USGS Newsroom

Birds at Sea and Offshore Wind Energy

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 4 Dec 2012 11:59:28 EDT

Topic of Free Lecture Wednesday

Reston, Va. – Offshore wind energy development and migratory birds is the topic of a free public lecture Wednesday, December 5, at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center in Reston, Va.

Titled, "Birds at Sea and Offshore Wind Energy," the lecture takes place in a federal facility and a valid photo ID is required for entry by attendees 18 years of age and older. Attendees should plan to arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes early to process through security.

For this lecture, USGS scientists Alicia Berlin and Allan O'Connell will discuss efforts to determine the potential effects of offshore wind energy development on more than 60 different sea-bird species along the Atlantic coast. USGS collaborative research on the migratory routes and patterns of sea birds is being used to help inform decisions on potential locations of wind farms in Atlantic waters.

For more information and directions visit the Public Lecture Series website.

Those unable to attend the lecture in person can follow it live on Twitter @USGSLive

These evening events are free to the public and intended to familiarize a general audience with science issues that are meaningful to their daily lives. USGS speakers are selected for their ability and enthusiasm to share their expertise with an audience that may be unfamiliar with the topic.

The series provides the public an opportunity to interact with USGS scientists and ask questions about recent developments in Natural Hazards; Water; Energy Minerals and Environmental Health; Climate and Land Use Change; Ecosystems; and Core Science Systems. Ultimately, the goal is to create a better understanding of the importance and value of USGS science in action.

Photos Reveal Severity of Hurricane Sandy's Coastal Impacts

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 9 Nov 2012 15:20:00 EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The USGS has released a series of aerial photographs showing before-and-after images of Hurricane Sandy’s impacts on the Atlantic Coast.

The photos, part of a USGS assessment of coastal change from as far south as the Outer Banks of North Carolina to as far north as Massachusetts, show that the storm caused dramatic changes to portions of shoreline extending hundreds of miles. Pre- and post-storm images of the New Jersey and New York shoreline in particular tell a story of a coastal landscape that was considerably altered by the historic storm.

"Sandy taught us yet again that not all Cat-1 hurricanes are created equal: the superstorm's enormous fetch over the Atlantic produced storm surge and wave erosion of historic proportions," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "We have seized this opportunity to gather unique data on a major coastline-altering event."

As major storms approach, the USGS conducts pre-storm and post-storm flights to gather aerial images along the length of the coastline expected to experience impacts from the storm’s landfall. Identifying sites of such impacts helps scientists understand which areas are likely to undergo the most severe impacts from future storms, and improves future coastal impact forecasting.

Photo pairs from North Carolina to Massachusetts will be made available online as the coastal change assessment continues.

"This storm's impact on sandy beaches included significant beach and dune erosion and minor disruption of infrastructure in the south," said USGS oceanographer Nathaniel Plant, "to extreme and often catastrophic erosion, overwash and sediment deposition, and inundation on northern beaches like Mantoloking, New Jersey."

Overwash occurs when storm surge and waves exceed the elevation of protective sand dunes, thereby transporting sand inland. In addition to threatening infrastructure like roadways, it can bury portions of buildings and cause extensive property damage. Since beaches and dunes serve as a first line of defense against extreme storms, this could further compromise the safety of coastal populations.

Data collected from these surveys are also used to improve predictive models of potential impacts from future severe storms. Before a storm makes landfall, USGS makes these predictions to help coastal communities identify areas particularly vulnerable to severe coastal change, such as beach and dune erosion, overwash, and inundation.

For instance, in the days before Sandy approached the eastern seaboard, the USGS ran models forecasting that 91 percent of the Delmarva coastline would experience beach and dune erosion, while 98 percent and 93 percent of beaches and dunes in New Jersey and New York, respectively, were likely to erode. Preliminary analysis suggests that Hurricane Sandy rapidly displaced massive quantities of sand in a capacity that visibly changed the landscape.

The USGS worked closely with the National Park Service to gather field data on pre- and post- storm conditions at Fire Island National Seashore on Long Island. The field team went to Fire Island in advance of the storm to capture the morphology of the beach and dunes. The team re-surveyed the beach to capture its state immediately after the storm, and they found drastic changes.

"We found that there was widespread dune erosion and overwash," said St. Petersburg-based USGS coastal geologist Cheryl Hapke. "On average the dunes eroded back 70 feet - the equivalent of 30-years of change, which had previously been measured. Our data also showed that dunes lost as much as 10 feet of elevation."

This rapid response data was used to help the National Park Service assess the areas of the coast that were most vulnerable to a nor'easter that impacted the coast a week after Sandy.

The USGS is also processing pre- and post-landfall airborne lidar data to gather information on the extent of coastal change caused by Sandy. Lidar, or light detection and ranging, is an aircraft-based remote sensing method that uses laser pulses to collect highly detailed ground elevation data.

USGS Storm-Surge Sensors Deployed Ahead of Tropical Storm Sandy

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:01:41 EDT

RESTON, Va. -- Storm response crews from the U.S. Geological Survey are installing more than 150 storm-tide sensors at key locations along the Atlantic Coast -- from the Chesapeake Bay to Massachusetts -- in advance of the arrival of Tropical Storm Sandy.

Working with various partner agencies such as NOAA, FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the USGS is securing the storm-tide sensors, frequently called storm-surge sensors, to piers and poles in areas where the storm is expected to make landfall. The instruments being installed will record the precise time the storm-tide arrived, how ocean and inland water levels changed during the storm, the depth of the storm-tide throughout the event, and how long it took for the water to recede.

"In the hours and days before Irene made its epic sweep up the eastern seaboard last year, USGS deployed a record number of storm-surge sensors that yielded important new information on storm tides along some of the most populated coastline in the United States," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Now with Sandy we have the opportunity to test and improve predictive models of coastal zone impact based on what we previously learned."

Storm-tides are increases in ocean water levels generated at sea by extreme storms and can have devastating coastal impacts. In locations where tidal forecasts are known, the sensors being installed can also help determine storm surge. For differences between storm-surge and tidal-surge, visit the National Hurricane Center's website.

This information will be used to assess storm damage, discern between wind and flood damage, and improve computer models used to forecast future coastal inundation.

In addition, rapid deployment gauges will be installed at critical locations to provide real-time information to forecast floods and coordinate flood-response activities in the affected areas. The sensors augment a network of existing U.S. Geological Survey streamgages, which are part of the permanent network of more than 7,500 streamgages nationwide.

Of the sensors deployed specifically for Sandy, eight have real-time capability that will allow viewing of the storm-tide as the storm approaches and makes landfall. Besides water level, some of these real-time gauges include precipitation and wind sensors that will transmit all data hourly. All data collected by these sensors and the existing USGS streamgage network will be available on the USGS Storm-Tide Mapper link at www.usgs.gov/hurricanes.

Providing information to support future forecasts could ultimately save lives during future storms. These sensors were deployed for the first time during Hurricane Rita in 2005. Before then, scientists had limited data available to study the effects of storm surge.

"Forecasters at the National Weather Service rely on USGS real-time and long-term data to improve storm surge models and prepare storm-tide warnings," said Brian McCallum, assistant director of the USGS Georgia Water Science Center, who is helping coordinate the sensor installation effort. "Floodplain managers, federal, state and local emergency preparedness officials, emergency responders, scientists and researchers all benefit from the storm-tide and associated flood data. It’s useful for flood damage prevention and public safety."

The USGS studies the impacts of hurricanes and tropical storms to better understand potential impacts on coastal areas. Information provided through the sensor networks provides critical data for more accurate modeling and prediction capabilities and allows for improved structure designs and response for public safety.

The USGS also continuously monitors water levels and flows at thousands of the nation's streams on a real-time basis. The public can access this information for their area at the USGS Current Streamflow Conditions web page. Also, USGS WaterAlert allows users to receive a text or email from the USGS when waters are rising in rivers and streams near them.

For the latest forecasts on the storm, listen to NOAA radio. For information on preparing for the storm, visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov

Northeast Climate Science Center Director Announced

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 9:00:00 EDT

Northeast Climate Science Center Director Announced

AMHERST, Mass. -- Mary Ratnaswamy has been selected as the director of the Department of the Interior's Northeast Climate Science Center, headquartered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Ratnaswamy will be the first permanent director of the center, which is one of eight regional Climate Science Centers recently established and managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The national network of regional Climate Science Centers will provide land managers in federal, state and local agencies access to the best science available regarding climate change and other landscape-scale stressors impacting the nation’s natural and cultural resources.

"Our natural environment is responding to changing climate in a myriad of ways as reflected in water availability, fire frequency, rising seas, altered plant and animal communities, and storm intensity," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Under the leadership of Mary Ratnaswamy, the USGS has every expectation that the Northeast Climate Science Center will achieve its goal of providing science information and tools to allow resource managers and citizens alike to anticipate, measure, and appropriately adapt to these changing conditions on the local and regional scale, where decisions matter most to communities at risk."

In addition to the University of Massachusetts, other partner institutions in the Northeast Climate Science Center include the College of Menominee Nation in Kashena, Wis.; Columbia University; the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass; the University of Minnesota; the University of Missouri at Columbia; and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

"The consortium is extremely lucky to have the leadership of Mary Ratnaswamy as our first permanent director of the Northeast Climate Science Center," said Richard Palmer, the principal investigator for the center and head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UMass Amherst. "Mary brings an uncommon combination of research skills, management experience and personal grace to this position. We feel confident that Mary will be an exceptional director."

Since 2008, Ratnaswamy has been a research manager at the USGS' largest biological science center, the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md. There she directs the Migratory Birds, Coastal and Wetlands, and Ecosystems programs, and supervises 15 research scientists as well as other staff. As one of three senior research directors, she works closely with the center director and other managers to build and direct the science mission and operations of the center.

Prior to joining USGS, she supervised the Endangered Species Program at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office for eight years, with special emphasis on recovery of the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.

Her early research career focused on coastal and marine ecosystems, beginning with undergraduate research on coastal mangroves in Costa Rica while completing her Bachelor’s of Science degree at Carleton College in Minnesota. She earned a Master’s of Science degree in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, where her research explored population dynamics of fin whales along the Atlantic coast.

After obtaining her Master's degree, she returned to Costa Rica to work at the Green Turtle Research Station in Tortuguero. Ratnaswamy subsequently worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for five years, where her work included conducting fisheries and bathymetric surveys in Alaska, Hawaii and California, and oceanographic current research in the Caribbean.

Her doctorate in Forest Resources at the University of Georgia was based on research to understand raccoon predation of sea turtle nests. After receiving her doctorate, she took a position as Assistant Professor at University of Missouri-Columbia, where she taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

Rastnaswamy will assume her new duties in September 2012. Rachel Muir, science advisor for the USGS Northeast Area, has served as the center’s interim director since March 2012, when the center was first funded, and will remain with the center in a support role until 2013.

The Climate Science Centers are managed by the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center located at the USGS headquarters in Reston, Va. Staff from the center can be reached at (703) 648-6016 or by emailing dbeard@usgs.gov. Visit the National Climate Change and Wildlife Center or the Climate Science Centers website for more information.

Study Confirms Presence of Contaminants in Some New England Bedrock Groundwater, ID's New Concerns, Determines Likely Locations

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:26:36 EDT

The report is posted online. The project website includes selected maps and more information.

PEMBROKE, N.H. -- Potentially harmful levels of naturally occurring arsenic, uranium, radium, radon and manganese have been found in some bedrock groundwater that supplies drinking water wells in New England, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.

While the presence of contaminants, such as arsenic, in some groundwater was already known, this new study identifies several that hadn’t been previously identified. This new report also provides information on the type of bedrock geologic formations where high concentrations are most likely to be found, which will help identify areas most at risk of contamination.

The results highlight the importance of private well owners testing and potentially treating their water. While public water supplies are treated to ensure that water reaching the tap of households meets federal requirements, there are no such requirements for private supplies, which serve more than 2.3 million people in the region. Private well owners can find information on how to have their wells tested here. All of the contaminants identified can be reduced or eliminated through a variety of treatments.

"The same geologic forces which gave rise to the spectacular mountains and architecturally significant rock quarries of New England are also responsible, over time, for leaching trace contaminants into the groundwater that can be harmful to human health," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This study helps focus attention on where and what the risk factors are such that citizens who depend on private wells can get their water tested to ensure peace of mind."

Among the findings, arsenic in untreated samples exceeded federal safety standards for public drinking water at 13 percent of sites – nearly double the national rate. Manganese exceeded its human-health benchmark in more than 7 percent of wells tested. Radon exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed standards in 33 percent of wells. Additionally, uranium, which is easily measurable, was found to be a significant predictor of the presence of other forms of radioactivity (radon, radium, gross alpha radioactivity) that are a cause of concern for human health.

The study, part of an ongoing national effort by the USGS to systematically assess the quality of the Nation’s most important aquifers, is the most comprehensive study of the quality of New England’s bedrock groundwater to date.

“The concentrations above human health benchmarks and the wide variety of natural and man-made contaminants found show the vulnerability of crystalline rock aquifers that millions of people rely on to produce safe drinking water,” said USGS scientist and lead author Sarah Flanagan. “The well-to-well variability of water quality from bedrock aquifers in the region underscores the importance of testing public and private wells individually.”

"The bedrock aquifer in New England is a crucial drinking water resource, supplying water for the majority of our 2.3 million private well owners and many small public water systems in the region," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England office. "This and other scientific studies on bedrock groundwater quality conducted by the USGS provide the scientific foundation for implementing protection programs to ensure that all New Englanders have access to safe, clean drinking water."

For this study, scientists examined water-quality data from more than 4,700 public-supply wells that were sampled for the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Program from 1997 to 2007 and 117 private wells sampled by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program from 1995 to 2007. The samples included only well water from crystalline rock aquifers found in most of New England and small portions of northern New Jersey and southern New York State.

Depending on concentrations and the period of time someone consumes the water, among the potential health issues associated with drinking water containing these contaminants at levels above human health benchmarks include various types of cancer; reproductive and developmental problems; kidney and blood diseases; diabetes; and a weakened immune system.

“This study confirmed many areas already known to have groundwater with high levels of arsenic and radiochemicals and revealed for the first time, the potential fluoride hotspots in parts of the White Mountain region of northern New Hampshire,” said Flanagan.

These hotspots are locations with naturally occurring fluoride that can exceed drinking water standards.

“We also found that high concentrations of many naturally occurring compounds in groundwater were related to specific bedrock formations,” added Flanagan.

In addition to natural sources, human activities affected the quality of groundwater from New England’s crystalline rock aquifers. The researchers found sodium and chloride in water sources, both naturally occurring as well as that from road salt; nitrates; MtBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and chloroform; and, rarely, pesticides. The concentrations of these contaminants were all below levels of human health concern, but some, such as chloride, had the potential to impact aquatic organisms.

The complete results of the study, Quality of Water from Crystalline Rock Aquifers in New England, New Jersey, and New York, 1995-2007, by Sarah M. Flanagan, Joseph D. Ayotte, and Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., are available online.

Private well owners in New England can contact their State Drinking Water Programs for guidance and information about well maintenance, testing, and in-home water treatment options.

Information about water quality nationwide is found on the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program website.

Information about the USEPA’s New England Drinking Water Program can be found online.

Access the USGS New Hampshire Water Science Center for more information about water in New England.

Sea Level Rise Accelerating in U.S. Atlantic Coast

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EDT

Rates of sea level rise are increasing three-to-four times faster along portions of the U.S. Atlantic Coast than globally, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report published in Nature Climate Change.

Since about 1990, sea-level rise in the 600-mile stretch of coastal zone from Cape Hatteras, N.C. to north of Boston, Mass. -- coined a "hotspot" by scientists -- has increased 2 - 3.7 millimeters per year; the global increase over the same period was 0.6 – 1.0 millimeter per year.

Based on data and analyses included in the report, if global temperatures continue to rise, rates of sea level rise in this area are expected to continue increasing.

The report shows that the sea-level rise hotspot is consistent with the slowing of Atlantic Ocean circulation. Models show this change in circulation may be tied to changes in water temperature, salinity and density in the subpolar north Atlantic.

"Many people mistakenly think that the rate of sea level rise is the same everywhere as glaciers and ice caps melt, increasing the volume of ocean water, but other effects can be as large or larger than the so-called 'eustatic' rise," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "As demonstrated in this study, regional oceanographic contributions must be taken into account in planning for what happens to coastal property."

Though global sea level has been projected to rise roughly two-to-three feet or more by the end of the 21st century, it will not climb at the same rate at every location. Differences in land movements, strength of ocean currents, water temperatures, and salinity can cause regional and local highs and lows in sea level.

"Cities in the hotspot, like Norfolk, New York, and Boston already experience damaging floods during relatively low intensity storms," said Dr. Asbury (Abby) Sallenger, USGS oceanographer and project lead. "Ongoing accelerated sea level rise in the hotspot will make coastal cities and surrounding areas increasingly vulnerable to flooding by adding to the height that storm surge and breaking waves reach on the coast."

During the 21^st century, the increases in sea level rise rate that have already occurred in the hotspot will yield increases in sea level of 8 to 11.4 inches by 2100. This regional sea level increase would be in addition to components of global sea level rise.

To determine accelerations of sea level, USGS scientists analyzed tide gauge data throughout much of North America in a way that removed long-term (linear) trends associated with vertical land movements. This allowed them to focus on recent changes in rates of sea-level rise caused, for example, by changes in ocean circulation.

The report, Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America, was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Low April Streamflows Not Necessarily an Indicator of Summer Drought

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 EDT

The low streamflows seen throughout much of New England this April do not foreshadow a summer drought, as researchers have determined summer rainfall plays a bigger role than snowmelt runoff in determining streamflows in the summer.

In a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey, scientists also looked at how streamflow during April is influenced by both winter air temperature and precipitation. They concluded that April streamflow is more sensitive to changes in temperature than to changes in winter precipitation in southern New England.

While streamflow in April is more sensitive to changes in temperature, summer streamflows are more dependent on precipitation.

Understanding the sensitivity of streamflow to climatic variation is important because people and aquatic ecosystems are dependent upon water supplies, particularly in summer low-flow seasons.

"This valuable scientific investigation demonstrates the ability of USGS researchers to rapidly respond to a sudden and troubling anomaly, in this case southern New England streamflows lower than 90 percent of historical April flows, and by May we were able to produce a useful report getting to the heart of the issue," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Their work uncovers new feedbacks relevant to climate change impacts on stream flows while demonstrating the return-on-investment from our long-term streamgaging program."

"In this study, we found that warm March air temperatures this year in southern New England contributed to low April streamflows," said USGS scientist Glenn Hodgkins, who is the lead author of this report. "It is well known that precipitation affects streamflows, but it has been less well known that air temperature can affect flows too."

Warmer air temperatures cause snowpack to melt earlier, with most runoff then occurring prior to April in southern New England. Winter precipitation is still a contributing influence, as lower precipitation results in lower snowpack accumulation and less water available for spring runoff.

"With warmer winters predicted in the future, spring streamflows in New England could continue to change," said Robert Lent, USGS Maine Water Science Director. "This study helps us to understand that relationship and provides information to those who manage water resources."

The USGS has been collecting continuous streamflow data for 50 to 100 years at many rivers in New England. Scientists analyzed April flows from 31 streamgages in areas that are not strongly influenced by direct human watershed changes such as reservoir regulation or urbanization.

Using these data, they analyzed year-to-year correlations between April flows and winter precipitation and air temperature from nearby meteorological sites. They also looked at year-to-year correlations between April flows and late-spring and summer flows.

The study focused on the New England region, which includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Read the USGS report, “Relations between Winter Climatic Variables and April Streamflows in New England and Implications for Summer Streamflows.”

The USGS has around 7,800 streamgages across the nation. Learn more by visiting the National Water Information System website.

A Big Day for Science: Citizens Have Contributed One Million Observations to Top Nature Database

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 3 May 2012 9:00:00 EDT

RESTON, Va. — Thanks to citizen-scientists around the country, the USA National Phenology Network hit a major milestone this week by reaching its one millionth nature observation.

The millionth observation was done by Lucille Tower, a citizen-scientist in Portland, Ore., who entered a record about seeing maple vines flowering. Her data, like all of the entries, came in through USA-NPN’s online observation program, Nature's Notebook, which engages more than 4,000 volunteers across the country to observe and record phenology – the timing of the recurring life events of plants and animals such as when cherry trees or lilacs blossom, when robins build their nests, when salmon swim upstream to spawn or when leaves turn colors in the fall.

Each record not only represents a single data point — the status of a specific life stage of an individual plant or animal on one day – but also benefits both science and society by helping researchers understand how plants and animals are responding to climate change and, in turn, how those responses are affecting people and ecological systems.

"My dream is that through the wonders of modern technology and the National Phenology Network we could turn the more than six billion people on the planet into components of our scientific observing system," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "We could make giant leaps in science education, improve the spatial and temporal coverage of the planet, lower the cost of scientific data collection, and all while making ordinary citizens feel a part of the scientific process."

Jake Weltzin, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist and the executive director of USA-NPN, concurs. "Hitting the one millionth observation is exciting because researchers and decision-makers need more information to understand and respond to our rapidly changing planet. More information means better-informed decisions that ensure the continued vitality of our natural areas that we all depend on and enjoy."

For example, said Weltzin, the data in Nature's Notebook are already being used to benefit society, including the development of more accurate indicators of spring, forecasting the onset of allergy seasons or the chances of western wildfires, managing wildlife and invasive plants, and setting goals for habitat restoration. Ultimately, such information can be used for better managing water resources, wildlife and ecosystem management, and even help farmers and ranchers across the nation.

Changes in phenology are among the most sensitive biological indicators of global change. Across the world, many springtime events are occurring earlier — and fall events happening later — than in the past. These changes are happening quickly for some species and more slowly, or not at all, for others, altering relationships and processes that have been dynamically stable for thousands of years. Some wildlife —like caribou and butterflies — are becoming mismatched from their plant food resources, which are responding differently. Migrations for some birds are changing too, as they can now overwinter instead of moving south for the winter, or as they fly north more quickly to keep pace with an advancing front of spring flowering.

Because of this, said Weltzin, scientists need more and better information about the pace and pattern of nature — locally to nationally — to answer important scientific and societal questions, and to build the tools and models needed to help people understand and adapt to the changes.

"So much of our improved understanding about global environmental changes is driven by varied and valuable sources of information that include networks of citizen-scientists," said John Wingfield, National Science Foundation’s assistant director for biological sciences. "The public at large has played an important role collecting observations and data for a hundred years and more. Knowledge and data gained from their work will continue to have a lasting effect on how we understand regularly recurring biological phenomena for hundreds of plant and animal species and contribute to the policy arena."

Gwen Lundburg in Seattle is one citizen-scientist who has contributed hundreds of entries into Nature’s Notebook. "Just noticing small changes like tiny purple lilac buds suddenly turning green has taught me to look more closely at my plants," Lundburg said. "I see things in my garden I never saw before."

With the help of citizen-scientist volunteers, working in concert with professionals, the USA-NPN, which was established in 2007, collects, stores and freely shares phenological data on more than 800 species of plants and animals. The Nature’s Notebook observing program has been in operation since 2009. The coordinating office of the organization is located at 1955 E. 6^th St., Tucson, Ariz., 85721. For more information, visit the USA National Phenology Network, or contact Jake Weltzin at 520-626-3821 or jweltzin@usgs.gov.

River Levels Set Records in 10 States

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:26:07 EDT

USGS Continues to Monitor East Coast Rivers for Flooding

Editors note: this news release will be updated online with more information on the streamgage records being set by state as it becomes available.

Updated September 1: includes more information on streamgage records set in each state. Also includes information on records set in Puerto Rico.

Rivers and streams are reaching record levels as a result of Hurricane Irene’s rainfall, with more than 80 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages measuring record peaks.

The northeast is seeing the bulk of the records, as higher than average precipitation the past few weeks had saturated the ground in many locations prior to Irene’s arrival.

While some rivers have already crested, or reached their highest levels, other rivers are still expected to rise.

Immediately after the worst of the storm had passed, USGS hydrologists from North Carolina to Maine deployed to measure high-water marks at rivers and streams and to verify high river flows and peak stages. The crews also calibrated and repaired streamgages damaged by the storm to ensure they continued to transmit information in real time to users working to protect lives and property.

To date, records have been set on rivers and streams in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Puerto Rico.

The USGS, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, operates a nationwide network of more than 7,000 streamgages on inland rivers and streams. These gauges provide real-time data important to the National Weather Service, FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and local partners involved in issuing flood and evacuation warnings, coordinating emergency responses to communities, and operating flood-control reservoirs.

Real-time information from these streamgages can be seen here.

Flooding information and records known so far:

Information on record peaks and flows is still being gathered and is subject to change.

In Connecticut, a new record was set on the Naugatuck River
In Delaware, records were set at three streamgages on the St. Jones River, Beaverdam Branch at Houston and Silver Lake tributary
In Maine, the fastest flowing water was recorded on the border with New Hampshire with at least one record set on the Wild River
In Maryland, records were set at six streamgages on the Choptank River, James Run, Tuckahoe Creek, Three Bridges Branch, Swan Creek and St. Clement Creek
In Massachusetts, records were set at eight streamgages on the Deerfield, North, South, Green, Mill and Housatonic rivers
In New Hampshire, records were set at five streamgages on the Saco, Pemigewasset, Cockermouth and Connecticut rivers
In New Jersey, records were set at 34 streamgages on the Papakating Creek, Hackensack River, Passaic River, Green Pond, Rockaway River, Whippany River, Pequannock River, Wanaque River, Ringwood Creek, Ramapo River, Peckman River, Saddle River, Elizabeth River, Rahway River, Raritan River, Stonybrook at Princeton, Millstone River, Middlebrook River, Bound Brook, Lawrence Brook, Manasquan River, Metedeconk River, Little Ease Run, Musconetcong River, Crosswicks Creek, McDonalds Branch and Racoon Creek
In New York, records were set at 37 streamgages the Cold Spring Brook, Battenkill River, Canajoharie Creek, Schoharie Creek, West Kill River, Bear Kill River, Manor Kill Stream, Platter Kill Stream, Mine Kill Stream, Schoharie Creek, Esopus Creek, Hollow Tree Brook, Stony Clove Creek, Bush Kill Stream, Rondout Creek, Croton River, Titicus River, Cross River, Hackensack River, Ramapo River, Mahwah River, Delaware River, Dry Brook, Neversink River, Ausable River, Mettawee River, Birch Creek
In Pennsylvania, a record was set on the Schuykill River
In Puerto Rico, records were set at two streamgages on the Gurabo and Guayanes rivers
In Vermont, records were set at eight streamgages on the Saxtons River, Little River, Ayers Brook, Williams River, Walloomsac River, Otter Creek, Dog River, and Mad River

This monitoring is part of the federal government’s broad efforts to ensure public safety to support the state, tribal, and local response to the storm.

For more information on being prepared for storms go to ready.gov.

USGS In the Surge Sampling for Nutrients, Sediment, E. coli, and Pesticides

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:39:09 EDT

Follow USGS on twitter @USGS to learn where the crews will be each day.
Media: If you would like to accompany a USGS crew during sampling, contact Kara Capelli at kcapelli@usgs.gov.

As Hurricane Irene has left her mark along the East Coast, USGS crews are sampling water for pesticides, E. coli, nutrients, and sediment to document water quality in areas affected by the hurricane. This sampling effort is part of the federal government’s broad efforts to ensure public health and to support the state, tribal, and local response to the storm.

Sampling is taking place along the East Coast. Crews will follow the path of the hurricane where it brought high flows.

“Significant high water events are important to document, because a storm event like this can flush large quantities of nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria into rivers and also alter sediment flow,” said Charles Crawford, coordinator of the sampling effort. “When looking at long-term water quality trends and year to year variation, this hurricane could be a defining event for 2011, and it’s important that USGS captures a complete picture of what happens this year.”

Excessive nutrients in the Nation’s rivers, streams and coastal areas are a major issue for water managers, because they cause algal blooms that increase costs to treat drinking water, limit recreational activities, and threaten valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. Increased sediment can cause costly changes in shipping channels, where new sediment can require additional dredging.

“The USGS creates models that relate nutrient, pesticide and sediment concentrations to how much water is flowing,” said Crawford.” In order to have the most accurate model, it’s important to document concentrations during a high flow event such as this one.”

Additionally, high flows from the hurricane have the potential to create higher concentrations of E. Coli in areas that use surface water for drinking.

USGS Installs Sensors along Atlantic prior to Hurricane Irene's Arrival

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:51:23 EDT

Hurricane response crews from the USGS have installed storm-surge sensors at key locations along the North Carolina coast in advance of Hurricane Irene. And now, they are actively consulting with federal and state partners about the need for similar equipment for other coastal areas including the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay, Long Island Sound and even as far north as Cape Cod.

These storm surge sensors, housed in vented steel pipes a few inches wide and about a foot long, are being installed on bridges, piers, and other structures that have a good chance of surviving a storm surge during a hurricane. The information they collect will help define the depth and duration of a storm-surge, as well as the time of its arrival and retreat. That information will help public officials assess storm damage, discern between wind and flood damage, and improve computer models used to forecast future floods.

Storm-surges are increases in ocean water levels generated at sea by extreme storms and can have devastating coastal impacts. Current tracking shows Irene making first landfall over Carolinas’ Outer Banks and Virginia, with secondary landfall projected in New England.

In addition, rapid deployment gauges will be installed along critical roadways to provide real time information to forecast floods and coordinate flood-response activities in the affected areas. The sensors augment a network of existing U.S. Geological Survey gauging stations already in place before the storm arrives. The USGS crews installing the sensors come from water science centers from Georgia to Maine.

The USGS, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, also operates more permanent sensor networks installed along the East Coast of the U.S. These networks provide real-time data important to the National Weather Service, FEMA and other USGS partners involved in issuing flood and evacuation warnings and in coordinating emergency responses to communities.

Additional information can be found on the USGS Preparation and Data Collection Activity for Hurricane Irene, 2011 website.

As USGS continues to take all appropriate preparedness and response actions as Hurricane Irene develops over the coming days, we encourage everyone to visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov for tips on creating emergency plans and putting together an emergency supply kit .

Seafloor Mapping Event at Ocean Explorium Monday

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 7 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – New traditional and interactive maps of the seafloor off the Massachusetts coast are being displayed for the first time at an event at the Ocean Explorium in New Bedford Monday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and includes access to the facility's aquariums and exhibits.

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management will be on hand to discuss the work, with special presentations on mapping technology and its uses scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The event, titled "The Seafloor Revealed: What Lies Beneath the Massachusetts Coastal Ocean?," will include displays of seafloor mapping instruments, a 3D interactive display of the ocean’s floor, posters, handouts, and the opportunity for the public to ask questions to the scientists involved in the mapping. The event will highlight some of the work being conducted by USGS, Coastal Zone Management, and the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, and includes maps of Buzzard's Bay, Vineyard Sound, and other areas in the vicinity of Cape Cod and the Islands.

Seafloor maps provide detailed information about the seafloor landscape used by scientists, resource managers and others for a variety of reasons, including supporting fisheries research, identifying potential hazards, siting construction projects, and for the conservation and protection of critical habitat.

Scientists at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center are leaders in the research of coastal and marine geology, seafloor mapping technology, and the waters off the Massachusetts coast. Beginning in 2003, the center partnered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop high-resolution geological maps of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf.

Coastal Zone Management and Marine Fisheries played key roles in the mapping work done to develop the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, the nation's first comprehensive plan to protect critical marine resources and foster sustainable uses in the state's ocean waters.

For directions to the event, visit the Ocean Explorium website.

Landsat Tracks Long Tornado Swath in Massachusetts

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 7 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EDT

IMAGE FEATURE

The track of a tornado that cut a massive 39-mile swath of destruction across southwest and south-central Massachusetts on June 1 is graphically depicted by an image from the Landsat 5 satellite.

This Landsat image taken June 5 shows part of the tornado track, including damage in Sturbridge. Not only did the unusually long-lived tornado remain on the ground for many miles, it also widened to 0.5 miles.

The U.S. Geological Survey and NASA cooperate closely in managing the Landsat program. USGS conducts Landsat operations; NASA develops and launches new satellites that meet USGS requirements.

In addition to imagery of natural hazard events, Landsat provides valuable data for land use research and advances the Department of the Interior’s important role in land remote sensing under the President’s National Space Policy. Landsat images are unique in that they provide complete global coverage, they are available for free, and they span nearly 40 years of continuous earth observation. No other satellite imagery has that combination of attributes.

Settlers Likely Responsible for Wetlands' Growth

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 2 May 2011 9:00:00 EDT

ROWLEY, Mass. -- The work of settlers clearing the land two centuries ago may have had a far greater impact on wetland growth than previously known, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.

Researchers found that deforestation in the New England area at that time produced significant soil erosion, increasing sediment delivery rates -- the natural flow of sand and soil in water systems. The large amounts of sediment traveling in rivers and streams to the coastline spurred a significant period of wetland growth, leading to marshes lining the coast of New England that today are abnormally large.

“For more than 40 years, the rise and fall of sea-level has been thought to control the formation and behavior of coastal marshes,” said Matthew Kirwan, USGS research geologist and lead author of the new report. “Our findings suggest however that sediment delivery rates related to historical land use change are equally, and in some cases, a more important factor.”

The scientists collected core samples along the Plum Island Estuary — the largest in New England— correlating the presence of fossils and other organic matter to the initial formation of the salt marsh. They found that these marshes began expanding rapidly during the 1700’s and 1800’s, a time when settlers were clearing forests and replacing them with farms.

While logging was devastating to the inland landscape, the large run-off of sediment released through these practices benefited marshes by supplying them with sediment, and turning open waterways and rivers into new shallow bays, ideal for wetland growth.

“This is an interesting example of the tradeoffs in nature,” said Kirwan. “Settlers’ agricultural development was clearly harmful to forests, but in this case, it was also extremely beneficial to the coastline.”

Understanding that the current size of wetlands is in some cases an artifact of historical land use change poses conflicting implications for wetland restoration.

The finding that the growth of coastal marshes in the area was influenced by man has led researchers to question whether the current deterioration of the wetlands may signal a slow return to a more natural state.

“If marshes today are bigger because of agricultural practices that occurred 200 years ago, we need to reevaluate current restoration efforts with the mindset that what we are trying to restore and protect may not actually be a completely natural thing,” said Kirwan.

However, returning these wetlands to their more natural state and smaller size may jeopardize the many benefits they provide to coastal residents. Marshes protect coastal cities from storms, filter and clean water of pollutants before reaching shore, protect and shelter marine life, and support commercial fisheries. “Wetlands are some of the most ecologically and economically valuable ecosystems on earth,” said Kirwan.

Despite ongoing wetlands restoration efforts, human influences during the 20th century, such as the construction of dams and reservoirs, have significantly decreased the amount of sediment traveling to the coast. Today’s more refined agricultural practices, in addition to significant reforestation along the eastern shoreline, have also reduced the amount of sediment traveling to the coast leading to a decline in wetland growth.

The article, “Rapid wetland expansion during European settlement and its implication for marsh survival under modern sediment delivery rates,” was published in the May issue of Geology.

Bats Worth Billions to Agriculture: Pest-control Services at Risk

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:38:46 EDT

Additional Media Contacts:

Paul Cryan, USGS, 970-226-9389, cryanp@usgs.gov
Gary McCracken, University of Tennessee, 865-974-3065, gmccrack@utk.edu
Thomas Kunz, Boston University, 617-353-2474, kunz@bu.edu

Pest-control services provided by insect-eating bats in the United States likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year, and yet insectivorous bats are among the most overlooked economically important, non-domesticated animals in North America, according to an analysis published in this week’s Science magazine Policy Forum.

"People often ask why we should care about bats,” said Paul Cryan, a U.S. Geological Survey research scientist and one of the study’s authors. “This analysis suggests that bats are saving us big bucks by gobbling up insects that eat or damage our crops. It is obviously beneficial that insectivorous bats are patrolling the skies at night above our fields and forests — these bats deserve help."

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The value of the pest-control services to agriculture provided by bats in the U.S. alone range from a low of $3.7 billion to a high of $53 billion a year, estimated the study’s authors, scientists from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), USGS, University of Tennessee and Boston University. They also warned that noticeable economic losses to North American agriculture could occur in the next 4 to 5 years as a result of emerging threats to bat populations.

“Bats eat tremendous quantities of flying pest insects, so the loss of bats is likely to have long-term effects on agricultural and ecological systems,” said Justin Boyles, a researcher with the University of Pretoria and the lead author of the study. “Consequently, not only is the conservation of bats important for the well-being of ecosystems, but it is also in the best interest of national and international economies.”

A single little brown bat, which has a body no bigger than an adult’s thumb, can eat 4 to 8 grams (the weight of about a grape or two) of insects each night, the authors wrote. Although this may not sound like much, it adds up — the loss of the one million bats in the Northeast has probably resulted in between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects no longer being eaten each year by bats in the region.

“Additionally, because the agricultural value of bats in the Northeast is small compared with other parts of the country, such losses could be even more substantial in the extensive agricultural regions in the Midwest and the Great Plains where wind-energy development is booming and the fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome was recently detected,” said Tom Kunz, a professor of ecology at Boston University, another co-author.

Although these estimates include the costs of pesticide applications that are not needed because of the pest-control services bats provide, Boyles and his colleagues said they did not account for the detrimental effects of pesticides on ecosystems nor the economic benefits of bats suppressing pest insects in forests, both of which may be considerable.

Bat populations are at risk in some areas of the country as a result of the emerging disease of white-nose syndrome. The loss of bats to white-nose syndrome has largely occurred during the past 4 years, after the disease first appeared in upstate New York. Since then, the fungus thought to cause white-nose syndrome has spread southward and westward and has now been found in 16 states and 3 Canadian provinces. Bat declines in the Northeast, the most severely affected region in the U.S. thus far, have exceeded 70 percent. Populations of at least one species, the little brown bat, have declined so precipitously that scientists expect the species to disappear from the region within the next 20 years.

Scientists are also concerned with the potential for losses of certain species of migratory bats at wind-energy facilities. By one estimate, published by Kunz and colleagues in 2007, about 33,000 to 111,000 bats will die each year by 2020 just in the mountainous region of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands from direct collisions with wind turbines as well as lung damage caused by pressure changes bats experience when flying near moving turbine blades. The issue raised by the authors is that the impacts on bat populations from white nose syndrome and wind turbines are just beginning to interact and might result in economic consequences.

“We hope that our analysis gets people thinking more about the value of bats and why their conservation is important,” said Gary McCracken, a University of Tennessee professor and co-author of the analysis. “The bottom line is that the natural pest-control services provided by bats save farmers a lot of money.”

The authors conclude that solutions to reduce threats to bat populations may be possible in the coming years, but that such work is most likely to be driven by public support that will require a wider awareness of the benefits of insectivorous bats.

The article, “Economic importance of bats in agriculture,” appears in the April 1 edition of Science. Authors are J.G. Boyles, P. Cryan, G. McCracken and T. Kunz.