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Natural Hazards

Every year in the United States, natural hazards threaten lives and livelihoods and result in billions of dollars in damage. We work with many partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience.

News

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From the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case

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Volcanoes and USGS Volcano Science: Just the Facts

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Slight uptick in earthquakes at Newberry Volcano (March 24-April 3, 2022)

Publications

Improved resolution across the Global Seismographic Network: A new era in low-frequency seismology

The Global Seismographic Network (GSN)—a global network of ≈150 very broadband stations—is used by researchers to study the free oscillations of the Earth (≈0.3–10 mHz) following large earthquakes. Normal‐mode observations can provide information about the radial density and anisotropic velocity structure of the Earth (including near the core–mantle boundary), but only when signal‐to‐noise ratios

Planetary Aeolian landforms: An introduction to the Fifth Planetary Dunes Workshop Special Issue

Aeolian landforms are widespread in our solar system. Understanding the exact nature and processes of formation of these features are challenging tasks necessitating a strong collaboration between scientists with different skills and scientific backgrounds. This paper describes the special issue for the 5th International Planetary Dunes Workshop, which includes 15 research papers and three comment

Considerations for creating equitable and inclusive communication campaigns associated with ShakeAlert, the earthquake early warning system for the West Coast of the USA

PurposeThe 2019 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) cites earthquakes as the most damaging natural hazard globally, causing billions of dollars of damage and killing thousands of people. Earthquakes have the potential to drastically impact physical, social and economic landscapes; to reduce this risk, earthquake early warning (EEW) systems have been developed. However, these

Science

Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats

Seafloor resource managers and modelers need seafloor maps that can be combined in GIS, modeling, and statistical analysis environments and related successfully to biologic and oceanographic data. The Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats Project encompasses mapping activities and the development of new mapping systems and methodologies. The emphasis is on the role of geologic processes in...
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Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats

Seafloor resource managers and modelers need seafloor maps that can be combined in GIS, modeling, and statistical analysis environments and related successfully to biologic and oceanographic data. The Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats Project encompasses mapping activities and the development of new mapping systems and methodologies. The emphasis is on the role of geologic processes in...
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Continuous Volcano Monitoring Using a Field-Portable Helium Isotope Detector

The injection of magma into subvolcanic magma reservoirs is one of the most significant triggers of volcanic eruptions. It is often manifested by an increase in CO2 emissions and in the helium isotopic ratio (3He/4He) measured in discharged gases. Temporal variations of helium isotope ratios in volcanic gases preceded eruptions at Ontake Volcano in Japan (September 2014) and at Etna Volcano in...
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Continuous Volcano Monitoring Using a Field-Portable Helium Isotope Detector

The injection of magma into subvolcanic magma reservoirs is one of the most significant triggers of volcanic eruptions. It is often manifested by an increase in CO2 emissions and in the helium isotopic ratio (3He/4He) measured in discharged gases. Temporal variations of helium isotope ratios in volcanic gases preceded eruptions at Ontake Volcano in Japan (September 2014) and at Etna Volcano in...
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Global Marine Mineral Resources

Researching mineral resources that occur within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and areas beyond national jurisdictions.
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Global Marine Mineral Resources

Researching mineral resources that occur within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and areas beyond national jurisdictions.
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