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In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) provided technical support to the National Park Service in assessing road damage and landslide hazards along the Blue Ridge Parkway following Hurricane Helene.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) provided technical support to the National Park Service in assessing road damage and landslide hazards along the Blue Ridge Parkway following Hurricane Helene.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) provided technical support for the National Park Service in assessing road damage and landslide hazards along the Blue Ridge Parkway following Hurricane Helene.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) provided technical support to the National Park Service in assessing road damage and landslide hazards along the Blue Ridge Parkway following Hurricane Helene.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) provided technical support for the National Park Service to assess road damage and landslide hazards after Hurricane Helene along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Measurements of whole core magnetic susceptibility provide a general stratigraphic profile of sediment layer compositions.

Split cores are stored at 38˚F in a walk in cold room in sealed storage containers. One half of every core is used and the second is kept for long-term archive storage.

The Quaternary Lab Facility: de-ionized water at high volumes sediment is needed for sub-sample processing.

Lab bench space in the Quaternary Lab Facility for core sampling outside of the walk-in cold storage room.

Every split sediment core is photographed to document color, structure and stratigraphy.

Sediment sub-samples are freeze dried to preserve delicate sediment particles or for easy pulverization.

Certain minerals, like the red garnets pictured here, are particularly effective at recording the metamorphic history of a rock.

USGS geographer and remote pilot Mark Bauer sets up a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) base station, which will be used to correct uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) lidar data during post-processing. It's early during the field day and a layer of frost covers the ground.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) employs a range of drone technologies for data collection in science, mapping, and monitoring.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is renowned for its winding path through the rugged Appalachian Mountains. The steep terrain and dense forests make for scenic views but also create a challenging environment for drone operations. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) remote pilots seek out open areas from which to conduct flights to enable good visibility of their surroundings.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) remote pilots Joe Adams and Matthew Burgess prepare to conduct drone flights at the Tanbark Ridge Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought heavy rain and powerful winds, resulting in multiple landslides along the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway. The National Park Service requested technical assistance from the U.S.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought heavy rain and powerful winds, resulting in multiple landslides along the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway. The National Park Service requested technical assistance from the U.S.

Flowchart of the steps taken to dynamically model wildfire risk, showing inputs (topography, weather, vegetation, and fuels) that are passed to processes (ignition probability and fire spread and behavior). Changes in available fuels are considered each year in the simulations, modifying the inputs.

Exploring the Colorado basement and Proterozoic shear zones. Fresh outcrops like this metagreywacke near Almont, Colorado, and cutting-edge techniques shed light on crustal growth and tectonic processes.

Rock cores from the Hanna basin (Wyoming) penetrate sediments deposited during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum.