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USGS1994

Using analytical services at the National Water Quality Laboratory

The National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) offers a variety of analytical services for the determination of constituents in samples of water, sediment, and biological material. As technology has advanced, many new methods have been introduced but not always incorporated into plans and schedules developed in the districts. The strengths and weaknesses of many different techniques are discussed and evaluated to promote a broad understanding of the services available at the NWQL. Method detection limits, precision, and costs are discussed, as well as possible applications for the methods. To aid in project planning, several tables have been developed that list the approved method for certain determination, particularly those being requested to satisfy cooperator or U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency regulatory requirements.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2008

Future intrusion of oxygenated glacial meltwaters into the Fennoscandian shield: A possibility to consider in performance assessments for nuclear-waste disposal sites?

Provost et al. (1998) and Glynn and Voss (1999; also published in Glynn et al., 1999) considered the possibility that during future glaciations, oxygenated glacial meltwaters from two- to three-kilometer thick ice sheets could potentially intrude to the 500 m depth of planned nuclear-waste repositories. This possibility has been of concern because of potential negative effects on the stability of the repository engineered environment, and because of the potential mobilization of radionuclides should the oxygenated waters come into contact with the radioactive waste. The above reports argued that given the current state of knowledge, it was hard to discount the possibility that oxygenated waters could penetrate to repository level depth. The reports also suggested that oxidizing conditions might be present in the fractured rock environment for significant amounts of time, on the order of thousands to tens of thousands of years. In some earlier reports, Swedish and Finnish governmental agencies in charge of nuclear-waste disposal had considered the possibility that oxygenated meltwaters might intrude to the repository depth (SKI: 1992; Martinerie et al, 1992; Ahonen and Vieno, 1994). Subsequent to the publication of Provost et al. (1998), Glynn et al. (1999) and Glynn and Voss (1999), the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Handling Company (SKB) commissioned efforts to examine more thoroughly the possibilities that oxygenated meltwaters might occur under ice-sheet conditions and intrude to the repository depth.

Fennoscandian Shield↗

USGS2004

Vital signs monitoring plan for the Klamath Network: Phase I report

This report chronicles the Phase 1 stage of the vital signs monitoring program for the Klamath Network. It consists of two chapters and eleven appendixes. The purposes of Chapter One are to 1) describe the network administrative structure and approach to planning; 2) introduce the Klamath Network parks, their resources, and environmental settings; 3) explain the need for monitoring changes in resources and supporting environments; 4) identify key information gaps that limit understanding of how to best achieve these monitoring goals. The purpose of Chapter Two is to develop the descriptive information provided in Chapter One into a conceptual basis for vital signs monitoring and to present the Network’s initial suite of conceptual models. The Report Appendices provide in-depth information on a variety of topics researched in preparation of the report, including: detailed natural resource profiles for each park, supporting policies and guidelines, regional fire regimes, vegetation types of the parks, exotic species threats, interagency monitoring programs, air issues, water quality (Phase 1 Report), Network vital signs (Scoping Summary Report), rare species, and rare habitats of the parks.

Report↗

USGS2024

Assessing the sustainability of Pacific walrus harvest in a changing environment

Harvest sustainability is a primary goal of wildlife management and conservation, and in a changing world, it is increasingly important to consider environmental drivers of population dynamics alongside harvest in cohesive management plans. This is particularly pertinent for harvested species that acutely experience effects of climate change. The Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ), a crucial subsistence resource for Indigenous communities, is simultaneously subject to rapid habitat loss associated with diminishing sea ice and an increasing anthropogenic footprint in the Arctic. We developed a theta-logistic population modeling-management framework to evaluate various harvest scenarios combined with 4 potential climate and disturbance scenarios (ranging from optimistic to pessimistic, based largely on sea ice projections from general circulation models) to simulate Pacific walrus population dynamics to the end of the twenty-first century, focusing on the independent-aged female subset of the population. We considered 2 types of harvest strategies: 1) state-dependent harvest scenarios wherein we calculated harvest as a percentage of the population and updated annual harvests at set intervals as the population was reassessed, and 2) annually consistent harvest scenarios wherein annual harvest levels remain consistent into the future. All climate and disturbance scenarios indicated declines of varying severity in Pacific walrus abundance to the end of the twenty-first century, even in the absence of harvest. However, we found that a state-dependent annual harvest of 1.23% of the independent-aged female subset of the population (e.g., 1,280 independent-aged females harvested in 2020, similar to contemporary harvest levels) met our criterion for sustainability under all climate and disturbance scenarios, considering a medium risk tolerance level of 25%. This indicates that the present rate of Pacific walrus harvest is sustainable and will continue to be—provided the population is assessed at regular intervals and harvest is adapted to match changes in population dynamics. Our simulations indicate that a sustainable annually-consistent harvest is also possible but only at low levels if the population declines as expected. Applying a constant annual harvest of 1,280 independent-aged females failed to meet our criterion for sustainability under 3 of the 4 climate and disturbance scenarios we evaluated and had a higher probability of quasi-extinction than an equivalent state-dependent harvest scenario (1.23%). We highlight the importance of state-dependent management strategies and suggest our modeling framework is useful for managing harvest sustainability in a changing climate.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗

USGS2024

Assessing the sustainability of Pacific walrus harvest in a changing environment

Harvest sustainability is a primary goal of wildlife management and conservation, and in a changing world it is increasingly important to consider environmental drivers of population dynamics alongside harvest in cohesive management plans. This is particularly pertinent for harvested species that are acutely experiencing effects of climate change. The Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ), a critical traditional subsistence resource for indigenous communities, is simultaneously subject to rapid habitat loss associated with diminishing sea ice and an increasing anthropogenic footprint in the Arctic. We developed a theta-logistic population modeling-management framework to evaluate various harvest scenarios combined with four potential climate/disturbance scenarios (ranging from optimistic–pessimistic) which simulates Pacific walrus population dynamics to the end of the 21 st century. We considered two types of harvest strategies: (1) adaptive harvest scenarios wherein harvest is calculated as a percentage of the population and annual harvests are updated at set intervals as the population is reassessed, and (2) non-adaptive harvest scenarios wherein annual harvest remains constant. All climate/disturbance scenarios indicated declines of varying severity in Pacific walrus abundance to the end of the 21 st century, even in the absence of harvest. However, we found that an adaptive annual harvest of 1.23% of the independent-aged female subset of the population (e.g., 1,280 independent-aged females harvested in 2020, representing contemporary harvest levels) met our criterion for sustainability (>70% probability of maintaining population abundance above maximum net productivity level) under all climate/disturbance scenarios, accepting a medium risk tolerance level of 25%. This suggests that the present rate of Pacific walrus harvest is sustainable and will continue to be—provided the harvest adapts to match changes in population dynamics. Our simulations suggest that a sustainable non-adaptive harvest is also possible, but only at low levels if the population declines as expected. Applying a constant annual harvest of 1,280 independent-aged females (equivalent to contemporary harvest levels of 1.23) exceeded our criterion for sustainability and resulted in a >5% chance of quasi-extinction by the end of the 21 st century under three of the four climate/disturbance scenarios we evaluated. Our results highlight the importance of adaptive co-management strategies, and we suggest such modeling frameworks are useful for managing for harvest sustainability in a changing climate.

BioRxiv↗

USGS1995

Quality assurance plan for discharge measurements using broadband acoustic Doppler current profilers

The recent introduction of the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) as an instrument for measuring velocities and discharge in the riverine and estuarine environment promises to revolutionize the way these data are collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. The ADCP and associated software, however, compose a complex system and should be used only by qualifies personnel. Standard procedures should be rigorously followed to ensure that the quality of data collected is commensurate with the standards set by the Water Resources Division for all its varied activities in hydrologic investigations.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

2023 Coastal master plan: ICM-wetlands – Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) updates

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides critical structural habitat for valuable nekton and wildlife species across coastal ecosystems and can buffer the negative effects of land loss. Landscape change and restoration efforts across coastal Louisiana can impact the occurrence, coverage, and species assemblages of SAV, and changes to these foundational species can have cascading impacts across food webs. To support the 2023 Coastal Master Plan efforts, a unique SAV model was developed to assess coverage and occurrence of SAV across aquatic waterbodies in response to environmental variables evaluated. This effort created a spatial model describing the probability of presence of SAV across the study area in response to changing conditions over the modeled time period. To develop the initial coverage data layer, we used remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and modified Normalized Difference Water Index (mNDWI) data from 2015-2018 to identify areas containing variable vegetation and water spectral reflectance. Key environmental variables evaluated included total suspended sediments (TSS), salinity, and physical exposure. Seasonal estimates for TSS and salinity were used, as research indicates that seasonal environmental variability is a significant driver for SAV establishment. Seasonal salinity was derived from Coast-wide Reference Monitoring Station (CRMS) data, and seasonal TSS was estimated from hyperspectral imagery. Estimates of physical exposure have previously been provided by calculating fetch (the distance across water over which waves can propagate), but this proved to be too computationally intensive to be feasible, and we found distance to land to be a reasonable proxy for exposure. To represent geographic conditions and historical factors influences on SAV establishment and occurrence (e.g., variables too numerous and complex to model) we developed a basin variable that served as a proxy for complex historical, or prior, conditions, determined by the forested, fresh, intermediate, brackish, or saline (FFIBS) score. The final model included spring TSS, spring salinity, distance to land, and the basin prior. The model performed well for the area evaluated, correctly classifying SAV (as present or absent) 89% of the time (Kappa = 580). SAV probability of presence responded as expected to change in these environmental variables, with likelihood of occurrence decreasing in response to increasing spring TSS, spring salinity, and distance to land. However, the model was more accurate at predicting absence (true negative = 0.940) than predicting presence (true positive = 0.626), suggesting that the scale of the model may limit the ability to predict presence. Moreover, the simplicity of the model limited the accuracy in highly dynamic environments, for example near the outflow of diversions or areas of significant changes in salinity or TSS. Through incorporating underwater communities like SAV, this master plan provides a holistic view of coastal change and restoration. To create healthy ecological structure and function in wetland habitats, the submergent communities must be considered alongside the emergent habitats. As the benefits of SAV are increasingly recognized, both here in Louisiana and beyond, SAV restoration and the use of SAV communities in assessing and improving ecological condition are becoming more common.

Louisiana↗

USGS1969

Water resources of Wisconsin: Rock-Fox River basin

PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this report is to describe the physical environment, availability, distribution, characteristics, movement, quality, water problems, and use of water within the Rock-Fox River basin in order to aid in planning future water management within the basin. This report presents general information on the basin that was derived from data obtained from Federal, State, and local agencies. In addition, new data were collected from areas where available data were scarce. The reader is referred to the section entitled “Agencies Having Additional Information” and to the list of selected references (sheet 4) for sources of more detailed information. This atlas is one of a series of 12 river-basin studies designed to describe in general terms the water resources of the State. More detailed studies of problem areas will be required in the future as the need for additional information increases. LOCATION AND EXTENT The Rock-Fox River basin in Wisconsin, covers about 4,750 square miles in the southeastern part of the State. It includes all or parts of the following 13 counties: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, Rock, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha. It includes the area drained by the Rock, Fox, and Des Plaines Rivers within the State of Wisconsin. Although the basin boundary is the topographic divide, part of the streamflow is derived from ground water that drains from an area similar to, but not having the same boundaries as, the topographic basin. The ground-water basin covers about 4,350 square miles, 400 square miles less than the topographic basin. Most of the reduction in basin area is along the eastern side of the basin.

Wisconsin↗

USGS2004

Sediment characteristics and configuration within the Otsego City Dam impoundment on the Kalamazoo River, Michigan, 2001-02

The removal of the Otsego City Dam on the Kalamazoo River at Otsego, Mich., is under consideration by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Otsego. The historical discharge of papermill waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls from sources upstream from the dam has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate the Kalamazoo River from Morrow Dam near Comstock to its mouth near Saugatuck as a Federal Superfund site. The papermill waste is concentrated in organic sediment and kaolinite clay, with the sediment containing as much as 94 milligrams per kilogram polychlorinated biphenyls. This contaminated sediment could move if the dam is removed; therefore, it is necessary to estimate the characteristics and configuration of the sediment before removal plans begin. Data from augered sections and sediment cores show that the current Otsego City impoundment sediments were deposited in two distinctly different sedimentary environments: (1) lacustrine sediments consisting of organic-rich silt and clay, fine to medium sand, and some gravel deposited in a repetitive, cyclic fashion related to former stream velocities when the Otsego City impoundment water levels were 2-4 feet higher (1880s-1960s), and from downstream movement of lacustrine sediments during the removal of the upstream Plainwell Dam superstructure in the 1980s; and (2) more recent (1980s-2002) coarse-grained alluvium deposited on top of the lacustrine sediments. The volume of instream sediment contained within the Otsego City impoundment is estimated to be about 457,270 cubic yards. This estimate is based on the composite thicknesses of the lacustrine deposits and overlying alluvium, which were determined to contain PCBs, and does not include bank or flood-plain deposits.

Michigan↗

USGS2018

Fire and climate suitability for woody vegetation communities in the south central United States

Climate and fire are primary drivers of plant species distributions. Long-term management of south central United States woody vegetation communities can benefit from information on potential changes in climate and fire frequencies, and how these changes might affect plant communities. We used historical (1900 to 1929) and future (2040 to 2069 and 2070 to 2099) projected climate data for the conterminous US to estimate reference and future fire probabilities using a physical chemistry fire frequency model. We then used the fire probability data with additional climate parameters to construct maximum entropy environmental suitability models for three south central US vegetation communities. The modeled communities included an oak type (dominated by post oak, Quercus stellata Wangenh., and blackjack oak, Q. marilandica Münchh.), a mesquite type (dominated by honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa Torr., and velvet mesquite, P. velutina Wooton), and a pinyon−juniper type (dominated by pinyon pine, Pinus edulis Engelm., and Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma [Torr.] Little). We mapped baseline and future mean fire-climate suitability using data from three global climate models for 2040 to 2069 and 2070 to 2099; we also mapped future locations of threshold conditions for which all three models agreed on suitability for each community. Future projections included northward, southward, and eastward shifts in suitable conditions for the oaks along a broad path of fire-climate stability; an overall reduction in suitable area for historic mesquite communities coupled with potential expansion to new areas; and constriction and isolation of suitable conditions for pinyon−juniper communities. The inclusion of fire probability adds an important driver of vegetation distribution to climate envelope modeling. The simple models showed good fit, but future projections failed to account for future management activities or land use changes. Results provided information on potential future de-coupling and spatial re-arrangement of environmental conditions under which these communities have historically persisted and been managed. In particular, consensus threshold maps can inform long-term planning for maintenance or restoration of these communities, and they can be used as a potential tool for other communities in fire-prone environments within the study area and beyond its borders.

Fire Ecology↗

USGS2023

Considering pollinators' ecosystem services in the remediation and restoration of contaminated lands: Overview of research and its gaps

The concept of ecosystem services provides a useful framework for understanding how people are affected by changes to the natural environment, such as when a contaminant is introduced (e.g., oil spills, hazardous substance releases) or, conversely, when contaminated lands are remediated and restored. Pollination is one example of an important ecosystem service; pollinators play a critical role in any functioning terrestrial ecosystem. Other studies have suggested that consideration of pollinators' ecosystem services could lead to better remediation and restoration outcomes. However, the associated relationships can be complex, and evaluation requires synthesis from numerous disciplines. In this article, we discuss the possibilities for considering pollinators and their ecosystem services when planning remediation and restoration of contaminated lands. To inform the discussion, we introduce a general conceptual model of how pollinators and the ecosystem services associated with them could be affected by contamination in the environment. We review the literature on the conceptual model components, including contaminant effects on pollinators and the direct and indirect ecosystem services provided by pollinators, and identify information gaps. Though increased public interest in pollinators likely reflects increasing recognition of their role in providing many important ecosystem services, our review indicates that many gaps in understanding—about relevant natural and social systems—currently impede the rigorous quantification and evaluation of pollinators' ecosystem services required for many applications, such as in the context of natural resource damage assessment. Notable gaps include information on non-honeybee pollinators and on ecosystem services beyond those benefitting the agricultural sector. We then discuss potential research priorities and implications for practitioners. Focused research attention on the areas highlighted in this review holds promise for increasing the possibilities for considering pollinators' ecosystem services in the remediation and restoration of contaminated lands.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management↗

USGS2010

Legacy of the California Gold Rush: Environmental geochemistry of arsenic in the southern Mother Lode Gold District

Gold mining activity in the Sierra Nevada foothills, both recently and during the California Gold Rush, has exposed arsenic-rich pyritic rocks to weathering and erosion. This study describes arsenic concentration and speciation in three hydrogeologic settings in the southern Mother Lode Gold District: mineralized outcrops and mine waste rock (overburden); mill tailings submerged in a water reservoir; and lake waters in this monomictic reservoir and in a monomictic lake developing within a recent open-pit mine. These environments are characterized by distinct modes of rock-water interaction that influence the local transport and fate of arsenic. Arsenic in outcrops and waste rock occurs in arsenian pyrite containing an average of 2 wt% arsenic. Arsenic is concentrated up to 1300 ppm in fine-grained, friable, iron-rich weathering products of the arsenian pyrite (goethite, jarosite, copiapite), which develop as efflorescences and crusts on weathering outcrops. Arsenic is sorbed as a bidentate complex on goethite, and substitutes for sulfate in jarosite. Submerged mill tailings obtained by gravity core at Don Pedro Reservoir contain arsenic up to 300 ppm in coarse sand layers. Overlying surface muds have less arsenic in the solid fraction but higher concentrations in porewaters (up to 500 μg/L) than the sands. Fine quartz tailings also contain up to 3.5 ppm mercury related to the ore processing. The pH values in sediment porewaters range from 3.7 in buried gypsum-bearing sands and tailings to 7 in the overlying lake sediments. Reservoir waters immediately above the cores contain up to 3.5 μg/L arsenic; lake waters away from the submerged tailings typically contain less than 1 μg/L arsenic. Dewatering during excavation of the Harvard open-pit mine produced a hydrologic cone of depression that has been recovering toward the pre-mining groundwater configuration since mining ended in 1994. Aqueous arsenic concentrations in the 80 m deep pit lake are up to 1000 μg/L. Redistribution of the arsenic occurs during summer stratification, with highest concentrations at middle depths. The total mass of arsenic in the pit lake increases coinciding with early winter rains that erode, partially dissolve, and transport arsenic-bearing salts into the pit lake. Arsenic concentration, speciation, and distribution in the Sierra Nevada foothills depend on many factors, including the lithologic sources of arsenic, climatic influences on weathering of host minerals, and geochemical characteristics of waters with which source and secondary minerals react. Oxidation of arsenian pyrite to goethite, jarosite, and copiapite causes temporary attenuation of arsenic during summer, when these secondary minerals accumulate; subsequent rapid dissemination of arsenic into the aqueous environment is caused by annual winter storms. As the population of the Mother Lode area grows, it is increasingly important to consider these effects during planning and development of land and groundwater resources.

California↗

USGS2016

Collision and displacement vulnerability among marine birds of the California Current System associated with offshore wind energy infrastructure

With growing climate change concerns and energy constraints, there is an increasing need for renewable energy sources within the United States and globally. Looking forward, offshore wind-energy infrastructure (OWEI) has the potential to produce a significant proportion of the power needed to reach our Nation’s renewable energy goal. Offshore wind-energy sites can capitalize open areas within Federal waters that have persistent, high winds with large energy production potential. Although there are few locations in the California Current System (CCS) where it would be acceptable to build pile-mounted wind turbines in waters less than 50 m deep, the development of technology able to support deep-water OWEI (>200 m depth) could enable wind-energy production in the CCS. As with all human-use of the marine environment, understanding the potential impacts of wind-energy infrastructure on the marine ecosystem is an integral part of offshore wind-energy research and planning. Herein, we present a comprehensive database to quantify marine bird vulnerability to potential OWEI in the CCS (see https://doi.org/10.5066/F79C6VJ0 ). These data were used to quantify marine bird vulnerabilities at the population level. For 81 marine bird species present in the CCS, we created three vulnerability indices: Population Vulnerability, Collision Vulnerability, and Displacement Vulnerability. Population Vulnerability was used as a scaling factor to generate two comprehensive indicies: Population Collision Vulnerability (PCV) and Population Displacement Vulnerability (PDV). Within the CCS, pelicans, terns (Forster’s [ Sterna forsteri ], Caspian [ Hydroprogne caspia ], Elegant [ Thalasseus elegans ], and Least Tern [ Sternula antillarum ]), gulls (Western [ Larus occidentalis ] and Bonaparte’s Gull [ Chroicocephalus philadelphia ]), South Polar Skua ( Stercorarius maccormicki ), and Brandt’s Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax penicillatus ) had the greatest PCV scores. Brown Pelican ( Pelicanus occidentalis ) had the greatest overall PCV score. Some alcids (Scripps’s Murrelet [ Synthliboramphus scrippsi ], Marbled Murrelet [ Brachyramphus marmoratus ], and Tufted Puffin [ Fratercula cirrhata ]), terns (Elegant and Least Lern), and loons (Yellow-billed [ Gavia adamsii ] and Common Loon [ G. immer ]) had the greatest PDV scores. Ashy Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma homochroa ) had the greatest overall PDV score. To help inform decisions that will impact seabird conservation, vulnerability assessment results can now be combined with recent marine bird at-sea distribution and abundance data for the CCS to evaluate vulnerability areas where OWEI development is being considered. Lastly, it is important to note that as new information about seabird behavior and populations in the CCS becomes available, this database can be easily updated and modified.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2023

California State waters map series—Benthic habitat characterization in the region offshore of Morro Bay, California

Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard geoform, substrate, and biotic component geographic information system products were developed for the California State waters of south-central California in the region offshore of Morro Bay. The study was motivated by interest in development of offshore wind-energy capacity and infrastructure in Federal waters offshore. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, in coordination with the State of California and many other members of the California Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, issued calls for information in 2018 for the study area offshore of Morro Bay, California. The study area is adjacent to a nuclear power plant (currently scheduled for decommissioning) with a developed electric grid connection, and in an area of high wind resource potential. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is the lead agency responsible for planning and leasing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and funded this project to assess baseline conditions of, and the potential effects on, the seafloor environment. This project, carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey, resulted in three data releases for individual map blocks that are part of the California State Waters Map Series: (1) Offshore of Point Estero, (2) Offshore of Morro Bay, and (3) Offshore of Point Buchon. The study area consists of 341 square kilometers (km 2 ) of multibeam echo sounder (MBES) data acquired by Fugro, Inc., in 2010. Towed camera-sled video was acquired in 2012 to supervise the classification of the MBES data into habitats. There were 935 annotations of organisms and habitat made from 22 video transects. Using video observations of habitat as ground truth, derivatives of the MBES data were classified into 3 seafloor character types (hard-rugged, hard-flat, and soft-flat), 25 modifier groups, and 9 geoforms. The study area substrate is predominantly soft-flat sediment (mud and fine sand) covering 191.3 km 2 (56.1 percent) of the area. Hard-flat substrate areas, predominantly coarse sediment in scour depressions, cover 52.2 km 2 (15.3 percent) of the study area. The hard-rugged substrate areas are primarily outcrops of layered sedimentary bedrock and constitute 97.5 km 2 of the study area (28.6 percent). After classification of bathymetry and backscatter raster images according to substrate, false-positive hard areas produced by noise artifacts were removed by manual editing. Nine geoforms were then identified in the analysis. The predominant geoforms mirror the seafloor character results, shelf geoforms (flat areas covered in soft sediment), rock outcrop geoforms (hard, rugged areas), and scour depression geoforms (flat areas covered in coarse sediment formed by bottom currents).

California↗

USGS2022

National strategy for landslide loss reduction

Executive Summary Landslide hazards are present in all 50 States and most U.S. territories, and they affect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment. Landslides are the downslope movement of earth materials under the force of gravity. They can occur without any obvious trigger. Widespread or severe landslide events are often driven by such hazards as hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, heavy rain events, flooding, and wildfires. Landslides can also cause their own cascading consequences, such as the spread of hazardous materials or the creation of devastating local tsunamis. This strategy document describes goals and strategic actions of a comprehensive strategy to meet key challenges to reducing the Nation’s risk from landslide hazards equitably and effectively. The document follows the direction of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Public Law 116–323) by presenting a strategy for addressing landslide hazards, including risk reduction and response. The act directs the Department of the Interior to establish a program that will work with State, Tribal, and local governments as well as with academia, the private sector, community-based groups, and nonprofit organizations to identify landslide hazards and risk and improve communication, coordination, and emergency preparedness, with the objective of reducing landslide losses. As the only Federal program dedicated to landslide hazard science, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landslide Hazards Program will lead and coordinate many of the efforts described in this strategy document. Landslide hazard risk reduction must be undertaken collectively and collaboratively across the Federal Government. This strategy document will provide a framework for the creation of an interagency management plan that describes the programs, projects, workforce, and budgets required to carry out the national strategy. The strategy outlined in this document presents a vision of how to equitably produce, communicate, and apply landslide data and science to support a broad range of land management, infrastructure, planning, and emergency response decisions. These decisions are made by a variety of actors, including private and nonprofit landholders; State, Tribal, territorial, city, and county planners; emergency managers; engineers; infrastructure managers; Federal agencies and their partners; and community leaders and individuals. Supporting those decisions and reducing the Nation’s vulnerability to landslides requires overcoming three main challenges: (1) gaps in basic information needed to describe and understand landslide occurrence and societal risk, (2) difficulty in accurately mapping and forecasting landslide hazards, and (3) communication and coordination among the many jurisdictions and sectors that have responsibility for and interest in reducing landslide losses. To address those challenges, this strategy document puts forward a series of strategic actions to achieve four goals: Assess: Decision makers have access to detailed, nationwide, and contextually relevant information on landslide hazard and risk. Coordinate: Landslide hazard mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts are coordinated across Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local levels. Plan: Communities and land managers are prepared and able to plan for landslide hazards. Respond: Landslide surveillance, warnings, and responses to events are effective, efficient, equitable, cooperative, and data-driven to protect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment. These strategic actions focus on expanding the knowledge of societal risk posed by landslides as well as better understanding of where, when, and why they occur. They focus on applying that knowledge to support landslide risk reduction efforts and decisions, including the establishment of new advisory, coordination, and working groups focused on landslide hazard and risk. They take into account that supporting landslide loss reduction decisions also requires new guidance, tools, and training codeveloped with the entities, organizations, and individuals faced with making those decisions. Finally, they address actions needed to support and expand landslide warning information and improve the technical response to landslide emergencies.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2014

A protocol for coordinating post-tsunami field reconnaissance efforts in the USA

In the aftermath of a catastrophic tsunami, much is to be learned about tsunami generation and propagation, landscape and ecological changes, and the response and recovery of those affected by the disaster. Knowledge of the impacted area directly helps response and relief personnel in their efforts to reach and care for survivors and for re-establishing community services. First-hand accounts of tsunami-related impacts and consequences also help researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in other parts of the world that lack recent events to better understand and manage their own societal risks posed by tsunami threats. Conducting post-tsunami surveys and disseminating useful results to decision makers in an effective, efficient, and timely manner is difficult given the logistical issues and competing demands in a post-disaster environment. To facilitate better coordination of field-data collection and dissemination of results, a protocol for coordinating post-tsunami science surveys was developed by a multi-disciplinary group of representatives from state and federal agencies in the USA. This protocol is being incorporated into local, state, and federal post-tsunami response planning through the efforts of the Pacific Risk Management ‘Ohana, the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, and the U.S. National Plan for Disaster Impact Assessments. Although the protocol was designed to support a coordinated US post-tsunami response, we believe it could help inform post-disaster science surveys conducted elsewhere and further the discussion on how hazard researchers can most effectively operate in disaster environments.

Natural Hazards↗

USGS2022

Climate refugia for Pinus spp. in topographic and bioclimatic environments of the Madrean sky islands of México and the United States

Climate refugia, or places where habitats are expected to remain relatively buffered from regional climate extremes, provide an important focus for science and conservation planning. Within high-priority, multi-jurisdictional landscapes like the Madrean sky islands of the United States and México, efforts to identify and manage climate refugia are hindered by the lack of high-quality and consistent transboundary datasets. To fill these data gaps, we assembled a bi-national field dataset ( n = 1416) for five pine species ( Pinus spp.) and used generalized boosted regression to model pine habitats in relation to topographic variability as a basis for identifying potential microrefugia at local scales in the context of current species’ distribution patterns. We developed additional models to quantify climatic refugial attributes using coarse scale bioclimatic variables and finer scale seasonal remote sensing indices. Terrain metrics including ruggedness, slope position, and aspect defined microrefugia for pines within elevation ranges preferred by each species. Response to bioclimatic variables indicated that small shifts in climate were important to some species (e.g., P. chihuahuana, P. strobiformis ), but others exhibited a broader tolerance (e.g., P. arizonica ). Response to seasonal climate was particularly important in modeling microrefugia for species with open canopy structure and where regular fires occur (e.g., P. engelmannii and P. chihuahuana ). Hotspots of microrefugia differed among species and were either limited to northern islands or occurred across central or southern latitudes. Mapping and validation of refugia and their ecological functions are necessary steps in developing regional conservation strategies that cross jurisdictional boundaries. A salient application will be incorporation of climate refugia in management of fire to restore and maintain pine ecology.

Arizona, Chihuahua, New Mexico, Sonora↗

USGS2024

Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (PlioMIP3) – Science plan and experimental design

The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP) was initiated in 2008. Over two phases PlioMIP has helped co-ordinate the experimental design and publication strategy of the community, which has included an increasing number of climate models and modelling groups from around the world. It has engaged with palaeoenvironmental scientists to foster new data synthesis supporting the construction of new model boundary conditions, as well as to facilitate new data-model comparisons. The work has advanced our understanding of Pliocene climates and environments, enhanced our knowledge regarding the ability of complex climate and Earth System models to accurately simulate climate change, and helped to refine our estimates of how sensitive the climate system is to forcing conditions. In this community protocol paper, we outline the scientific plan for PlioMIP Phase 3 (PlioMIP3). This plan provides the required guidance to participating modelling groups from around the world to successfully set up and perform PlioMIP3 climate model experiments. The project is open to new participants from the scientific community (both from the climate modelling and geosciences communities). In PlioMIP3, we retain the PlioMIP2 Core experiments ( Eoi 400 , E 280 ) and extend the Core requirements to include either an experiment focussed on the Early Pliocene or an alternative Late Pliocene simulation (or both). These additions (a) allow a comparison of Early and Late Pliocene warm intervals and help build research connections and synergy with the MioMIP (Miocene Model Intercomparison Project - also known as DeepMIP-Miocene) and PlioMioVAR projects (Pliocene-Miocene Variability Working Group), and (b) create an alternative time slice simulation for 3.205 Ma (MIS KM5c) through removal of some of the largest palaeogeographic differences introduced between PlioMIP1 and 2 resulting in minimal land-sea mask variations from the modern. In addition, we present ten optional experiments designed to enhance our assessment of climate sensitivity and to explore the uncertainty in greenhouse gas-related forcing. For the first time, we introduce orbital sensitivity experiments into the science plan, as well as simulations incorporating dynamic vegetation-climate feedbacks and an experiment designed to examine the potential significance of East Antarctic Ice Sheet boundary condition uncertainty. These changes enhance palaeo-to-future scientific connections and enable an exploration of the significance of palaeogeographic uncertainties on climate simulations.

Global and Planeatary Change↗