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Gothics Mountain USGS Benchmark

Gothics Mountain USGS Benchmark

Black solid icon for Usgs, cardiac and device

Color illustration icon for Usgs, cardiac and machine

Homepage of The United States Geological Survey USGS

Homepage of The United States Geological Survey USGS

New York City map

New York City map

Geodetic survey marker

Geodetic survey marker

Washington DC map

Washington DC map

USGS Benchmark and hikers boot with autumn leaves

USGS Benchmark and hikers boot with autumn leaves

Earth Bowling

Earth Cube + Ladder

Earth Cube + Ladder

Grand Canyon Survey Marker

Grand Canyon Survey Marker

Earth Orbit Night - City Lights from Space (Asia)

Earth Orbit Night - City Lights from Space (Asia)

Heavens & Earth (HD Loop)

Heavens & Earth (HD Loop)

Mt. Katahdin Survey Marker

Mt. Katahdin Survey Marker

Carbon sequestration with CO2 capture and storage underground outline diagram

Carbon sequestration with CO2 capture and storage underground outline diagram

USGS Streamgage at Soper Branch Creek

A view from Soper Branch creek with a USGS streamgage on the other side of the bridge. Soper Branch is a small stream near Hyattstown, MD, that is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. For more than 125 years, starting with the establishment of the first streamgage in Embudo, N.M., on Jan. 1, 1889, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities. The USGS currently operates 4,461 stations with more than 30 years of record, and 8,024 gages comprise the U.S. streamgage network today. Photo credit: Dianna Hogan, USGS. A view from Soper Branch creek with a USGS streamgage on the other side of the bridge. Soper Branch is a small stream near Hyattstown, MD, that is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. For more than 125 years, starting with the establishment of the first streamgage in Embudo, N.M., on Jan. 1, 1889, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities. The USGS currently operates 4,461 stations with more than 30 years of record, and 8,024 gages comprise the U.S. streamgage network today. Photo credit: Dianna Hogan, USGS

Baby Desert Tortoise

Baby Desert Tortoise — Here's your "awwwwwwww, so cute!" moment for the day...nothing tops this one. Here we see a a desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) hatching from its egg, as photographed by one of our USGS scientists at the Western Ecological Research Center. USGS studies the life history and ecology of the desert tortoise, which is a federally listed threatened species only found in the Mojave Desert. Young tortoises are especially prone to predators like dogs and ravens, whose numbers can increase around areas of human activity and structures. Adult tortoises can be killed by car traffic, ingesting trash, and wildfires, and are affected by loss of habitat from urban and industrial development, cutting short their potential lifespan of 100 years. USGS research on desert tortoises are helping federal and state management agencies improve land use and conservation plans, and balance the recovery of this threatened species with other resource use priorities in the Mojave Desert landscape. Watch a video of a Desert Tortoise hatching at bit.ly/USGSTortoise. Photo Credit: K. Kristina Drake, USGS.

KOMO-TV Interview of Eric Grossman

Description: USGS scientist Eric Grossman interviewed by KOMO-TV (ABC,Seattle) at the Swinomish Tribal Community Center. Location: La Conner, WA, USA Date Taken: 7/21/2008 Photographer: John Clemens, U.S. Geological Survey Source: This image is part of the USGS and Coast Salish partnership to measure water quality in Pugent Sound and the Straight of Georgia. (usgs.gov/coastsalish). Description: USGS scientist Eric Grossman interviewed by KOMO-TV (ABC,Seattle) at the Swinomish Tribal Community Center. Location: La Conner, WA, USA Date Taken: 7/21/2008 Photographer: John Clemens, U.S. Geological Survey Source: This image is part of the USGS and Coast Salish partnership to measure water quality in Pugent Sound and the Straight of Georgia. (usgs.gov/coastsalish)

Baby Whooping Crane

A 5-day old whooper. He can already catch crickets (though sometimes they get away!), and he's learned to eat crumbles from a bowl. His "mother" and "father" are a stuffed model and a puppet head in his pen, but he has a live whooper adult as a neighbor next door. Watching that adult will help him learn how to be a whooper himself. Everything the chick is exposed to—the stuffed model, the puppet, and the live adult—helps in proper imprinting. (Photo by Damien Ossi, USGS) Learn more about USGS Whooper Restoration at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/. A 5-day old whooper. He can already catch crickets (though sometimes they get away!), and he's learned to eat crumbles from a bowl. His "mother" and "father" are a stuffed model and a puppet head in his pen, but he has a live whooper adult as a neighbor next door. Watching that adult will help him learn how to be a whooper himself. Everything the chick is exposed to—the stuffed model, the puppet, and the live adult—helps in proper imprinting. (Photo by Damien Ossi, USGS) Learn more about USGS Whooper Restoration at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/.

Studying Alaska Geology

In this photo USGS geologists stand out in their orange uniforms surrounded by a lush, green grassy landscape as they examine geologic cores on Sitkinak Island, Alaska. Credit: Rich Briggs, USGS. Learn more about the geologic science that USGS is a part of in Alaska at bit.ly/AKGeology. In this photo USGS geologists stand out in their orange uniforms surrounded by a lush, green grassy landscape as they examine geologic cores on Sitkinak Island, Alaska. Credit: Rich Briggs, USGS. Learn more about the geologic science that USGS is a part of in Alaska at bit.ly/AKGeology

KOMO-TV Interview of Eric Grossman

Description: USGS scientist Eric Grossman interviewed by KOMO-TV (ABC,Seattle) at the Swinomish Tribal Community Center. Location: La Conner, WA, USA Date Taken: 7/21/2008 Photographer: John Clemens, U.S. Geological Survey Source: This image is part of the USGS and Coast Salish partnership to measure water quality in Pugent Sound and the Straight of Georgia. (usgs.gov/coastsalish). Description: USGS scientist Eric Grossman interviewed by KOMO-TV (ABC,Seattle) at the Swinomish Tribal Community Center. Location: La Conner, WA, USA Date Taken: 7/21/2008 Photographer: John Clemens, U.S. Geological Survey Source: This image is part of the USGS and Coast Salish partnership to measure water quality in Pugent Sound and the Straight of Georgia. (usgs.gov/coastsalish)

Akutan Hot Springs

A hot spring discharges 77°C (~171°F) water into Hot Springs Creek, Akutan Island, Alaska, Akutan Volcano (photo). Numerous industry-led geophysical studies and test drilling in the past few years have proven the existence of a geothermal resource. USGS field studies completed in 2012 suggest that the available geothermal resource may be even larger than previously recognized. The current heat output of the hot spring system is estimated at 29 megawatts – nearly ten times higher than measured in the early 1980s. This large increase may reflect the volcanic and seismic events of the 1990s, and if so, it cannot be considered a short-term anomaly. Modern geothermal plants could use this heat to generate several MW of electricity. One MW of electric power would supply the needs of about 750 homes. You can read more details and find the full report at www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3776 Photo credit: Deborah Bergfeld, USGS. A hot spring discharges 77°C (~171°F) water into Hot Springs Creek, Akutan Island, Alaska, Akutan Volcano (photo). Numerous industry-led geophysical studies and test drilling in the past few years have proven the existence of a geothermal resource. USGS field studies completed in 2012 suggest that the available geothermal resource may be even larger than previously recognized. The current heat output of the hot spring system is estimated at 29 megawatts – nearly ten times higher than measured in the early 1980s. This large increase may reflect the volcanic and seismic events of the 1990s, and if so, it cannot be considered a short-term anomaly. Modern geothermal plants could use this heat to generate several MW of electricity. One MW of electric power would supply the needs of about 750 homes. You can read more details and find the full report at www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3776 Photo credit: Deborah Bergfeld, USGS.

Happy Statehood Day Michigan!

Happy Statehood Day Michigan — Today in 1837 (178 years ago), Michigan officially became a U.S. State. This particular photo is for all you #Yoopers up there—a shot of the rushing waters on the Presque Isle River. If you didn't know, our USGS Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor has a wealth of knowledge and information on invasive species, water issues, environmental health and more affecting the Great Lakes area. You can learn more at www.glsc.usgs.gov/. Photo credit: John Mosesso, USGS. Happy Statehood Day Michigan — Today in 1837 (178 years ago), Michigan officially became a U.S. State. This particular photo is for all you #Yoopers up there—a shot of the rushing waters on the Presque Isle River. If you didn't know, our USGS Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor has a wealth of knowledge and information on invasive species, water issues, environmental health and more affecting the Great Lakes area. You can learn more at www.glsc.usgs.gov/. Photo credit: John Mosesso, USGS.

Gas hydrates that is! Gas hydrates are naturally occurring “ice-like” combinations of natural gas and water that have the potential to provide an immense resource of natural gas from the world’s oceans and polar regions. Gas hydrates are known to be widespread in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in sediments of outer continental margins. It is generally accepted that the volume of natural gas contained in the world's gas hydrate accumulations greatly exceeds that of known gas reserves. There is also growing evidence that natural gas can be produced from gas hydrates with existing conventional oil and gas production technology. The USGS is participating in several international consortia of research, industry, and academic institutions. The USGS also has ongoing cooperative research efforts to further the understanding of gas the hydrate endowment and recoverability. Learn more about Gas Hydrates at bit.ly/GasHydrates Photo by: J. Pinkston and L. Stern (USGS)

The Big Wood River flows through communities of the Wood River Valley of south-central Idaho. It is one of eight sites at which the USGS is conducting an ecological assessment during the summer of 2014. Study results will be published in 2015. Location: Hailey, ID, USA. Credit: Dorene MacCoy,USGS.

Geothermal Energy Sources

Hot Creek flows through the Long Valley Caldera in a volcanically active region of east-central California. This stretch of the creek, looking upstream to the southwest, has long been a popular recreation area because of the warm waters from its thermal springs. These springs, however, are unpredictable and can suddenly erupt with violence and at boiling temperature. Because of this danger, the U.S. Forest Service has had to close parts of the Hot Creek Geologic Site to visitors. The same geothermal reservoir that feeds Hot Creek provides heat for geothermal electric power production at nearby Casa Diablo. Read more about Hot Creek and it's geothermal properties at pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3045/fs2007-3045.pdf Photo credit: Chris Farrar, USGS. Hot Creek flows through the Long Valley Caldera in a volcanically active region of east-central California. This stretch of the creek, looking upstream to the southwest, has long been a popular recreation area because of the warm waters from its thermal springs. These springs, however, are unpredictable and can suddenly erupt with violence and at boiling temperature. Because of this danger, the U.S. Forest Service has had to close parts of the Hot Creek Geologic Site to visitors. The same geothermal reservoir that feeds Hot Creek provides heat for geothermal electric power production at nearby Casa Diablo. Read more about Hot Creek and it's geothermal properties at pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3045/fs2007-3045.pdf Photo credit: Chris Farrar, USGS.

Carlisle Island, Alaska

Carlisle Island — A view of the west coastal lava delta on Carlisle Island volcano in Alaska. This photo was taken during the 2014 field season of the Islands of Four Mountains multidisciplinary project, work funded by the National Science Foundation, the USGS/AVO, and the Keck Geology Consortium. Learn more about Carlisle volcano, recent activity, and more at: on.doi.gov/Carlisle. Photo credit: Christina Neal, USGS, 2014. Carlisle Island — A view of the west coastal lava delta on Carlisle Island volcano in Alaska. This photo was taken during the 2014 field season of the Islands of Four Mountains multidisciplinary project, work funded by the National Science Foundation, the USGS/AVO, and the Keck Geology Consortium. Learn more about Carlisle volcano, recent activity, and more at: on.doi.gov/Carlisle. Photo credit: Christina Neal, USGS, 2014.

Not all USGS science happens on the land...we also like to go for a swim every now and then! Here we see one of scientists, Christopher Reich, as he core drills coral to collect cores for paleoclimate analyses off the coast of Florida. Credit: Don Hickey, USGS. Not all USGS science happens on the land...we also like to go for a swim every now and then! Here we see one of scientists, Christopher Reich, as he core drills coral to collect cores for paleoclimate analyses off the coast of Florida. Credit: Don Hickey, USGS.

Mountain Pine Beetle Damage

Mountain Pine Beetle Damage — Mountain pine beetle have been a natural part of the whitebark pine forest for many, many years. Their population size (and thus the severity of their damage) was naturally controlled by extremely cold winter temperatures. But recently, winter temperatures have not been cold enough to kill the beetles and their populations have increased. Whitebark pines also used to be healthy and vigorous trees because of ample precipitation and moderate summer temperatures. However, a changing climate has physiologically stressed the trees, making them susceptible to beetle infestations. This on-two punch makes it difficult for the trees to defend themselves. At USGS, researchers are monitoring the health of productivity of these forests to determine the importance and impact of changes in pine nut production on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Photo credit: Don Becker, USGS

Datatron-205 Computer

The name of this computer, alone, sounds like a #TBT worthy of sharing! This was the Datatron-205 (can't imagine what the previous version looked like) that was detailed to the USGS from NASA Ames Research Center back in 1964. Valued at a mere $287,000, the Datatron was to be used for astrogeological studies. NASA had used it for testing spacecraft, but it was provided to the USGS to refine and detail lunar photos for the astronauts as they approached the Moon so they could better understand the terrain and structure. The Flagstaff Milestone quoted, Wayne Lowry, an electrical engineer for the Burroughs Company (who built the machine), as saying, "A problem that would take four mathematicians one year to do can be solved by this machine in 30 minutes." Sorry, Steve Jobs and Woz...you've got nothing on this beauty!. The name of this computer, alone, sounds like a #TBT worthy of sharing! This was the Datatron-205 (can't imagine what the previous version looked like) that was detailed to the USGS from NASA Ames Research Center back in 1964. Valued at a mere $287,000, the Datatron was to be used for astrogeological studies. NASA had used it for testing spacecraft, but it was provided to the USGS to refine and detail lunar photos for the astronauts as they approached the Moon so they could better understand the terrain and structure. The Flagstaff Milestone quoted, Wayne Lowry, an electrical engineer for the Burroughs Company (who built the machine), as saying, "A problem that would take four mathematicians one year to do can be solved by this machine in 30 minutes." Sorry, Steve Jobs and Woz...you've got nothing on this beauty!

Swift River Waterfall

This photo was taken at USGS gaging station 01055000 on the Swift River near Roxbury, Maine. The falls are commonly referred to as Swift River Falls and contain many potholes and scours that demonstrate the impressive ability of water to erode rock. This photo was taken at USGS gaging station 01055000 on the Swift River near Roxbury, Maine. The falls are commonly referred to as Swift River Falls and contain many potholes and scours that demonstrate the impressive ability of water to erode rock.

Alaska Landscape

An absolutely breathtaking scenic view from Alaska courtesy of our own John J. Mosesso,USGS. An absolutely breathtaking scenic view from Alaska courtesy of our own John J. Mosesso,USGS.

Lake Chilwa, Malawi

Lake Chilwa is a shallow, enclosed saline lake located along the East African Rift Valley in southern Malawi, near its border with Mozambique. This lake experiences high water level fluctuation, as it is strongly influenced by rainfall and summer evaporation patterns. In recent years, Lake Chilwa has been shrinking. Because the basin is an important source of local rice and fish production, the current drying trend is a potential food security concern. These Landsat images show the net reduction of lake area between October 1990 and November 2013. The two images also show changes to the extensive wetlands (bright green) that surround Lake Chilwa. These wetlands are internationally recognized as an important seasonal hosting location for migratory birds from the Northern Hemisphere. Landsat data are extremely useful for scientists and authorities to monitor water resources and land cover changes over time. ‪#‎USGS‬ ‪#‎Landsat‬ ‪#‎satellite‬ ‪#‎lake‬ ‪#‎water‬ ‪#‎climate‬ ‪#‎environment‬ ‪#‎economics‬ ‪#‎food‬ ‪#‎Africa‬ ‪#‎waterloss‬. Lake Chilwa is a shallow, enclosed saline lake located along the East African Rift Valley in southern Malawi, near its border with Mozambique. This lake experiences high water level fluctuation, as it is strongly influenced by rainfall and summer evaporation patterns. In recent years, Lake Chilwa has been shrinking. Because the basin is an important source of local rice and fish production, the current drying trend is a potential food security concern. These Landsat images show the net reduction of lake area between October 1990 and November 2013. The two images also show changes to the extensive wetlands (bright green) that surround Lake Chilwa. These wetlands are internationally recognized as an important seasonal hosting location for migratory birds from the Northern Hemisphere. Landsat data are extremely useful for scientists and authorities to monitor water resources and land cover changes over time. ‪#‎USGS‬ ‪#‎Landsat‬ ‪#‎satellite‬ ‪#‎lake‬ ‪#‎water‬ ‪#‎climate‬ ‪#‎environment‬ ‪#‎economics‬ ‪#‎food‬ ‪#‎Africa‬ ‪#‎waterloss‬

Dust carried by the wind has far-reaching effects, including the loss of nutrients and water-holding capacity from landscapes, and the speeding up of the melting of snow, which affects the timing and magnitude of runoff into streams and rivers. Low vegetation cover can especially be a problem in drought years in abandoned agricultural fields, which are generally dominated by annual plants. This means that the consequences of dust storms, including motor vehicle crashes, are high in a drought year and low in years with more precipitation. Future climate scenarios predict that drought conditions will worsen, and therefore more dust storms are likely. Photo: Dust storm near Winslow, AZ in April 2011. Seth Munson , USGS.

Using Science to Improve Infrastructure

Using Science to Improve Infrastructure — In this photo, we see Paul Schauer (USGS) running a level survey for the streambed scour project in Seward, Alaska. The goal of this type of work is to evaluate the scour susceptibility of bridges in order to identify structures that require mitigation of the scour problem, annual monitoring, or near real-time scour monitoring. Bridge scour is basically the removal of sediment (like rock, sand, etc) from around the bridge causing it to weaken. Streambed scour at bridges is the leading cause of bridge failure in the United States. The costs associated with restoring damaged structures are substantial, but the indirect costs associated with the disruption of traffic can be up to five times greater. These costs and the societal repercussions are even greater in Alaska, where alternate land routes between many cities do not exist. Flood damage to two bridges on the George Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks closed the highway for four days in August 2006 and repair costs to these structures and others damaged during the flooding are estimated at over 13 million dollars. Learn more about this project at bit.ly/AKScour.

Mississippi River Delta

Happy Birthday Mississippi — Today's your b-day (197 years young). On this date in 1817, you became the 20th state in the Nation. While there's "humpback humpback eyes" in this photo, we know there's plenty of wildlife for us to dote upon. This is an aerial view of subsiding marshes in the Mississippi River Delta. This region contains vast areas of marshes, swamps, and barrier islands—important habitat for wildlife, as nursery grounds for marine life, and as protective buffers against storms and hurricanes. Unfortunately, rapid land subsidence due to sediment compaction and dewatering increases the rate of submergence in this deltaic system. Photo credit: Karen McKee, USGS.

Streamgage vs. Streamgauge

Streamgage vs. Streamgauge — One of the many questions that people have asked from time to time is the spelling of the word "streamgage" versus spelling it with a "u" as in "streamgauge." Since today is #NationalGrammarDay we thought it would be a good time for a quick history lesson on this question. Buried deep on Page 50 of the USGS report, "A History of the Water Resources Branch, U.S. Geological Survey: Volume I, From Predecessor Surveys to June 30, 1919" (on.doi.gov/USGSWaterHistory) there's a reference giving credit to the change in spelling to F.H. Newell around 1892. The author writes: "At about this time, F.H. Newell adopted the spelling "gage" instead of "gauge." As he informed the writer, "gage" was the Saxon spelling before the "u" was inserted as a result of Norman influence on the language. F.H. Newell may have been influenced, however, by the adoption of "gage" in the Standard Dictionary." Ever since then the word has been spelled without the "u". #AndNowYouKnow

Coastal erosion reveals the extent of ice-rich permafrost underlying active layer on the Arctic Coastal Plain in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. Credit: Brandt Meixell, USGS

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park — A beautiful coastal view of the waves crashing at sandy inlet surrounded by a rocky coast in Acadia National Park. Granite underlies much of Acadia which helps gives the park it's rugged and rough character. Photo credit: John Mosesso, USGS.

Bent Sea Rod Bleaching

A colony of the soft coral known as the "bent sea rod" stands bleached on a reef off of Islamorada, Florida. Hard and soft corals are presently bleaching- losing their symbiotic algae – all over the coral reefs of the Florida Keys due to unusually warm ocean temperatures this summer. Months with waters warmer than 85 F have become more frequent in the last several decades compared to a century ago, stressing and in some cases killing corals when temperatures remain high for too long. Learn more about the details and read the study at on.doi.gov/BentSeaCorals Photo credit: Kelsey Roberts, USGS. A colony of the soft coral known as the "bent sea rod" stands bleached on a reef off of Islamorada, Florida. Hard and soft corals are presently bleaching- losing their symbiotic algae – all over the coral reefs of the Florida Keys due to unusually warm ocean temperatures this summer. Months with waters warmer than 85 F have become more frequent in the last several decades compared to a century ago, stressing and in some cases killing corals when temperatures remain high for too long. Learn more about the details and read the study at on.doi.gov/BentSeaCorals Photo credit: Kelsey Roberts, USGS.

Aftermath of 2000 Jasper Fire

Aftermath of 2000 Jasper Fire — This photo was taken in 2001 of an area burned by the Jasper Fire that started on August 24, 2000, just west of Jewel Cave National Monument in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. A total of about 84,000 acres were burned by the Jasper Fire. Credit: Joyce Williamson, USGS.

Natural Gas Flare

Natural Gas Flare — Sometimes, often due to lack of transportation or storage capacity, natural gas that is co-produced with oil will be burned in a flare as in this photo. This wellpad is in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale in Liberty, MS. (Credit: Alex Demas, USGS).

Syrah Grapes on the Vine

Wine-making grapes, like these Syrah (or Shiraz) grapes, require different growing conditions than grapes meant for eating. Cultivating wine grapes involves trying to concentrate sugars and encourage thicker skins, because these are what give wine its flavor. To do that, one of the most important factors to look for is the drainage of the soils. These grapes are grown on a greenstone schist formation in Westminster, Maryland. Photo credit: Alex Demas, USGS. Watch a video about "The Science of Good Taste — Geology, Food, and Wine" at on.doi.gov/FoodWine You can also learn more about "Oktoberfest! The Science of Beer and Wine Making" at on.doi.gov/Oktoberfest. Wine-making grapes, like these Syrah (or Shiraz) grapes, require different growing conditions than grapes meant for eating. Cultivating wine grapes involves trying to concentrate sugars and encourage thicker skins, because these are what give wine its flavor. To do that, one of the most important factors to look for is the drainage of the soils. These grapes are grown on a greenstone schist formation in Westminster, Maryland. Photo credit: Alex Demas, USGS. Watch a video about "The Science of Good Taste — Geology, Food, and Wine" at on.doi.gov/FoodWine You can also learn more about "Oktoberfest! The Science of Beer and Wine Making" at on.doi.gov/Oktoberfest

Brain Coral Christmas

Christmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical coral reefs are complex ecosystems. Corals are actually animals that grow in colonies, forming reefs over time as old corals die and young corals grow upon the calcium carbonate or limestone skeletons of the old corals. Coral reefs make up some of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, and face many threats such as coastal pollution, dredging and disease. However, some of their most widespread threats involve warming ocean temperatures, solar radiation and increased ocean acidification. Further information on coral reef ecosystem studies can be found here: coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/ coralreefs.wr.usgs.gov/ Location: Belize Date Taken: Jun 7, 2009 Photographer: Christina Kellogg, USGS. Christmas tree worms have made their home on a brain coral. Tropical coral reefs are complex ecosystems. Corals are actually animals that grow in colonies, forming reefs over time as old corals die and young corals grow upon the calcium carbonate or limestone skeletons of the old corals. Coral reefs make up some of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, and face many threats such as coastal pollution, dredging and disease. However, some of their most widespread threats involve warming ocean temperatures, solar radiation and increased ocean acidification. Further information on coral reef ecosystem studies can be found here: coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/ coralreefs.wr.usgs.gov/ Location: Belize Date Taken: Jun 7, 2009 Photographer: Christina Kellogg, USGS

Earth Hit by Arrows

High resolution 3D illustration of Earth with arrows sticking out from the sides. Camera angle on the Americas. Created using public domain maps from the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov). High resolution 3D illustration of Earth with arrows sticking out from the sides. Camera angle on the Americas. Created using public domain maps from the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov).

A surfer paddles out to catch some waves in a remote cove on Kauai, Hawaii. The myriad of colors in the water reflect the shallow coral reef that rises up out of the deeper blue water. Learn more about Pacific coral reefs at coralreefs.wr.usgs.gov/ Photographer: Susan Hazlett, USGS

Topographic Map

Corner section of a map of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. This is the corner section of a USGS Topologic Quadrangle map. shaded-relief map. Corner section of a map of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. This is the corner section of a USGS Topologic Quadrangle map. shaded-relief map

Earth in a Red Trash Can

High resolution raytraced 3D render of Earth inside a 55 gallon drum. Created using public domain maps from the USGS. High resolution raytraced 3D render of Earth inside a 55 gallon drum. Created using public domain maps from the USGS.

#ThrowBackThursday: Little Annie

The Annie is, reportedly, the first boat ever launched on Yellowstone Lake on June 29, 1871 in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by William Henry Jackson. The Annie is, reportedly, the first boat ever launched on Yellowstone Lake on June 29, 1871 in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by William Henry Jackson.

An up close shot of a barred owl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The barred owl is native to eastern North America but have expanded westward due to human creation of new habitat. Larger and more aggressive than the federally threatened northern spotted owl, barred owls are known to displace spotted owls, disrupt their nesting and compete with them for food. Credit: Dennis Demcheck, USGS.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

This is nearly the same view depicted in the 1872 sketch by Thomas Moran, and printed for the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Department of the Interior. The splendid yellow-brown walls of the canyon consist predominantly of rhyolite tuff and lava (Sulfur Creek Tuff and Canyon flow, respectively), which were erupted nearly 500,000 years ago. Both units have been intensely altered by hydrothermal fluids. Location: Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA Photographer: Stewart Tomlinson, USGS. This is nearly the same view depicted in the 1872 sketch by Thomas Moran, and printed for the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Department of the Interior. The splendid yellow-brown walls of the canyon consist predominantly of rhyolite tuff and lava (Sulfur Creek Tuff and Canyon flow, respectively), which were erupted nearly 500,000 years ago. Both units have been intensely altered by hydrothermal fluids. Location: Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA Photographer: Stewart Tomlinson, USGS

1869 Windmill at North Platte Station

1869 Windmill at North Platte Station — Here's a #TBT from 1869 taken at the North Platte Station in Lincoln County, Nebraska. At this point the Platte River ran through an almost entirely treeless plain, with but very few objects in nature to relieve the dead monotony, so that the windmills, which occurred at nearly all the stations, for the purpose of raising water to the tanks, formed a very prominent feature in the landscape. In the photo you can also see William Henry Jackson's signature just below the first Union Pacific Railroad car. Photo credit: William Henry Jackson

Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Sept. 1, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Sept. 1, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

The sun turns the Arctic Ocean waters gold Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. The sun turns the Arctic Ocean waters gold Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

A polar bear walks on the Arctic Ocean ice Aug. 21, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

ARCTIC OCEAN - An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. ARCTIC OCEAN - An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

ARCTIC OCEAN – The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent makes an approach to the Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic Ocean Sept. 5, 2009. The two ships are taking part in a multi-year, multi-agency Arctic survey that will help define the Arctic continental shelf. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. ARCTIC OCEAN – The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent makes an approach to the Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic Ocean Sept. 5, 2009. The two ships are taking part in a multi-year, multi-agency Arctic survey that will help define the Arctic continental shelf. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

The sun hovers just above the Arctic Ocean horizon Sept. 9, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. The sun hovers just above the Arctic Ocean horizon Sept. 9, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

The clouds begin to thin over the Arctic Ocean Sept. 9, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. The clouds begin to thin over the Arctic Ocean Sept. 9, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent has a mechanical system that creates bubbles that rise to the surface and push ice away from the ship's hull. It also happens to churn the water into an amazing shade of blue. Date: 8/24/2009 Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent has a mechanical system that creates bubbles that rise to the surface and push ice away from the ship's hull. It also happens to churn the water into an amazing shade of blue. Date: 8/24/2009 Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

The clouds begin to clear over the Arctic Ocean Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. The clouds begin to clear over the Arctic Ocean Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

Fog settles over the Arctic Ocean Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard. Fog settles over the Arctic Ocean Aug. 19, 2009. Photo Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard

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