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By Kristinn VazquezI have a confession to make. I’m cheap. Most people wouldn’t guess that about me. I do like to spend money on others. But, I’m cheap when it comes to resources at home and at work. I would argue most of us who grew up poor can relate. We’re environmentalists because…
The USGS does not make forecasts about the future potential of a particular resource to resolve national energy needs. It is difficult to determine if oil from the Bakken Formation, or any of the formations we have done assessments on, could offset other sources of oil. A number of logistical and…
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…
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…
Climb A Volcano - 'Family Fun - Picnic at the Top' Stand at the VERY TOP of a VOLCANO ... bring a lunch and relax and enjoy the view ... whether by foot or by car ... here are a few spots in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico where the entire family can 'Climb a…
There is great concern that the dead marsh areas could be seriously affected by major storm events. Local, state, and federal agencies are working together to determine what, if any, short-term measures can be implemented, and to put in place long-term remediation strategies. The Governor's…
Historical USGS topographic maps are important map resources that are not readily available. Therefore, the USGS has begun a project to convert all these historical printed topographic quadrangles to digital formats (initially GeoPDF). Learn more at http://nationalmap.gov/historical/ . …
An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault . The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust…
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…
Sulfur is not regulated as a primary drinking-water contaminant, so there is no official level of sulfur that represents a threshold between healthy and unhealthy concentrations. Sulfur is required by all living things as part of their normal metabolism, so the body needs a certain amount of sulfur…
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,…
Wetland mapping information is available from the National Wetlands Inventory Center of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, St. Petersburg, Florida. Telephone: 727-570-5420 FAX: 727-570-5420 URL: http://www.fws.gov/nwi/ Digital wetland data are available through the Wetlands Mapper .…