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Earth characteristics

The measurable, definable properties and features of the earth.

Subtopics:
Atmospheric properties (21 items)
Earth structure (13 items)
Geologic history (42 items)
Geologic structure (36 items)
Gravitational field (earth) (12 items)
Land surface characteristics (52 items)
Magnetic field (earth) (18 items)
Ocean characteristics (66 items)
Rocks and deposits (156 items)
Snow and ice cover (19 items)
Stratigraphic sections (27 items)
Topography (60 items)
Earth material properties (8 items)

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Results 1 - 411 of 414 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor characteristics [More info]: Description of datasets of AVHRR data available from the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD in three formats: High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT), Local Area Coverage (LAC), and Global Area Coverage (GAC).
Development of a global slope dataset for estimation of landslide occurrence resulting from earthquakes [More info]: Technical description of methods used to generate global slope data from SRTM topography data
Earth as art three [More info]: Images from the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites chosen for their aesthetic appeal, with color manipulated to enhance color variation or details.
Earth tides and volcano monitoring [More info]: Article in the May 28, 1998 issue of Volcano Watch describing of correlation of earth tides to volcanic eruptions and value in monitoring underground magma movement with deformation measurement instruments including tiltmeters and strainmeters.
EarthExplorer [More info]: Query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products through the U.S. Geological Survey. Log in as a guest or as a registered user with more privileges. Uses Java Script or Applet Versions for PC, MacIntosh, and Unix programs.
Earthquakes pose a serious hazard in Afghanistan [More info]: Structural features in eastern Afghanistan accompany seismicity data showing this area is subject to considerable risk of earthquakes.
Earthshots, satellite images of environmental change [More info]: Satellite images of geographic areas of interest, cities, deserts, glaciers, geologic features, disaster areas, water bodies, and wildlife linked with articles, maps, and other images such as AVHRR, photographs, and special project images.
Eastern Earth Surface Processes Team [More info]: The Eastern Earth Surface Processes Team provides geologic mapping regional geologic studies to determine stratigraphy and geologic structure, topical studies to understand geologic and surficial processes, and syntheses of earth science data.
Geochronology (Western Earth Surface Processes Team) [More info]: Description of the methods of geochronology, the science of dating, used by USGS scientists in geological research.
Glacier effects of the M7.9 Denali fault earthquake of November 3, 2002 [More info]: Description and photos documenting offsets and 260 km rupture in the Denali glacier in central Alaska after the November 3, 2002 earthquake, the 9th largest earthquake in the United States in the last 200 years.
Interior of the Earth [More info]: General Interest Publication on the structure of the planet Earth including the crust, the mantle, and the core with drawings to scale on the cover and a table listing the thickness of the parts.
Monitoring the Earth's dynamic magnetic field [More info]: Describes the reasons why USGS monitors Earth's magnetic field and the history of that monitoring effort.
Precambrian Time - The Story of the Early Earth [More info]: Explains what we know about the early history of the earth and how we study the deposits formed during that time to understand the formation of the earth and life.
The Earth's crust [More info]: Information on the Earth's crust with a contour map of the thickness plus links to a global crustal database, a global crustal model - CRUST 5.1, and regional crustal models.
This dynamic planet: World map of volcanoes, earthquakes, impact craters, and plate tectonics [More info]: Online world map with booklet (PDF format) giving an account of plate tectonics, volcanology, earthquake activity, and impact craters.
What on Earth is plate tectonics? [More info]: Discussion and diagrams on plate tectonics and the structure of the Earth for beginners with link to a detailed version: This Dynamic Earth for more information.
2010 updated assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) [More info]: We estimate mean volumes of 896 million barrels of oil and about 53 trillion cubic feet of nonassociated natural gas in conventional, undiscovered accumulations within this area, a reduction of our 2002 estimate due to new geologic information.
A climate trend analysis of Chad [More info]: Long-term reduction in rainfall and increasing temperature threaten Chad's future food production prospects; combined with rapid population growth and zones of substantial conflict, increasing numbers of people will be at risk.
A climate trend analysis of Ethiopia [More info]: Recent trends in March-June, June-September, and March-September rainfall and temperature, identifying significant reductions in rainfall and increases in temperature over time in this area.
A climate trend analysis of Mali [More info]: Summer rains have remained steady for the past 20 years, but are below the long-term average. Current population and agricultural trends indicate increasing yields have offset population expansion, keeping per capita cereal production steady.
A Climate Trend Analysis of Niger [More info]: While summer rains have increased during the past 20 years, temperatures have increased as well, amplifying the effects of droughts. Crop yields are low but the population is growing, pointing to rising food insecurity.
A climate trend analysis of Sudan [More info]: The data shown here depict drying trends in one of the world's most food insecure regions. Decreasing rainfall since 1980 accompanied increases in air temperature greater than global warming.
A climate trend analysis of Uganda [More info]: Long-term reduction in rainfall and increasing temperature threaten Uganda's future food production prospects; combined with rapid population growth these factors could increase the number of people who are at risk during the next 20 years.
A dryland river transformed--the Little Colorado, 1936-2010 [More info]: We mapped substantial migration of the river channel between the City of Winslow and the Navajo Nation community of Leupp; in a human lifetime the river has moved more than a mile across its valley floor.
A Method for Qualitative Mapping of Thick Oil Spills Using Imaging Spectroscopy [More info]: A method to create qualitative images of thick oil in oil spills on water using near-infrared imaging spectroscopy data. It relies on the organic absorption features of chemical bonds in aliphatic hydrocarbons. The data cannot give oil volume estimates.
A promising tool for subsurface permafrost mapping-An application of airborne geophysics from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska [More info]: Airborne electromagnetic surveying is used to estimate the character of the permafrost by measuring and monitoring the electrical resistivity, which is affected by lithology, temperature, water, and ice.
A rapid method for creating qualitative images indicative of thick oil emulsion on the ocean's surface from imaging spectrometer data [More info]: Technical details explaining how remotely sensed visible and infrared data can help recognize the extent of oil spills.
A westward extension of the tropical Pacific warm pool leads to March through June drying in Kenya and Ethiopia [More info]: Analysis of sea-surface temperature in the Indian Ocean shows that warming correlates with east African rainfall; the effect on atmospheric convection and precipitation over the Indian Ocean is greater than that associated with El Niño (ENSO).
Access USGS - San Francisco Bay and Delta [More info]: Main page for accessing links for information and data on the San Francisco Bay estuary and its watershed with links to highlights, water, biology, wetlands, hazards, digital maps, geologic mapping, winds, bathymetry and overview of the Bay.
Acid rain and our Nation's Capital [More info]: Describes noticeable effects of acid rain on the building stones and monuments in Washington, DC.
Advanced Remote Sensing Research [More info]: New and experimental methods of analyzing geospatial imagery, including detailed spectral analysis of land surface materials, historical image analysis, and long wave infrared image analysis.
Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Overview [More info]: General characteristics and spatial resolution of imagery products available from this type of sensor.
Alaska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse [More info]: Clearinghouse for the description and availability of multiple geospatial datasets relating to Alaska from many federal, state and local cooperating agencies under the coordination of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee.
Alaska mineral resources [More info]: Reports, data, and current research on mineral resources in Alaska
America's volcanic past - volcanic highlights and features [More info]: Links to volcanism, volcanic history, volcanic rocks, and general geology by state, by region, national parks and national monuments and a brief introduction to volcanism around the U.S. entitled: Windows into the past.
An estimate of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the world, 2012 [More info]: Using a geology-based assessment methodology, we estimated means of 565 billion barrels of conventional oil and 5,606 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered conventional natural gas in 171 priority geologic provinces of the world, exclusive of the U.S.
An evaluation of the science needs to inform decisions on Outer Continental Shelf energy development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska [More info]: We need refined regional understanding of climate change, effective oil-spill risk assessment, preparedness, and response, an analysis of cumulative effects (natural and human), better geospatial data for the area, in an integrated approach.
An interpretation of the 1977 Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey, Fort Huachuca vicinity, Cochise County, Arizona [More info]: Complex report on the interpretation of aeromagnetic data to study hydrogeology of the San Pedro basin, Cochise County, Arizona determining geologic structure, basin fill and depth to water. Online version of a CD-ROM publication.
Aquatic features, bathymetry, and navigation structures in the upper Mississippi River [More info]: Geospatial hydrologic and reference data covering the upper Mississippi River, provided in formats appropriate to geographic information systems (GIS) and used in long-term resource monitoring of the area.
Aquifer basics [More info]: Links to general information on water supply by aquifers based on rock types and to principal national aquifers by name.
Asbestos: geology, mineralogy, mining, and uses [More info]: Report on asbestos, six types of mineral fibers belonging to two mineral groups, serpentines and amphiboles,with fiber morphology, crystal structure, analytical methods, properties, mining, milling, uses, and safety factors.(PDF file,28 pp.,4.5 MB)
Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse-gas fluxes in ecosystems of the United States under present conditions and future scenarios [More info]: Congress asked us (in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) to figure out how to assess the effects of carbon storage, sequestration, and greenhouse gas fluxes in our ecosystems. Here's how we plan to do that.
Assessing the impacts of climate variability and change on the Nation's resources [More info]: Site for a USGS project under the U.S. Global Change Research Program for a national assessment of the impacts of climate variability and change on resources with links to impacts in Alaska, western U.S., public lands, and water resources.
Assessment of coal geology, resources, and reserve base in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana [More info]: We estimated in-place resources of 1.07 trillion short tons of coal in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology. Of that total, recoverable coal was 162 billion tons, 25 billion economically recoverable.
Assessment of Gas Hydrate Resources on the North Slope, Alaska, 2008 [More info]: We estimate that there are about 85 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within gas hydrates in northern Alaska.
Assessment of in-place oil shale resources of the Green River Formation, Greater Green River Basin in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah [More info]: Using the Fischer assay measure of oil yield, we estimated a total of 1.44 trillion barrels of oil in three assessed units. There is currently no economic method to recover oil from this geologic unit.
Assessment of potential additions to conventional oil and gas resources in discovered fields of the United States from reserve growth, 2012 [More info]: Estimates of additional energy resources present within known oil and gas fields using statistical analysis that includes geology and engineering practices in addition to growth trends in production data.
Assessment of potential additions to conventional oil and gas resources of the world (outside the United States) from reserve growth, 2012 [More info]: We used mathematical models to estimate the likely increases in the estimates of the amount of oil and gas technically recoverable from existing known large fields outside the US.
Assessment of potential oil and gas resources in source rocks of the Alaska North Slope, 2012 [More info]: We estimated potential, technically recoverable oil and gas resources for source rocks of the Alaska North Slope. Estimates range from zero to 2 billion barrels of oil and from zero to nearly 80 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Assessment of potential shale gas and shale oil resources of the Norte Basin, Uruguay, 2011 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 13.4 trillion cubic feet of potential technically recoverable shale gas and 0.5 billion barrels of technically recoverable shale oil resources in this area using a performance-based geologic assessment methodology.
Assessment of potential shale gas resources of the Bombay, Cauvery, and Krishna-Godavari Provinces, India, 2011 [More info]: Using a performance-based geologic assessment methodology, we estimated a technically recoverable mean volume of 6.1 trillion cubic feet of potential shale gas in these areas.
Assessment of potential unconventional Carboniferous-Permian gas resources of the Liaohe Basin eastern uplift, Liaoning Province, China, 2011 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 448 billion cubic feet of potential technically recoverable unconventional natural gas in this area.
Assessment of remaining recoverable oil in selected major oil fields of the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico [More info]: The mean total volume of potential additional oil resources that might be added using improved oil-recovery technologies was estimated to be about 2.7 billion barrels of oil.
Assessment of remaining recoverable oil in selected major oil fields of the San Joaquin Basin, California [More info]: The mean total volume of potential oil reserves that might be added in the nine fields using improved oil-recovery technologies was estimated to be about 6.5 billion barrels of oil.
Assessment of Undiscovered Biogenic Gas Resources, North-Central Montana Province [More info]: We estimated 6,192 billion cubic feet of shallow biogenic (continuous) undiscovered gas in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Bonaparte Basin, Browse Basin, Northwest Shelf, and Gippsland Basin Provinces, Australia, 2011 [More info]: We estimated means of 4.7 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 227 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in three major offshore petroleum basins using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of North Africa, 2012 [More info]: We estimated means of 19 billion barrels of technically recoverable undiscovered conventional oil and 370 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered conventional natural gas resources in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of six geologic provinces of China [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of undiscovered conventional resources in this area at 14.9 billion barrels of oil, 87.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.4 billion barrels of natural-gas liquids using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of South America and the Caribbean, 2012 [More info]: We estimated means of 126 billion barrels of oil and 679 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in 31 geologic provinces of South America and the Caribbean using a geology based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt, 2012 [More info]: We estimated means of 86 billion barrels of oil and 336 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Canada, 2012 [More info]: We estimated undiscovered resources of 1,321 million barrels of oil, 25,386 billion cubic feet of gas, and 604 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Hydrocarbon Resources of the Western Oregon and Washington Province [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 2.2 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of undiscovered natural gas and 15 million barrels of oil (MMBO) in the using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Natural Gas Resources of the Sacramento Basin Province of California, 2006 [More info]: We estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable resources are 534 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 323 thousand barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in conventional and continuous petroleum systems in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2011 [More info]: We estimated the volume of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in three closely related geologic units in this area using a geology based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary Coal Beds of the Gulf Coast Region, 2007 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 4.06 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas in these coal beds of the onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010 [More info]: We estimated means of 147.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, 2.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, and 2.96 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in Tertiary Strata of the Gulf Coast, 2007 [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered resources of 113.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, a mean of 690 million barrels of oil, and a mean of 3.7 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in onshore lands and state waters in this area.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Paradox Basin Province, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, 2011 [More info]: We estimated means of 560 million barrels of undiscovered oil, 12,701 billion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 490 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of four East Africa Geologic Provinces [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 27.6 billion barrels of oil, 441.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 13.77 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in these areas using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of Libya and Tunisia, 2010 [More info]: We estimated means of 3.97 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, 38.5 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, and 1.47 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in these areas.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of Papua-New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and East Timor, 2011 [More info]: We estimated means of 5.8 billion barrels of oil and 115 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Amu Darya Basin and Afghan-Tajik Basin Provinces, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, 2011 [More info]: We estimated volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources at 962 million barrels of oil, 52 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 582 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Assam, Bombay, Cauvery, and Krishna-Godavari Provinces, South Asia, 2011 [More info]: Combining these areas, we estimated 3,534 million barrels of crude oil, 79,352 billion cubic feet of natural gass, and 1,679 million barrels of natural gas liquids using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Azov-Kuban Basin Province, Ukraine and Russia, 2010 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of technically recoverable, conventional, undiscovered petroleum resources at 218 million barrels of crude oil, 4.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 94 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Bighorn Basin Province, Wyoming and Montana, 2008 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 989 billion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, a mean of 72 million barrels of undiscovered oil, and a mean of 13 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in this area.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Central Burma Basin and the Irrawaddy-Andaman and Indo-Burman Geologic Provinces, Myanmar [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 2.3 billion barrels of oil, 79.6 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 2.1 billion barrels of natrual gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Chad Basin Province, North-Central Africa [More info]: Using a geology-based assessment methodology, we estimated mean volumes of 2.32 billion barrels of oil, 14.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 391 million barrels of natural gas liquids.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System, Taranaki Basin Assessment Unit, New Zealand [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 487 million barrels of oil, 9.8 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 408 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Devonian Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin Province [More info]: We estimated a mean undiscovered natural gas resource of 84,198 billion cubic feet and a mean undiscovered natural gas liquids resource of 3,379 million barrels using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Dnieper-Donets Basin Province and Pripyat Basin Province, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, 2010 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of technically recoverable, conventional, undiscovered petroleum resources at 123 million barrels of crude oil, 4.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 131 million barrels of natural gas liquids in these two areas.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the East Coast Mesozoic basins of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Thrust Belt, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and New England Provinces, 2011 [More info]: We estimated 3,850 billion cubic feet of natural gas, 135 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Greenland Rift Basins Province [More info]: Using a geology-based assessment methodology, we estimated the mean undiscovered conventional petroleum resources to be 31,400 million barrels of oil equivalent, present in oil, gas, and natural gas liquids.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Illinois Basin, 2007 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 214 million barrels of oil, 4.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 24 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North Caspian Basin, Middle Caspian Basin, North Ustyurt Basin, and South Caspian Basin Provinces, Caspian Sea Area, 2010 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of technically recoverable, conventional, undiscovered petroleum resources at 19.6 billion barrels of crude oil, 243 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 9.3 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North Sakhalin Basin Province, Russia, 2011 [More info]: We estimated 5.3 billion barrels of crude oil, 43.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 0.8 billion barrels of natural gas liquids as undiscovered, technically recoverable resources in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Ordovician Utica Shale of the Appalachian Basin Province, 2012 [More info]: We estimated means of 940 million barrels of oil, 38.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 208 million barrels of natural gas liquids in these units using a geology based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Permian Basin Province of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, 2007 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 41 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas and a mean of 1.3 billion barrels of undiscovered oil in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Red Sea Basin Province [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 5 billion barrels of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and 112 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the South Africa Coastal Province, Africa [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 2.13 billion barrels of oil, 35.96 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1,115 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the southern Siberian craton (Baykit High, Nepa--Botuoba High, Angara--Lena Terrace, and Cis--Patom Foredeep Provinces), Russia, 2011 [More info]: We estimated t 3.0 billion barrels of crude oil, 63.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.2 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Sud Province, north-central Africa [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 7.31 billion barrels of oil, 13.42 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 353 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Timan-Pechora Basin Province, Russia, 2008 [More info]: We estimated means of 1.6 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas north of the Arctic Circle in this area.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Volga-Ural Region Province, Russia and Kazakhstan, 2010 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of technically recoverable, conventional, undiscovered petroleum resources at 1.4 billion barrels of crude oil, 2.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 85 million barrels of natural gas liquids.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West African Costal Province, West Africa [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of 3.2 billion barrels of oil, 23.63 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 721 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 [More info]: We estimated a mean of 7.3 billion barrels of oil and a mean of 52 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Siberian Basin Province, Russia, 2008 [More info]: We estimated means of 3.7 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 651 trillion cubic feet of natural gas north of the Arctic Circle in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Siberian Basin Province, Russia, 2010 [More info]: We estimated mean volumes of technically recoverable, conventional, undiscovered petroleum resources at 8 billion barrels of crude oil, 670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 21 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in this area.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Williston Basin Province of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota, 2008 [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.8 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, 3.7 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 0.2 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids using a geology-based assesment methodology.
Assessment of undiscovered oil resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin Province, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, 2013 [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 7.4 billion barrels of oil, 6.7 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 0.53 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil Resources in the Devonian-Mississippian Bakken Formation, Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota, 2008 [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.65 billion barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of associated dissolved natural gas, and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids in this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum Resources of Southern and Western Afghanistan, 2009 [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered resource volumes of 21.55 million barrels of oil, 44.76 billion cubic feet of non-associated natural gas, and 0.91 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the western Afghanistan Tirpul Assessment Unit.
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum Resources of the Barents Sea Shelf [More info]: We estimated mean undiscovered, conventional, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Barents Sea Shelf to be more than 76 billion barrels of oil equivalent using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum Resources of the North and East Margins of the Siberian Craton, Russian Federation [More info]: We estimated the mean undiscovered, conventional petroleum resources at 28 billion barrels of oil equivalent, including approximately 8 billion barrels of crude oil, 106 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 3 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
Assessment of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, 2012 [More info]: We estimated means of 19 billion barrels of oil and 83 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in 10 geologic provinces of this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Atlantic margin offshore sediments: cooperative database and GIS development website [More info]: This site is designed to provide information on federal interagency and cooperative developments related to coastal sand and gravel resources and management issues along the Atlantic continental margin.
Atlas of Antarctic research [More info]: Entry to the Atlas of Antarctic Research giving a common base map for displaying research results, data, and descriptions of projects. Layers can be viewed or downloaded as Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), digital aerial photos, and satellite images.
Bedform sedimentology [More info]: Bedform sedimentology home page with links to information on sedimentary structures including, explanatory text, computer-generated images and movies, photographs, and bedform simulation software.
Bedrock and soil geochemistry from Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota [More info]: Maps and text (Word or PDF format) and database (Excel or HTML format) for bedrock, forest floor, and mineral soil sampling in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota to establish the background and baseline geochemistry and terrestrial mercury sources.
Bedrock geologic map of Vermont [More info]: At a scale of 1:100,000, this map shows an uncommon level of detail for State geologic maps. Mapped rock units are primarily based on lithology, or rock type, to facilitate derivative studies in multiple disciplines.
Bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area Yosemite National Park, California [More info]: Site explains the general bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area.
Benchmark glaciers [More info]: Summary of the USGS benchmark glacier program to intensively monitor climate, glacier motion, glacier mass balance, glacier geometry, and stream runoff at three glacier basins, Gulkana and Wolverine in Alaska and South Cascade in Washington.
Bering and Chukchi Sea databases bathymetry coverages [More info]: Downloadable files of digital bathymetry of U.S. waters, the Bering and Chukchi Seas, Bering Strait, and Gulf of Anadyr in polygon ARC/INFO. Coverage generated from both digital and paper bathymetry sources developed to support marine research.
Beyond the Golden Gate--oceanography, geology, biology, and environmental issues in the Gulf of the Farallones [More info]: A geologic and oceanographic study of the waters and Continental Shelf of Gulf of the Farallones adjacent to the San Francisco Bay region. The results of the study provide a scientific basis to evaluate and monitor human impact on the marine environment.
Biological resource status and trends: Contaminants in air [More info]: Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on contaminants in air
Biological resource status and trends: Contaminants in soil [More info]: Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on contaminants in soil
Boiling water at Hot Creek - The dangerous and dynamic thermal springs in California's Long Valley Caldera [More info]: Explains how these hot surface waters form, why their temperature changes often, and provides safety guidance for visiting this area.
BRASS: Bedrock Regional Aquifer Systematics Study [More info]: Description of the project to publish new bedrock geologic maps in the United States to advance the understanding of the region's bedrock aquifers. Includes list of projects.
Candidate cave entrances on Mars [More info]: Newly discovered candidate cave entrances into Martian near-surface lava tubes, volcano-tectonic fracture systems, and pit craters and describes their characteristics and exploration possibilities.
Carolina slate belt gold deposits in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia [More info]: Report of research on the Carolina slate belt and gold deposits in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia with geologic mapping, mineralogic, geochemical, and fluid evolution studies, radiogenic dating, and stable isotope studies.
Cascadia subduction zone: two contrasting models of lithospheric structure [More info]: Summary of an investigation of the Cascadia subduction zone with detailed density-modeling experiments of the crust and mantle along two transects across Vancouver Island and the Canadian margin and the other on the margin of central Oregon.
Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle [More info]: 90 billion barrels of oil, 1,669 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids may remain to be found in the Arctic, of which approximately 84 percent is expected to occur in offshore areas.
Climate Variability and Change [More info]: This fact sheet focuses on climate variability and change and how USGS research can strengthen the Nation with information needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Climate-Driven Ocean Changes Affect Estuaries [More info]: Research findings and examples of application to real problems--Pacific Ocean cooling triggers phytoplankton blooms in San Francisco Bay.
Coal database for Cook Inlet and North Slope, Alaska [More info]: Published and nonconfidential unpublished coal data from wells in Alaska. Includes well locations, depth and thickness of coal in well, formation type and name, and business administrative information such as permit numbers.
Coal-bed methane: potential and concerns [More info]: Fact sheet in PDF format on occurrence and recoverability of coalbed methane in the U.S. and related environmental concerns.
Coastal and Marine Geology (CMG) InfoBank [More info]: Access to InfoBank, an online data catalog, to browse or retrieve coastal and marine geology program information, images, and data on gravity, bathymetry, seismic activity, magnetics, samples, facilities, cruises and equipment.
Coastal and Marine Geology Program [More info]: Home page for Coastal and Marine Geology with links to topics of interest (sea level change, erosion, corals, pollution, sonar mapping, and others), Sound Waves monthly newsletter, field centers, regions of interest, and subject search system.
Coastal and Marine Geology Program interactive map server [More info]: Interactive map server to view and create maps using available coastal and marine geology data sets of offshore and coastal U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. Links to available data and metadata that can be downloaded.
Coastal ocean modeling at the USGS Woods Hole Field Center [More info]: Fly-by and circulation movies, effluent concentration, tidal flushing, sea level, and temperature in Massachusetts Bay and Boston Harbor
Compilation of various geologic time scales [More info]: Preliminary report comparing various geologic time scales. Text is HTML or plain text format, and colored compilation chart in Excel format.
Computer simulation of reservoir depletion and oil flow from the Macondo well following the Deepwater Horizon blowout [More info]: This model estimates, by simulation, the reservoir pressure, flow rate, and volume of oil discharged, and the report discusses the uncertainty in the estimates.
Continental shelf GIS for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary [More info]: Interactive maps of the continental shelf of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with GIS layers for sediment data, bathymetry, geology, bathymetry, sonar imagery, and tectonics.
Coral Diseases Following Massive Bleaching in 2005 Cause 60 Percent Decline in Coral Cover and Mortality of the Threatened Species, Acropora Palmata, on Reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands [More info]: Record-high seawater temperatures and calm seas in the summer of 2005 led to the most severe coral bleaching (death) ever observed in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Core Research Center [More info]: Overview of the Core Research Center (CRC) in Denver for preserving valuable rock cores for permanent storage and making the cores available for examination and testing. Includes links to services, well reports, and resources.
Crater Lake Data Clearinghouse [More info]: The Crater Lake Data Clearinghouse website is a gateway to information and data on Crater Lake with links to data downloads of bathymetry, maps and imagery, a fly-by movie, photos, and information on geology, maps, history, and biota.
Cross-bedding, bedforms,and paleocurrents [More info]: The on-line version of Cross-Bedding, Bedforms, and Paleocurrents, with computer images, photographic images, and text.
Cruise report by Coastal Surveyor Cruise C-1-99-SC: multibeam mapping of the Long Beach, California, continental shelf [More info]: Description of the work and results of a cruise by the Pacific Sea Floor Mapping project to map the Long Beach, California continental shelf based on data from high-resolution multibeam technology.
Data for giant constrictors - Biological management profiles and an establishment risk assessment for nine large species of pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor [More info]: Locations for nine species of large constrictors, from published sources, along with monthly precipitation and average monthly temperature for those locations. Shapefiles for each snake species studied.
Data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission [More info]: Topographic observations from the SRTM, both original and reprocessed to correct missing and spurious data points.
Database of recent tsunami deposits [More info]: Sedimentary characteristics of 228 tsunami deposits, drawn from published accounts, for interpreting prehistorical, historical, and modern tsunami deposits, and for the development of criteria to identify tsunami deposits in the geologic record.
Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photographs [More info]: Over 990,000 photos taken from 1959 through 1980 are available for use in studying land surface change. Especially useful because these were taken before Landsat was launched.
Deserts, geology and resources [More info]: Online edition of booklet describing desert geology and mineral resources.
Detection and measurement of land subsidence using Global Positioning System surveying and interferometric synthetic aperture radar, Coachella Valley, California, 1996-2005 [More info]: Detailed measurements of elevation help to understand the extent and severity of subsidence. Study asks if subsidence indicates the aquifer system is compacting temporarily or permanently, and are the changes human-induced or tectonic.
Devils Postpile National Park geologic story [More info]: Site has links to Devils Postpile's geologic history, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps.
Diatoms: applications [More info]: Use of diatoms in biostratigraphy, coastal and estuarine studies, paleoceanology, paleoliminology, earthquake studies, environmental quality and forensic studies. Includes listing of USGS diatom projects and links to other diatom websites.
Digital library: USGS Monterey Bay science [More info]: Online catalog of scientific reports and data around and about Monterey Bay, California, indexed by author, agency, project, location, feature type, and topic
Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs) [More info]: Description of what Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles are and how to obtain them plus information on the DOQ program, points of contact, DOQ status graphic, examples of DOQs, and free data viewer software.
Dinosaurs, fact and fiction [More info]: Online booklet with answers to frequently asked questions about dinosaurs.
Discontinuous nature of kriging digital terrain models [More info]: Research exploring the mathematical properties of kriging, a widely-used surface interpolation method. The continuity properties of kriging digital terrain models over a wide range of terrain types helps hydrologists assess the usefulness of kriging for D
Divisions of Geologic Time - Major Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units [More info]: A summary of the divisions of geologic time intended to provide a consistent time scale to be used in communicating ages of geologic units in the United States.
Divisions of geologic time-major chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units [More info]: Revised geologic time scale indicating the ages of the lower bounds of chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units as they are currently known. Modifications to those ages made since the previous time scale was released (2007) are clearly marked.
Drought Monitoring with VegDRI [More info]: The Vegetation Drought Response Index is a drought monitoring and mapping tool integrating satellite observations of vegetation and climate with land cover, soil characteristics, and other environmental factors.
Early Paleozoic biochronology of the Great Basin, western United States [More info]: Publication (PDF format) in three parts on the biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy of the Ibexian Series in the North American Ordovician, with sections on the southern Egan Range, Nevada and the biostratigraphy of the eastern Great Basin.
Education resources for paleontology [More info]: Contacts and other sources of information for teachers, students, and others interested in paleontology with links to related USGS websites and on-line publications.
Effects of Building a Sand Barrier Berm to Mitigate the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Louisiana Marshes [More info]: An assessment of the potential protective effects on coastal marshes in Louisiana of building barrier berms seaward of the existing barrier islands and inlets to help block or reduce the onshore spread of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Emissions from Coal Fires and Their Impact on the Environment [More info]: Reviews how coal fires occur, how they can be detected by airborne and remote surveys, and, most importantly, the impact coal-fire emissions may have on the environment and human health, especially mercury, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane.
Enhancement of USGS scientific investigations in Texas by using geophysical techniques, 2005-10 [More info]: Annotated bibliography describing the use of electromagnetic surveying to understand the characteristics of aquifers and how they work.
Erosion of a sea stack over 100 years [More info]: Series of photographs showing the demise of Jump-off Joe, a sea stack at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon from 1890 as a result of erosion.
Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) for support of biological and ecological assessments [More info]: Integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater portion of the Greater Everglades.
Evidence of multidecadal climate variability in the Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Direct measurement of an important indicator of interannual variability is extended, using geological proxy measures, farther back in time to well before modern measurements were made. This tells us about the history of climate variability.
Evolution of 3-D geologic framework modeling and its application to groundwater flow studies [More info]: Methods to depict the connectedness of rock units across fault and fracture zones, allowing us to determine the distribution of geologic units, structural features, and other controlling factors, such as porosity and permeability.
Extent of Pleistocene lakes in the western Great Basin [More info]: Map of Pleistocene pluvial lakes in the western Great Basin (Nevada, eastern California, southern Oregon). Includes metadata, online PDF map view, and downloadable ArcInfo export files, ArcView shapefiles, and TIFF files.
Famous building stones of our Nation's capital [More info]: Describes the types and sources of materials used to build some of the most famous landmarks in Washington D.C.
Flagstaff Field Center [More info]: Homepage for the Flagstaff Field center with links to space science, water and ice studies, earth sciences, biological resources, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, outreach & education, data and software, and images.
Forecast Mekong [More info]: Data and reports about the overall environment in the Mekong river watershed. Includes downloadable remote-sensing data and interactive maps.
Fossil groups: Vertebrates [More info]: Information on vertebrate fossils and their use in paleontologic research in biostratigraphy, paleoclimatology, paleobiology, paleoecology, and earth history.
Fossil locations and data for the Taylor Mountains, and parts of the Bethel, Goodnews, and Dillingham quadrangles, southwestern Alaska [More info]: Location, taxa present, and geological context for 290 fossil samples collected in this area.
Fossils, rocks, and time [More info]: Booklet describes how paleontologists use the identification of fossils to recognize rocks of the same or different ages.
Generalized geologic map of the Yosemite National Park area [More info]: Surficial geologic map of the Yosemite National Park area with links to the legend and text.
Generalized surficial geologic map of the Pueblo 1 degree x 2 degree quadrangle, Colorado. [More info]: Surficial geologic map of the Pueblo quadrangle in Colorado with text and references in PDF format, metadata, and GIS files to download.
Geochemical sediment analysis procedures [More info]: Manual of chemical sediment analysis using Coulometer and CHN Analyzers to measure carbon content, spectrometric analysis for biogenic silica, and radiochemistry to measure isotopes. Includes techniques,sample preparation, and safety procedures.
Geochronology [More info]: Description of the methods of geochronology used to estimate the dating of rocks and sediments with links to technique, equipment and contacts for a variety of methods.
Geographic science of Alaska [More info]: Descriptions, results, and data on research projects using geographic analysis and monitoring and remote sensing to study ecosystems and land processes in the Arctic region.
Geologic glossary for National Parks [More info]: Geologic glossary containing simplified definitions for technical terms used within the USGS/National Park Service website on national parks.
Geologic hazards at volcanoes [More info]: Poster diagram showing the various hazards that accompany volcanic activity as they relate to the structure of the volcano.
Geologic history of Cape Cod, Massachusetts [More info]: Describes the history, geologic changes (including the glacial formation and sea level changes), and geologic mapping of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Geologic history of Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, California [More info]: Summarizes the geologic and volcanic activity of the Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain in east central California.
Geologic map of the Eagle quadrangle, Eagle County, Colorado [More info]: The Eagle quadrangle covers an area that straddles the Eagle River and Interstate 70 (I-70) and it includes the town of Eagle, Colo., which is located in the southwestern part of the quadrangle, just south of I-70 and the Eagle River, about 37 km west of
Geologic mapping in National Parks: National Park Service Support Project [More info]: Summaries of geologic projects in cooperation with the National Park Service including Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite National Park, and others.
Geologic time online edition [More info]: Booklet giving general explanations of geologic time, major divisions of geologic time, relative and radiometric time scales, index fossils, and the age of the earth.
Geologic time scale chart [More info]: Chart of the geologic time scale with references.
Geology and hydrogeology of the Florida Keys [More info]: Article on geology and hydrogeology of the Florida Keys with sections on Holocene and Pleistocene geology, water resources, and introduction with a brief history and overview of early studies.
Geology of Death Valley National Park [More info]: Site has links to Death Valley's geologic history, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps.
Geology of Lake Meade National Recreation Area [More info]: Site has links to Lake Mead National Recreation Area: geologic field trips, geologic history, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps, and glossary.
Geology of Mojave National Preserve [More info]: Site has links to Mohave National Preserve: geologic field trips, geologic history, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps, and glossary.
Geology of National Parks [More info]: Two sheets of 3D images showing geologic features of many National Parks. Red-and-cyan viewing glasses are need to see the three-dimensional effect.
Geology of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument [More info]: Site has links to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument geologic field trips, geologic history, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, geologic maps, and glossary.
Geology of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac River Corridor, District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia [More info]: Rocks representing a variety of tectonic and depositional environments outcrop along the canal and towpath and reveal the geologic history of the central Appalachian region from the Mesoproterozoic to Jurassic Period.
Geology of the Devonian Marcellus Shale--Valley and Ridge province, Virginia and West Virginia--a field trip guidebook for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Eastern Section Meeting, September 28-29, 2011 [More info]: Detailed background information with descriptions of sites and photos explaining the geology of this organic-rich shale unit that has recently become a significant source of natural gas resources.
Geology of the onshore part of San Mateo County, California: a digital database [More info]: This digital map database represents the general distribution of the geology (bedrock and surficial deposits) in San Mateo County. Accompanying text file (*.txt or *.ps) provides current information on the geologic structure and stratigraphy.
Geology research and information [More info]: Alternative web access to geological, geochemical, and geophysical research programs that are divided among the new USGS mission areas.
Geology, geochemistry and geophysics of sedimentary rock-hosted gold deposits in China [More info]: Second report of a joint project with the Tianjin Geological Academy to study sedimentary rock-hosted Au deposits in China.
Geomagnetic charts [More info]: Links to charts of the Earth's magnetic field in different projections showing declination, inclination, and total, horizontal and vertical intensities plus references and note on limitations.
Geomagnetic FAQs [More info]: Frequently-asked questions, with answers, about the Earth's magnetic field.
Geomagnetic models [More info]: Description of magnetic models with link to on-line calculation, freeware calculator (DOS and Windows), descriptions of model types, and references.
Geomagnetic observatories [More info]: Map showing geomagnetic observatories, with detailed information about each one
Geophysical products [More info]: Links to products of magnetic, gravity, magnetotelluric, and multi-discipline reports and surveys of regions in the U.S. and Antarctica plus geophysical software tools. Some products are in PDF format.
Geopubs: on-line geologic publications of the western United States [More info]: Access to USGS on-line geologic publications of the western United States categorized by state, region USGS series, geologic maps, and software with links to state geologic survey publications.
Geoscience Data Catalog [More info]: A catalog of earth science data produced by the U.S. Geological Survey with documentation and links to the data files. Catalog is searchable by geographic location and publication series number. Includes links to information on metadata and its use.
Glaciers and glaciations - ice sheets, glacial lakes, tuyas - jökulhlaups and glacial hazards [More info]: Links to background information on glaciers, glacier hazards, ice sheets and glaciations, glacial lakes, specific glaciers, terminology, bibliographies, and related useful links.
Global Change Hydrology Program (hydroclimatology) [More info]: Review of the Global Change Hydrology Program components relating to hydroclimatology and studies of the biogeochemistry of greenhouse gases with links to research activities, datasets, fact sheets, and other publications and websites.
Global sea-surface temperature and sea-ice concentration: data display software [More info]: Downloadable data with software showing composite average ocean characteristics (sea-surface temperature and sea-ice concentration). Includes documentation, source code, data, and executable programs for Linux and Microsoft Windows.
GLORIA Mapping Program [More info]: GLORIA is a digital sidescan sonar capable of producing digital image maps of the sea floor from reflected sound waves. Site includes description of digital processing, mosaicking, and links to samples of image maps.
Glossary of terms in paleontology [More info]: Dictionary of terms associated with paleontology with brief definitions.
Gulf of Maine internet map [More info]: Gulf of Maine regional overview interactive map depicting research activities of the U.S. Geological Survey showing surficial sample sites, bathymetry, continental margin and coastal areas.
Gulf of Mexico Climate-History Calibration Study [More info]: Proxy methods allow us to estimate ancient ocean temperatures but only if the method is calibrated using modern samples for which we measure the temperature. This is a proxy method using a sediment trap to collect planktonic foraminifera.
Hazards Management in Grand County, Colorado-Fire Fuels Characterization [More info]: Using land cover, vegetation, vegetation health, and other characteristics derived from remote-sensing imagery, we develop geospatial models depicting the susceptibility of this area to wildfires.
Historical mapping [More info]: Information on researching and locating historical maps with reference to basic references and collections of the National Archives, Library of Congress, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Includes instructions for ordering copies of historic USGS maps.
Holocene evolution of Apalachicola Bay, Florida [More info]: Geophysical surveying, combined with analysis of sediment cores and radiometric dating were used to describe the likely history of formation of this area.
How do geologists date rocks? Radiometric dating! [More info]: Explanation of how geologists date rocks (to determine the ages of the Earth, fossils, mineral deposits, and other geologic events) and processes using radiometric dating techniques based on radioactive isotopes of carbon and potassium/argon.
Hurricane and extreme storm impact studies: coastal and nearshore mapping with scanning airborne laser (LIDAR) [More info]: Airborne scanning laser surveys (LIDAR) are used to obtaining data to investigate the magnitude and causes of coastal changes that occur during severe storms. Links to examples of coastal mapping during specific hurricanes.
Hydrates cruise in the Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Investigation of the upper- and middle continental slope of the Mississippi Canyon, including the Gulf of Mexico, for the distribution of gas-hydrate deposits with links to a DEM image map, bathymetry data, and research technology.
Hydrogeologic framework of Antelope Valley and Bedell Flat, Washoe County, west-central Nevada [More info]: Description of the hydrogeologic framework of Antelope Valley and Bedell Flat in west-central Nevada north of Reno-Sparks area. Gravimetric and seismic-refraction methods were used in the study. Report available in PDF format or HTML format.
Identification of tsunami deposits in the geologic record; developing criteria using recent tsunami deposits [More info]: Characteristics of recent tsunami deposits, with the knowledge we have about the events that caused them, give us ways to recognize ancient deposits of this type and infer characteristics of those ancient tsunamis as well.
In-place oil shale resources examined by grade in the major basins of the Green River Formation, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming [More info]: We estimated a total of 4.285 trillion barrels of oil in-place in the oil shale of this area using a geology-based assessment methodology.
Integrated geologic, geochemical, and geophysical studies of Big Bend National Park, Texas [More info]: Coordinated studies of the effect of historical mining for mercury, origin and composition of metals in groundwaters and surface waters, history of volcanic and intrusive activity, and the complex geological history of this area.
Integrated monitoring of ecological conditions in wetland-upland landscapes [More info]: Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Changes in climate and land use can affect the value of those services. We study these areas to understand how they may be changing.
International Polar Year 2007-2008 [More info]: Scientific studies on the polar regions will receive greater attention during 2007-2008 as a result of USGS participation in the International Polar Year, coordinated in the US by the National Research Council, NSF, and NASA.
Introduction to geologic mapping [More info]: A brief summary of the principles and practices of geologic mapping.
Introduction to potential fields: Gravity [More info]: Explanation of the Earth's gravitational field, emphasizing how USGS scientists measure gravity and portray these measurements on maps. Explains terminology of gravity anomaly maps and their relationship to the rock types and other geologic features.
Introduction to potential fields: Magnetics [More info]: Explanation of the Earth's magnetic field and how USGS measures it. Defines magnetic anomaly, induced and remanent magnetism in rocks, and describes magnetic anomaly maps.
Inventory and protection of salt marshes from risks of sea-level rise at Acadia National Park, Maine [More info]: Will salt marshes survive if sea level rises quickly? The answer depends on whether the areas surrounding them can allow salt marsh fauna and flora to migrate there. Local topography, both natural and manmade, is the main factor limiting this migration.
Investigating the Chesapeake Bay impact crater [More info]: Links to information on the formation and structure of Chesapeake Bay including online reports, recent field work, field work archives, cooperating agencies, bibliography, and links to articles about other terrestrial impact craters.
Isostasy [More info]: Explanation of the concept of isostasy as part of the Geophysical studies of the San Francisco Bay area.
Kilauea--an Explosive Volcano in Hawaii [More info]: Explains how explosive eruptions occur here, shows the history of its eruptions, and describes the effects and hazards that accompany them.
Laboratory manual for x-ray powder diffraction [More info]: Report presents an abridged guide for laboratory technicians and students using X-ray powder diffraction methodology to study crystalline structure and to determine the mineralogy of finer grained sediments, especially clays.
Lake Tahoe Data Clearinghouse [More info]: This website is a gateway to information and data on Lake Tahoe with links to Lake Tahoe Initiative, geography, history, lake facts, GIS Data, DEM, DOQ, DLG imagery, bathymetry, satellite imagery, land cover, census, soils, pictures, and general maps.
Land Remote Sensing Program [More info]: Land Remote Sensing Program (LRS) provides a primary source of remotely sensed data and applications of land remote sensing, nationally and internationally.
Land subsidence and aquifer-system compaction in the Tucson Active Management Area, south-central Arizona, 1987-2005 [More info]: Results of ground-surface monitoring and borehole water table measurements document subsidence of the land surface correlative with changes in the ground water.
Land-cover change research at the U.S. Geological Survey-assessing our nation's dynamic land surface [More info]: Estimates of change in major types of land use and land cover from 1973 to 2000 should help model potential future change as climate, population, public policy, and technology change.
Landsat Data Continuity Mission [More info]: A partnership between NASA and USGS to assure continuous satellite imaging of the earth's surface that was begun 40 years ago.
Landsat Data Continuity Mission [More info]: Main site for Landsat missions, which provide information about land surface features of the earth. Includes imagery, links to general and technical information, ordering of data, and partners.
Landsat: A Global Land-Imaging Project [More info]: A visible, long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape since 1972.
Lidar postcards [More info]: Four postcards available for downloading and printing, illustrating the use of lidar (light detection and ranging) to construct high-resolution topographic and habitat maps.
Limestone - A crucial and versatile industrial mineral commodity [More info]: Uses and availability of limestone and related commodities such as lime and portland cement. Hazards of limestone terranes due to erosion and sinkhole formation.
Long Island Sound [More info]: Long Island Sound interactive map with GIS datasets and sonar imagery.
Long Island Sound sidescan sonar mosaics [More info]: Sidescan sonar image, surficial geologic interpretation, and bathymetry of the Long Island Sound sea floor.
Louisiana continental slope [More info]: Louisiana continental slope interactive map with GIS datasets and sonar imagery.
Magnetic and gravity anomaly maps of West Virginia [More info]: Colored map in two parts and text in PDF files requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 to view.
Maine Cooperative Snow Survey [More info]: The Maine Cooperative Snow Survey collects, interprets, and distributes information on the depth and water content of Maine's snowpack in the late winter and early spring, when the danger of flooding in Maine's rivers and streams is greatest.
Maine river ice monitoring system [More info]: The USGS in Augusta, Maine monitors river and ice conditions in areas of ice accumulation on the Kennebec River near Augusta providing real-time river stage data and real-time pictures of ice conditions at this location.
Major fossil groups [More info]: Discusses how fossils can be grouped and studied by size, habitat type, and phylogenetic groups. Shows how fossil classification groups are used to solve geologic problems at the USGS.
Mapping Partnership Office of Texas [More info]: Guide to the cooperative mapping programs in the state of Texas administered by the USGS Texas Mapping Partnership Office. Provides description of ongoing projects with links to USGS and cooperator datasets for the state of Texas.
Maps On Demand: limited printing of digitally supported U.S. Geological Survey maps and reports [More info]: The USGS provides map-on-demand (MOD) printing for selected infrequently requested geologic and other theme map products providing high-quality paper-copy maps as needed. Site links to available map products with thumbnail views and how to order.
Marine aggregate resources and processes [More info]: Regional studies mapping the seafloor sedimentary character and assessing marine sand and gravel resources around the United States, to inform beach nourishment and coastal restoration, benthic habitat and sediment transport studies
Marine reserves and biological habitats: Monterey Bay, California [More info]: Brief description of the research program to inventory the natural resources of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with links to cruises, and publications and products, including an internet map server, imagery, and geologic descriptions.
Mars Global Digital Dune Database; MC-1 [More info]: Distribution and morphological character of moderate to large size dune fields on Mars from 65 degrees North to the north pole.
Mass Wasting Following the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire near Durango, Colorado, a Field Trip Guidebook [More info]: Guidebook with photos, maps, and diagrams explaining how forest fires have affected the likelihood of mass wasting, with discussions of steps taken to minimize future impacts.
Mass wasting presentation [More info]: Presentation explaining the various types of mass wasting, how they work, and how they differ from one another, with diagrams and photos.
Megafossils: vertebrates - technique of paleontological analyses [More info]: Brief description of vertebrates and use of their fossil bones and footprints to aid in dating strata in biostratigraphy and to decipher past climates and recreate ancient ecosystems in paleoecology, paleoclimatology and paleobiogeography.
Menlo Park Rock Magnetics Laboratory [More info]: Description of the work on paleomagnetism at the USGS Rock Magnetics Laboratory in Menlo Park, California with an overview of geomagnetic polar reversals, paleosecular variation, intensity, magnetic susceptibility, and rock magnetism analysis.
Mid-Continent Mapping Center [More info]: Overview of the Mid-Continent Mapping Center, Rolla, Missouri: a production, research, and data management facility for maps and digital cartographic data products, with links to directions, programs, mapping products, and visitors center.
Mineral deposit models [More info]: Publications by the USGS on mineral deposit models converted to digital files that can be downloaded. Some are *.pdf files requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and download text
Mississippi Fan internet map [More info]: Mississippi River alluvial fan interactive map with GIS data and imagery depicting core sites, depositional and channel interpretation, Gloria and SeaMarc datasets.
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Overview [More info]: Includes 500 meter surface reflectance and vegetation indices, which can be used to study change in energy balance and vegetation over time.
Moderate-resolution sea surface temperature data and seasonal pattern analysis for the Arctic Ocean ecoregions [More info]: GIS data as grids, images, and shapefiles for monthly averages at 4km resolution from 1981 through 2009.
Moderate-resolution sea surface temperature data for the nearshore North Pacific [More info]: Downloadable monthly average SST data along the north Pacific coast in 4km grid cells for 29 years as shapefile, CSV, GIS grids, and Microsoft Access databases.
Mollusks [More info]: Information on mollusks and uses of the identification of fossil mollusks in the fields of biostratigraphy, geochronology, paleocoeanography, paleoecology and ecosystems history. Links to experts and related USGS projects.
Monitoring and analysis of sand dune movement and growth on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States [More info]: We combine long-term records from aerial photographs, detailed mapping using survey-grade GPS, and ground-based lidar with meteorological monitoring. Sand dune migration rates are currently about 35 meters per year.
Monitoring floods and fires during the summer of 2011--The value of the Landsat satellite 40-year archives [More info]: Examples showing the use of historical satellite imagery for assessing the extent and severity of landscape hazards such as fires and floods.
Mount St. Helens lidar [More info]: Poster available in two sizes for downloading and printing.
Multibeam data and socio-economic issues in west-central San Francisco Bay [More info]: Webpage based on USGS Open File Report 98-139 links to information on the San Francisco Bay estuary to study dredge disposal effects, fish habitats, sediment transport, rock pinnacles and navigation, and consequences of a large oil spill.
Multibeam mapping of selected areas of the outer continental shelf, northwestern Gulf of Mexico: data, images, and GIS [More info]: Report provides the multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data, images, FGDC-compliant metadata, and GIS data from the 2002 surveys and 1997 USGS surveys of the Gulf.
Multibeam mapping of the Pinnacles region, Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Report on multibeam sonar imaging to produce bathymetric mapping of the reef tract known as The Pinnacles, northern Gulf of Mexico with links to images (ASCII or ArcInfo formats), data, metadata, ArcExplorer 2.0 project, and cruise report.
Multibeam mapping of the West Florida Shelf, Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Georeferenced high-resolution mapping of bathymetry of the West Florida Shelf, Gulf of Mexico of areas suspected to be critical benthic habitats for fisheries. Includes links to images, data, metadata, and TIFF image files.
Multielement geochemical dataset of surficial materials for the northern Great Basin [More info]: This report presents geochemical data generated during mineral and environmental assessments for the Bureau of Land Management in northern Nevada, northeastern California, southeastern Oregon, and southwestern Idaho, along with metadata and maps.
Nahcolite Resources in the Green River Formation, Piceance Basin, Northwestern Colorado [More info]: Resource assessment of nahcolite, a mineral with a variety of industrial uses, which occurs with oil shale and is affected by the processes used to recover hydrocarbons from the rock.
National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards [More info]: The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards is a multi-year undertaking to identify and quantify the vulnerability of U.S. shorelines to coastal change hazards such as the effects of severe storms, sea-level rise, and shoreline erosion and retreat.
National assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise: preliminary results for the U.S. Pacific Coast [More info]: Report on the potential of coastal change due to future sea level rise using the coastal vulnerability index (C.V.I.) with two regional examples in San Francisco and Monterey Bay and Tillamook Head, Oregon, to Ocean Shores, WA.
National assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise: preliminary results of the U.S. Atlantic coast [More info]: Brief report on map showing the relative vulnerability of the Atlantic coast to changes due to future rise in sea level. Includes links to similar maps in Open-file report 2000-178 on the Pacific Coast and 2000-179 on the Gulf of Mexico Coast.
National assessment of mercury in aquatic ecosystems [More info]: Overview of three research programs including determining levels of mercury at selected sites in water, sediment and fish, mercury emissions into the atmosphere, and mercury cycling in the Everglades National Park, Florida.
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program [More info]: Geological mapping carried out by USGS in close cooperation with state, university, and federal partners. Includes general information about geological maps and mapping standards.
National Enhanced Elevation Assessment at a glance [More info]: We asked what enhanced elevation data people need, what would be the costs and benefits, and what would be the best ways to obtain these data.
National Geologic Map Database Catalog [More info]: Search tool for locating print and online U.S. geologic maps by area, title, author, etc.
National Geologic Map Database Geologic Names Lexicon GEOLEX [More info]: Search tool for locating lithologic and geochronologic unit names for geologic studies.
National geologic studies of benthic habitats, northeastern United States : Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region off Boston, Massachusetts [More info]: Geological research of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary sea floor are presented in the form of maps, posters, fact sheets, sonar images, and bottom photographs.
National Geomagnetism Program [More info]: Overview of USGS programs related to geomagnetism including observatories, data, program services, links to models, charts, and movies, program contacts, Intermagnet, Geomag, publications, and bibliographies.
National Geospatial Technical Operations Center [More info]: Organizational unit within USGS supporting acquisition and management of trusted geospatial data, products, and services needed for The National Map, the National Atlas, and related efforts.
National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) [More info]: Main page for National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), a comprehensive set of digital spatial data about surface water features, with links to references, data, software tools, applications, tutorials, technical support, and data maintenance.
National Ice Core Laboratory [More info]: The U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) is a facility in the Denver Federal Center, Colorado, for long-term storage, curating, and studying ice cores recovered from the polar regions of the world with information on public tours.
National land cover characterization [More info]: Homepage for the National Land Cover Data (NLCD), a land cover classification scheme, for the United States based on data derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite data. Includes links to description, products, accuracy, and program partners.
Nationalatlas.gov - National Atlas of the United States [More info]: Portal to general information on the National Atlas of the United States with access for producing specialized maps and links to thematic maps including interactive maps, multimedia maps, map layers data warehouse, wall maps, and printable maps.
Nearshore Benthic Habitat Project [More info]: Homepage for the Nearshore Benthic Habitats Project for mapping geophysical characterization of the coastal sea floor to identify benthic fish and shellfish habitat with links to research cruises and preliminary results.
Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) of the Great Plains, United States [More info]: Geographic analysis of the changes in storage and release of carbon in this large area as land use patterns, especially agriculture, have changed.
New England states aeromagnetic and gravity maps and data [More info]: Aeromagnetic surveys of New England, merged to form seamless grids across the state. Gravity anomaly data are provided as well. Data provided in a variety of formats.
North Cascades National Park geology, a mountain mosaic [More info]: Homepage for information on geology of the North Cascades National Park in the state of Washington. Includes links to geologic story, geologic field trips, geologic maps, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, and glossary.
Northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem change and hazard susceptibility [More info]: Map interfaces and data in the area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama which was affected most by hurricane Katrina and, more recently, the oil spill.
Occurrence, distribution, and concentrations of selected contaminants in streambed- and suspended-sediment samples collected in Bexar County, Texas, 2007-09 [More info]: Study showing which chemicals found in sediments were most common, with methods used and likely consequences of their high concentrations.
Oceanographic time series data [More info]: Oceanographic time-series data obtained from moored instruments, generally provided in NetCDF format.
Oil Pollution Impacts on Birds [More info]: A compilation of information, including reports, bibliographies, and data, on all aspects oil toxicity relevant to birds and other wildlife.
Online guide to the continental Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Raton basin, Colorado and New Mexico [More info]: Field guide describing the geology and paleontology of the continental Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Raton basin, Colorado and New Mexico.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter A - ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance [More info]: Part A of a complex report on the results of ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance analysis of a large sample base from more than 70 wells located in three oil-rich California petroleum basins in order to study the formation of oil deposits.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter B - Insights from extractable bitumen and saturated hydrocarbons [More info]: Part B of a complex report on the results of geochemical analysis of 75 shale samples from the Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Joaquin Basins to gather observations relevant to exploration regarding the formation of oil deposits in these basins.
Ozone in our air - friend or foe? - depends on where [More info]: Article on ozone layer and ozone as a pollutant from the weekly newsletter Volcano Watch (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) for August 20, 2001.
P-wave data from the Indian subcontinent [More info]: Compilation of P-wave data from the Indian subcontinent Deep Seismic Sounding (DSS) profiles that used refraction and reflection techniques to provide an estimate of crustal thickness across the subcontinent.
Pacific Northwest geologic mapping and urban hazards [More info]: Overview of the Pacific Northwest Urban Corridor Geologic Mapping Program concerned with geology and urban hazards with links to online geologic maps, current research, publications, and contacts.
Pacific Northwest geologic mapping and urban hazards [More info]: Description of research underway in the Pacific Northwest including geologic mapping and urban hazards studies with links to geologic maps, publications, and data.
Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project [More info]: Homepage for the Pacific Sea floor Mapping Project with links to images, downloadable data, applications, fly-by movies, products, publications, and contacts for studies of San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Lake Tahoe, and other Pacific areas.
Pacific Walrus Response to Arctic Sea Ice Losses [More info]: Radio-tracking indicates that walruses will exploit sparse ice to maintain access to preferred foraging areas over the continental shelf.
Paleomagnetism analyses [More info]: Links to laboratory capabilities within the USGS for paleomagnetism and paleomagnetic and rock magnetic procedures for dating and determination of magnetic direction and polarity in samples with links to techniques, equipment, and contacts.
Paleontological analyses [More info]: Links to USGS capabilities in paleontological analyses of fossils such as mollusks, diatoms, palynomorphs, ostracodes, calcareous nannofossils, etc. Includes descriptive information, technique, equipment, and contacts for each fossil group.
Paleontology at the U.S. Geological Survey [More info]: USGS Paleontology home page documenting the wide diversity in paleontologic studies and applications within the USGS.
Paleontology selected online resources [More info]: Selection of links to web sites dealing with paleontology and related disciplines including links to museums, academia, societies, surveys, and groups of fossils.
Pennsylvania downloadable spatial data (GIS data files) [More info]: Pennsylvania digital data for watershed boundaries, county geology, and flood mapping in Arc/Info format compressed with gzip utility for downloading plus links to other sources of data.
Photo gallery of the Long Valley area, California [More info]: Selection of photographic images of the Long Valley area that illustrate the consequences of the past geologic history of the Sierra Nevada, Long Valley Caldera, the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, glaciation, and faulting.
Photo glossary of volcano terms [More info]: Illustrates and describes commonly used volcano-related terms.
Potential effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gases on avian habitats and populations in the Northern Great Plains [More info]: Report on effects of the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide on plants and animals, especially birds, in the Great Plains including effects of carbon dioxide fertilization, ultraviolet radiation, climate change, and harmful effects on bird habitats.
Potential environmental impacts of quarrying stones in karst - a literature review [More info]: This report is the result of an extensive literature search to determine the state-of-the-knowledge regarding environmental impacts from quarrying carbonate rocks in karst formations to better use of karst resources in sustainable ways.
Potential for technically recoverable unconventional gas and oil resources in the Polish-Ukrainian Foredeep, Poland [More info]: Using a performance-based geological assessment methodology, we estimated mean volumes of 1,345 billion cubic feet of potentially technically recoverable gas and 168 million barrels of technically recoverable oil and natural gas liquids here.
Potential hazards from future volcanic eruptions in the Long Valley -- Mono Lake Area, California [More info]: An introduction to the volcano hazards in the Long Valley area based on the past geologic history of the Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain.
Preliminary geologic map of the Santa Barbara coastal plain area, Santa Barbara County, California [More info]: A geologic map of the Santa Barbara coastal plain region in PDF format with data in GIS format (ArcInfo export, shapefile, and TIFF)
Relations among geology, physiography, land use, and stream habitat conditions in the Buffalo and Current River systems, Missouri and Arkansas [More info]
Remaining recoverable petroleum in giant oil fields of the Los Angeles Basin, southern California [More info]: We estimated between 3.2 and 5.6 billion barrels of additional oil may be recovered with existing technology in this area using a probabilistic geology-based assessment methodology.
Response of Florida shelf ecosystems to climate change: from macro to micro scales [More info]: Study of the effects of ocean acidification on regional carbonate processes, changes in individual estuaries, and organism-level response.
Review of flow rate estimates of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill [More info]: We assess the degree to which a consensus was reached on the flow rate of the well by comparing in situ observations with a time-dependent flow rate model derived from pressure readings taken after the Macondo well was shut in for the well integrity test.
River inventory and monitoring [More info]: Links to science programs on upper Midwest river inventory and monitoring with links to databases on macroinvertebrates, fisheries, vegetation, water quality, bathymetry, floodplain forest, wildlife, sediment, contaminants and nutrients.
Rocky Mountain Mapping Center [More info]: Home page for the USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center in Denver, CO with mapping activities in the western U.S. and links to research activities, products, mapping liaisons, and education.
Salinity variation in an estuary used for oyster cultivation in southeastern North Carolina during the passover of the eye of Hurricane Bertha [More info]: Review of a study monitoring changes in salinity in Alligator Bay, NC during a 1996 hurricane due to the influx of fresh and saltwater and the effect it would have on oyster aquaculture.
Satellite imagery: Lake Pontchartrain Basin and Gulf of Mexico [More info]: Report on satellite imagery collected by the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on NOAA polar-orbiting weather satellites. Links are provided to imagery of north-central Gulf of Mexico and of the Lake Pontchartrain.
Satellite map of Port-au-Prince, Haiti - 2010 - infrared [More info]: Post-earthquake map derived from 1:24,000-scale base maps incorporating high- and medium-resolution remotely sensed imagery following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the capital city of Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 12, 2010
Satellite map of Port-au-Prince, Haiti - 2010 - natural color [More info]: Post-earthquake map derived from 1:24,000-scale base maps incorporating high- and medium-resolution remotely sensed imagery following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the capital city of Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 12, 2010
Satellite technologies detect uplift in the Yellowstone Caldera [More info]: Explanation of uplift in the land surface of the northern part of the Yellowstone caldera (12cm, about ~5 inches) that occurred between 1997 and 2003, including the scientific methods by which it was detected and analyzed.
Scanning and georeferencing historical USGS quadrangles [More info]: We are scanning all scales and all editions of approximately 250,000 topographic maps published by USGS since the inception of the topographic mapping program in 1884. They will be available to the public at no direct cost.
Schlumberger soundings at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada [More info]: Report presenting the data, automatic interpretations, cross sections, and resistivity maps of direct current electrical soundings at the Amargosa Desert Research Site near Beatty, Nevada using a Schlumberger array.
Science challenge questions and answers [More info]: Report giving a collection of 196 questions and answers on Earth and planetary sciences, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, hydrology, cartography, biology, and minerals for general audiences. Also information on obtaining an audio-CD copy.
Science implementation of Forecast Mekong for food and environmental security [More info]: Research activities and data sources for this international effort to enhance U.S. engagement with countries of the lower Mekong River basin.
Science supporting Gulf of Mexico oil-spill response, mitigation, and restoration activities-Assessment, monitoring, mapping, and coordination [More info]: Explains and shows data and expertise we were able to provide to Federal agencies and decision makers to help them deal with this difficult situation.
Science-Based Strategies for Sustaining Coral Ecosystems [More info]: Explains the environmental factors that affect coral reef habitats and ecosystems, focusing on those that pose urgent problems.
Sea-floor mapping technology [More info]: Integrated shipboard data collection, processing, and archival system for digital sidescan sonar and seismic data used in mapping the inner continental shelf.
Sea-floor morphology between Año Nuevo and Santa Cruz, California [More info]: Report with preliminary sea floor map displaying submarine rock exposures found along the northern part of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, extent based on side-scan sonar records, seismic-reflection records, and underwater video.
Seabed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) [More info]: Link to PDF fact sheet describing the SEABASS system that collects seabed images and sediment samples in coastal regions.
Seamless geographic data distribution system [More info]: Online map system providing downloadable geospatial data, primarily NSDI framework themes (that is, general geographic data such as transportation, boundaries, hydrography, orthoimagery, land cover, and elevation).
Seismic properties of North America and the surrounding ocean basins [More info]: Presentation of maps of the seismic properties of North America and the surrounding ocean basins compiled from seismic refraction and reflection data, earthquake studies, and surface wave analyses showing crustal thickness and geologic provinces.
Selected references on fossils and paleontology [More info]: Bibliography of books, periodicals, fossil collecting guides, audiovisual aids, videos, filmstrips, charts, and posters which may be borrowed from libraries or purchased if still available.
Selected Western Region Mineral Resources on-line publications [More info]: Links to digital publications on minerals and mineral resources research in the western United States.
Shoreline surveys of oil-impacted marsh in southern Louisiana, July to August 2010 [More info]: Locations of survey points, a photographic record of each site, field observations of vegetation cover and descriptions of oil coverage in the water and on plants, including measurements of the distance of oil penetration from the shoreline.
Sinkholes [More info]: Explains sinkhole formation and distribution, with special emphasis on their occurrence in Missouri
Sound waves [More info]: Monthly online newsletter covering coastal and marine science with links listed under sections titled fieldwork, meetings, outreach, and research.
South Carolina coastal erosion study [More info]: USGS project to understand coastal evolution and modern beach behavior; to identify and model the physical processes affecting coastal ocean circulation and sediment transport; and to identify sediment sources and construct a regional sediment budget.
South Florida Ecosystem History Project [More info]: Project is designed to integrate studies from a number of researchers compiling data from terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems within south Florida. Links to publications, maps, posters, and data of studies.
Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP): find geologic maps [More info]: Download digital geologic databases produced by the Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP) or view SCAMP work in progress by clicking on 1:100,000-scale, 30x60 minute quadrangles.
Southern California Mapping Project (SCAMP) [More info]: Description of the SCAMP project to produce geologic and geophysical maps and reports that describe the geologic setting and geologic history of southern California.
Space Acquired Photography [More info]: Ordering and descriptive information for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) imagery acquired by the USGS from Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, International Space Station, Space Shuttle, and Shuttle Large Format Camera missions.
Space Acquired Photography [More info]: These photographs were taken by Gemini mission astronauts with handheld cameras or by the Large Format Camera (LFC) that flew on space shuttle Challenger in October 1984.
Spectroscopy of rocks and minerals, and principles of spectroscopy [More info]: Technical review of the principles of spectroscopy and its use in identifying minerals and other materials.
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center coral reef research [More info]: Describes ecological problems facing coral reef ecosystems and the research strategies we use to study the prevalence and severity of those problems.
Standardized National Vegetation Classification System [More info]: Document on the National Vegetation Classification Standard with information on applications, background, development, characteristics, nomenclature standards, relationship to other classifications, and how to do vegetation mapping.
Studies in Long Island Sound: geology, contaminants, and environmental issues [More info]: Description of Long Island Sound projects and links to research topics, data, publications, photos, and technology on sediment transport, sea floor mapping, contaminant sampling, sediment texture, and environmental issues.
Studies of polluted sediment offshore Los Angeles [More info]: Overview of studies of marine sediment on the continental shelf south of Los Angeles contaminated with DDT and PCBs from past sewage effluent discharges with links to research on Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles Shelf and Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Summary of Bed-Sediment Measurements Along the Platte River, Nebraska, 1931-2009 [More info]: Studies of the size of bed sediment along the length of a river through time show how the river channel will be affected by development or management efforts.
Sutter Buttes-the lone volcano in California's Great Valley [More info]: Explains history and structure of this unusual geologic feature.
Tapestry of time and terrain: union of two maps, geology and topography [More info]: Colored map compiled by merging geologic and topographic maps of the United States through computer processing and enhancement with links to panoramic movie using QuickTime, descriptions of features, and a game entitled Puzzle of Regions.
Teacher's guide to the San Francisco Bay area geophysics maps (U.S. Geological Survey GP-1006 and GP-1007) [More info]: This publication (Open-File Report 95-479) is a teacher's guide to two U.S. Geological Survey maps that show gravity and magnetic data in contour form superimposed on a LANDSAT satellite image of the San Francisco Bay area.
Terrestrial essential climate variables (ECVs) at a glance [More info]: Explains 16 distinct types of scientific information that are needed to understand climate change, including the specific parameters measured, why they are needed, who measures them, and the type and amount of information that are not yet available.
The 3D Elevation Program -- Summary of Program Direction [More info]: Strategy to be used to improve elevation data in support of many public concerns addressed by multiple Federal and state agencies.
The Alaska Geochemical Database: v. 1.0 - Geologic Materials [More info]: Geochemical analyses of rocks, mineral separates, lake and stream sediment bulk samples, heavy-mineral concentrates, and soils collected by USGS in Alaska from 1962 through 2009.
The Chesapeake Bay bolide: modern consequences of an ancient cataclysm [More info]: Presentation that the location of Chesapeake Bay may have been predetermined by a Eocene bolide, an extraterrestrial body, impacting the Earth in the vicinity of the Delmarva Peninsula at high velocity and exploding to create a large crater.
The Cottonwood Lake study area, a long-term wetland ecosystem monitoring site [More info]: Here we study effects of climate and groundwater on surface-water levels, the hydrological effects on wetland water chemistry, and the combined effects of climate, hydrology, and water chemistry on plant and animal communities of prairie pothole wetlands.
The crustal structure of China from deep seismic sounding profiles [More info]: Summary of results of Deep Seismic Sounding (DSS) profiles in China with links to a sample DSS profile, contour map of China with crustal thickness, crustal columns and maps showing profile locations and seismic data.
The Geologic Story of Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Range [More info]: Rock types, geologic structure, and the history of their formation in this mountain range.
The Geologic Time Spiral - A Path to the Past [More info]: Poster depicting the changes in the Earth and its life throughout its history.
The Great Ice Age [More info]: Booklet (PDF format) on the Pleistocene glaciations known as the Great Ice Age and the resulting geomorphological, climatic, and environmental changes that occurred on Earth during the period.
The National Map [More info]: Homepage describing The National Map, which will produce a seamless, continuously maintained set of public domain geographic base information, with links to map viewer, pilot projects, reports, fact sheets, and national atlas.
The National Map: reports [More info]: Fact sheets and reports on the National Map in HTML format or PDFs.
The National Map: topographic maps for the 21st century [More info]: Description of the The National Map project intended to provide a seamless, integrated, and continuously maintained set of geographic base information for easily accessible, up-to-date, accurate mapping of the United States.
The role of climate in estuarine variability [More info]: Article from American Scientist on study of the San Francisco Bay estuary as a component of the global climate system showing that natural fluctuations might be mistaken for anthropogenic trends affecting waterflow and salinity.
The sea-floor mapping facility at the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Field Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts [More info]: Fact sheet on the sea-floor mapping facility at Woods Hole describing state-of-the-art technology used to produce accurate geologic maps of the sea floor and reporting on its data-acquisition, data-processing, and archiving capabilities.
The U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facility [More info]: The Ocean Bottom Seismometer facility provides technical support for a variety of scientific investigations ranging from deep crustal structure to gas hydrate and surface sediments.
The Yukon River Basin Active Layer Network: A cooperative project between the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the U.S. Geological Survey [More info]: Monitoring soil temperature, soil moisture, air temperature, and overall thickness of the soil and sediment that is above the permafrost, therefore undergoing freeze-thaw cycles. Climate change may affect this active layer; we want to know how it does.
Thermal Properties of Methane Gas Hydrates [More info]: This unusual form of hydrocarbons can alter the thermal properties of host sediments; the analysis presented here helps us understand how those sediments might behave under natural or human-induced changes in the environment.
Three-dimensional geologic maps and visualization [More info]: Techniques of computer-based representations of areal geology to construct three-dimensional geologic maps that retain all the information of traditional geologic maps while providing a more detailed picture of the subsurface.
Topographic maps [More info]: General information on topographic maps with links to topographic mapping, USGS topographic maps, digital raster graphics, how to find and order USGS maps, map revision, and map symbols.
Topographic Science [More info]: Explains and illustrates the types of topographic information USGS obtains, how we use this information, and how to obtain topographic data for your own work.
U.S. Atlantic East Coast [More info]: Atlantic East Coast interactive map with GIS datasets and sonar imagery.
U.S. Gulf of Mexico Shoreline Change [More info]: Interactive map of the Gulf of Mexico coast reflecting shoreline changes.
U.S. Pacific West Coast internet map server [More info]: Interactive map of the U.S. Pacific West Coast with data layers of Gloria sidescan data, multibeam backscatter and shaded relief imagery.
Unconsolidated aquifers of upstate New York [More info]: Information on aquifers in upstate New York which consist of unconsolidated deposits of sand and gravel that occupy major river and stream valleys or lake plains. Links to aquifer maps at scales 1:24,000 or 1:250,000 and cooperative publications.
Understanding our planet through chemistry [More info]: Site with a series of articles showing how chemists and geologists use analytical chemistry to determine the age of the Earth, determine Earth's history, predict volcanic eruptions, observe long-term atmospheric change and study pollution.
United States Antarctic Resource Center [More info]: Description of the Antarctic Resources Center and links to its workshops and archives of Antarctic maps, charts, satellite images, and photographs produced by the member nations of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
Unsaturated-Zone Flow Project [More info]: Overview of research to measure, predict, and understand the flow of water through soil and rock between the land surface and the water table with links to field sites, laboratory methods, theoretical developments, publications, and personnel.
Use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to Obtain High-Resolution Elevation Data for Sussex County, Delaware [More info]: Methods and techniques used to collect and process LiDAR elevation data, the generation of the digital elevation model (DEM) and the 2-foot contours, and the quality-assurance procedures and results.
Use of Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs) in Petroleum Polluted Waters [More info]: Provides a brief discussion of issues surrounding the use and capabilities of SPMDs, which can be used in monitoring petroleum spills.
USGS Alaska State Mosaic [More info]: Using 172 Scenes from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics 2001 collection geometrically and radiometrically aligned, we produced seamless, relatively cloud-free image of the entire state.
USGS East-coast sediment analysis: analysis, procedures, database and georeferenced displays [More info]: Grain-size analysis of marine sediments of the U.S. eastern coast with sampling and lab methods, surficial sediment database in three formats (Excel, Dbase IV, ASCII), and use of geographic mapping tools for visualizing sediment data layers.
USGS EDMAP Program-Training the Next Generation of Geologic Mappers [More info]: How to apply for funding for students to complete geologic mapping projects, with a list of universities who have participated in the program.
USGS Geography Products [More info]: USGS mapping sciences page containing links describing cartographic and geographic products and programs. The information products are available in printed and digital formats.
USGS geology in the parks [More info]: U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service virtual geology sites organized by geology topics and individual parks.
USGS guide to federal environmental laws and regulations [More info]: Guide to major U.S. environmental statutes and corresponding regulations on air quality, fish and wildlife conservation, cultural and historic resources, solid and hazardous substances, public lands, farmlands, and water resources.
USGS responds to Deepwater Horizon oil spill [More info]: Imagery, sampling information, and other data intended for use in assessing and remediating environmental problems related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010
USGS science for the Nation's changing coasts; Shoreline change assessment [More info]: Shorelines are always changing, yet we use these areas heavily. This shows what we measure and how, to help adapt to changing coastal zones.
USGS studies in the New York Bight [More info]: Describes and provides links to USGS research in the location of the estuary and coast of Long Island, New York, to map the sea floor and to study sediment transport, contaminants, and sand resources and coastal vulnerability.
Using terrestrial light detection and ranging (lidar) technology for land-surface analysis in the Southwest [More info]: Tripod-mounted lidar makes it inexpensive and efficient to measure and map geographic features that change with time, such as sand dunes and erosional features, and soil microtopography.
usSEABED (marine sediment and rock distribution) [More info]: Data on sediment and rock distributions in the waters off the United States, shown using an internet map service with links to downloadable data files
View USGS maps and aerial photo images online [More info]: Links to selected partner sites where USGS maps and aerial photo images may be viewed with a web browser.
Visual Glossary - asthenosphere [More info]: The asthenosphere is the ductile part of the earth just below the lithosphere, including the lower mantle. The asthenosphere is about 180 km thick.
Volcanoes [More info]: This booklet presents a generalized summary of the nature, workings, publications, and hazards of the common types of volcanoes around the world, along with a brief introduction to the techniques of volcano monitoring and research.
Volunteer Map Data Collection at the USGS [More info]: Describes past, current, planned, and experimental USGS programs and processes to permit citizen volunteers to collect geographic and cartographic data and information for incorporation into the USGS topographic map revision process.
Washington aeromagnetic maps and data [More info]: Colored geomagnetic and gravity maps and related data and graphical plots for the state of Washington.
Water Resources and Natural Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale [More info]: The Marcellus shale is a black shale unit in the eastern US. It has economic use as a source of natural gas. Environmental concerns arising from the process of exploiting this resource include water supply and wastewater disposal.
Water resources of Alaska [More info]: USGS water resources home page for Alaska with links to detailed hydrologic studies and real-time and historic data on streamflow, ground and surface water, glaciers, and water quality plus research activities, publications, and contacts.
Water resources of Colorado [More info]: USGS water resources home page for Colorado with links to detailed hydrologic studies and real-time and long-term data on streamflow, snowpack, sediment, ground and surface water, and water quality, plus publications, news, and drought watch.
Water resources of Maine [More info]: USGS water home page for Maine with detailed hydrologic studies and real-time and long-term data for streamflow, ground and surface water, snow, and water quality plus drought watch, press releases, projects, and contacts.
Water resources of Washington State - projects/studies [More info]: List of links to USGS research and studies on the water resources of Washington, which can be searched by subject, basin and county.
Water science for schools: glaciers and icecaps, storehouses of fresh water [More info]: Brief information for students on glaciers and icecaps from Water Science for Schools with link to more glacial information by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Watershed processes and modeling [More info]: Links to published materials produced by the Watershed Processes and Modeling Project on watershed model TOPMODEL, compilation of STATSGO soils data, climate change, landscape heterogeneity in ecoregions, and other links.
West-central Florida erosion study [More info]: West central Florida erosion interactive map with GIS datasets to download including geologic interpretative layers, samples, bathymetry, and imagery.
Western lake catchment systems - Bear Lake region, Idaho-Utah [More info]: Homepage for project on Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah, to study past climate change and effect on lake catchment basins. Includes link to summary, personnel, geology, methods used including coring and seismic surveying, and publications.
Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology [More info]: Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology science center conducts research in the coastal and offshore areas of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and other U.S. Pacific Islands.
Western Region Geology and Geophysics Center [More info]: Overview of the research of this organizational unit with links to projects and activities and to geologic information on the western U.S.
Western Region geophysical investigations by the Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park, Calif. (GUMP) [More info]: Overview of the research group Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP) with links to studies, models, and maps on gravity and geomagnetism in Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and the U.S.
Whales and walrus: tillers of the seafloor [More info]: Report on sea floor marks in the Northeast Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea that were identified as pits and furrows caused by whales and walruses in the process of feeding on bottom crustaceans.

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