Tue, 28 Aug 2012
In response to Hurricane Isaac, USGS has deployed several hundred storm surge sensors to collect information about the effects of Isaac on the Gulf Coast.
Mon, 27 Aug 2012
Join us on September 5th in Reston, VA for a free public lecture on the 2011 Virginia earthquake!
Tue, 21 Aug 2012
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
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Quick look: The U.S. Geological Survey is making available two reports related to groundwater-quality, quality-control, and well yield data for two monitoring wells near Pavillion, Wyo. The first USGS report describes the sampling and analysis plan that was developed to collect groundwater data. A second report provides the raw data and information from the groundwater-quality samples. ... USGS Releases Reports on Groundwater-Quality Sampling Near Pavillion, Wyo.(Released: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:34:51 EDT)
Quick look: MENLO PARK, Calif. — Large earthquakes can alter seismicity patterns across the globe in very different ways, according to two new studies by U.S. Geological Survey seismologists. Both studies shed light on more than a decade of debate on the origin and prevalence of remotely triggered earthquakes. Until now, distant but damaging “aftershocks” have not been included in hazard assessments, yet in each study, changes in seismicity were predictable enough to be included in future evaluations of earthquake hazards.... Rare Great Earthquake in April Triggers Large Aftershocks All Over the Globe(Released: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EDT)
Quick look: Use ‘ProjectAlert’ to keep up with USGS scientists as they respond to floods, droughts, and chemical spills. These alerts are official, yet informal notices that describe flood, drought, or water quality conditions across the country, as well as how USGS field crews are responding to the event.... Media Advisory: Sign Up for USGS Alerts for Flooding and Drought(Released: Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:21:02 EDT)
Quick look: Topsoil from arid regions is the main source of dust clouds that move through the earth's atmosphere, and microbial communities within these soils can survive long-range dispersion. Microbial abundance and chemical composition were analyzed in topsoil from various desert regions. Statistical analyses showed that microbial direct counts were strongly positively correlated with calcium concentration Epifluorescent direct counts of bacteria and viruses from topsoil of various desert dust storm regions(Released: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00 -0500)
Quick look: The unprecedented nature of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill required the application of research methods to estimate the rate at which oil was escaping from the well in the deep sea, its disposition after it entered the ocean, and total reservoir depletion. Here, we review what advances were made in scientific understanding of quantification of flow rates during deep sea oil well blowouts. We asse Review of flow rate estimates of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill(Released: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00 -0500)
Quick look: Climate change will likely have profound effects on cold-water species of freshwater fishes. As temperatures rise, cold-water fish distributions may shift and contract in response. Predicting the effects of projected stream warming in stream networks is complicated by the generally poor correlation between water temperature and air temperature. Spatial dependencies in stream networks are complex b Projected climate-induced habitat loss for salmonids in the John Day River network, Oregon, U.S.A.(Released: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00 -0500)