Science Features
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.
Mid-sized mammals in Everglades National Park are getting a big squeeze from invasive Burmese pythons, according to a USGS co-authored study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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.

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.