project can be used by project planners to inform their decision-making abilities when considering multiple restoration plans across the Everglades landscape. Specifically, the novel ways to visualize output information from ecological models that came of this project can help project planners compare alternative restoration plans that include potential sea level rise impacts. This effort demonstrates how incorporating sea level rise scenarios into Everglades restoration project planning can help managers decide whether projects will maintain or improve ecological integrity and evaluate water availability for wildlife and humans.

Final Report↗
USGS2025

Workshop: Nature-based solutions to ecological and economic problems caused by extreme precipitation events in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Future climate conditions in the Upper Mississippi River Basin are projected to include many more extreme precipitation events. These intense periods of rain can lead to flooding of the Mississippi River itself, as well the small streams and rivers that feed it. This flooding presents a challenge for local communities, farmers, small businesses, river users, and the ecosystems and wildlife in the area. To reduce the damage done by these extreme rainfall events, ‘natural solutions’ are often helpful. This might include preserving forests and grasslands to absorb rainwater before it arrives at streams or restoring wetlands to slow and clean runoff water. For river and natural resource managers to adapt to future climate by using these natural solutions, however, they require accurate information about the projected increase in extreme rainfall events and the effectiveness and costs of a variety of solutions. To provide this information, researchers must understand the decisions that managers are making and the challenges they face. In this project, researchers will host a workshop to facilitate knowledge sharing between natural resource managers, climate modelers, and scientists studying natural solutions. Participants will discuss climate projections related to extreme precipitation events in the region, as well as the management implications and decision-making challenges associated with these events. These conversations will cultivate collaborative relationships between managers and researchers to address critical knowledge gaps and improve future management efforts in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

Upper Mississippi River basin↗
USGS2021

Fire refugia in old-growth forests: Predicting habitat persistence to support land management in an era of rapid global change

Recent stand-replacing wildfires in late-successional and old-growth (LSOG) forests have increased land manager interest in fire refugia, which could provide vital habitat for threatened and endangered species during a time of rapid change. The overall goal of this project was to model, map, and share information essential for the conservation of LSOG forest ecosystems in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, within a diverse co-production team of state and federal land managers. We developed statistical models of contemporary (2002-2017) fire refugia, non-stand-replacing fire (NSR), and high-severity fire based on topography, fuels, fire weather, fire behavior and climate. Independent models were built for two ecoregions (Figure 1), one encompassing the Douglas-fir/western hemlock forests of the northwestern portion of our study area and the other encompassing dry-mixed conifer forests of the eastern Cascades and Klamath-Siskiyou region. We used these models to produce probability surface maps for fire refugia, NSR, and high-severity fire under low, moderate, and extreme fire weather and fire growth scenarios. These maps and associated products provide timely information about the likely persistence, change, and loss of LSOG forests under current and future climate conditions.

California, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2021

Climate change implications for the conservation of amphibians in tropical environments.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources want to develop a plan of actions to protect 12 species of coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus spp.) that are currently considered at risk of being considered threatened or endangered, requiring additional protections under the Endangered Species Act. Actions center on two possible adaptation strategies: a) translocations to suitable, unoccupied habitat, and b) identifying climate-resilient habitats to ensure the persistence of species. Knowledge required to implement these strategies includes understanding how microhabitat and microclimatic factors – the local environmental conditions around individual frogs influence their occupancy (distribution), abundance, and reproduction; these were estimated by focusing on four representative species (E. wightmanae, E. brittoni, E. antillensis, and E. coqui). The abundance of all species but E. antillensis was positively and strongly influenced by moisture levels. As expected, E. antillensis exhibited an opposite relationship. Similarly, the reproductive activity of E. coqui was influenced by higher relative humidity and the presence of a chorus of other individuals. We found that our four focal species were not affected (e.g., abundance, reproduction) by the passing of hurricane Maria in September 2017, possibly because fallen debris creates conditions of increased food and shelter. Our findings help to assess habitat suitability, potential climate refuges, and inform timing for managed translocations.

Final Report↗
USGS2025

Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico

The three North American Rosy-Finch species (Brown-capped [ Leucosticte australis ], Black [ L. atrata ], and Gray-crowned [ L. tephrocotis ]) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. New Mexico is an important location for investigating the effects of climate change because it is the southernmost location in which Brown-capped Rosy-Finches breed and the southernmost location where all three Rosy-Finch species co-occur during winter. In the context of climate change, this range boundary is important to study because it is the first part of the range anticipated to cross a threshold of unsuitability for these species with increasing temperatures. Rosy-Finches are difficult to study during the breeding season due to the high elevation and remoteness of their breeding grounds; therefore, winter studies may lend insight into population trends and provide direction for conservation actions based on knowledge of the breeding origins of wintering birds. The goals of our study were to investigate long-term survival and migration trends from wintering Brown-capped Rosy-Finches in New Mexico and evaluate the efficacy of radio frequency identification (RFID)-equipped artificial feeders to monitor population trends. As of May 2025, we have conducted a robust design survival analysis on 22 years of mark-recapture data from a particular wintering site in New Mexico, assessed patterns in the breeding origins of individuals captured at this site using stable isotope analysis, and examined patterns in data collected via RFID. Our main findings from this study are that annual survival probability of Rosy-Finches wintering in New Mexico is low compared to that of other migratory passerines, that Brown-capped Rosy-Finches wintering in New Mexico likely originate from a variety of locations across their breeding range, and that RFID monitoring is useful in improving survival estimates in Rosy-Finches, particularly in short-term studies.

New Mexico↗
USGS2016

The Aleutian-Bering Climate Vulnerability Assessment

Recent efforts to develop downscaled climate projections for the Bering Sea and Aleutians created an opportunity to better assess regional vulnerability to climate change. The Aleutian Bering Climate Vulnerability Assessment (ABCVA) was launched in 2014 to bring together regional science expertise and stakeholder interests in a rapid evaluation of the implications of future climate projections. This effort followed an internationally accepted but flexible pathway to develop practical, priority research topics that address ecosystem and community vulnerabilities. The ABCVA was completed as a partnership between the Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative (ABSI LCC), the Alaska Climate Science Center and the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), and ultimately brought together three linked objectives: 1. identify and assess selected climate vulnerabilities of key resources and ecosystem services in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea region 2. broadly engage managers and stakeholders about the implications of climate vulnerabilities in the region 3. help ABSI LCC and the Alaska Climate Science Center and AOOS prioritize future research investments and focus The ABCVA convened a group of 30 researchers with expertise ranging from anthropology to zooplankton to review climate projections and their implications for the Aleutians and Bering Sea. These experts worked in five topic-based teams to assess vulnerabilities of species and ecosystem services relative. Each team identified initial vulnerabilities and made recommendations for further research that would help managers and communities better understand the implications of the changing climate in this region.

Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands↗
USGS2024

Learning from the past and planning for the future: Experience-driven insight into managing for ecosystem transformations induced by drought and wildfire

Drought and wildfire pose enormous threats to the integrity of natural resources that land managers are charged with protecting. Recent observations and modeling forecasts indicate that these stressors will likely produce catastrophic ecosystem transformations, or abrupt changes in the condition of plants, wildlife, and their habitats, in regions across the country in coming decades. In this project, researchers will bring together land managers who have experienced various degrees of ecosystem transformation (from not yet experiencing any changes to seeing large changes across the lands they manage) to share their perspectives on how to mitigate large-scale changes in land condition. The team will conduct surveys and structured interviews and invite participants to an in-person field trip and workshop. Encouraging land managers to share perspectives across diverse ecosystems with different degrees of drought and wildfire stress will produce new insight into how to better prevent and prepare for ecosystem changes. New knowledge generated from this project will be widely shared with land managers throughout the western U.S. to improve climate adaptation decision making processes.

Final Report↗
USGS2026

Informing policy response to declining water supply in the Colorado River basin: Linking water supply management with outcomes for fish communities

Water-supply managers in the Colorado River Basin are tasked with balancing consumptive water use with natural water supply. Decisions associated with water-supply policy can include where and how much water consumption occurs, where water could be stored, and how to operate reservoirs. Water-supply decisions often affect other resources including energy production, recreation and aquatic ecosystems. The goal of this project was to model how different water supply management scenarios might affect riverine ecosystems with a specific focus on potential impacts on federally listed fish populations, including threatened humpback chub (Gila cypha) and endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Threats to these endemic species include introduced non-native fish species that often become invasive, like smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and altered physical conditions that may favor these non-native fish species over the endemic fish species. Changes in how water supply may be managed in the Colorado River Basin can affect physical conditions in rivers by altering how much water flows through a particular river segment at a given time, by changing the extent of riverine ecosystems between reservoirs, and by determining the quality of water released from storage reservoirs with fixed release elevation (e.g., full reservoirs generally release colder water). To address our goal, we developed tools that coupled water storage models, river temperature models and fish population models to examine how different scenarios to operate Lake Mead, Lake Powell, and Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the three largest reservoirs in the watershed, may affect fish populations. We developed our work plan when available water supply was diminished. At the end of our project period (May 2022), Lake Powell and Lake Mead contained historically low water levels, and our models were being used in evaluating different options for operating Lake Powell by the Bureau of Reclamation and other stakeholders.

Arizona, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS2025

Predation of Lost River and Shortnose Suckers by piscivorous colonial waterbirds in the Upper Klamath Basin: An analysis of predation effects in 2024

The recovery of endangered fish requires an understanding of the sources of mortality that regulate population dynamics. We estimated avian predation rates on passive integrated transponder tagged (PIT) adult and juvenile Lost River Suckers ( Deltistes luxatus ), Shortnose Suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris ), Klamath Largescale Suckers ( C. snyderi ), and juvenile Chinook Salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) by breeding colonies of American White Pelicans ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ), Doublecrested Cormorants ( Nannopterum auritum ), Caspian Terns ( Hydroprogne caspia ), California Gulls ( Larus californicus ), Ring-billed Gulls ( L. delawarensis ), Great Blue Herons ( Ardea herodias ), Great Egrets ( A. alba ), and Black-crowned Night Herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) in the Upper Klamath Basin (UKB) in 2024. Results from 2024 contribute to a long-term (2009–2023) avian predation dataset in the UKB. The largest numbers of pelicans (1,422 breeding adults), terns (610 adults), and gulls (3,872) were nesting on islands in Clear Lake Reservoir. The largest number of cormorants (787 adults) were on an island in Sheepy Lake, and the largest numbers of herons (450 adults) were at arboreal sites adjacent to Upper Klamath Lake. Predation rate estimates in 2024 were highly variable depending on the fish species, ageclass (juvenile, adult), waterbody (Upper Klamath Lake, Clear Lake Reservoir, Sheepy Lake, Tule Lake), and release or reencounter date for juveniles (spring/summer or fall/winter). Results indicated that avian predation rates were the highest on wild and hatchery juvenile suckers. An estimated 19.4% (95% credible interval = 15.7–24.0) of Sucker Assisted Rearing Program (SARP) hatchery fish, released or reencountered during the spring and summer, were consumed by the colonies included in the study. Predation was also appreciable on wild juvenile suckers in Clear Lake Reservoir (13.4% [9.9–17.7]) and SARP juvenile suckers released or reencountered in Upper Klamath Lake in the fall/winter (11.2% [9.6 13.2]). Predation rate estimates on adult suckers were significantly lower than those of juvenile suckers, with predation ranging from 0.3% (0.2–0.7) to 2.6% (1.9–3.5) in adult Lost River Suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and adult Shortnose Suckers-Klamath Largescale Suckers in Clear Lake Reservoir, respectively. Predation rate estimates on juvenile Chinook Salmon, which were released in fall/winter, were 2.9% (2.2–3.6). Pelican (312 adults) and cormorant (301 adults) colonies in Upper Klamath Lake, however, were not scanned for fish PIT tags following breeding season, resulting in minimum estimates of predation on UKB fishes (both suckers and Chinook Salmon) in 2024. Future research could examine what biotic and abiotic factors best explain variation in predation and to what degree predation limits sucker survival using the long-term dataset that has been complied to date.

California, Oregon↗
USGS2026

Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems

State and federal agencies are negotiating water-supply agreements that may govern water supply and storage in the Colorado River Basin through 2046. Current operating policies in the Colorado River primarily focus on water supply implications with less focus on the potential effects to other resources. Models that forecast the response of multiple resources over the short- and long-term term to water supply decisions could lead to greater consideration of these resources in future water supply decision making. In this project, we developed a dynamic programming tool to identify potential release decisions that help maximize different management objectives under different scenarios for storing water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell in attempt to inform efforts to consider multiple resources. We ask, “ How can decisions under different reservoir storage scenarios affect river resource management objectives, what are the trade-offs among these objectives, and how can we consider more resources when making water supply decisions? ”.

Colorado River↗
USGS2021

Methods of liming to accelerate the reversal of acidic deposition effects in calcium-depleted Adirondack watersheds

Acidic deposition levels in the Adirondack region of New York State at the close of 2020 declined to values estimated for the early 20th century before the emergence of large-scale industrialization. However, chemical recovery of surface waters has lagged as a result of soil calcium (Ca) depletion, and long-term monitoring has not provided a clear indication that soil Ca availability has begun to increase. Recent computer modeling of Adirondack streams suggests that recovery goals may not be met in Ca-depleted watersheds for decades even with aggressive reductions in acidic deposition. The delayed response of soils and surface waters to reduced deposition has prompted consideration of adding Ca in the form of lime to increase the rate at which the effects of acidic deposition are being reversed through decreased pollutant emissions alone. In this regard, an experiment was conducted from 2013–2019 to evaluate the utility of liming to accelerate recovery in Adirondack stream watersheds that drain directly into Honnedaga Lake, near Forestport, NY. Results of this research were combined with relevant research results from prior liming studies to develop a methodology for the use of liming to accelerate reversal of acidic deposition effects tailored for the Adirondack region of New York State. This document presents (1) a rationale for liming in the context of the current acidic deposition regime, (2) an assessment of benefits and risks to be considered with various application methods, (3) a suggested method for selecting watersheds where liming would be most beneficial, and (4) an explanation of the primary factors that need to be addressed to successfully implement watershed liming.

New York↗
USGS2003

Inventory of marine and estuarine fishes in southeast and central Alaska National Parks

As part of a national inventory program funded by the National Park Service, we conducted an inventory of marine and estuarine fishes in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Sitka National Historical Park, and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in 2001 and 2002. In addition, marine fish data from a previous project that focused on forage fishes and marine predators during 1999 and 2000 in Glacier Bay proper were compiled for this study. Sampling was conducted with modified herring and Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawls, a plumb staff beam trawl, and beach seines. Species lists of relative abundance were generated for nearshore fishes in all parks, and for demersal and pelagic fishes in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. With a total sampling effort of 531 sets, we captured 100 species in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, 31 species in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 23 species in Sitka National Historical Park, and 11 species in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. We estimated that between 59 and 85 percent of the total marine fish species present were sampled by us in the various habitat-park units. We also combined these data with historical records and prepared an annotated species list of 160 marine and estuarine fishes known to occur in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Shannon-Wiener diversity index and catch per unit effort were used to assess the effects of depth and latitude (distance from tidewater glaciers) on marine fish community ecology in Glacier Bay proper. Our findings suggest that demersal fishes are more abundant and diverse with increased distance from tidewater glaciers, and that pelagic fishes sampled deeper than 50 m are more abundant in areas closer to tidewater glaciers.

Alaska↗
USGS2020

Final Alabama Barrier Island restoration assessment report, appendix A: Data management plan

The Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment project focused exclusively on Dauphin Island, a significant barrier island along the northern Gulf of Mexico. This restoration feasibility study effort required data collection and analysis of many data types (e.g., hydro, sediment, currents, etc.) through the project’s life cycle to assess restoration measures and their effects on the sustainability of Dauphin Island. As such, the project requires a data management plan (DMP) to address issues such as data delivery format, organizational strategies, internal data sharing, archival processes, and product dissemination.

Alabama↗
USGS2008

Shear wave structure of Umbria and Marche, Italy, strong motion seismometer sites Affected by the 1997-98 Umbria-Marche, Italy, earthquake sequence

A long sequence of earthquakes, eight with magnitudes between 5 and 6, struck the Umbria and Marche regions of central Italy between September 26, 1997 and July 1998. The earthquake swarm caused severe structural damage, particularly to masonry buildings, and resulted in the loss of twelve lives and about 150 injuries. The source of the events was a single seismogenic structure that consists of several faults with a prevailing northwest-southeast strike and crosses the Umbria-Marche border. The focal mechanism of the largest shocks indicates that the events were the product of shallow extensional normal faulting along a NE-SW extension perpendicular to the trend of the Apennines. The network of analog seismometer stations in the Umbria and Marche regions recorded motions of the main September and October 1997 events and a dense array of mobile digital stations, installed since September 29, recorded most of the swarm. The permanent national network Rete Accelerometrica Nazionale (RAN) is administered and maintained by Dipartimento delle Protezione Civile (DPC: Civil Protection Department); the temporary array was managed by Servizio Sismico Nazionale (SSN) in cooperation with small agencies and Universities. ENEA, the operator of many seismometer stations in Umbria, is the public Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment. Many of the temporary and permanent stations in the Italian seismic network have little or no characterization of seismic velocities. In this study, we investigated 17 Italian sites using an active-source approach that employs low frequency harmonic waves to measure the dispersive nature of surface waves in the ground. We used the Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) approach, coupled with an array of harmonic-wave electro-mechanical sources that are driven in-phase to excite the ground. An inversion algorithm using a non-linear least-squares best-fit method is used to compute shear wave velocities for up to 100 meters of the soil column. A draft report was published in the summer of 2008, followed by a comment period, lengthy discussions with Italian colleagues, and improved knowledge of the subsurface at the sites from soil logs. Four of the sites were reprocessed in order to correct issues with phase unwrapping of the field dispersion curves that complicated the velocity profile calculations at the lowest velocity sites. This report presents the final results from the reprocessing effort.

Open-File Report↗