Science Topics
Water Resources --
Geology --
Geography --
Biology States --
Ecosystems --
Coastal/Offshore --
International The topical directory below provides an alternate way to
browse USGS science programs and activities. It is not an
exhaustive list of all USGS science topics but provides a
categorization using a thesaurus of related terms that will
give you definitions, links to science content, and a
structured approach to discovery. [About the thesaurus ]
[Expand all categories] [Collapse all categories]
Atmosphere and Climate
acid rain ,
air-sea interaction , atmospheric circulation , atmospheric deposition , climate change ,
desertification , droughts ,
global change ,
global warming , greenhouse effect , precipitation ,
storms , wind , ... [more]
... [less]
Earth Characteristics
bathymetry , biostratigraphy , bouguer anomaly , earth history , earth structure ,
Earth's core , Earth's crust , Earth's mantle , fossils , free-air anomaly , geologic history ,
geologic structure ,
gravity ,
igneous rocks , isostatic anomaly , land surface ,
lithostratigraphy , magnetic field ,
metamorphic rocks , rocks and deposits ,
sedimentary rocks , snow and ice cover ,
stratigraphy ,
unconsolidated deposits , ... [more]
... [less]
Ecology and Environment
aquatic ecosystems , benthic ecosystems , biodiversity ,
biogeography ,
deserts , ecological competition , ecological processes ,
ecosystem diversity , ecosystem functions , ecosystems ,
environmental assessment , estuarine ecosystems , forests , freshwater ecosystems , grasslands , habitat alteration , habitats ,
island ecosystems , shrublands , tundras , wetlands , ... [more]
... [less]
Environmental Issues
abandoned mines and quarries , contamination and pollution ,
deforestation , desertification , dredging , ground-water quality , health and disease ,
human impacts ,
industrial pollution , land use ,
land use change , marine water quality , mine drainage ,
mining hazards , nonpoint-source pollution , overfishing , overgrazing , pesticides and herbicides , pharmaceuticals , recreation ,
surface water quality , toxic radionuclides , toxic trace elements , waste treatment and disposal , water quality ,
... [more]
... [less]
Geographic Analysis and Mapping
Geologic Processes
erosion ,
faulting , folding , geochemistry ,
land subsidence ,
plate tectonics ,
rock deformation , sedimentation ,
soil chemistry , water chemistry , ... [more]
... [less]
Hydrologic Processes
glaciation ,
ground-water flow ,
ground-water level , hydrodynamics , hydrology , percolation , runoff ,
saltwater intrusion , scour , sediment transport ,
streamflow ,
water circulation , water cycle , ... [more]
... [less]
Natural Hazards
algal blooms , droughts , dust storms , earthquake occurrences , earthquake preparedness , earthquake probabilities , earthquakes ,
fire control , fires ,
floods ,
hazards , hurricanes ,
ice storms , impact cratering , lahars , landslides ,
liquefaction , magnetic storms , storm surge , tsunamis ,
volcanic activity , volcanic eruption prediction , volcanic gas emission , volcanoes ,
... [more]
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Natural Resources
coal resources , commercial fisheries , energy resources ,
fishery resources ,
forest resources , geothermal resources , inland fisheries , marine fisheries , mineral resources ,
mining and quarrying , natural gas resources , natural resource management , oil resources , placer deposit mining , resource exploration ,
resource extraction ,
soil resources , water resources ,
well drilling , ... [more]
... [less]
Oceans and Coastlines
air-sea interaction , coastal ecosystems , coastal zones ,
marine ecosystems , marine fisheries , marine geology ,
marine geophysics ,
marine water quality , ocean characteristics ,
ocean circulation , ocean currents , ocean processes ,
ocean salinity , ocean temperature , ocean tides , ocean waves , oceanic lithosphere , paleoceanography , reef ecosystems , sea-floor characteristics , sea-level change , ... [more]
... [less]
Planets
Plants and Animals
animals ,
aquatic vegetation , capturing and trapping , carnivores , endangered species ,
extinction and extirpation , ferns , flowering plants , genetic diversity , herbivores , invasive species ,
invertebrates , liverworts and hornworts , migratory species , mosses , paleobotany , palynology , plant and animal testing , plants ,
pollinators , seasonal migration , species diversity , vegetation ,
vertebrates , wildlife ,
wildlife population management , ... [more]
... [less]
Techniques and Methods
aerial photography , aeromagnetic surveying , aeroradiometric surveying , camera calibration , computational methods , core analysis , field methods , geographic information systems (GIS) ,
geolocation measurement , image analysis , isotopic analysis , laboratory methods , luminescence dating , mathematical modeling ,
mathematical simulation , photography , real-time monitoring and reporting ,
remote sensing ,
risk assessment , statistical analysis , topological analysis , tree ring analysis , ... [more]
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Water Resources
aquifers , domestic water use , drainage basins , droughts , estuaries , floodplains , floods , ground water ,
ground-water quality , industrial water use , irrigation , lakes , movement and recharge , runoff , saltwater intrusion , sediment transport , streamflow , surface water ,
surface water quality , thermal features , water budget , water properties ,
water quality ,
water supply and demand ,
water use ,
... [more]
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Alphabetical Index of Topics
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