Videos

Volcanic ash in Kansas? It's true there's thick deposits there, but where are the source volcanoes? Geologists began puzzling over this in the late 1800s when these deposits were first recognized. 

USGS scientists collect core samples from estuaries, lakes, coasts, and marine environments to study a range of physical and chemical properties preserved in sediment or coral over time. They process and analyze these core samples at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Sediment Core Lab. 

USGS scientists collect core samples from estuaries, lakes, coasts, and marine environments to study a range of physical and chemical properties preserved in sediment or coral over time. They process and analyze these core samples at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Sediment Core Lab. 

Ever wonder how scientists measure how thick landslides are? There are a few ways, but the one Kate Allstadt explains might surprise you.

If a geyser erupts and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Of course it does, and now we can hear it no matter when it happens thanks to a new monitoring station in Yellowstone National Park.

On February 6, 2023, magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Turkey near the Syrian border. Over 50,000 people lost their lives. Earthquake shaking was not the only hazard. The quake triggered landslides, liquefaction, and other cascading hazards.

In this monthly update of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, we present our take on the top five headlines for 2023.

0:12 - Earthquakes, Deformation

1:20 - Steamboat Geyser Eruptions

2:30 - New Monitoring for Hydrothermal

3:24 - Volcanic Eruptions at Yellowstone

4:34 - Magma Chamber below Yellowstone

Steamboat Geyser is the tallest geyser in the world. It has been putting on a show the last few years for visitors at Yellowstone National Park with a record number of water eruptions, 48 eruptions each in 2019 and 2020. But it's only had eight eruptions in 2023. Is Steamboat losing steam? 

Debris flows occur as a result of glacial outburst floods or intense fall storms prior to snow accumulations and occur commonly at the glaciated Mount Rainier, WA. Over 60 such events have been documented since 1928, 35+ of which have occurred in Tahoma Creek on the southwest side of the park.

Lava flows are one of the coolest (or maybe hottest!) features about volcanoes, but what would a lava flow look like if you could peel away the surface and take a peek underneath?

In the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska, repeat, high-resolution aerial and satellite data provide a unique opportunity to learn how a large bedrock landslide with a receding and thinning glacier at the toe is deforming.

Will an earthquake happen where you live? We have the resources that will let you know. Check out the video to learn more. September is National Preparedness Month.

Do you know what a “go” bag is? Does your family have a plan in case of an emergency? Check out the video to see what you can do to get yourself prepared if there were an earthquake. 

Earthquakes can affect millions of people across the United States. But do you know what causes them? This video will tell you.

September is National Preparedness Month. Learn more about the natural hazards you may face in our feature story.

The new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano continues. Numerous fountains remain active on the downdropped block east of Halema‘uma‘u crater, with lava pouring west onto the crater floor.

During the morning of September 11, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within the Kīlauea summit caldera. The eruption is occurring in the east portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the downdropped block to the east, which formed during the 2018 summit collapse.

This video, captured the evening of September 10, 2023, from near the Uēkahuna overlook within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, shows the new eruption within Kīlauea caldera. After approximately an hour of elevated earthquake and ground deformation, the eruption began at 3:13 p.m. on September 10, 2023.

Another eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano began at 3:13 p.m. on September 10, 2023. This video, captured by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's B2cam on the east rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, shows the opening phase of the eruption. A lava fountain bursts from a degassing area in the eastern portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

The B1cam, located on the east margin of the down-dropped block within Kīlauea caldera, captured the start of another eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano that began at 3:13 p.m. on September 10, 2023. This video shows a lava fountain bursting from a degassing area in the eastern portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, with the downdropped block in the foreground.

Natural hazards are unavoidable. But with proper preparedness, their impact can be reduced. The USGS and its partners work to prepare, monitor, assess, and alert people to the hazards around them. Are you ready if you're affected by a disaster?   

What geologic hazard is most likely to occur in the Yellowstone region on human timescales? The answer might not be what you think.