Videos

Fragile Land of Extremes
A video presentation and discussion

Research Ecologists Cecil Schwalbe and Todd Esque will introduce the 2003 USGS video Sonoran Desert: Fragile Land of Extremes, present an update on recent research, and answer your questions. 

Lava spines continue to emerge onto the crater floor of Mount St. Helens in 2005. By April 2005, spine 4 is broken and pushed away by spine 5.  The nearly vertical spine 5 has a smooth, gouge-covered surface, growing at an average rate of 4.3 meters per day.

Blowing the Lid off Seismic Science for 40 Years

Ross Stein, representing the USGS Earthquake Hazards Team 

USGS Shipboard Research Sparked Scientific Advances

By William R. Normark, and

David W. Scholl, Marine Geologists

Growth and disintegration of lava spines continued at Mount St. Helens through the first 8 months of 2005. Rather than building a single dome-shaped structure, the new dome grew initially as a series of recumbent, smoothly surfaced spines that extruded to lengths of almost 500 m.

Hear why California makes an ideal environment for landslides North face

By Gerald F. Wieczorek, Geological Engineer, and

Raymond C. Wilson, Landslide Geologist

Within the crater of Mount St. Helens, the 2004–2008 lava dome grew by continuous extrusion of degassed lava spines. To track growth and anticipate what the volcano might do next, scientists installed monitoring equipment, including a camera and gas sensing instruments, and made helicopter overflights to collect the temperature (FLIR) of the growing dome.

35 Years of San Francisco Bay Studies

By John Conomos, Scientist Emeritus

Compilation video of significant events from the dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, from October 1, 2004 to March 15, 2005, including steam and ash eruptions, growth of lava spines, helicopter deployment of monitoring equipment, collection of lava samples, and FLIR thermal imaging of rock collapse on lava dome.

Advances in Understanding and Coping with their Hazards

by Robert L. Christiansen and Robert I. Tilling, Volcanologists

By late October 2004, a whaleback-shaped extrusion of solid lava (called a spine) emerged from Mount St. Helens' crater floor. The 2004–2008 lava dome grew by continuous extrusion of degassed lava spines that had mostly solidified at less than 1 km (0.62 mi) beneath the surface.

The Revolution in Mapping at the U.S. Geological Survey

by Susan P. Benjamin, Research Geographer

On October 11, 2004, spines of solid, but still hot, lava punctured the surface of the deformed glacier, initiating a new dome-building phase of activity in the crater of Mount St. Helens. By late October, a larger whaleback-shaped extrusion of solid lava (called a spine) emerged from the crater floor.

After two weeks of increasing seismicity, Mount St. Helens began erupting on October 1, 2004. The first of several explosions shot a plume of volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere. Four additional steam and ash explosions occurred through October 5, and three produced noticeable fallout of fine ash downwind.

Following unrest that began on September 23, 2004 and the steam and ash eruptions in early October, extrusion of solid magma typified the 2004-2008 eruption at Mount St. Helens. The magma is unusually gas poor and crystal rich.  Several meters of pulverized, variably sintered rock commonly coat the emergent lava spines, lending them a smooth appearance.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline story-- so far, so good!

by George Gryc, Arthur Lachenbruch, and Robert Page, Scientists Emeriti

Connecting Geology and Wine in Napa Valley

by David G. Howell, Geologist Emeritus

What is the Future of the Southern Sea Otter?

Featuring the new award-winning USGS video Precipice of Survival. The Southern Sea Otter by Stephen Wessells, introduced and discussed by sea otter researchers including Alisha H. Kage and M. Tim Tinker, Research Biologists 

The Role of Paleomagnetism in the Evolution of Plate Tectonic Theory Video Presentation

Presentation of the award-winning USGS video "Secrets in Stone" (35 minutes), introduced by Jack Hillhouse, Research Geophysicist, and followed by a tour of the USGS Paleomagnetics Laboratory

The Methyl Bromide Story

By Laurence G. Miller, Biogeochemist

Video presentation and discussion

Ecologist Jim Cloern will introduce the video Delta Revival, produced jointly by the USGS and the CALFED Bay-Delta Authority. 

USGS Scientists wil answer your questions about this documentary, which shows: