USGS Newsroom

Landsat 5 Experiences Malfunction (Updated)
Released: 8/24/2009 11:28:24 AM
Update, 8/17/2009. Landsat 5 tumbled out of control in the early morning of August 13. Full operational capabilities restored. The cause of the malfunction is still being investigated.

Free Landsat Scenes Go Public by the Million
Released: 8/20/2009 3:26:01 PM
On August 17, someone who wanted to see how the Earth looks from 440 miles away in space downloaded the one-millionth Landsat satellite image scene from a U.S. Geological Survey web site at its Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Study Reveals Mercury Contamination in Fish Nationwide
Released: 8/19/2009 12:11:40 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study released today.

Recovery Funding for Yellowstone and Other Volcano Observatories to Improve Monitoring and Public Safety
Released: 8/14/2009 9:16:34 AM
YELLOWSTONE NP AND WASHINGTON, D.C.--Residents and critical infrastructure in the nation’s six highest-risk volcanic areas—including the Yellowstone region-- will benefit from increased monitoring and analysis as a result of Recovery Act funds being channeled into volcano monitoring, Secretary Salazar announced today.

Salazar Releases Long-Term Report Detailing Glaciers Shrinking in Alaska and Washington
Released: 8/10/2009 8:53:28 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A report on long-term glacier measurements released today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar shows that glaciers are dramatically changing in mass, length and thickness as a result of climate change.

What Science Says About Beach Sand and Stomach Aches
Released: 8/10/2009 8:52:44 AM
By washing your hands after digging in beach sand, you could greatly reduce your risk of ingesting bacteria that could make you sick. In new research, scientists have determined that, although beach sand is a potential source of bacteria and viruses, hand rinsing may effectively reduce exposure to microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.

Expedition to Map the Arctic Seafloor
Released: 8/6/2009 4:59:02 PM
American and Canadian scientists are setting sail this summer to map the Arctic seafloor and gather data to help define the outer limits of the continental shelf.

From the Ground Up: Researchers Study Rebirth of an Island after Volcanic Eruption
Released: 8/6/2009 2:00:00 PM
Next week, a team of researchers organized by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will visit Kasatochi to look for signs of life on the island, almost exactly one year after the catastrophic eruption.

August Science Picks -- Leads, Feeds and Story Seeds
Released: 8/4/2009
Want to join U.S. and Canadian scientists as they map the Arctic seafloor and gather data to help define the outer limits of the continental shelf? Discover how in this edition of USGS Science Picks. You can also find out about large trees declining in Yosemite and join USGS scientists at the Ecological Society of America Conference.

New Ouchless Plague Vaccine, Shipwrecks Wrecking Coral Reefs, White-Nose Syndrome in Bats, and More at the Wildlife Disease Association Conference
Released: 8/3/2009 6:40:39 AM
Note to reporters and editors: The 58th annual meeting of the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) will be August 2-7, 2009, in Blaine, Wash. The theme is Wildlife Health from Land to Sea: Impacts of a Changing World. This release is based on USGS research being presented at the conference. Also see a full press release on emerging diseases in fish.

Sick Fish May Get Sicker: Climate Change and Other Stresses Expected to Affect Entire Populations of Fish
Released: 8/3/2009 6:35:52 AM
Entire populations of North American fish already are being affected by several emerging diseases, a problem that threatens to increase in the future with climate change and other stresses on aquatic ecosystems, according to a noted U.S. Geological Survey researcher giving an invited talk on this subject today at the Wildlife Disease Association conference in Blaine, Wash.

Large Trees Declining in Yosemite
Released: 7/29/2009 11:05:43 AM
Large trees have declined in Yosemite National Park during the 20th century, and warmer climate conditions may play a role.

 

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