EPA Interns Help Launch OnCampus ecoAmbassador Program For The College Crowd
By Kristin Cassidy and Kelley DoyleBeing involved on campus is an essential element of your college experience. As interns working on the OnCampus ecoAmbassador program, we were lucky enough to continue our extracurricular involvement throughout the summer while preparing the program for its…
Why are wetlands and aquatic habitats important?
Wetlands are among the most productive habitats on earth providing shelter and nursery areas for commercially and recreationally important animals like fish and shellfish, as well as wintering grounds for migrating birds. Coastal marshes are particularly valuable for preventing loss of life and…
Where does the USGS monitor stream water quality in real time? How can I see these sites on a map and get to the data?
Continuous real-time water quality information is at http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/wqwatch/ . These data are limited to measurable characteristics such as temperature, turbidity, specific conductance (salinity), dissolved oxygen, and pH (acidity). WaterQualityWatch is a USGS web site that…
What are Tsunamis?
Tsunamis are ocean waves caused by large earthquakes and landslides that occur near or under the ocean. Scientists do not use the term 'tidal wave' because these waves are not caused by tides. Tsunami waves are unlike typical ocean waves generated by wind and storms. When tsunamis approach…
What is a reach?
Each reach is a continuous piece of surface water with similar hydrologic characteristics, such as a stretch of stream between two confluences or a lake. Some unconnected (isolated) features are also reaches, for example, isolated lakes and single, unconnected streams.
Are earthquake probabilities or forecasts the same as prediction?
No. Probabilities are estimated from the rate of aftershocks and these are sometimes confused with the prediction of a particular event.
How do I find a town, place, feature, etc. with the National Atlas?
The National Atlas Map Maker can be used to locate named places within the United States. Go to the Map Maker, click on the Find tab, then follow the onscreen directions.
What is a fault and what are the different types?
A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. Faults allow the blocks to move relative to each other. This movement may occur rapidly, in the form of an earthquake - or may occur slowly, in the form of creep . Faults may range in length from a few millimeters to thousands of…
What was the extent of ash deposition from the largest Yellowstone eruptions?
During the three giant caldera-forming eruptions that occurred between 2.1 million and 640,000 years ago, tiny particles of volcanic debris ( volcanic ash ) covered much of the western half of North America, likely a third of a meter deep several hundred kilometers from Yellowstone and several…
How Hot Is A Volcano?
Lava and Lava Flows The temperature of basalt lava at Kilauea reaches 1,160 degrees Celsius (2,120 degrees Fahrenheit). -- USGS/VHP Website, 1998 The tube system (lava tubes) of episode 53 (Pu'u O'o eruption, Hawaii) carried lava for 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the vent to the sea. So…
What do we know about the interior of the Earth?
Five billion years ago the Earth was formed by a massive conglomeration of space materials. The heat energy released by this event melted the entire planet, and it is still cooling off today. Denser materials like iron (Fe) sank into the core of the Earth, while lighter silicates (Si), other oxygen…
What categories of water data does the USGS make available to the public?
The USGS provides access to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Online access to this data is organized around the categories listed to the left. The USGS investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality,…