Images

A sample of lignite, the lowest rank of coal. It is primarily mined for burning in steam-generation power plants.

Red bubblegum coral (Paragorgia) and several colonies of Primnoa occupy a boulder in close proximity to an anemone and sea star, at approximately 440 meters depth in Norfolk Canyon. Image courtesy of Deepwater Canyons 2013 – Pathways to the Abyss, NOAA-OER/BOEM/USGS

This is anthracite, the highest rank of coal. It is a hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often referred to as hard coal, containing a high percentage of fixed carbon and a low percentage of volatile matter. Anthracite is not as commonly mined as other ranks of coal.

Clinker coal is the result of a seam of coal catching fire and burning so hot that it baked surrounding rock layers into brick-like formations.

A sample of lignite, the lowest rank of coal. It is primarily mined for burning in steam-generation power plants.

A sample of lignite, the lowest rank of coal. It is primarily mined for burning in steam-generation power plants.

Artist's rendering of Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The satellite was renamed Landsat 8 after a successful launch on February 11, 2013. 

Visit this Landsat 8 webpage to learn more about the Landsat program.

This sample is of bituminous coal, a middle rank coal (between subbituminous and anthracite) formed by additional pressure and heat on lignite.

Peat is the precursor to coal. It's made up of decayed plant materials or other organic matter that, over time, can undergo heat and pressure to become lignite.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.

Hermann, MO boat ramp--December 2013.  

Missouri River ice flows past a boat ramp located near Hartsburg, MO.  

Looking upstream from weir past bridge are large “bubble-like” ice formations up to 3.8 feet tall.

Looking upstream from weir past bridge are large “bubble-like” ice formations up to 3.8 feet tall.

Spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) are omnivores, often feeding on fruits and insects.

The USGS monitors several small watersheds in Maine as part of a project with the Maine DOT to help more accurately design culvert sizes. 

In this photo, hydrologic technician Nick Stasulis wades a brook near Dresden, Maine as part of a streamflow measurement.

Looking north towards Mono Lake and Mono Craters from the summit of Reverse Peak.

USGS staff--working with partners--released a harmless, fluorescent dye as part of a large-scale test that is being conducted along a 3,000-foot stretch of canals and levees. Its goal is to determine how to best design and formulate plans to reconnect water flows in the Everglades.

USGS staff--working with partners--released a harmless, fluorescent dye as part of a large-scale test that is being conducted along a 3,000-foot stretch of canals and levees. Its goal is to determine how to best design and formulate plans to reconnect water flows in the Everglades.

USGS staff--working with partners--released a harmless, fluorescent dye as part of a large-scale test that is being conducted along a 3,000-foot stretch of canals and levees. Its goal is to determine how to best design and formulate plans to reconnect water flows in the Everglades.

USGS staff--working with partners--released a harmless, fluorescent dye as part of a large-scale test that is being conducted along a 3,000-foot stretch of canals and levees. Its goal is to determine how to best design and formulate plans to reconnect water flows in the Everglades.