Images

Acoustic doppler used to record measurements on Wild Rice River during 2010 flood. Photo taken from bridge at 174th Ave and 124th St southwest of Horace, ND.

The Hotel Montana, shown here, is a portable seismometer site. USGS Seismologists Doug Given, Susan Hough, Mark Meremonte, and J. Zebulon Maharrey traveled to Haiti shortly after the magnitude-7 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010 to install seismometers. Seismometers monitor the earth's movement and can detect and measure aftershocks.

A cathedral in the central square of Chillán, Chile replaces the ancient cathedral that collapsed during the strong earthquake of 1939. This modern structure was constructed with earthquake resistance as the primary consideration. The only damage caused by the M 8.8 earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010 was broken windows.

Silver carp are a large a troublesome invasive species from Asia found in the great rivers of the central United States. Silver carp have been observed to jump in response to rocks thrown in the water, passing trains, geese taking off from the water, or just when they unexpectedly find themselves in a tight place.

A masonry building in the downtown part of Concepcion, Chile partially collapsed as a result of the M 8.8 earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010. Most modern buildings in Concepcion were undamaged during the earthquake due to the city's adoption of adequate building standards. However, many masonry buildings such as this one were heavily damaged.

These offices buildings in Concepcion, Chile were built to be tsunami-ready. They are elevated some 10 meters (32 feet) above the ground surface, such that a tsunami inundation would pass below without causing damage.

This masonry office building in the downtown area of Concepcion, Chile collapsed as a result of the M 8.8 earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010. The construction of this building predates the establishment of strict building codes in Chile, put in place following the devastating earthquake of 1960.

Curlews migrate long distances each year. Captured birds are quickly removed from mist nets and transported to the care of a veterinarian, who performs the implant surgeries to outfit the bird with a tracking device. In June 2007, USGS scientists tagged 13 curlews with satellite transmitters at their southern breeding area in Alaska.

A distinctive feature of the Bristle-thighed Curlew is its cinnamon-colored rump and tail. This feature helps distinguish curlews from similar species like the Whimbrel (N. phaeopus), particularly in places where the two species overlap in Alaska and Oceania. These curlews migrate long distances each year.

The endangered Devils Hole pupfish lives only in Devils Hole in the Mojave Desert.

Breton Island calm conditions weather scenario.

A USGS technician collects a water sample at the Faka Union Canal Weir #1, Collier County, Florida. The sample was used to help determine the source of the warm water responsible for the site's popularity among manatees as a warm water refuge.

High resolution satellite imagery showed the landscape and building damages before and after the magnitude-7 earthquake hit Haiti in the beginning of 2010. This image was taken before the earthquake.

You may notice a green, red or brown film on your favorite boating or swimming area in the summer. This coloring could mean that the water is affected by harmful algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms are an accumulation of tiny organisms known as algae and can release harmful toxins into the environment.

View of the western edge of the western ocean entry delta near Kalapana.

The Puhiokalaikini entry continues to expand eastward, as small pahoehoe toes advanced on the new black sand beach below the seacliff.

View looking toward the ocean entries in the distance. The 'Ili'ili entry is marked by the tiny plume to the left. The very broad Puhiokalaikini entry comprises the rest of the plumes along the shoreline. The tube system feeding the ocean entries is delineated by the fume in the foreground.

Lava was only slowly oozing from the edge of the flow adjacent to the road. In this photo, a piece of shrubbery is slowly consumed by the lava.

Deer in Shenandoah National Park.

Madison river  weather station site, Shenandoah National Park.

Weather station site, Shenandoah National Park.