Fairview Net Zero Club: Planting a Legacy
By Shannon BurkeThe Fairview Net Zero Club discovered that you have to act quickly to take advantage of opportunities. It’s the key to our success.In 2009, Boulder County announced it would give away trees from a bankrupt tree farm to local non-profits for the cost of digging and transporting. We…
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 is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. For a summary go to water cycle . Learn more at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html .
Does the USGS monitor global warming?
Not specifically. Our charge is to understand characteristics of the earth, especially the earth's surface, that affect our Nation's land, water, and biological resources. That includes quite a bit of environmental monitoring. Other agencies, especially NOAA and NASA, are specifically funded…
What is the relationship between faults and earthquakes? What happens to a fault when an earthquake occurs?
Earthquakes occur on faults - strike-slip earthquakes occur on strike-slip faults , normal earthquakes occur on normal faults , and thrust earthquakes occur on thrust or reverse faults. When an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the…
What are the file formats for the National Atlas map layers and data tables?
Most map layers are available in the Shapefile format introduced by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). Here is a link to technical whitepaper for the Shapefile format . This information is in portable document format (PDF). Reading it requires an Acrobat Reader plug-in for your web…
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 do earthquakes affect buildings?
See Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research
Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
Coral reefs can be damaged by natural processes, such as storms, but they are increasingly at risk from human activities. Oil spills and pollutants can threaten entire reefs. Excessive nutrients from land sources, such as sewage and agricultural fertilizers, promote the growth of algae that can…
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,…
Where can I find information about my local drinking water supply?
The best way to learn about your local drinking water quality is to read the annual drinking water quality report/consumer confidence report that water suppliers now send out by July 1 of each year. The reports often are sent out with water bills, but they may be sent separately. The reports tell…
Where does our household water go after we are done with it?
Water leaving our homes generally goes either into a septic tank in the back yard where it evaporates or seeps back into the ground, or is sent to a sewage-treatment plant through a sewer system. In 1995, about 26 percent of the water coming from our homes was 'consumptively used.' That is,…