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1,663 records · Page 65Linked to original sources
USGS1976

Uranium and trace elements in stream sediments as an exploration tool

More than 45 trace elements have been reported in anomalous amounts in the uranium ores. The specific suite of elements associated with any one uranium deposit varies according to deposit type and geologic province. The primary geochemical halo of uranium and associated trace elements in the host rock, together with secondary dispersion halo in soils and alluvium, offers a potential geochemical exploration target. Sediment from streams near low-grade uranium occurrences in arkosic sandstone of the Denver basin, Colorado, and sediment from streams in the igneous and metamorphic terrace near the Midnite mine of eastern Washington have been analyzed for acid-extractable U, Cu,Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Mo, Cd, Cr, Ag, V, and Se, and for total Fe, Mn, Hg, As, and organic C. The -80 mesh fraction of the alluvium downstream from a small uraniferous limonite occurrence in the Denver basin shows anomalous concentrations of U, Pb, As, Ni, Mo, V, Zn, and Se. Anomalous concentrations of U persist farther downstream (as much as 1,000 m) than any of the trace elements. In another stream system southeast of Denver, above-background levels of U, Pb, As, Zn, V, Fe, and Mn occur near a uranium anomaly (defined by other methods) which has no surface mineralization. In the Midnite mine area, sediments of streams draining prospect areas showed anomalous concentrations of uranium (as much as 10 times background), but no accompanying anomalous trace-element concentrations, although analyses of Midnite mine ores show that a broad suite of trace elements are associated with uranium.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2025

Geologic map of the Guinevere Planitia quadrangle (V–30), Venus

This 1:5,000,000-scale geologic map of the Guinevere Planitia quadrangle divides the region into 15 geologic material units, defined using Magellan synthetic aperture radar (12.6-centimeter-wavelength radar system; 75 meters per pixel) datasets and including upland terrain units (2.4 percent of the surface area), plains materials units (59 percent), flow materials associated with named and unnamed eruptive centers (37.2 percent), small volcanic edifices, and impact crater materials (1.4 percent). Upland terrain units consist of tessera and lineated upland material, plains materials consist of Guinevere regional plains and Guinevere lineated and mottled plains, and flow materials consist of lobate flow material and plains-forming flow material. Specific lobate flows associated with Atanua Mons, Tuli Mons, Var Mons, and Uilata Fluctus are mapped separately. Other mapped units are impact crater material and small volcanic edifice. In addition to geologic units, we mapped linear features that show patterns of deformation or flow across the quadrangle. These consist of faults, wrinkle ridges, broad arches, channels, troughs, and flow direction indicators. The map region also contains several small volcanic features: shields, depressions, and craters. These, in combination with the plains, large volcanoes, and coronae, show the pervasive influence of volcanism across Venusian lowlands. The rims of nine identified impact features are delineated; large bright and dark haloes, which in some cases are associated with individual impact craters, are mapped as surficial mantling deposits. We documented spatial relationships using the stratigraphic and cross-cutting relationships of the quadrangle’s geologic units and features to provide a synthesis of the region’s geologic history. The upland terrain of the quadrangle indicates intense tectonic deformation and uplift. It is exposed as embayed remnants, typically within the plains, and represents the oldest geologic materials locally and across the region. Guinevere plains and the plains-forming flow unit appear to be assemblages of volcanic flows from multiple sources, including distinct coronae and corona-like structures. The temporal evolution of Guinevere lineated and mottled plains was likely protracted, with continued formation of small volcanic edifices over a long period. The morphologic and radar brightness characteristics of volcanoes in the region indicate their growth may have involved (1) multiple large-scale eruptive centers with recognizable spatial and temporal sequences, (2) extensive lava flow fields with a multitude of flows producing complex, overlapping patterns, and (3) numerous small volcanic edifices, including shields, domes, and cones. Although geologic patterns common to other regions of Venus are evident in the Guinevere Planitia quadrangle, local relative age relationships are inconsistent or unclear, preventing robust stratigraphic correlation. The mapping results do, however, indicate complicated local sequences of volcanic and tectonic activity.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2000

Use of a ground-penetrating radar system to detect pre- and post-flood scour at selected bridge sites in New Hampshire, 1996-98

Ground-penetrating radar was used to measure the depth and extent of existing and infilled scour holes and previous scour surfaces at seven bridges in New Hampshire from April 1996 to November 1998. Ground-penetrating-radar survey techniques initially were used by the U.S. Geological Survey to study streambed scour at 30 bridges. Sixteen of the 30 bridges were re-surveyed where floods exceeded a 2-year recurrence interval. A 300-megahertz signal was used in the ground-penetrating radar system that penetrated through depths as great as 20 feet of water and as great as 32 feet of streambed materials. Existing scour-hole dimensions, infilled thickness, previous scour surfaces, and streambed materials were detected using ground-penetrating radar. Depths to riprap materials and pier footings were identified and verified with bridge plans. Post data-collection-processing techniques were applied to assist in the interpretation of the data, and the processed data were displayed and printed as line plots. Processing included distance normalization, migration, and filtering but processing was kept to a minimum and some interference from multiple reflections was left in the record. Of the 16 post-flood bridges, 22 ground-penetrating-radar cross sections at 7 bridges were compared and presented in this report. Existing scour holes were detected during 1996 (pre-flood) data collection in nine cross sections where scour depths ranged from 1 to 3 feet. New scour holes were detected during 1998 (post-flood) data collection in four cross sections where scour depths were as great as 4 feet deep. Infilled scour holes were detected in seven cross sections, where depths of infilling ranged from less than 1 to 4 feet. Depth of infilling by means of steel rod and hammer was difficult to verify in the field because of cobble and boulder streambeds or deep water. Previous scour surfaces in streambed materials were identified in 15 cross sections and the depths to these surfaces ranged from 1 to 10 feet below the streambed. Riprap materials or pier footings were identified in all cross sections. Calculated record depths generally agree with bridge plans. Pier footings were exposed at two bridges and steel pile was exposed at one bridge. Exposures were verified by field observations.

New Hampshire↗
USGS2025

“Leaky weirs” capture alluvial deposition and enhance seasonal mountain-front recharge in dryland streams

“Leaky weirs” are rock structures installed in dryland streams, which are anchored into exposed bedrock, loosely cemented, and designed to allow water to slowly pass through. They are being tested at a ranch in southeastern Arizona, USA, to restore and conserve the historic range and desert wetlands. Data are collected to assess how leaky weirs impact surface water, subsurface water, and groundwater recharge—including stream discharge, timing, and depth of infiltration, and groundwater elevations. Three adjacent watersheds, two with outlets just below leaky weirs and one with leaky weirs farther upstream, were instrumented with water-level loggers, wildlife cameras, and crest stage instruments with temperature sensors in the soil. As most groundwater recharge is assumed to be focused along the mountain fronts in this region, mountain-block recharge is also evaluated to differentiate between the two using isotope analyses. Finally, a single, late-season flood event is scrutinized to consider the leaky weir effect on all monitored components in the water budget. Results indicated groundwater flow is primarily from the mountains to the east via older, regional mountain-block recharge. However, the development of shallow alluvial aquifers is supported by the leaky weirs, that slow flows, capture permeable sediments, and allow infiltration, thus enhancing mountain-front recharge. In turn, these new pockets of water help support the restoration of historic wetlands. Sediment accumulates where leaky weirs are installed, reducing flashy peak flows, and resulting in a series of infiltration ponds along the channel that support vegetation during growing seasons and recharge the shallow aquifer during non-growing seasons.

Arizona↗
USGS2026

Metallurgical coal—Deposits, production, resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks

Plain Language Summary Metallurgical coal (met coal; consumed to produce coke for steelmaking) must meet specific chemical and physical specifications. In 2023, the conterminous United States produced 66 million short tons (mst) of met coal, consumed 15.85 mst domestically, exported 51.1 mst, and imported 0.7 mst. Most met coal was produced in the Appalachian Basin, but there are also resources that meet the specifications for met coal in the Western United States.

conterminous United States↗
USGS2026

Interplay between tectonics and submarine mass transport deposits in Cortes Basin: New high-resolution geophysics in the Outer California Borderland

The Outer California Borderland (OCB) is an active transform plate boundary offshore Southern California, where the relationship between faulting and submarine mass transport deposits (MTDs) remains poorly understood. Onshore paleoseismic data provide high-resolution earthquake records, whereas marine geophysical data capture longer-term histories. Offshore fault systems pose hazards to infrastructure and dense coastal populations, particularly when linked to submarine landslides. We present new high-resolution geophysical data set (cruise SR2303), including bathymetric and CHIRP sub-bottom data integrated with legacy seismic reflection data and chronostratigraphic constraints from ODP Site 1012 to examine Quaternary MTD recurrence and tectonic controls in the Cortes Basin, OCB. Bathymetry shows deformational features, including slide scarps and previously unmapped fault segments with evidence of Holocene activity. CHIRP profiles reveal 10 stacked MTDs in the East Cortes Basin and 8 in the West Cortes Basin, spanning ∼752 ka with an average recurrence of ∼83.6 ± 1 ka. Acoustic imaging shows 7 MTD intervals coinciding with fault offset increments and fault growth suggesting earthquake-triggered mass wasting. A strong association between MTD occurrences and sea-level extremes also supports glacio-eustatic contribution to slope failure. Stratigraphic correlations suggest quasi-synchronous MTDs across the eastern and western areas, likely triggered by larger eathquakes in the Quaternary. Although the identified MTDs occur relatively far from the Southern California coast, they still pose a potential tsunamigenic hazard requiring further assessment. Moreover, if linked to earthquakes along major strike-slip faults, for example, the Ferrelo fault, the MTDs may provide valuable proxies to constrain rupture scenarios and fault connectivity within the understudied OCB.

California↗
USGS2025

Groundwater flowpath characteristics drive variability in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) loading across a stream-wetland system

Groundwater-dependent ecosystems in areas with industrial land use are at risk of exposure to a PFAS chemicals. We investigated one such system with several known PFAS source areas, where high and low permeability sediments (glacial) coupled with groundwater-lake and groundwater/surface-water interactions created complex ‘source to seep’ dynamics. Using heat-tracing and chemical methods, numerous preferential groundwater discharge zones were identified and sampled across the upper Quashnet River stream-wetland system in Mashpee, MA, USA, downgradient of Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC). Surface-water and groundwater samples were analyzed for 40 PFAS compounds between March and October 2022. Samples were collected from groundwater seeps identified as preferential discharge points (PDPs), wells upgradient of the stream-wetland system, contributing flow-through kettle lakes, and along Quashnet River surface-waters. PFAS from sampled waters contained perfluorinated carboxylates (PFPea, PFHxA, PFNA), perfluorinated sulfonates (PFBS, PFPeS, PFHxS, PFOS), fluorotelomer sulfonates (6:2, 8:2 FtS), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (PFOSA). Samples from PDPs and wells had measured PFAS concentrations ranging from non-detect to 4677 ng/L ng/L (mean = 418 ng/L, std. = 709 ng/L), and a range of deuterium excess values (3.2 to 15.9 per mil) indicative of varying degrees of groundwater-lake interaction prior to groundwater flowpath emergence at PDPs. Correlations ( p < 0.01) between deuterium excess, %PFAS precursors, and terminal PFAS compounds highlighted potential precursor transformations associated with lake-groundwater exchange along flowpaths sourcing PDPs. However, some seepages had higher total PFAS concentrations (>1000 ng/L) than upgradient kettle lakes despite showing lake (evaporative) isotopic signatures, indicating the potential for groundwater flowpath convergence at wetland discharge zones and the influence of lakebed PFAS precursor reactions. Results from these synoptic surveys address gaps in the existing PFAS literature by demonstrating the importance of subsurface fate and transport on PFAS compound concentrations and mass loading in preferential groundwater discharge zones.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2025

Petrogenesis and mineralization potential of the Bradley Peak komatiitic basalts, Wyoming Province

The ca. 2.72 Ga Bradley Peak greenstone terrane in the Wyoming Province contains spinifex- and cumulate-textured komatiitic volcanic rocks that may host Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide mineralization. New whole rock geochemistry classifies these rocks as Al-undepleted komatiitic basalts derived from a parental melt with ~17 wt. % MgO. Isotopic data (Sm-Nd, Re-Os) and REE profiles suggest a plume source and possible assimilation of juvenile footwall volcanic rocks. Calculated sulfur concentrations at sulfide saturation and low-detection PGE geochemistry indicate these magmas did not saturate a sulfide liquid resulting in sulfide mineralization. Although the Bradley Peak komatiitic basalt flows are unlikely to host magmatic sulfide mineralization, they are likely the source of Au for regional orogenic gold deposits.

Wyoming↗
USGS2023

Paleomagnetism of the Harrat Rahat volcanic field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—Geologic unit correlations and geomagnetic cryptochron identifications

Paleomagnetic rock samples were collected from 173 drill sites in the Quaternary alkali basaltic volcanic field of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Laboratory measurements on these samples established that lava flows and vent complexes—identified and mapped from field characteristics, rock types, and compositions as products of single or temporally close eruptions—typically record single, or very similar, directions of remanent magnetization. Correlations defined through geologic mapping, spatial association, geochemistry, geochronology, and identical mean remanent directions indicate at least 16 brief episodes of temporally clustered eruptions. These episodes had durations of a few centuries or less. Anomalous remanent magnetic directions were found for at least 13 mapped lavas of northern Harrat Rahat, which demonstrate that they were acquired during brief geomagnetic cryptochrons during the Brunhes Normal Polarity Chron. These uncharacteristic directions enhance the opportunity to identify common eruptive episodes, and to better understand and evaluate assessments of eruption ages based on 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology. Combining paleomagnetic and regional archaeomagnetic results for the youngest eruptions allows us to evaluate their historical age assignments and, in one case, refute a previously assigned provisional age.

Harrat Rahat volcanic field↗
USGS1976

Ground magnetic and VLF studies at Midnite uranium mine, Stevens County, Washington

Ground magnetic and E-mode VLF measurements were made at more than 200 stations at the Midnite uranium Mine, Stevens County, Washington. The equipment was found to be light and foolproof, and each set of data was collected in one day, exclusive of surveying and marking the station points. The maps of contoured magnetic and VLF data resembled geologic maps of the area, showing many common features, as well as a few unique features on each map. Each showed some evidence of a small normal fault cutting the region; taken together, the evidence for this fault was judged to be much stronger, so that further structural details were inferred. Because of soil cover and inadequate outcrops, the presence of this fault had hitherto been unsuspected. A target area for further uranium mineralization north of the fault was indicated by this quick, inexpensive geophysical survey. The drilling program which Midnite Mine management had underway at that time had already outlined a mineralized zone in the indicated area.

Washington↗
USGS2023

Preliminary geologic map of the Southern Santa Rosa Mountains and Borrego Badlands, San Diego County, Southern California

This investigation delineates the geologic framework of an area of 75 square kilometers (km 2 ) located west of the Salton Sea in southern California (fig. 1, on sheet 1). The study area encompasses the south flank of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the eastern part of the Borrego Badlands (sheet 1). In this study area, regionally important stratigraphic and structural elements collectively inform the late Cenozoic geologic evolution of the Anza-Borrego sector of the Salton Trough province. Critical stratigraphic and structural elements in the map area include the following: The well exposed sequence of late Cenozoic, nonmarine sedimentary rocks that filled the Anza-Borrego subbasin (fig. 1) of the Salton Trough; A tectonic boundary that—in the southern Santa Rosa Mountains—separates the sedimentary strata from underlying crystalline rocks of Peninsular Ranges type. This tectonic boundary, named the West Salton Detachment Fault System by Axen and Fletcher (1998), is projected to underlie all late Cenozoic sedimentary strata in the Anza-Borrego subbasin of the Salton Trough; A variety of transpressional, transtensional, and strike-slip structures that have deformed the late Cenozoic sedimentary strata and collectively guided syntectonic and posttectonic depositional events within the Anza-Borrego subbasin of the Salton Trough; and The southeasternmost surface expression of the Clark Fault, a major strand of the dextral San Jacinto Fault Zone. Geologic mapping and analysis for this investigation focused on clarifying geologic relations among these four stratigraphic and structural aspects in the map area.

California↗
USGS2026

Patterns and drivers of cliff erosion in Big Sur, California, USA using repeat photogrammetry, 2017–2023

Seacliff erosion in steep terrain poses major risks to transportation and critical infrastructure. In Big Sur, California, USA, seacliff erosion threatens the sustainability of the central coast stretch of California State Route 1, a transportation corridor that is critical to the region's economy. Published cliff retreat rates for the region range from 1 to 40 cm yr −1 , highlighting that high-resolution, process-based studies could enhance understanding of the causes of spatial and temporal variability. We quantified cliff erosion and investigated its drivers along ∼13 km of the Big Sur coastline at week–month timescales during the late fall to early spring wet seasons between January 2017 and June 2023 by analyzing 3D point clouds developed from aerial imagery using four-dimensional structure-from-motion (4D SfM) photogrammetry techniques. We calculated cliff face retreat rates of 2.23 ± 3.06 cm yr −1 (mean ±1 σ ), an order of magnitude lower than long-term estimated rates for the region (which included large deep-seated landslides), but in line with short-term rates reported across California. Change detection imagery comparison, cliff profiles through time, and statistical analysis reveal a cyclical cliff evolution process in which erosion by wave action at the cliff base destabilizes the cliff and primes it for subsequent failure during precipitation events. Although more erosion by volume could be attributed to precipitation-induced increases in soil moisture (784 m 3 km −1 yr −1 ) compared with erosion attributed to wave power (282 m 3 km −1 yr −1 ), our observations underscore the coupled nature of these processes in driving cliff evolution, consistent with established theory and observations.

California↗
USGS2025

Beyond the mangroves: A global synthesis of tidal forested wetland types, drivers and future information opportunities

There is increasing awareness of the global diversity of tidal forested wetlands (TFWs) and their significance in the provision of ecosystem services. These ecosystems, including mangrove forests, tidal freshwater forested wetlands, supratidal forests and transitional forests together span multiple climatic zones, geomorphic settings, and inundation and salinity regimes. We utilise case studies across five continents to demonstrate the state of knowledge among TFWs. Intertidal mangroves are the best-defined of the TFWs thanks to decades of research on their geomorphology, hydrology and ecology across their broad distribution. Non-mangrove forest settings, however, demonstrate more diverse hydrological, biochemical and vegetation conditions. In many cases, non-mangrove forests are situated at upper intertidal or supratidal elevations, where surface waters and groundwater are subject to interactions between tides freshwater inputs. Salinity datasets show variations ranging from tidal freshwater forested wetlands and ‘low-salinity mangroves’ to mesohaline or marine salinities, often with high temporal variability. While the floristic composition of non-mangrove forests vary among biogeographic regions, locally dominant TFW species are commonly distributed beyond the tidal niche into non-tidal wetland and upland forests. This presents challenges for traditional remote sensing approaches to ecosystem mapping, which are mostly lacking for non-mangrove forests. Geomorphic approaches and developments in machine learning offer opportunities to address this.

Preprint↗
USGS2024

Federal lands greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration in the United States: Estimates for 2005–22

In 2016, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produce a publicly available and annually updated database of estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and use of fossil fuels from Federal lands. The first report in this series included emissions estimates from 2005 to 2014 and were reported for 29 States and two offshore areas. Native American and Tribal lands were not included in that analysis. This report recalculates those previous years (2005–14) with updated data and methods and extends the estimates to 2022. Nationwide emissions from fossil fuels produced on Federal lands in 2022 were 1,081.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMT CO 2 Eq.) for CO 2 , 33.4 MMT CO 2 Eq. for methane (CH 4 ), and 4.3 MMT CO 2 Eq. for nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Compared to 2005, the 2022 totals represent decreases in emissions for all three greenhouse gases (by 17 percent for CO 2 , 37 percent for CH 4 , and 30 percent for N 2 O). Emissions from fossil fuels produced on Federal lands represent, on average, 21.8 percent of U.S. emissions for CO 2 , 6.1 percent for CH 4 , and 1.3 percent for N 2 O over the 18 years included in this estimate. The trends and relative magnitudes of the greenhouse gas emissions estimated are roughly parallel to the Federal lands fossil fuel production volumes. In 2021, Federal lands of the conterminous United States stored 70,424 MMT CO 2 Eq. in terrestrial ecosystems. Soils stored most of the terrestrial ecosystem carbon (66 percent), followed by live vegetation (25 percent), deadwood (5 percent), and litter (4 percent). Carbon sequestration on Federal lands was highly variable over time, owing primarily to interannual variability in climate and weather, and variability in land use and land cover (LULC) change and disturbances, among these are wildfires and logging. Between 2005 and 2021, Federal lands sequestered an average of 83 MMT CO 2 Eq./yr. By subtracting the cumulative effects of LULC and disturbance-related CO 2 losses to the atmosphere from the total, we estimate that ecosystems at the national level sequestered CO 2 at an annual mean rate of 17 MMT CO 2 Eq./yr in a term called the net ecosystem exchange (NEE). This annual NEE sequestration value represents about 1.4 percent of average fossil fuel emissions over the same period. The USGS estimates presented in this report represent an accounting for the emissions resulting from fossil fuel extraction on Federal lands and the end-use combustion of those fuels, as well as for the sequestration of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems on Federal lands. A combined net CO 2 emissions estimate, which is the difference between the emitted and sequestered CO 2 from both the fossil fuel and ecosystems estimates, provides context for evaluating the greenhouse gas contributions of activities on these lands. The estimates included in this report can provide context for future energy decisions, as well as a basis to track change in the future.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2024

Preparing for today's and tomorrow's water-resources challenges in eastern Long Island, New York

Freshwater is a vital natural resource. Although New York is a water-rich State, the wise and economical use of water resources is needed to ensure that there is enough water of adequate quality for both human and ecological needs—both for today and for tomorrow. Nowhere in New York is this more evident than in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, where the public water supply is obtained from the sole-source aquifers located directly beneath the nearly 3 million people who live there. In 2023, in eastern Long Island’s Suffolk County, groundwater was pumped from these aquifers by more than 1,100 public water-supply wells to meet the needs of about 1.5 million people.

New York↗
USGS2025

High-precision earthquake catalog for Minto Flats fault zone, central Alaska, reveals complex and conjugate faulting

The Minto Flats fault zone (MFFZ) in central Alaska is a left‐lateral strike‐slip fault system situated between the continental‐scale right‐lateral Denali and Kaltag‐Tintina faults. The MFFZ has the potential to generate magnitude 7 earthquakes, and it hosted a magnitude 6 earthquake in 1995. It has also produced exotic events, such as very‐low‐frequency earthquakes and nucleation signals. We use network‐matched filtering and relative earthquake relocation techniques to derive a detailed catalog of earthquake locations for the MFFZ. The catalog spans from August 2014 to December 2019, a time period including 13 temporary seismic stations in the region. Our results provide the most complete catalog for the MFFZ and include deeper events, clusters of shallow seismicity, and a complex and segmented fault structure not observed in the original regional catalog. We document right‐lateral strike‐slip faulting, conjugate to the main northeast‐striking left‐lateral faults of the MFFZ. Below Nenana basin, the relocated seismicity reveals northwest‐dipping left‐lateral faults, supporting the inference that deep crustal active faulting is associated with recent basin deformation.

Alaska↗
USGS2025

Scientific opportunities in the National Landscape Conservation System

The National Landscape Conservation System consists of unique and beautiful places across America’s landscapes where identified resources and values are protected and science is highlighted. The mission of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is often referred to as the agency’s National Conservation Lands, is to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes for their cultural, ecological, and scientific values. This clear inclusion of science in the NLCS mission sets the stage for individual units to serve as places of learning, teaching, discovery, and innovation. Science is an integral part of managing the National Conservation Lands, and science conducted within and across the more than 900 units that make up the NLCS can inform and influence conservation and public land management well beyond its boundaries. Here, we highlight seven core aspects of National Conservation Lands that present valuable science opportunities: (1) the scientific values for which individual units are designated; (2) the many other resources, objects, and values within units; (3) the value of units as “control” sites for understanding the effects of activities such as mineral extraction that commonly occur elsewhere on multiple-use public lands but are often prohibited within National Conservation Lands; (4) the value of units for studying the effects of activities such as recreation that regularly occur and may be intensified on National Conservation Lands; (5) the high visibility of units, which draws strong interest and engagement from scientists, partners, and the public; (6) the functioning of the units as a network managed for a common purpose, which provides an opportunity to explore cross-cutting science questions across widely varying contexts and geographies; and (7) the opportunities units provide to promote and apply Indigenous Knowledge to scientific research to manage natural and cultural resources. Because of all of these characteristics, National Conservation Lands can serve as hubs for basic and applied science that can inform management of all public lands and resources into the future. We highlight these science opportunities through examples from existing units and suggest two actions that could help further science activities and impact on National Conservation Lands.

Parks Stewardship Forum↗