Science Features
Almost 80 percent of the contiguous United States is facing abnormally dry conditions right now. In fact, much of the lower half of the country is facing at least severe to extreme drought. To make matters worse, scientists are not expecting relief any time soon. In many of these areas, drought is predicted to continue to get worse.
Drought is the nation’s most costly natural disaster, far exceeding earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes and floods. FEMA has estimated that the annual average cost of drought in the United States ranges from $6 to $8 billion. (By comparison, the annual costs of flooding are in the $2 to $4 billion range.) Unlike flooding, drought does not come and go in a single episode. Rather, it often takes a long time for drought to begin to impact an area, and it can fester for months or even years.
Start with Science
In order to reduce the impacts of drought, governments and managers rely on objective and unbiased scientific information about trends in streamflow, precipitation, and other factors that contribute to drought, so that they can understand where drought is occurring, how long it is likely to impact an area, and where drought is likely to strike next.
Droughts can be subdivided into three types: meteorological, agricultural, and hydrologic drought. A meteorological drought begins with precipitation deficiency, high temperatures and winds, and low humidity. As soil moisture is reduced, plants and agriculture are stressed, leading to agricultural drought. When drought causes streamflow to be reduced, the result is a hydrologic drought.
You can view areas of low stream flow in real time at USGS WaterWatch. The map shows how current flows compare to what would be normal for a given time of year based on historical averages. Right now, almost the entire country is experiencing below normal conditions. The bright red coloring on the map indicates, for example, that flows in Georgia are especially low. While this map is an adequate real-time gauge for areas experiencing hydrologic drought, stream and river conditions are not the only drought indicator.
The national Drought Monitor is the official report detailing drought conditions, and this map paints a fuller picture of drought than just stream flow information. In addition to relying heavily on USGS streamgage data, this map also incorporates soil moisture, agricultural information, satellite data, and precipitation.
The map — a product of NOAA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center — is prepared in consultation with scientists from several agencies, including the USGS. It portrays a comprehensive geographic assessment of areas experiencing drought, as well as the severity of drought. For example, when The Weather Channel reports on drought conditions in the country, they use the Drought Monitor map. This map also has economic significance, because it is used by many states as the basis for declaring a drought emergency and requesting federal funding.
In addition to the Drought Monitor, which tracks current and historic drought conditions, every month the National Weather Service produces a Drought Outlook, with bi-weekly updates based primarily on precipitation information. The latest report, released on July 5, indicates that drought is likely to develop, persist, or intensify across much of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, the Corn Belt region, the middle and lower Mississippi Valley, and much of the Great Plains.
How Does This Drought Compare to Past Droughts?
That’s a tough question, because the answer depends on a variety of factors: how you define drought, the specific parts of the country affected by drought, and the time of year. However, the most extensive area of drought during the past century occurred in July 1934 during the dust bowl when 80 percent of the contiguous United States was in moderate to exceptional drought. By comparison, the area in moderate to exceptional drought in June 2012 was 57 percent. So the current drought, though severe, is not as extensive as that which occurred during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s.
Additionally, as a nation we prepare better for today’s droughts, by using reservoirs more strategically and by putting other mechanisms in place to mitigate the impacts of drought. Most states have a plan to ensure there is enough water available when signs point to dry futures. For example, Virginia’s plan allows managers to issue emergency permits for water or even bring in water from elsewhere depending on drought severity. Other plans guide states in preparing for and proactively lessening drought. For example, Nebraska has a plan that includes incentives for water conservation, steps for awareness campaigns, protection of stream flows, and assessments of the most vulnerable areas.
You can find out about low water levels in real-time with USGS WaterAlert. This USGS service allows you to automatically receive a text or email from a USGS streamgage when waters go below a certain threshold that you choose. Sign up for WaterAlert online by selecting a state, checking the “surface water” box, and clicking on your streamgage of choice.
Will Droughts Get Worse with Climate Change?
Drought is a normal component of our climate. Because of the way weather patterns work, there is always precipitation somewhere in the atmosphere and a lack of precipitation somewhere else. Certain areas are more prone to drought, but drought can happen anywhere.
While scientists agree that climate change will cause temperatures to continue to rise, changes to precipitation patterns are less certain. At the time, extrapolating these loose precipitation predictions to drought impacts is nearly impossible. Scientists agree that it is still very difficult to make generalized statements about how climate change will impact drought.
USGS Drought Information in Your State
While drought is affecting multiple states across the country, here is a glimpse at a few local impacts.
Oklahoma experienced a year of extreme heat and drought last year, due to high temperatures and precipitation deficits. Although precipitation has returned to near normal so far this year, Oklahoma is still in the grip of a hydrological drought. The USGS Oklahoma Water Science Center is working on multiple projects that provide reliable, impartial, and timely information to resource managers, planners, and other customers about drought. These federally-funded activities in Oklahoma emphasize regional assessments of surface-water and groundwater conditions, how natural processes and human activities affect those conditions through time, development of new tools and techniques for understanding complex hydrologic systems, effects of drought, and planning for drought.
In Arkansas, streamflows across the state are about 10 – 50 percent of normal streamflow expected during this time of year. Some streams are exhibiting less than one percent of the normal streamflow expected. USGS scientists in Arkansas are studying the effects of climate on water levels, and have determined that long-term continuous monitoring is important to evaluating the effects of climate variability.
Western Texas continues to experience extreme drought, though winter and spring rains provided modest relief to the 2011 drought. Although central Texas has gotten some recent rains, reservoirs are still well below capacity in many areas. Even with recent flooding in the Houston area , about 90% of the wells measured in the Gulf Coast Aquifer during the winter of 2011-12 showed water level declines. Additionally, statewide reservoir storage in 2011 was the lowest on record since 1978.
In Colorado streamflow in early July was below normal at more than 80 percent of the USGS long-term monitoring stations. Record low flows were recorded at 23 of 127 long term monitoring stations. Severe hydrologic drought is primarily occurring in the upper Colorado River Basin, the upper Arkansas Basin, and parts of southwestern Colorado. The Rio Grande and South Platte Basins are experiencing moderate hydrologic drought while flows in the lower Arkansas Basin remain below normal.
In Kansas, USGS scientists are measuring the lowest flows since the 1950s for the Arkansas River, as well as several other rivers across the state. The North Fork of the Ninnescah River is running low enough that the creek temperature have hit 103 degrees.
USGS International Drought Science: Famine Early Warning Systems Network
The ability to grow crops in drought conditions is of high concern for many populations of the developing world. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), which is an activity of the U.S. Agency for International Development and its office Food for Peace, identifies populations with the most food insecurity, examining critical situations in which food aid will be needed. FEWS NET research was used to provide early warning of drought and the potential for the outbreak of famine conditions in Ethiopia and Kenya and Somalia in 2011. Another successful forecast was made in the spring of 2012 that helped motivate effective humanitarian responses in Kenya and Ethiopia.
FEWS NET also helps target more than $1.5 billion of assistance to more than 40 countries each year. As an implementing partner of FEWS NET, the USGS contributes remote sensing data and analyses to monitor and warn of impending drought and potential food insecurity, as well as providing scientific studies for informing adaptation to climate change. The FEWS NET program currently works in Africa, Asia, Central America, and Haiti, with the hope of expanding to global coverage in the near future.
Links and Resources:
For local details and impacts related to drought, please contact your State Climatologist or Regional Climate Center
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Five USGS employees honored with Distinguished Service Awards for their service to the nation
The proposed USGS budget reflects research priorities to respond to nationally relevant issues, including water quantity and quality, ecosystem restoration, hydraulic fracturing, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and support for the National Ocean Policy, and has a large R&D component.
Exploding lakes in Cameroon, Africa, have killed people and livestock. Find out how USGS science is helping prevent such an event from occurring again.
Everyone is familiar with weather systems on earth like rain, wind and snow. But space weather – variable conditions in the space surrounding Earth – has important consequences for our lives inside Earth’s atmosphere.
Scientists and communities are working together to make science more useful and communities safer. What one emergency manager has to say.
Modern volcano monitoring in the United States began with the founding of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912. Living with volcanoes
Shaking from Oklahoma's M5.6 main shock, the largest quake in the State's history, was felt from St. Louis to Lubbock. Number of quakes increasing in Oklahoma
A magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, October 23, 2011. History of strong earthquakes
It's only the beginning of their careers, but these 3 young scientists have forged ahead with innovative research at the frontiers of science. How they've transformed their fields
Oct. 9-15, 2011, is Earth Science Week, themed "Our-Ever Changing Earth," and Oct. 12, 2011, is International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. Answers to questions posed by a changing world
Fire managers and the public can access online maps of current wildfire locations, thanks to a Web-based mapping application provided by the USGS and its partners.
On Feb. 7, 1812, at about 3 a.m., a third, and probably most widely felt of three major earthquakes, occurred in the central Mississippi River Valley. Similar risk today.
Rivers and streams are reaching record levels as a result of Hurricane Irene’s rainfall, with more than 80 USGS streamgages measuring record peaks.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 01:51 PM a 5.8 Earthquake occurred 38 miles outside of Richmond, VA.
A new geologic map of Lassen Volcanic National Park and vicinity has been created. The map area includes the entire Lassen Volcanic Center, parts of three older volcanic centers, and the products of regional volcanism.
To better understand and reduce tsunami hazards, USGS scientists examined sediment deposited by the tsunami in and around Sendai, Japan, as part of an international tsunami survey team organized by Japanese scientific cooperators.
USGS crews continue to measure streamflow and collect water quality and sediment samples in the Ohio and Mississippi River basins using state-of-art instruments.
Many communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Iowa are dealing with record floodwaters and bracing for more flooding in the upcoming weeks.
Fire managers and the public can access online maps of current wildfire locations, thanks to a web-based mapping application provided by the USGS and its partners.
New Zealand has experienced another damaging earthquake close to the city of Christchurch, which is still recovering from the magnitude-6.1 earthquake that struck in February. This latest quake has resulted in additional damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The USGS-NASA Landsat 5 satellite captured this image of 39-mile track of destruction caused by a massive tornado on June 1 near Sturbridge, MA.
As hurricane season starts, researchers are modeling potential changes to coastal environments to identify communities vulnerable to extreme erosion during storms. Data collected before and after storm landfall are used to verify past forecasts and improve future predictions.
The effects of the March 11 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami on Japan are being monitored using Landsat satellite data from the USGS.
The most recent earthquake in Japan affected water levels in groundwater wells all over the country. Water level fluctuations were recorded as far away as Illinois, Virginia, Missouri and Florida.
Volcanic activity continues in the Pu`u `O`o crater on Kilauea Volcano's east rift zone and in the Halema`uma`u Crater vent at Kilauea’s summit. Visit the USGS Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory site to get detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more.
Scientists unveil a catastrophic winter storm scenario that could possibly overwhelm California's flood protection system, and significantly disrupt Statewide social and economic systems.
Heavy rainfall could potentially destabilize hillsides. The USGS Landslide Hazards Web site has what you need to know if you live in an area prone to landslides.
The USGS and the National Weather Service have developed a new flood inundation map tool that enables management officials and residents to see where the potential threat of flooding is the highest along the Flint River near Albany, Georgia.
Volcanic eruptions have always been a part of human history; the American experience is no exception. On November 3rd, USGS’s Dr. John Eichelberger discusses new USGS programs which establish monitoring networks on all hazardous US volcanoes, to reduce the effects of volcanic hazards on communities.
Kilauea is Hawaii's youngest volcano and one of the world's most active. Get daily updates on ongoing eruptions from Kilauea's summit and east rift zone.
Looking for information on natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and more? The USGS Education site provides great resources, including lessons, data, maps, and more, to support teaching, learning, K-12 education, and university-level inquiry and research.
The USGS PAGER system (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) will now include estimated economic loss and casualty information. This system is used by emergency responders, government and aid officials, and the public to understand the scope of the disaster to develop the best response.
Flash flooding is one of the major causes of natural hazard-related deaths in the United States and is hard to predict, but data collected by the USGS is crucial to formulating better predictive models.
The USGS Science Strategy is a comprehensive report to critically examine the USGS's major science goals and priorities for the coming decade. The USGS is moving forward with these strategic science directions in response to the challenges that our Nation's future faces and for the stewards of our Federal lands.
Manatees are often used as sentinels for emerging threats to the ocean environment and human health. Read more
The extent and distribution of the world’s ice, primarily in the form of glaciers, provide insight about changes in the Earth’s climate and changes in sea-level. Read more
Washington, D.C., is a unique city full of landmarks and buildings that are recognizable worldwide. But how were these stone giants built? Read more
Hurricane Sandy is a stark reminder of just how essential it is for the Nation to become more resilient to coastal hazards.Read more
In honor of Earth Science Week the USGS is taking a look back into history at the scientists who laid the foundation for the innovative earth science research taking place today. Read more
The majority of the nation is still experiencing abnormally dry conditions, even after soaking rains from Isaac. Read more
While Hurricane Isaac has passed, scientific work to understand the storm’s impact on Gulf Coast states continues. Read more
Real-time map showing the extent of flooding (black dots) and drought (red dots) in the U.S. Read more
USGS scientists, engineers, and technicians are working along the Gulf coast in response to Hurricane Isaac. Read more
The U.S. Geological Survey is keeping careful watch as Tropical Storm Isaac continues to track northwest toward the west coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Read more
Fifteen years of data illuminate complex interactions driving land change in Puerto Rico. Read more
USGS scientists look to see if water quality is improving. Read more
Kati is a USGS student employee studying water and traveling the California coast. Read more
This year, a large dead zone again threatens the Gulf of Mexico. Read more
Please comment on the USGS’ draft science strategies! Read more
Are you surprised the water bubbles look so small? Read more
USGS Details how climate change could affect water availability in 14 U.S. Basins. Read more
Travis Gibson shares insight into the life a USGS hydrologic technician for one of the USGS water science centers out west. Read more
The USGS plays an integral role in the new U.S. Water Partnership, which will bring together public and private resources to address water challenges around the world.
Timing is everything! Consider helping track changes in spring’s arrival
Meet one of the next generation of USGS physical scientists.
Flood Safety Awareness Week is March. 12-16. What can you do to prepare?
National Groundwater Awareness Week is Mar. 11-17, 2012. See how USGS science is connecting groundwater and surface water.
Since Japan’s March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, scientists at the USGS have learned much to help better prepare for a large earthquake in the United States.
Five USGS employees honored with Distinguished Service Awards for their service to the nation
Meet a member of the next generation of USGS hydrologic technicians.
Meet a member of the next generation of USGS hydrologic technicians.
It’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Did you know invasive species cost our country more than 100 billion dollars each year? Get to know America’s ten top invaders this week.
Groundwater in aquifers on the East Coast and in the Central U.S. has the highest risk of contamination from radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element and known carcinogen.
The proposed USGS budget reflects research priorities to respond to nationally relevant issues, including water quantity and quality, ecosystem restoration, hydraulic fracturing, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and support for the National Ocean Policy, and has a large R&D component.
Four new reports examine the contaminants polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in house dust, streams, lakes, soil, and air.
Exploding lakes in Cameroon, Africa, have killed people and livestock. Find out how USGS science is helping prevent such an event from occurring again.
A summer intern turned permanent employee discusses his career path. Most memorable moment
Oct. 9-15, 2011, is Earth Science Week, themed "Our-Ever Changing Earth," and Oct. 12, 2011, is International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. Answers to questions posed by a changing world
As the team of responders struggled to end the worst oil spill in our Nation’s history, USGS scientist Paul Hsieh provided the critical scientific information needed to make a crucial decision.
After years of planning, the Department of the Interior has begun removing two dams on the Elwha River in Washington. But how will the removal of these dams impact the river’s sediments, waters, and fish?
As a nation, we use more than 75 billion gallons of groundwater each day. September 13 is the National Groundwater Association’s “Protect Your Groundwater Day.” What we can do to ensure we continue to have enough of it?
USGS scientists are working to characterize the contaminants and habitats for a number of aquatic species along the lower Columbia River.
The effects of drought are felt throughout the United States and the world, and USGS science has a prominent role in understanding the causes and consequences of this hydrological phenomenon.
USGS crews continue to measure streamflow and collect water quality and sediment samples in the Ohio and Mississippi River basins using state-of-art instruments.
Many communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Iowa are dealing with record floodwaters and bracing for more flooding in the upcoming weeks.
The most recent earthquake in Japan affected water levels in groundwater wells all over the country. Water level fluctuations were recorded as far away as Illinois, Virginia, Missouri and Florida.
Groundwater is one of our most vital natural resources. The USGS studies the quantity and quality of the nation's groundwater. Learn about USGS research in an aquifer near you.
Learn how 3-D modeling is used to examine groundwater and how this cutting edge science is used to solve tomorrow's problems today.
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system on Earth. However the basin has the potential for local shortages, according to a new basin-wide water availability assessment by the USGS.
The Department of the Interior has established a new website to find and share websites that provide water conservation and sustainability information.
The USGS is providing information on arsenic levels at the town level in Maine to protect human health and further promote citizen participation in State well-testing programs.
Water Security is the protection of adequate water supplies for food, fiber, industrial, and residential needs for expanding populations, which requires maximizing water-use efficiency, developing new supplies, and protecting water reserves in event of scarcity due to natural, manmade, or technological hazards.
Decreases in stream flow, which are often caused by human activities, affect the integrity of aquatic life in streams, according to a new USGS study.
The USGS and the National Weather Service have developed a new flood inundation map tool that enables management officials and residents to see where the potential threat of flooding is the highest along the Flint River near Albany, Georgia.
Looking for information on natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and more? The USGS Education site provides great resources, including lessons, data, maps, and more, to support teaching, learning, K-12 education, and university-level inquiry and research.
The Chesapeake Bay has long been an R&R destination for DC residents. However, the watershed’s overpopulation contributes to its decline. Join us when USGS’s Scott Phillips and Peter Claggett discuss new science efforts applied to restoring the Nation's largest estuary on October 6th.
The "Flood and high flow" map shows the location of streamgages where the water level is currently above or near flood stage. Find out what rivers and creeks near you are doing.
Nutrient sources in both agricultural and urban areas contribute to elevated nutrient concentrations in streams and groundwater across the Nation.
USGS is playing a critical role in the federal government's coordinated Deepwater Horizon response efforts.
Population growth in the Kabul Basin, Afghanistan, due in part to returning refugees, is estimated to lead to a six-fold increase in drinking water needs by 2057. The USGS has worked in partnership with the Afghanistan Geological Survey to address questions of future water availability.
Flash flooding is one of the major causes of natural hazard-related deaths in the United States and is hard to predict, but data collected by the USGS is crucial to formulating better predictive models.
Did you know that contaminant-ridden dust from Africa may be harming coral reefs in the Caribbean? Scientists at the USGS are examining the air in Africa and in the Caribbean to determine what kinds of nutrients, microbes, and contaminants are traveling across the ocean.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities can be a significant source of pharmaceuticals in surface water. The USGS is working with water utilities to try to reduce the release of pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants to the environment.
The United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) is working to connect Earth observations with public health, agriculture, climate, and data management and dissemination.
The USGS Science Strategy is a comprehensive report to critically examine the USGS's major science goals and priorities for the coming decade. The USGS is moving forward with these strategic science directions in response to the challenges that our Nation's future faces and for the stewards of our Federal lands.
Join us in Reston on December 5th at 7:00pm for our free public lecture on the impacts of offshore wind energy development on migratory seabirds!
USGS wishes The Wildlife Society happy 75th Birthday and looks forward to attending their annual conference. Stop by our booth!
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
Join us for the July Public Lecture on Invasive Species!
USGS-led survey finds that national wildlife refuges rate highly with visitors.
As the climate has warmed, many plants are starting to grow leaves and bloom flowers earlier. A new study published in the journal, Nature, suggests that most field experiments may underestimate the degree to which the timing of leafing and flowering changes with global warming.
Stressed agricultural lands may be releasing less of the moisture needed to protect the breadbasket of a continent.
Spring rains in the eastern Horn of Africa are projected to begin late this year and be substantially lower than normal.
After nearly 2 years of meticulous research, academic and government scientists confirmed that the 2010 oil spill had damaged local coral ecosystems
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
Join us on March 7 to learn about bat white-nose syndrome, which has killed an estimate 5 million bats, and to discuss the profound impacts this emergent wildlife disease may have in the 21st century.
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneohe Bay, Oahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.
Perhaps some of you have already experienced a sweet holiday smooch or two under the Christmas mistletoe, enjoying this fairly old kissing ritual for people. But mistletoe is important in other vital ways: it provides essential food, cover, and nesting sites for an amazing number of critters in the United States and elsewhere.
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
Meet the R/V Muskie and the R/V Kaho, the USGS Great Lakes Science Center's two newest additions to its Great Lakes research fleet!
As climate changes, it affects the timing of when leaves emerge, the amount of foliage that grows as well as the timeframe when leaves begin to fall.
How will accelerated glacial melting over the next 50 years as a result of climate change affect the unique Gulf of Alaska and Copper River coastal ecosystems? USGS scientists are studying these processes and impacts.
The U.S. Geological Survey research looked at one of the world’s largest populations of long-tail ducks and found that hundreds of thousands of these elusive birds engage in a bizarre 30-50 mile morning commute from Nantucket Sound to the Atlantic Ocean, returning each evening.
Taking advantage of USGS expertise in satellite telemetry, geospatial mapping and analysis and waterfowl migration monitoring, researchers have tracked waterfowl across Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa and discovered new flu transmission links.
USGS is working in collaboration with numerous state and federal agencies and tribes to obtain approval for field trials with vaccine-laden, peanut-butter flavored baits and evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine in grasslands.
Psychedelically colored wolves depicted by thermal imaging will shed light on how mange affects the survival, reproduction and social behavior of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
USGS-led survey finds that national wildlife refuges rate highly with visitors.
As the climate has warmed, many plants are starting to grow leaves and bloom flowers earlier. A new study published in the journal, Nature, suggests that most field experiments may underestimate the degree to which the timing of leafing and flowering changes with global warming.
Stressed agricultural lands may be releasing less of the moisture needed to protect the breadbasket of a continent.
Spring rains in the eastern Horn of Africa are projected to begin late this year and be substantially lower than normal.
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
A new study concludes that fossil fuel emissions are likely contributors to a substantial amount of organic carbon found on glaciers in Alaska. Fossil fuel emissions, which contain organic carbon, can speed up the rate of glacier melt when deposited on glacier surfaces. In addition, the organic molecules associated with these deposits can be transportedContinue Reading
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
Despite news articles warning of large-scale releases of methane due to climate change, recent research indicates that most of the world’s gas hydrate deposits should remain stable for the next few thousand years.
Join us on February 1 to view the Earth from space, and discuss the profound impact Landsat has on many facets of our economy, safety, and environment.
Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneohe Bay, Oahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
Rivers and streams in the United States are releasing substantially more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than previously thought.
Climate Change Impacts to Tribal Communities The USGS is working with Native American communities and organizations to understand climate change impacts to their land and neighborhoods. Projects include interviews with indigenous Alaskans to understand their personal observations of climate change, as well as studying how climate change is impacting sand dunes and posing risksContinue Reading
As climate changes, it affects the timing of when leaves emerge, the amount of foliage that grows as well as the timeframe when leaves begin to fall.
How will accelerated glacial melting over the next 50 years as a result of climate change affect the unique Gulf of Alaska and Copper River coastal ecosystems? USGS scientists are studying these processes and impacts.
USGS scientists are assessing the potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere for storage in other Earth systems through a process called carbon sequestration.
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.
Join us on September 5th in Reston, VA for a free public lecture on the 2011 Virginia earthquake!
Join us on August 1 to learn more about the anatomy of flooding: What are the different causes of these extreme events, and how is USGS science helping prepare residents for future foods.
Join us on June 6 for a centennial look at the greatest volcanic eruption of the 20th century at our June Public Lecture!
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
The Volcano Hazards Program announces the establishment of the USGS California Volcano Observatory (CalVO), which expands and replaces the former Long Valley Observatory.
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
Join USGS scientists on November 2nd to discuss the seismology of the M5.8 Virginia earthquake, its effects, and its context in the geology of Virginia.
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.
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
Join us on August 1 to learn more about the anatomy of flooding: What are the different causes of these extreme events, and how is USGS science helping prepare residents for future foods.
Join us in Menlo Park for our Evening Lecture on Scanning the Seafloor with Sound!
Stressed agricultural lands may be releasing less of the moisture needed to protect the breadbasket of a continent.
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
Over the next 10 years, the USGS plans to conduct a new assessment of water availability and use. This national Water Census will address critical aspects of recent Federal legislation, including the need to establish a national water assessment program.
Recent USGS research shows that climate, vegetation, groundwater recharge rate, and proximity of the contaminants to the water table can all affect and control natural removal rates.
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
Rivers and streams in the United States are releasing substantially more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than previously thought.
Meet the R/V Muskie and the R/V Kaho, the USGS Great Lakes Science Center's two newest additions to its Great Lakes research fleet!
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