Two USGS scientists conducting field work collecting and processing samples/Photo Credit USGS.

By day, insects provide the white noise of the South, but the night belongs to the amphibians.  In a typical year, the Southern air hangs heavy from the humidity and the sounds of wildlife. The Southeast, home to more than 140 species of frogs, toads and salamanders, is the center of amphibian biodiversity in our nation.  If the ponds and swamps are the auditorium for their symphonic choruses, the scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, or ARMI, have front-row seats.

Amphibians, which rely on water for part or all of their life cycle, must adjust to often atypical weather.  Some years bring heavy deluges, such as the region’s notorious hurricanes, and others bring the transformations that come with drought. Amphibians around the world seem to be experiencing the worst declines documented among vertebrates. While habitat loss is the number one reason for population declines, research suggests that disease, invasive species, contaminants and perhaps other factors contribute to declines in protected areas.

And then there’s climate change, another stressor for amphibians to contend with. Climate change projections indicate that rainfall will increasingly come in pulses, with greater deluges and longer periods of drought. Scientists have long suspected that climate change is an important factor in amphibian declines, and resource managers are asking whether conservation measures might help species persist or adapt in a changing climate. Three recent U.S. Geological Survey studies offer some insight into the issue.

Why amphibians?

Amphibians, which are declining throughout the world, play an important role in ecological systems. They eat small creatures, including mosquitos, and they are food themselves for larger creatures, such as birds and snakes. Because amphibians are the middle of the food chain — and sensitive to environmental disruption because of their aquatic or semi-aquatic lives — their existence is often used as an indication of ecosystem health.

Scientists in ARMI, a program started by Congress in 2000 in response to concerns about amphibian declines, have been working to unravel the ups and downs of amphibian populations to support effective conservation and resource management decisions. To do this, ARMI scientists and field crews monitor the status of amphibians, research the causes of declines, and scientifically evaluate projects undertaken to sustain these species and their habitats across the country.

Pond life – it’s not easy being green!

Close up or Mole salamander taken at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge/Photo Credit USGS.

ARMI scientists looked at a range of amphibian species found in the Southeast and posed the question, “What will happen to their populations under a scenario of changes in rainfall patterns – more deluges alternating with droughts – which is being predicted by current climate models?”

It turns out that understanding how climate affects amphibians requires “thinking like the ponds” in which they live. Amphibians have unique life cycles – most alternate between living in water as juveniles, to maturing and dispersing on land, then returning to water again as adults to mate and lay eggs.

When USGS scientists reviewed what was known about amphibian responses to rainfall, it turned out that both extremes in rainfall – drought and heavy rainfall events – can decrease the number of amphibians.   The amphibians’ response depends on a balance between these two key factors.  If ponds dry up while aquatic juveniles are developing, survival of the next generation is lowered.  However, if a deluge occurs at that time, nearby pools that often contain fish will be physically connected with the pools containing juvenile amphibians, and the fish will eat the juveniles.

In essence, the study showed that extreme rainfall events are key to predicting amphibian responses to climate, because such events affect the amount and timing of water in ponds that they depend on. The full review of species’ responses was published in March 2013 edition of the journal Biology.

Wetlands Reserve Program Morehouse Parish, Louisiana

Drought and declining salamanders

Knowing that each species responds to droughts and deluges based on the particulars of their biology, scientists set out to test just how these dynamics played out in the southeastern U.S. by looking at larval mole salamanders in small isolated ponds in St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Larval mole salamanders have a similar life cycle to the flatwoods salamander, a federally threatened species found on the refuge.  Because it is difficult to study the flatwoods salamander directly, and mole salamanders are ecologically similar, scientists study the mole salamander instead, knowing that whatever affects them will likely impact the flatwoods salamander as well.

In the four years of the study, drought consistently decreased salamander occupancy in ponds. To support young salamanders, rain has to fill a pond during the breeding season and then the pond has to stay filled long enough for larvae to transform into the next life stage. Therefore, scientists confirmed that drought did indeed cause short-term declines in mole salamanders – suggesting that the listed flatwoods salamander may face a similar fate under climate change.

The results of the mole salamander study are published in the April 2013 edition of the journal Wetlands.

Can habitat conservation make a difference for frogs and toads?

To answer this question, USGS scientists examined whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetlands Reserve Program was helping address the problem. The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary USDA program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. To assess the potential benefit of WRP restoration to amphibians, in this case, frogs and toads, USGS scientists surveyed 30 randomly selected WRP sites and 20 nearby agricultural sites in the Mississippi Delta in northwest Mississippi.

The scientists found that WRP sites had more kinds of species and was home to more numbers of amphibians than the agricultural sites studied. The restoration of wetland hydrology appeared to provide the most immediate benefit to the animals.

The study can be found in the March 2013 edition of the journal Restoration Ecology.

What’s next?

With multiple studies pointing to the synergistic role of climate change, disease, habitat change, and other factors in amphibian declines, USGS and its partners are continuing their research to provide information which resource managers can use in making decisions that can help arrest or reverse declines. Additionally, a new study that provides the first-ever broad assessment of amphibian populations in the United States, and the first quantitative estimate of trends for amphibian populations at a continental scale, will be published later in May.  A news release announcing the results will be available on the USGS website.

Sound Files:

Evening frog calls

Bird and insect calls

Links for more information:

National Wetlands Research Center – Amphibian Monitoring Program

Southeast Ecological Science Center- Herpetology

Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

USGS hydrologic technician Amy Simonson surveying a high-water mark on Liberty Island, New York. Photo credit Michael Noll, USGS.

The Department of the Interior recently announced the release of $475.25 million in emergency disaster relief funding to repair, rebuild, and restore impacted areas in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This will also provide investments in scientific data and studies to support recovery in the region.

“The funding we are making available will help repair and rebuild facilities, reopen roads, and restore services in order to get our parks, refuges, beaches, and public lands fully operational and open to the public this summer,” said Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior. “We will continue to focus our efforts on rebuilding to welcome visitors, help jumpstart local economies, and make communities stronger and more resilient to help withstand potential damage sustained from future storms.”

More Support on the Way

With the funding recently released, approximately 60 percent of DOI’s Hurricane Sandy supplemental funding has been allocated, supporting 234 projects. Overall, DOI received $829.2 million in the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, which was reduced by $42.5 million to $786.7 million due to sequestration. The remaining funding will be allocated in the coming months for mitigation projects currently being evaluated for their ability to increase coastal resilience and capacity to withstand future storm damage and to restore and rebuild public assets.

Read DOI’s press release and see the strategic plan with a full list of approved projects for all bureaus.

USGS Science

DOI has approved $18.8 million to support U.S. Geological Survey projects that will provide the scientific information necessary to inform management decisions and community assistance. USGS science will help identify coastal areas that have been made more vulnerable to storm damage and provide communities with critical information needed for recovery that will also help prepare for future storm events.

“People are still in need of help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and this new funding allows experts within DOI to work together to further restoration and redevelopment efforts,” said David Applegate, USGS Associate Director for Natural Hazards. “Even before the storm came ashore, USGS scientists were collecting data and helping forecast potential coastal impacts. We are dedicated to delivering science to help those in need of assistance now and ensure more resilient communities for future generations.”

With this first wave of additional funding, USGS scientists are starting new projects and building on existing work to answer questions such as the following:

• How did high-water levels during storms impact coastal bays and estuaries?
• What locations along the coast are forecasted to be the most vulnerable to future hurricanes?
• Where are persisting risks of exposure to chemical and microbial contaminants?
• What were the storm impacts to ecosystems, habitats, fish and wildlife?

Partnerships and Collaboration

USGS research is designed and driven by the science needs of our partners to best support coastal resilience efforts. The USGS is working with DOI bureaus, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as well as many other federal and state agencies.

“The coastal impact assessment products provided by the USGS have been a critical resource for us on the Federal team to help identify and prioritize impact-related data collection, issue identification and resource evaluation,” said Sandy Eslinger, NOAA’s Coastal Coordinator for the Inter-agency Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Team in New York.

A number of ocean front homes were destroyed or severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy on Fire Island, NY. The photo shows what remains of houses in the community of Davis Park. Photo by Cheryl Hapke, USGS.

USGS Projects Moving Forward

This new funding will support projects that address critical gaps in response and preparedness capabilities, while also providing baseline information for reinvestment decisions.

This funding will allow the USGS to provide updated analysis and information regarding the factors that affect coastal vulnerability and how to reduce that vulnerability, and to improve information delivery to emergency responders in real-time and immediately following future storms.

Pre- and Post-Storm Analysis

The USGS will use these new resources to provide a more complete and current coverage of detailed coastal elevation data. The elevation of nearshore land surface and subsurface is a major controlling factor for the impact of coastal storms. The USGS used airborne techniques to measure pre- and post-storm coastal elevations, moving quickly immediately after Hurricane Sandy to collect data in highly impacted areas before the bulldozers moved in to begin restoration.

New Coastal Vulnerabilities after Sandy

The USGS will focus on updating coastal vulnerability forecasts considering the changes caused by Hurricane Sandy. For example, the USGS forecasts the likelihood of erosion, overwash and other impacts to beaches and dunes by looking at estimated storm-induced water levels and known coastal elevations. The coast went through significant changes from the recent storm, so these updates are essential to develop a clearer understanding of what areas are at risk.

Impacts to Ecosystems and Habitats

The USGS will work to provide maps and models of storm impacts to coastal ecosystems, habitats, and fish and wildlife, with particular focus on those within DOI lands. For example, coastal wetlands provide critical ecosystem services to humans as they protect both manmade and natural habitats from storm impacts. The sustainability of coastal wetlands is dependent on the ability of the wetland to maintain elevation during periods of storms, stable vegetation, sea-level rise, and the severity of future storms. In order to predict the fate of coastal wetlands, and ultimately protect or restore ecosystem services and values, it is essential to create a regional understanding of where and how processes controlling elevation change are affected by storms such as Sandy.

Models to Understand Storm Processes and Impacts

Oblique aerial photographs of Seaside Heights, NJ. View looking west along the New Jersey shore. Storm waves and surge destroyed the dunes and boardwalk, and deposited the sand on the island, covering roads. The red arrow points to a building that was washed off

The funding will enhance existing USGS storm surge capabilities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The USGS will increase the number and mobility of water-level and water-quality sensors for rapid deployment to areas forecast to be vulnerable to storm surge, ultimately increasing the amount of real-time and near real-time storm surge data that are available to emergency responders. This effort also includes improving the data delivery and display system used to provide real-time and recovered data to emergency responders, community planners, forecasters, and modelers.

Real-Time Data on Water Levels and Storm Surge

USGS scientists collected data on water levels during Hurricane Sandy, and this new funding supports further analysis of the acquired information. This will help improve storm-surge models, understand the impacts to coastal bays and estuaries, and identify crucial locations for future monitoring and sensor deployment. As Hurricane Sandy approached, scientists quickly deployed sensors from prepositioned staging areas to measure rising storm surge levels. The data from these sensors are being used to create models of the precise time the storm-tide arrived, how ocean and inland water levels changed during the storm, the depth of the storm-tide throughout the event, and how long it took for the water to recede.

Water Quality and Contaminants

The extensive disruption caused by Hurricane Sandy resulted in numerous circumstances where contaminants were, or could have been, released to the environment. This includes extensive failure of wastewater treatment plants, release of chemicals from destroyed structures and vehicles, and disturbance of buried contaminants. While initial responses addressed evident contamination, persisting risk of human and ecological exposure to contamination has not been fully defined. The USGS will use information on the patterns of water circulation, debris, and sediment movement to identify contaminant occurrence and potential human and ecological exposure pathways. The information will also assist in rapid response to characterization of contaminant risks that could potentially occur as a result of future storms.

USGS Support for Early Recovery Efforts

USGS scientists have been working diligently since the onset of Hurricane Sandy, providing science to support first responders and assist with early recovery efforts. Learn more about USGS pre-storm and immediate response activities.

Additional USGS Resources

• USGS Continues Response to Hurricane Sandy
• Hurricane Sandy Coastal Change Hazards
• Predicted Likelihood of Coastal Change Impacts from Hurricane Sandy
• Hurricane Sandy Storm Tide Data and Mapper
• Water-Quality Sampling Immediately After Hurricane Sandy
• Real-Time Monitoring: Rapid deployment storm tide sensors and streamgages, and permanent streamgages in Sandy impact area
• USGS Issues Landslide Alert for Hurricane Sandy
• WaterWatch: View streamflow during Hurricane Sandy (Oct 29 and subsequent days)
• Coastal Elevation Data: Access National Elevation Dataset and other coastal elevation information
• Sustainable Estuaries, Coastal, Urban, and River Environments

The Best Overall App award winner, TaxaViewer, showcases Integrated Taxonomic Information System data, invasive status, phylogenic relationships, and species occurrence records.

The U.S. Geological Survey is pleased to announce the winners of the “App-lifying USGS Earth Science Data” Challenge. USGS invited developers, information scientists, biologists/ecologists, and scientific data visualization specialists to create applications for selected USGS datasets, presenting them in innovative and informative new ways. The Challenge was open January 9, 2013, to April 1, 2013. Entries spanned a cross-section of topics including taxonomic classification, conservation status of species, the range and distribution of animals, and one innovative app integrating social media with species occurrence records.

And the Winners Are…

The winner for Best Overall App is “TaxaViewer” by the rOpenSci group. TaxaViewer is a Web interface to a mashup of data from the USGS-sponsored interagency Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the Phylotastic taxonomic Name service, the Global Invasive Species Database, Phylomatic, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. TaxaViewer allows the user to view species-specific taxonomic data, invasive status, phylogenetic relationships, and species occurrence records. TaxaViewer innovatively combines these datasets using the statistical package R that many scientists are already using for data analysis. Additionally, rOpenSci has made all of the source code available via Github. The combination of innovative use of data and technologies along with the applicability of the name resolution functionality made this the winning application.

With the goal of keeping common species common, the Gap Analysis Program develops data and tools to support that goal.

The Popular Choice App award goes to the “Species Comparison Tool” by Kimberly Sparks of Raleigh, N.C., which allows users to explore the USGS Gap Analysis Program habitat distribution and/or range of two species concurrently. In addition, the application’s “swipe tool” provides the ability to make visual comparisons of the maps. The application also incorporates ITIS data and provides external links to NatureServe species information. Fun and easy to use, the Species Comparison Tool provides an intuitive way to determine where species might be located as well taxonomic status and life history characteristics. The sleek design and engaging quality of the swipe tool makes this an application that is useful for the public and scientists alike.

The Popular Choice App award winner, Species Comparison Tool, highlights Gap Analysis Program and Integrated Taxonomic Information System data using an innovative “swipe tool.”

“These applications provide us and, more importantly, the public with easy-to-use tools for accessing and viewing taxonomic and biogeographic data,” said Kevin Gallagher, USGS Associate Director of Core Science Systems. “The innovative and thoughtful ideas represented in these applications are great examples of how complex data can be made more accessible.”

Winners were selected based on relevance to the USGS mission, innovation in design, and overall ease of use of the application. Utilizing the Challege.gov platform, the general public chose the winner of the Popular Choice App award. Both applications will be available for at least one year for viewing and use by the public.

A Rose by Any Other Name…Might be Confusing

Having a common vocabulary is critical to communicating with others about any topic. If someone were to tell you that a painter or catamount was going to pounce, your reaction may be a confused look. However, if that person was to tell you that a mountain lion or panther was eyeing you for lunch, you would likely try to get out of the way as quickly as possible.  Synonyms like these can be extremely problematic for biologists, too.

Taxonomy is the ordering of organisms to indicate natural relationships, and part of taxonomy is naming species. Depending upon several factors, the genus or species name of a particular creature or plant might change over time. When this happens, some scientists may not be aware of the change and at that point taxonomic name resolution is the key. Without the benefit of taxonomic name resolution, a biologist might be led to believe that there are only 15 articles about Marginaria polypodioides but upon learning of the scientific name synonyms used for this species (Pleopeltis polypodioides, Polypodium polypodioides) that number increases to 814 articles!

Acting as a Rosetta Stone, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System aids scientists with conducting comprehensive searches of literature and data. For Pleopeltis polypodioides, searching on all scientific name synonyms yields higher results.

The USGS is a key partner in ITIS, which serves as the authoritative Federal reference for the names or taxonomic classification of plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America as well as many global treatments. ITIS tells you the preferred name, but also the scientific name synonyms for any give species. As such, ITIS acts as the Rosetta Stone for translating between systems and provides the information necessary for comprehensive searches of literature and data.

Catamount? Cougar? How many common names does this species have?

By accessing the datasets in ITIS, the TaxaViewer allows an easy and seamless way for scientists working with lists of names to resolve synonyms and determine the taxonomic serial number and taxonomic classification for the species of interest, making it easier to find more information and articles about those species. In particular, name resolution can play a significant role in studies involving biodiversity and conservation across multiple landscapes.

Yes, But Where?

Gap analysis is the science of determining how well we’re protecting common plants and animals. The goal of the Gap Analysis Program (GAP) is to keep common species common by protecting them before they become threatened. By identifying habitats, GAP gives land managers, planners, scientists, and policy makers the information they need to make better-informed decisions when identifying priority areas for conservation.

Using the fun and interactive swipe tool highlighted in the Species Comparison Tool, anyone with an interest in animal ranges can compare areas where two different species occur and patterns in the habitats used by those species. Looking at the data in this way allows the user to explore those patterns in the context of conservation issues (e.g. habitat loss, conservation actions) of interest to them.

More information about the winning applications can be found at the CSAS Challenge site. All of the submissions can be accessed on the App-lifying USGS Earth Science Data Challenge site.

The sun affects space weather, but does it cause earthquakes?

Many have wondered whether solar activity can be linked to earthquakes, but a recent study found no direct relationship between the two.

Scientists assembled historical records of the Sun’s interaction with Earth, looking at sunspots, solar wind, and magnetic storms. They then compared these with historical records of earthquake occurrence. They found no significant pattern between solar activity and more or larger earthquakes. There is no demonstrated way to use space data to predict future earthquakes.

The study was recently published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The research was conducted by Jeffrey Love with the USGS and Jeremy Thomas from Northwest Research Associates. The earthquake data were from the USGS, the sunspot data were from NOAA, the solar wind data were from NASA, and the geomagnetic data were from the British Geological Survey and Geoscience Australia.

The Author’s Perspective

“This research was conducted to advance our understanding of natural science and to test how the Sun affects Earth, ultimately helping protect the safety of our communities,” said USGS research geophysicist Jeffrey Love. “Even though we did not find a significant correlation between space measurements and earthquakes, we recognize that the Sun affects Earth in other ways. The USGS is dedicated to studying these natural phenomena, some of which are hazardous for a modern and technologically dependent society.”

“Of course it is always conceivable that some new and unexpected discovery will be made in the future, but it is also essential that we objectively evaluate the data and information that we have available now,” continued Love. “Just because one might think that a pattern exists does not mean that one actually exists. We need clear evidence to be convinced.”

Types of Solar and Space Activity

Everyone is familiar with weather systems on Earth like rain, wind, and snow. But space can also have a “weather” of sorts. The Sun’s behavior changes over time and this can cause the space environment surrounding Earth to change as well.

Magnetic storms, for example, are periods of time when Earth’s magnetic field is unusually active. How do they occur? The Sun is always emitting a wind of electrically charged particles, and when that happens abruptly, it can cause a magnetic storm.

Space weather can have important consequences for our lives on Earth’s surface. Large magnetic storms can cause the loss of radio communications, reduce the accuracy of GPS systems, damage satellite electronics and affect satellite opera­tions, increase pipeline corrosion, and induce voltage surges in electric power grids, causing blackouts. It is during magnetic storms that beautiful aurora borealis — or “northern lights” — are visible at high latitudes.

Now let’s talk about sunspots. A sunspot is a visibly dark region on the solar surface that corresponds to a concentration of solar magnetic energy and activity. If and when a large sunspot emerges on the face of the Sun, there is an increased chance for abrupt emission of strong solar wind velocity, and this can result in large magnetic storm at Earth. The number of sunspots waxes and wanes over the course of an 11-year solar cycle. The current cycle is unusually tame, but it could still change over the next few years.

Haitian woman carrying supplies amid the destruction from the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.

USGS Role 

The USGS Geomagnetism Program operates 14 observatories around the United States and its territories, which provide real-time ground-based measurements of the variable geomagnetic field. These measurements are used internally by the USGS, and they are used by partners in the United States National Space Weather Program, including NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force, to track the intensity of the magnetic storms generated by the Sun and its interaction with the Earth. The USGS Geomagnetism Program has also been working cooperatively with private industries that are affected by space weather and geomagnetic activity, including electric-power grid companies and the oil and gas drilling industry.

Can We Predict Earthquakes?

So far, the answer is no. Despite frequent claims to the contrary, no reliable short-term earthquake prediction method has ever been developed. Nor do scientists expect to develop a method in the foreseeable future.

However, based on scientific data, probabilities can be calculated for future earthquakes. For example, comprehensive assessments of long-term earthquake rates in California tell us there is roughly a 2-in-3 chance that a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake will strike in the next 30 years in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Within the State of California as a whole, earthquakes this large are virtually certain (a 99 percent probability) in that same time frame.

Knowing the likelihood of future earthquakes allows prudent actions to be taken to mitigate their effects, no matter when they may happen to strike.

Listen to a podcast on earthquake prediction with Mike Blanpied, Associate Coordinator of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Climate Change and Solar Storms

Are solar storms related to climate change? Find out the answer by watching USGS Climate Connections.

Map of the May 15, 2013 earthquake in Virginia.

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck Louisa, Virginia, on May 15, 2013 at 7:01am local time.

Visit the USGS event page to learn more about this earthquake. If you felt this earthquake, report your experience on the “USGS Did You Feel It?” website.

Aftershock from 2011 Earthquake in Virginia

Wednesday’s earthquake was an aftershock from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake of August 23, 2011. That previous earthquake startled tens of millions of people in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, and damaged schools and houses in the epicentral area.

Since the 2011 earthquake, more than 450 aftershocks have been recorded. These events were catalogued by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), using data from portable seismographs that were deployed by several organizations immediately after the earthquake.

More than 50 of these aftershocks were large enough to be felt, and 38 were the size of today’s earthquake, or larger. Scientists expect that these aftershocks will continue for many months.
Earthquakes in this area are not unprecedented, as they are within the Central Virginia seismic zone. This zone has been identified on USGS seismic hazard maps for decades as an area of elevated earthquake risk.

Although earthquakes are less frequent in the East, their damaging effects can extend over a much larger area as compared to the western United States. The difference between seismic shaking in the East versus the West is due in part to the geologic structure and rock properties that allow seismic waves to travel farther without weakening.

Looking Back to 2011

The earthquake from 2011 was among the largest to occur in this region in the last century. It is estimated that approximately one third of the U.S. population could have felt this earthquake, more than any other earthquake in U.S. history.

Around 148,000 people reported their ground-shaking experiences caused by the earthquake on the USGS “Did You Feel It?” website. Shaking reports came from southeastern Canada to Florida and westward to locations near the Mississippi River.

So what have scientists been up to since 2011? The USGS is engaged in many research projects to help ensure public safety in Virginia and other areas of the eastern U.S. Read a USGS feature story to learn more about the Virginia earthquake in 2011 and see the variety of related science efforts underway.

Start with Science

The USGS is actively studying earthquake hazards worldwide. The President’s requested FY14 budget includes a proposed increase in funding to improve earthquake monitoring in the eastern U.S. Expertise at the USGS includes earthquake monitoring and notification, earthquake impact and hazard assessments, geologic mapping and targeted research on earthquake causes and effects.

This image illustrates how earthquakes are felt over much larger areas in the eastern United States than those west of the Rocky Mountains. USGS “Did You Feel It?” data from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011 in central Virginia (green) and from one of similar magnitude and depth in California (red).

More Information

Read additional earthquake information for Virginia.

Read an article by USGS scientists in the American Geophysical Union newspaper EOS titled, “The 2011 Virginia earthquake: What are scientists learning?”

Multimedia

Watch video interviews with four people discussing their experiences near the epicenter of the Virginia earthquake in 2011.

Listen to two new podcast interviews with Associate Coordinator of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Mike Blanpied. The podcasts are:

• “A Year After the Virginia Earthquake: What More Do We Know?”
• “A Year After the Virginia Earthquake: Will the Shaking Continue?”

A map of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations within the Williston Basin of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota

On April 30, 2013, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released an updated oil and gas resource assessment for the Bakken Formation and a new assessment for the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.  The assessments found that the formations contain an estimated mean of 7.4 billion barrels (BBO) of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil.  The updated assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks represents a twofold increase over what has previously been thought.

The USGS assessment found that the Bakken Formation has an estimated mean oil resource of 3.65 BBO and the Three Forks Formation has an estimated mean resource of 3.73 BBO, for a total of 7.38 BBO, with a range of 4.42 (95 percent chance) to 11.43 BBO (5 percent chance). This assessment of both formations represents a significant increase over the estimated mean resource of 3.65 billion barrels of undiscovered oil in the Bakken Formation that was estimated in the 2008 assessment.

“These world-class formations contain even more energy resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.  “We must develop our domestic energy resources armed with the best available science, and this unbiased, objective information will help private, nonprofit and government decision makers at all levels make informed decisions about the responsible development of these resources.”

A key component of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is the availability of sound science to guide informed decision-making regarding the safe and responsible development of America’s domestic energy resources.

“The USGS undertook this assessment of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations as part of a nationwide project assessing U.S. petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol,” said Acting Director of the USGS Suzette Kimball.  “Through this improved understanding of our energy resources, government, industry, and citizens are better able to understand our domestic energy mix and make wiser decisions for the future.”

Since the 2008 USGS assessment, more than 4,000 wells have been drilled in the Williston Basin, providing updated subsurface geologic data.  Previously, very little data existed on the Three Forks Formation and it was generally thought to be unproductive.  However, new drilling resulted in a new understanding of the reservoir and its resource potential.

In addition to oil, these two formations are estimated to contain a mean of 6.7 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids.  Gas estimates range from 3.43 (95 percent chance) to 11.25 (5 percent chance) trillion cubic feet of gas and 0.23 (95 percent chance) to 0.95 (5 percent chance) billion barrels of natural gas liquids.  This estimate represents a nearly threefold increase in mean natural gas and a nearly threefold increase in mean natural gas liquids resources from the 2008 assessment, due primarily to the inclusion of the Three Forks Formation.

The primary source of oil for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations are the Upper and Lower Bakken Shale Members of the Bakken Formation. USGS assessed the Bakken and Three Forks Formations for both continuous and conventional resources.  Unlike conventional oil accumulations, continuous oil remains in or near the original source rock, and instead of occurring in discrete accumulations is dispersed heterogeneously over large geographic areas.

The geological foundation that underpins the assessment was facilitated by data provided by the North Dakota Geological Survey, North Dakota Industrial Commission, Montana Board of Oil and Gas, and multiple industry groups working in this region.  This new information and data allowed USGS to develop a more robust geologic model and understanding of the petroleum system of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations.

Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources.

More Resources:

• 2013 Bakken and Three Forks Formations Assessment Fact Sheet
• Podcast Interview on the Assessment
• Bakken FAQs
• Bakken Media Gallery
• Energy Glossary

To learn more about USGS energy assessments and other energy research, please visit the USGS Energy Resources Program website, sign up for the Newsletter, and follow USGS on Twitter.  For more information on the Interior Department, see www.doi.gov.

The USGS Red River of the North at Fargo streamgage in Fargo, N.D., takes automatic water level measurements every 15 minutes.

As residents of the Red River basin in North Dakota are faced with yet another major spring flood, water scientists and hydrologic technicians from the USGS are working in Fargo and throughout the river basin to collect important information on the volume of water that is flowing in the river. USGS field crews are taking streamflow and water level measurements on the Red River and its tributaries to document the current flood. The National Weather Service (NWS) uses the data collected by USGS hydrologists to inform its flood forecasts.

The Red River in downtown Fargo, N.D., began cresting, or reaching its peak water level, early Wednesday, May 1, at around 33.32 feet. As of late Wednesday morning, water level at the USGS Red River of the North at Fargo streamgage was 33 feet, which is three feet higher than the NWS major flood level designation. In Fargo, the river is expected to remain above the NWS major flood stage of 30 feet until Sunday. USGS hydrologists are monitoring the Fargo gage on a daily basis.

Previous major flood crests recorded by the USGS streamgage in downtown Fargo include: 38.81 feet, April 2011; 40.84 feet, March 2009; and 39.72 feet, April 1997.

The USGS has installed 12 rapid deployment streamgages at locations within the Red River of the North basin to collect water data where permanent streamgages have been damaged by the flood or do not exist. USGS crews will continue to follow the Red River flood north after the Fargo crest, with more staff moving to Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Cavalier, N.D. Data for all of the USGS streamgages in the Red River of the North basin are available online.

USGS hydrologists return from measuring streamflow on the Red River in Fargo, N.D. The USGS Red River of the North at Fargo streamgage can be seen on the right in the image.

Flood First Responders

As soon as water starts to rise, specially trained USGS scientists and hydrologic technicians measure water levels, streamflows, and high water marks using state-of-the-art instrumentation. All of this information is crucial for NWS flood forecasts, for decisions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to operate spillways and levees, and for planning by Federal, state, and local emergency managers, first responders, and many other groups.

The widely distributed knowledge of stream conditions — knowledge based on direct, reliable, and timely data — is the means by which a modest investment in streamgages, combined with good science, can save money, help protect property, and even help save lives.

Measuring Streamflow

USGS field crews in North Dakota take streamflow measurements by boat each day during flooding using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP). For the Red River measurements, the ADCP is attached to a large orange buoy, and dragged along the boat perpendicular to the water current to measure streamflow in cubic feet per second.  The ADCP also can be pulled across the stream from a bridge, when the flow is confined to the channel beneath the bridge.

On Tuesday afternoon, April 30, USGS crews measured a streamflow of 16,100 cubic feet per second near the USGS streamgage in downtown Fargo. USGS crews have made over 120 measurements of streamflow in the Red River basin in the last seven days in support of the USGS mission and to inform the flood forecast.

USGS Streamgages

The USGS operates a network of about 8,000 streamgages nationwide to help prepare for and respond to floods, and to enable the accuracy and confidence of NWS forecasting models.  Flood forecast and response, however, is only one of the many uses of streamgage information.

USGS hydrologist Dan Thomas shows media how the acoustic Doppler current profiler (on the right) measures streamflow on the Red River in Fargo.

A streamgage is a structure located beside a river or on a bridge that contains a device to measure and record the water level in that river. Generally, these measurements occur automatically every 15 minutes. For most streamgages, the data are sent via satellite back to a USGS office once every hour, and more frequently in times of flooding. There, critical information about gage height, or water level, and the flow of the river (measured in cubic feet per second) is made available to users in near real-time.

This USGS streamgaging network is in partnership with more than 850 Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies.

Due to recent budget cuts as a result of sequestration, the USGS will be obliged to discontinue operation of a substantial number of streamgages nationwide. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages. It is possible that the funding mechanisms from Federal partners will also be affected, directly or indirectly, by sequestration reductions.

The USGS first sought to absorb budget cuts through curtailment of travel, training, hiring, and other expenditures not deemed mission-critical. Even though the operation of most streamgage equipment is highly automated, the data produced need field verification, which requires trained technicians to visit the streamgages on a regular basis. During flood events, the need for frequent visits becomes even more critical as the data is used by first responders to support the protection of life, property, and the environment.

Where Can You Find USGS Flood Information?

The USGS is constantly refining, innovating, and updating its ability to deliver river information to emergency managers, first responders, other Federal agencies, and you and your family before, during, and after a flood.

If you want to see areas where river levels are higher than normal right now, you can go to the USGS WaterWatch site and view a map of the thousands of real-time streamgages that constantly monitor the Nation’s rivers and streams. For example, you can access a map of the flood and high streamflow locations in North Dakota through the WaterWatch site.

To put that number in context, the USGS and the NWS are working together to create visual products, called flood inundation map libraries, that show you estimates of where the water will be and what roads, yards, and buildings will be affected when a river or stream reaches a certain stage.

You can also receive automatic notifications from streamgages near you sent directly to you as an email or text message when water levels exceed certain thresholds. Sign up for this USGS WaterAlert service by selecting a state, checking the “Surface Water” box, and clicking on your streamgage of choice.

Links:

USGS North Dakota Water Science Center: http://nd.water.usgs.gov/

When Floods Hit, the USGS is There: http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/when-floods-hit-the-usgs-is-there/?from=title

Main USGS Flood Site: http://water.usgs.gov/floods

Real-time USGS Water Data: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

USGS Red River of the North at Fargo Streamgage: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nd/nwis/uv?site_no=05054000&format=gif&period=31

Flood Inundation Interactive Mapper: http://wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html

Additional information about Flood Inundation Mapping: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/

WaterAlert: http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/

USGS scientists use an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) to measure streamflow and water currents at Ditch 14 near Fargo, N.D., in 2011.

As flooding continues in parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana due to heavy rainfall over the past seven days, the U.S. Geological Survey is maintaining its response efforts and preparing for continued flooding in the Northern Plains and upper Midwest.

So far this spring, USGS streamgages have measured approximately 17 peaks of record, and numerous flood peaks that have been the largest in more than 50 years. The USGS will be in flood response mode for the next several days as flooding continues down the Wabash and White Rivers in Indiana, the Illinois River in Illinois, and along the middle Mississippi River.

The USGS is also ready to deploy field crews to the Red River of the North Basin in North Dakota and Minnesota as air temperatures rise above freezing and snowmelt begins, and has installed seven rapid deployment gages at locations in the basin where streamflow data is needed but otherwise unavailable. Runoff and subsequent flooding is expected to begin this weekend, especially in Fargo, N.D., and Oslo, Minn.

Preparation Helps Save Lives and Property

As soon as water starts to rise, specially trained USGS scientists and hydrologic technicians measure water levels, streamflows, and high water marks using state-of-the-art instrumentation. All of this information is crucial for National Weather Service (NWS) flood forecasts, for decisions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to operate spillways and levees, and for the planning of Federal, state, and local emergency managers, first responders, and many other groups.

This reliable, timely, and widely distributed understanding of stream conditions is the means by which a modest investment in streamgages, combined with good science, can save money, help protect property, and even help save lives.

USGS Streamgages

The USGS operates a network of about 8,000 streamgages nationwide to help prepare for and respond to floods, and to enable the accuracy and confidence of NWS forecasting models.

A streamgage is a structure located beside a river that contains a device to measure and record the water level in that river. Generally, these measurements occur automatically every 15 minutes. For most streamgages, the data are sent via satellite back to a USGS office once every hour, and more frequently in times of flooding. There, critical information about gage height, or water level, and the flow of the river (measured in cubic feet per second) is made available to users in near real-time.

USGS crews install a rapid deployment streamgage on the Boise River near Parma, Idaho, in 2012.

This USGS streamgaging network is in partnership with more than 850 Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies.

Due to recent budget cuts as a result of sequestration, the USGS will be obliged to discontinue operation of up to 375 streamgages nationwide. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages. It is possible that the funding mechanisms from Federal partners will also be affected, directly or indirectly, by sequestration reductions.

The USGS first sought to absorb budget cuts through curtailment of travel, training, hiring, and other expenditures not deemed mission-critical. Even though the operation of most streamgages is highly automated, the gages still require periodic instrument calibration, communication adjustments, battery replacement, and site maintenance (especially after high water events) to ensure accurate readings and physical stability.

Recent USGS Flood Work in Your State

If your state is experiencing flooding, USGS crews are out on the job. What’s been happening in the most severely flooded states over the past week?

Illinois

At least 10 USGS streamgages in Illinois with more than 20 years of record have measured the highest flood levels ever recorded. More record levels are expected as flooding moves downstream. USGS crews are expected to track the movement of the floodwaters down the Illinois River, the Rock River, and major tributaries over the next few days.  Many of the Illinois River floodwaters are expected to exceed records and may result in major flooding that overtops levees.

The USGS Illinois Water Science Center is working with the NWS and USACE to acquire the streamflow information they need for prediction and flood control efforts. As of Monday, 53 USGS streamgages in Illinois were at or above flood levels as a result of the precipitation that began on Tuesday, April 16.

Indiana

At least three USGS streamgages in north-central Indiana have measured the highest water levels in more than 20 years of recorded data, and 32 streamgages are above flood stage. USGS crews in Indiana are continuing to make streamflow measurements along the middle and lower Wabash River and the lower White River. There have been at least two deaths attributed to flooding around the state. According to the Indianapolis Star, more than 100 homes were evacuated in the Kokomo and Elwood areas due to high water.

Moderate flooding is expected to continue over the next several days. Four USGS crews will measure streamflow at ten locations following the flood peak as it progresses down the Wabash and the White Rivers. Three crews are also out setting high-water marks to document the extent of the flooding that occurred on Friday and this past weekend.

USGS streamgages like this Red River of the North at Fargo gage in downtown Fargo, N.D., provide real-time water level and streamflow data during floods.

The USGS Indiana Water Science Center has been working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and NWS Ohio River Forecast Center to coordinate ongoing flood response efforts.

Iowa

Flooding occurred in eastern and south-central Iowa due to heavy rainfall in areas of saturated soil, with about 23 streamgages above the NWS flood stage and approximately six gages above NWS major flooding levels. Johnson County issued a disaster declaration due to flash flooding, and temporary flood protection has been deployed by the City of Cedar Rapids along Indian Creek. The eastern half of Iowa experienced moderate flooding in a line from Dubuque to Chariton, and many roads in the Iowa City area have been closed.

Multiple USGS Iowa Water Science Center crews continue to take discharge measurements and are measuring streamflow over several flooded roadways.

Michigan

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan has experienced some flooding since heavy rainfalls began on Tuesday, April 9. Most flooding in the first few days was confined to smaller streams and the Cass, Tittabawassee, and Saginaw Rivers. Heavy rains began again on Wednesday, April 17, and continued sporadically through Friday, April 19. Flood impacts in Ionia County, located northwest of Lansing, were especially severe, with some bridges over small streams washed out and a large area near the city center under water.

On April 19, the NWS reported that 22 USGS streamgaging stations in the state had reached flood stage, 13 streamgages were approaching flood stage, 17 gages had reached the minor flooding category, and seven gages recorded moderate flooding. By Saturday, April 20, several gages in the western part of the Grand River Basin were reporting stages in the major flood category, with Comstock Park, upstream of Grand Rapids, particularly affected.

USGS Michigan Water Science Center technicians from the Lansing and Grayling field offices have been working closely with the NWS offices in Grand Rapids and White Lake, and the North Central River Forecast Center in Chanhassen, Minn., making measurements at many locations at or near peak stage in the Grand, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and Saginaw River Basins.

Missouri

In Missouri, moderate to major flooding is occurring on the upper and middle Mississippi River. A USGS Missouri Water Science Center crew is supporting the USACE St. Louis District in monitoring water levels at various lock and dam locations.

Where Can You Find USGS Flood Information?

The USGS is constantly refining, innovating, and updating its ability to deliver river information to emergency managers, first responders, other Federal agencies, and you and your family before, during, and after a flood.

WaterWatch

If you want to see areas where river levels are higher than normal right now, you can go to the USGS WaterWatch site and view a map of the thousands of real-time streamgages that constantly monitor the Nation’s rivers and streams. But how do you put that number in context?

The USGS and the NWS are working together to create visual products, called flood inundation map libraries, that show you estimates of where the water will be and what roads, yards, and buildings will be affected when a river or stream reaches a certain stage.

WaterAlert

You can get automatic notifications from streamgages near you sent directly to you as an email or text message when water levels exceed certain thresholds. Sign up for this USGS WaterAlert service by selecting a state, checking the “Surface Water” box, and clicking on your streamgage of choice.

Links:

Flood Inundation Interactive Mapper: http://wim.usgs.gov/FIMI/FloodInundationMapper.html

Additional information about Flood Inundation Mapping: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/

WaterAlert: http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/

Main USGS Flood Site: http://water.usgs.gov/floods

Real-time USGS Water Data: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, 2013, the USGS is highlighting a few aspects of climate change. The effects of climate change have been documented in the United States and around the world. These effects pose challenges and risks to our landscapes, natural and agricultural resources, wildlife, the economy, and the public health and safety of our communities.

USGS scientists seek to measure, document, and understand the changes that have occurred in the Earth’s recent and distant past, and then interpret and communicate the causes and consequences of those changes.

USGS expertise is diverse, for example, seeking to improve our understanding of climate change effects on wildlife and ecosystems; risks to coastal communities associated with sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and storms; how carbon circulates across the globe, including how and where it can be stored in ecosystems and subsurface rocks; and changes in water resource availability, including the effects of droughts and floods.

The USGS makes data free and easily accessible to the public, resource managers, policymakers and other decisionmakers. As the nation’s earth-science agency, the USGS provides unbiased scientific information that serves as a foundation for sound decisions as we face these climate change challenges.

Learn more about USGS climate change science and expertise by visiting the USGS Climate and Land Use Change website.

Slideshow: Faces of Climate Change

The following slideshow highlights examples of climate change impacts to variety of places and people across the globe. This aims to give a glimpse of the many faces of climate change.

Video Series: America’s Climate Change Questions

America has questions about climate change, and the USGS is providing answers through a video series called, Climate Connections.

In these videos, USGS scientists are engaging in conversations and addressing questions from across the nation. The USGS has authoritative and science-based information to address a wide range of topics related to climate change.

There are six episodes from Colorado, the District of Columbia, Glacier National Park, Puerto Rico, and North and South Carolina.

Hyperlinks and details to each episode are provided below.

Watch the Videos

Questions from Colorado include:

• How is Colorado affected by climate change and how can I learn more?
• Were the wildfires this past summer related to climate change?
• Do the bark beetles infesting trees have anything to do with climate change?
• How does the ocean change the climate, and vice versa?

Questions from high school students in D.C. include:

• If you could tell the public one thing about climate change, what would it be?
• Does climate change impact humans or animals more?
• How will climate change affect D.C.?
• When did climate change begin?

Questions from Glacier National Park include:

• When I come back in ten years, what will I see in Glacier National Park?
• How is climate change impacting the glaciers?
• Does all the snow we received this winter help the glaciers?
• How do receding glaciers and climate change affect the local economy in terms of recreation, agriculture, tourism?

Questions from Puerto Rico include:

• Why has the rainy season been so long in Puerto Rico?
• How is global warming impacting the island of Puerto Rico?
• What are solar storms and are they related to climate change?
• Will we see polar bears on the island of Puerto Rico?

Questions from North and South Carolina include:

• How does climate change affect the coast and where can I learn more?
• What are scientists currently doing in regards to rivers and streams?
• Does planting trees impact climate change?
• What do we know now that we didn’t know in the 1970s?

Questions from students in North Carolina include:

• Do all scientists agree that climate change is occurring?
• Could climate change impact fishing?
• Will the climate change abruptly or slowly over time?
• What is geothermal energy and how does it impact the climate?

A radio-tagged female Burmese python in the Everglades leads USGS researchers to male pythons. And a radio-tagged feral pig lets USGS scientists know just how destructive to native wildlife or vegetation her kind is. These and other so-called “Judas” animals are unknowingly traitors to their own kind in USGS research that sheds light on the movement and habits of important non-native species.

Dinner on the Hoof

Feral swine, first introduced to the continental United States in the 1500s by Spanish conquistadors who brought the animals over as food, typically weigh in at a hefty 200 pounds, but can reach 400 pounds.  These feral hogs have tusks up to three inches long — which they aren’t afraid to use.  They are territorial and live in groups called sounders of as many as 20 individuals, mostly females and young pigs of both sexes.

Have You Seen the Not-So Little Piggies

Males are solitary and only interact with sows to breed. Even though these animals have been in the United States for centuries, little is known about their populations, habitat use and movement patterns, or the habitat destruction their burgeoning numbers are causing in Louisiana and Mississippi. Consequently, USGS researchers have captured, collared and then released large boars and sows to return to their sounder or to their solitary ways if a male.

An Email from the Pig? 

Collared Feral Pig Ready for Release.

The satellite collars, equipped with GPS receivers, allow scientists to track Judas pigs from their office computers.  The GPS collars upload/transmit the data to Iridium satellites that email the swines’ locations at particular times to USGS researchers. Unlike the VHF radio collar, still widely used to locate animals and birds, the GPS collar “listens” to the signal from a constellation of satellites and can calculate, by triangulating its own location, precisely where an animal is.

A group’s movements and locations are tracked via the collared pigs, helping researchers and managers better target removal efforts where most needed, such as in areas where pigs are harming sensitive landscapes. The data collected so far — and verified with fieldwork — have enabled scientists and managers to examine population movement patterns, document habitat and wildlife destruction, and help in swine removal — the preferred control measure.  Already Judas pigs have allowed researchers to learn that feral pigs raid alligator nests, are not all nocturnal as suspected, and have unpredictable movements.

Snakes in Paradise

For about five years, USGS researchers and colleagues at the National Park Service and University of Florida have been working on developing similar “Judas” tracking techniques for invasive snakes. They are currently evaluating the effectiveness of using small radio-tracking devices implanted in select male and female Burmese pythons to learn about python behavior.  Tracking studies have already allowed researchers to follow radio-tagged pythons to find other pythons.  Eventually, the tagged snakes are removed from the wild and euthanized and necropsied — an animal version of an autopsy— to discern what they are eating, how many eggs the females contain, their contaminant levels and much more.

Consequently, Judas snakes are helping researchers understand where pythons are located and where mating may be occurring. Such information is useful for developing effective biological control strategies.

Anatomy of an Invasion and Some Mammal Numbers Going Down, Down, Down

Invasive pythons are hard to find (yes, even the big ones), can live in many places and will eat a variety of mammals, birds and reptiles. A breeding population of the snakes was confirmed in Everglades National Park in 2001, and in the 12 years since, USGS and its partners have linked the snakes  to precipitous declines and even disappearances of formerly common mammals in the park. The decline exceeds 95 percent for raccoons, opossums, marsh and cottontail rabbits, and foxes. Burmese python populations are also breeding in Big Cypress National Preserve, Miami’s water management areas to the northeast of the park, Key Largo to the southeast, and many other state parks, municipalities and public and private lands in the region.

This female Burmese python broke the records for her length – 17 feet, 7 inches – and the number of eggs she contained: 87. She was first captured in Everglades National Park by USGS researchers in the spring of 2012, when they followed a “Judas snake” – a male python with a transmitter – and found her nearby in the bushes. USGS scientists then outfitted her with two radio transmitters, a GPS device, and a motion-sensing device before releasing her back into the wild. The second radio transmitter was a failsafe, ensuring she wouldn’t “go wild” again. The snake remained in the wild for 38 days and then was removed and euthanized. The information from this snake’s every move – each pitch, roll, and yawl – was recorded by the motion detector, allowing biologists to piece together her behaviors, including her kills. Biologists plan to use detailed information about the snake’s biology and activity patterns to develop control methods for this invasive species. Pythons are effective at blending in the tall marsh grasses that give the Everglades its nickname, “The River of Grass,” making it hard to spot the pythons even when they are being radiotracked.

Burmese pythons, which can reach more than 20 feet long and weigh more than 250 pounds, pose a threat to federally listed species as well as a potential risk to people. The snakes feed on a large variety of animals — including endangered species such as the Key Largo woodrat and the rare roundtailed muskrat.

Ecosystem, Interrupted?

Just as important, the snakes’ may well be causing cascading and harmful effects on the Everglades’ ecosystem because depleting or eliminating vulnerable native species are likely changing the park’s food webs. Researchers do not yet know how South Florida ecosystems are being or will be disrupted by the addition of this new predator, but from experience with other ecosystems invaded by introduced snakes, researchers know serious disruption is a distinct possibility. The severe mammal declines already occurring strongly suggest that some degree of ecosystem disruption is likely.

Under Siege! Invasives Affect Everyone

The U.S. is under siege by more than 6,500 species of harmful non-native species estimated to cause more than $137 billion in damage each year to our U.S. economy. These costs are borne by farmers, ranchers, businesses, and local, state, tribal and federal governments battling to control the economic, health and environmental threats invaders pose.  Invasive species adversely affect urban and wilderness areas in every state; global travel and trade provide pathways for intentional and unintentional introductions of invasives. Costly effects of invasives include crop decimation; clogging of water facilities and waterways; wildlife and human disease transmission; threats to commercial, native, and farmed fisheries; increased fire vulnerability; and adverse effects for ranchers and farmers.

Team of scientists working together to insert a tracking device in a 14 foot Burmese python.

USGS Invasive Species Program

Wild Boar Research Images

Satellite Tracking and Geospatial Analysis of Feral Swine and Their Habitat Use in Louisiana and Mississippi

The Big Squeeze: Pythons and Mammals in Everglades National Park

Video of Record Breaking Python captured by USGS

Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida: A Sizeable Research Challenge