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USGS2013

Overview of Chaitén Volcano, Chile, and its 2008-2009 eruption

Chaitén Volcano erupted unexpectedly in May 2008 in one of the largest eruptions globally since the 1990s. It was the largest rhyolite eruption since the great eruption of Katmai Volcano in 1912, and the first rhyolite eruption to have at least some of its aspects monitored. The eruption consisted of an approximately 2-week-long explosive phase that generated as much as 1 km 3 bulk volume tephra (~0.3 km 3 dense rock equivalent) followed by an approximately 20-month-long effusive phase that erupted about 0.8 km 3 of high-silica rhyolite lava that formed a new dome within the volcano’s caldera. Prior to its eruption, little was known about the eruptive history of the volcano or the hazards it posed to society. This edition of Andean Geology contains a selection of papers that discuss new insights on the eruptive history of Chaitén Volcano, and the broad impacts of and new insights obtained from analyses of the 2008-2009 eruption. Here, we summarize the geographic, tectonic, and climatic setting of Chaitén Volcano and the pre-2008 state of knowledge of its eruptive history to provide context for the papers in this edition, and we provide a revised chronology of the 2008-2009 eruption.

Chaitï¿½n Volcano↗

USGS2026

Origins, evolutions, and future directions of Landsat science products for advancing global inland water and coastal ocean observations

In April 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center introduced a Level 2 provisional Aquatic Reflectance (AR) product for the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), marking the initial phase in developing a standardized global product for Landsat-derived surface water measurements. The goal of USGS EROS aquatic product research and development is to prepare for an operational processing architecture for Landsat Collection 3 in the late 2020s that will enable use of quality-controlled data for emerging Landsat aquatic science applications. To achieve this, we released a subset of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR products (Crawford et al., 2025, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14MBBRM) and examined its general performance through the Science Algorithms to Operations (SATO) framework alongside quantitative assessment using community made inland water data records (GLObal Reflectance community dataset for Imaging and optical sensing of Aquatic environments, GLORIA) and radiometric coastal validation platforms (NASA’s Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network, AERONET-OC). Variability within the validation datasets indicate that the performance of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR retrieval is highly context-dependent; errors are minimal in optically simple waters (e.g., clear to moderately turbid coastal waters) but increase considerably in optically complex waters where factors such as elevated levels of turbidity, chlorophyll (Chl a ) concentrations, or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominate the water column. Additionally, this paper examines key algorithmic considerations for atmospheric correction, highlighting factors that influence accuracy, scalability, and computational efficiency necessary for collection processing in the operational Landsat Product Generation System (LPGS). This paper is intended to communicate with aquatic scientists, satellite oceanographers, and the broader Earth observation community on the origins, requirements, challenges, successes, and future objectives for operationalizing global AR data products for Landsat satellite missions.

Earth System Science Data↗

USGS2016

mizuRoute version 1: A river network routing tool for a continental domain water resources applications

This paper describes the first version of a stand-alone runoff routing tool, mizuRoute. The mizuRoute tool post-processes runoff outputs from any distributed hydrologic model or land surface model to produce spatially distributed streamflow at various spatial scales from headwater basins to continental-wide river systems. The tool can utilize both traditional grid-based river network and vector-based river network data. Both types of river network include river segment lines and the associated drainage basin polygons, but the vector-based river network can represent finer-scale river lines than the grid-based network. Streamflow estimates at any desired location in the river network can be easily extracted from the output of mizuRoute. The routing process is simulated as two separate steps. First, hillslope routing is performed with a gamma-distribution-based unit-hydrograph to transport runoff from a hillslope to a catchment outlet. The second step is river channel routing, which is performed with one of two routing scheme options: (1) a kinematic wave tracking (KWT) routing procedure; and (2) an impulse response function – unit-hydrograph (IRF-UH) routing procedure. The mizuRoute tool also includes scripts (python, NetCDF operators) to pre-process spatial river network data. This paper demonstrates mizuRoute's capabilities to produce spatially distributed streamflow simulations based on river networks from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Geospatial Fabric (GF) data set in which over 54 000 river segments and their contributing areas are mapped across the contiguous United States (CONUS). A brief analysis of model parameter sensitivity is also provided. The mizuRoute tool can assist model-based water resources assessments including studies of the impacts of climate change on streamflow.

Geoscientific Model Development↗

USGS2024

GeoAI for science and the science of GeoAI

This paper reviews trends in GeoAI research and discusses cutting-edge ad- vances in GeoAI and its roles in accelerating environmental and social sciences. It ad- dresses ongoing attempts to improve the predictability of GeoAI models and recent re- search aimed at increasing model explainability and reproducibility to ensure trustworthy geospatial findings. The paper also provides reflections on the importance of defining the "science" of GeoAI in terms of its fundamental principles, theories, and methods to ensure scientific rigor, social responsibility, and lasting impacts.

Journal of Spatial Information Science↗

USGS2018

Data quality from a community-based, water-quality monitoring project in the Yukon River basin

This paper examines the quality of data collected by the Indigenous Observation Network, a community-based water-quality project in the Yukon River Basin of Alaska and Canada. The Indigenous Observation Network relies on community technicians to collect surface-water samples from as many as fifty locations to achieve their goals of monitoring the quality of the Yukon River and major tributaries in the basin and maintaining a long-term record of baseline data against which future changes can be measured. This paper addresses concerns about the accuracy, precision, and reliability of data collected by non-professionals. The Indigenous Observation Network data are examined in the context of a standard data life cycle: plan, collect, assure, and describe; as compared to professional scientific activities. Field and laboratory protocols and procedures of the Indigenous Observation Network are compared to those utilized by professional scientists. The data of the Indigenous Observation Network are statistically compared to those collected by professional scientists through a retrospective analysis of a set of water-quality parameters reported by all three projects over a number of years. No statistical differences were found among the three projects for pH, Calcium, Magnesium, or Alkalinity, although statistically significant differences were found for Sodium, Chloride, Sulfate, and Potassium concentrations. The statistical differences found were small and likely not significant in terms of interpreting the data for a variety of uses. Our results suggest that Indigenous Observation Network data are of high quality, and with consistent protocols and participant training, community based monitoring projects can collect data that are accurate, precise, and reliable.

Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon Territory↗

USGS2024

Are researchers citing their data? A case study from the U.S. Geological Survey

Data citation promotes accessibility and discoverability of data through measures carried out by researchers, publishers, repositories, and the scientific community. This paper examines how a data citation workflow has been implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) by evaluating publication and data linkages. Two different methods were used to identify data citations: examining publication structural metadata and examining the full text of the publication. A growing number of USGS researchers are complying with publisher data sharing policies aimed to capture data citation information in a standardized way within associated publications. However, inconsistencies in how data citation information is documented in publications has limited the accessibility and discoverability of the data. This paper demonstrates how organizational evaluations of publication and data linkages can be used to identify obstacles in advancing data citation efforts and improve data citation workflows.

Data Science Journal↗

USGS1997

Geochemistry of the processes that attenuate acid mine drainage in wetlands

Because conventional treatment of acid-mine drainage (AMD) involves installation and maintenance of water treatment plants, regulators and mine operators have sought lower cost and lower maintenance technologies. One ecological engineering technology that has received increasing research attention is the use of natural and constructed wetlands for remediation of some of the water-quality problems associated with AMD. As surface water flows through a wetland, several processes can occur to decrease the elevated concentrations of sulfate, trace metals, arsenic, and hydrogen ions that characterize AMD. These processes range from precipitation of mineral phases to the active uptake of solutes by vegetation. The relative importance of these processes between different wetlands depends on the hydrologic and geochemical characteristics of the wetlands. This paper describes the geochemistry of the processes that contribute to AMD attenuation in wetlands and presents some of the case studies that have identified these processes. The attenuation of AMD in wetlands has been studied in natural and in man- made (constructed) wetlands. In this paper, case studies of both are presented. A discussion of some of the general characteristics of wetlands is followed by more detailed discussions of the processes and geochemistry that contribute to the treatment of AMD in wetlands, relevant case studies, and a brief discussion of constructed wetland design. The physical, chemical, and hydrologic characteristics of a wetland that affect its potential for supporting specific types of reactions are also emphasized.

Book chapter↗

USGS1986

Comments on 'Remarks on the secular change in the energy density spectrum of the geomagnetic field' by Joachim Meyer.

Meyer has discussed only the Rn aspect of the Alldredge (1984) paper he is criticising. He has ignored the pictorial demonstration of the need for higher harmonics to properly describe the secular variation field than the main field as demonstrated. This more or less independent demonstration supports the general conclusion of that paper.

Journal of Geomagnetism & Geoelectricity↗

USGS2017

The evolution, approval and implementation of the U.S. Geological Survey Science Data Lifecycle Model

This paper details how the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Community for Data Integration (CDI) Data Management Working Group developed a Science Data Lifecycle Model, and the role the Model plays in shaping agency-wide policies. Starting with an extensive literature review of existing data Lifecycle models, representatives from various backgrounds in USGS attended a two-day meeting where the basic elements for the Science Data Lifecycle Model were determined. Refinements and reviews spanned two years, leading to finalization of the model and documentation in a formal agency publication . The Model serves as a critical framework for data management policy, instructional resources, and tools. The Model helps the USGS address both the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for increased public access to federally funded research, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 2013 Open Data directives, as the foundation for a series of agency policies related to data management planning, metadata development, data release procedures, and the long-term preservation of data. Additionally, the agency website devoted to data management instruction and best practices (www2.usgs.gov/datamanagement) is designed around the Model’s structure and concepts. This paper also illustrates how the Model is being used to develop tools for supporting USGS research and data management processes.

Journal of eScience Librarianship↗

USGS1941

Age and growth of the rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque), in Nebish Lake, Wisconsin

The present study of the age and growth of the Nebish Lake rock bass is another in a series of papers that have been based wholly or in part on materials collected in the course of investigations on the fishes of the lakes of the northeastern highlands, Wisconsin, conducted cooperatively by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the United States Bureau of Fisheries over the periods, 1927-1928 and 1930-1932. The publications have included studies of the age and growth of the rock bass (Wright, 1929), whitefish (Hile and Deason, 1934), yellow perch (Schneberger, 1935), cisco (Hile, 1936a), muskellunge (Schloemer, 1936, 1938), largemouth black bass (Bennett, 1937), common sucker (Spoor, 1938), and smalimouth black bass (Bennett, 1938). A total of five mimeographed reports on the growth of game fish in Wisconsin has been issued by Juday and Schneberger (1930, 1933), Juday and Bennett (1935), and Juday and Schloemer (1936,. 1938). In addition there have appeared two publications on the morphometry of the cisco (Hile 193Gb, 1937), three dealing with the parasites of fishes in the region (Cross 1934, 1935, 1938) and one on the food of fishes (Couey, 1935). A paper by Hile and Juday on the bathymetric distribution of fish will appear simultaneously with the present study of the rock bass. A contribution on the growth of the bluegill by Schloemer will be published in the near future.

Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences,↗

USGS2003

Native weeds and exotic plants: relationships to disturbance in mixed grass prairie

The paper compares distributions of native weedy species and exotic species with respect to three kinds of disturbance, roads, trails, and prairie dog towns. Data were collected at the north and south units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and at Wind Cave National Park. The paper concludes that many exotic species differ substantially from native weeds in their exploitation of disturbance. It is thus not useful to manage exotics as if they were just another weed.

Plant Ecology↗

USGS1992

Salmonid whirling disease

This paper provides the latest scientific and technical advances in the management of salmonid whirling disease caused by the myxosporean Myxobolus cerebralis (Syn. Myxosoma cerebralis). The complete life cycle of the parasite and the biology of the infective agent to fish, the actinosporean Triactinomyxon stage, are reviewed, and suggested procedures for detection, identification, and control of the disease are discussed. The paper offers sources of information and related reference materials of interest to fish culturists, fishery biologists, and students.

Fish and Wildlife Leaflet↗

USGS1996

Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Colonial Waterbirds in the Mediterranean Region

(excerpt from Forword) The Mediterranean Symposium, part of the annual conference of The Colonial Waterbird Society in October 1993 in Arles, France, was the successful culmination of ideas shared among leading European waterbird and wetland scientists... Both invited and contributed papers focused on two areas - breeding biology (especially of threatened or little known species), and feeding ecology. Eighteen oral presentations were given and 27 poster papers were developed.

Colonial Waterbirds↗

USGS2000

Population and habitat viability assessments for Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos: Usefulness to Partners in Flight Conservation Planning

Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos are Neotropical migratory birds that are federally listed as endangered. Recovery plans for both species advise the use of viability modeling as a tool for setting specific recovery and management targets. Population and Habitat Viability Assessment workshops were conducted to develop population targets and conservation recommendations for these species. Results of the workshops were based on modeling demographic and environmental factors, as well as discussions of management issues, management options, and public outreach strategies. The approach is intended to be iterative, and to be tracked by research and monitoring efforts. This paper discusses the consensus-building workshop process and how the approach could be useful to Partners in Flight. Population and Habitat Viability Assessments (PHVA) were used to develop population targets and conservation recommendations for Golden-cheeked Warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) and Black-capped Vireos (Vireo atricapillus). This paper explains what PHVAs are, discusses how they are conducted, describes the general results that are produced, and suggests how Partners in Flight (PIF) might use a similar process for bird conservation planning. Detailed results of the assessments are not discussed here; however they can be found elsewhere (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996a, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996b). PHVAs were considered for Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos because they are controversial, endangered species, and the species? recovery plans list PHVAs as tools to develop recovery recommendations. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) realized that the data needed to perform PHVAs for these species is limited, but that various conservation efforts, such as the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan and other endeavors, were proceeding without benefit of the biological summarization and guidance that a PHVA could provide.

Book chapter↗

USGS2001

Development of the United States Leave No Trace programme: A historical perspective

This paper describes the historical development of the U.S. Leave No Trace (LNT) educational program. It begins with a review of the need for the program and traces it?s conception and early development in the 1970`s, revitalization in 1991, creation of Leave No Trace, Inc., and the current status. The paper concludes with a discussion of the program?s elements that have made it successful and recommendations for the development of similar educational programs.

Book chapter↗

USGS1996

Forword

Book chapter↗

USGS2002

Prey of the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus cassini) in Southern Argentina and Chile

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus cassini) in Patagonia attracted wide interest two decades ago when there was a focus on determining the taxonomic position of the Pallid Falcon (also called Kleinschmidt's falcon and Tierra del Fuego falcon; formerly named Falco kreyenborgi). In 1981, however, the pallid falcon was confirmed to be a pale color morph of the peregrine, and since that time, little work has been conducted on this color morph. Continent-wide research has continued and has yielded a fair understanding of the breeding distribution of the Peregrine Falcon in South America. Also, two preliminary food habits studies on the peregrine have been completed in Patagonia. Together those papers provided a list of 23 species observed as prey, and McNutt listed another eight species seen pursued (but not captured) by peregrines. The purpose of this paper is to assemble all that has been published on peregrine food habits for Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego and to add to that list from our 1980 and 1981 expeditions.

Journal of Raptor Research↗

USGS2004

Computing and software

The reality is that the statistical methods used for analysis of data depend upon the availability of software. Analysis of marked animal data is no different than the rest of the statistical field. The methods used for analysis are those that are available in reliable software packages. Thus, the critical importance of having reliable, up–to–date software available to biologists is obvious. Statisticians have continued to develop more robust models, ever expanding the suite of potential analysis methods available. But without software to implement these newer methods, they will languish in the abstract, and not be applied to the problems deserving them. In the Computers and Software Session, two new software packages are described, a comparison of implementation of methods for the estimation of nest survival is provided, and a more speculative paper about how the next generation of software might be structured is presented. Rotella et al. (2004) compare nest survival estimation with different software packages: SAS logistic regression, SAS non–linear mixed models, and Program MARK. Nests are assumed to be visited at various, possibly infrequent, intervals. All of the approaches described compute nest survival with the same likelihood, and require that the age of the nest is known to account for nests that eventually hatch. However, each approach offers advantages and disadvantages, explored by Rotella et al. (2004). Efford et al. (2004) present a new software package called DENSITY. The package computes population abundance and density from trapping arrays and other detection methods with a new and unique approach. DENSITY represents the first major addition to the analysis of trapping arrays in 20 years. Barker & White (2004) discuss how existing software such as Program MARK require that each new model’s likelihood must be programmed specifically for that model. They wishfully think that future software might allow the user to combine pieces of likelihood functions together to generate estimates. The idea is interesting, and maybe some bright young statistician can work out the specifics to implement the procedure. Choquet et al. (2004) describe MSURGE, a software package that implements the multistate capture–recapture models. The unique feature of MSURGE is that the design matrix is constructed with an interpreted language called GEMACO. Because MSURGE is limited to just multistate models, the special requirements of these likelihoods can be provided. The software and methods presented in these papers gives biologists and wildlife managers an expanding range of possibilities for data analysis. Although ease–of–use is generally getting better, it does not replace the need for understanding of the requirements and structure of the models being computed. The internet provides access to many free software packages as well as user–discussion groups to share knowledge and ideas. (A starting point for wildlife–related applications is (http://www.phidot.org).

Animal Biodiversity and Conservation↗