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USGS Contributions to the Water Resources Research journal

USGS scientists make extensive contributions to the hydrologic sciences through publication in the primary research journal of the field, Water Resources Research (WRR), a peer-reviewed publication of the American Geophysical Union. Long-term USGS contributions to the hydrologic science are notable in the citation record of WRR. In November 2007, USGS-authored publications accounted for 20 of the 200 most-cited WRR articles.

The 200 most-cited WRR articles were among the 6,571 WRR articles published between 1975 and 2001. These 200 articles, and the 20 USGS-authored articles in this category, are notable for sustained, in-depth contribution to the progress and practice of hydrologic science. The "USGS-authored" articles have at least one author affiliated with the USGS at the time work for the article was done.

The 20 USGS-authored articles are primarily field studies of the chemical and transport processes influencing groundwater quality and statistical analysis of hydrologic and water quality information. However, the range of hydrologic sciences to which the articles contribute include: (1) Interpretation of surface water solute information, (2) Understanding the connections of watersheds and streams, (3) Physical process research, and (4) Methodologies and models.

Groundwater Quality

Large-scale natural-gradient tracer test in sand and gravel, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1. Experimental design and observed tracer movement, LeBlanc, D.R., Garabedian, S.P., Hess, K.M., Gelhar, L.W., Quadri, R.D., Stollenwerk, K.G., and Wood, W.W., (1991) Water Resources Research, 27 (5), pp. 895-910.

Large-scale natural-gradient tracer test in sand and gravel, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2. Analysis of spatial moments for a nonreactive tracer, Garabedian S.P., Leblanc D.R., Gelhar L.W., Celia M.A., (1991) Water Resources Research, 27 (5), pp. 911-924.

Large-scale natural-gradient tracer test in sand and gravel, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 3. Hydraulic conductivity variability and calculate macrodispersivities, Hess K.M., Wolf S.H., Celia M.A., (1992) Water Resources Research, 28 (8), pp. 2011-2027.

Temporal and spatial changes of terminal electron-accepting processes in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer and the significance for contaminant biodegradation, Vroblesky D.A., Chapelle F.H. (1994) Water Resources Research, 30 (5), pp. 1561-1570.

Deducing the distribution of terminal electron-accepting processes in hydrologically diverse groundwater systems, Chapelle F.H., McMahon P.B., Dubrovsky N.M., Fujii R.F., Oaksford E.T., Vroblesky D.A. (1995) Water Resources Research, 31 (2), pp. 359-371.

Combined use of groundwater dating, chemical, and isotopic analyses to resolve the history and fate of nitrate contamination in two agricultural watersheds, Atlantic coastal plain, Maryland, Bohlke J.K., Denver J.M., (1995) Water Resources Research, 31 (9), pp. 2319-2339.

Statistical Analysis of Hydrologic and Water Quality Information

Evaluating the use of 'goodness-of-fit' measures in hydrologic and hydroclimatic model validation, Legates D.R., McCabe Jr. G.J., (1999) Water Resources Research, 35 (1), pp. 233-241.

Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water quality data, Hirsch R.M., Slack J.R., Smith R.A., (1982) Water Resources Research, 18 (1), pp. 107-121.

A nonparametric trend test for seasonal data with serial dependence, Hirsch R.M., Slack J.R., (1984) Water Resources Research, 20 (6), pp. 727-732.

Probability weighted moments: definition and relation to parameters of several distributions expressable in inverse form, Greenwood J.A., Landwehr J.M., Matalas N.C., Wallis J.R., (1979) Water Resources Research, 15 (5), pp. 1049-1054.

Interpretation of Surface Water Solute Information

Regional interpretation of water-quality monitoring data, Smith R.A., Schwarz G.E., Alexander R.B. (1997) Water Resources Research, 33 (12), pp. 2781-2798.

The role of nitrate in the acidification of streams in the Catskill Mountains of New York, Murdoch P.S., Stoddard J.L., (1992) Water Resources Research, 28 (10), pp. 2707-2720.

Simulation of solute transport in a mountain pool-and-riffle stream: a transient storage model, Bencala, K.E., Walters R.A., (1983) Water Resources Research, 19 (3), pp. 718-724.

Understanding the Connections of Watersheds and Streams

Effects of digital elevation model map scale and data resolution on a topography-based watershed model, Wolock D.M., Price C.V., (1994) Water Resources Research, 30 (11), pp. 3041-3052.

The effect of streambed topography on surface-subsurface water exchange in mountain catchments, Harvey J.W., Bencala K.E., (1993) Water Resources Research, 29 (1), pp. 89-98.

Physical Process Research

Downstream dilution of a lahar: transition from debris flow to hyperconcentrated streamflow, Pierson T.C., Scott K.M., (1985) Water Resources Research, 21 (10), pp. 1511-1524.

How permeable are clays and shales?, Neuzil C.E., (1994) Water Resources Research, 30 (2), pp. 145-150.

Methodologies and Models

Automatic, real-time monitoring of soil moisture in a remote field area, with time domain reflectometry, Herkelrath W.N., Hamburg S.P., Murphy F., (1991) Water Resources Research, 27 (5), pp. 857-864.

Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CCl3F and CCl2F2) as hydrologic tracers and age-dating tools: the alluvium and terrace system of central Oklahoma, Busenberg E., Plummer L.N., (1992) Water Resources Research, 28 (9), pp. 2257-2283.

A review of distributed parameter groundwater management modeling methods, Gorelick S.M., (1983) Water Resources Research, 19 (2), pp. 305-319.