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.

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.

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.

Mount Adams, aerial view from the south. The A.G. Aiken Lava Bed lava flow is seen in the lower center of the photo, which erupted since the last glaciation.

Mount Adams from the southwest near Trout Lake, Washington. Foreground surface is a 300 year old lahar deposit that originated from high on the flank of the volcano, which deposited house-sized block.

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.

Employee uses a Flowtracker to measure cross-sectional profile of a rivulet draining a mangrove forest.

Another large chunk of the rim collapsed into the Halema'uma'u lava lake.

Dr. David Shelly is a research seismologist with the USGS.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory uses a variety of ground- and satellite-based techniques to monitor Hawai‘i’s active volcanoes.  Here, an HVO scientist sets up a portable GPS receiver to track surface changes during an island-wide survey of Hawai‘i’s volcanoes.

The May 12, 2008, Great Sichuan Earthquake, also called the Wenchuan Earthquake, occurred at 14:28 local time, in Sichuan Province, China. The earthquake magnitudes were Mw = 7.9 (USGS), Ms = 8.0 (Chinese Earthquake Administration). The epicenter was 80 km west-northwest of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province.

Damage to a house in Louisa County, Virginia, after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011.

Photos from Dauphin Island indicate beach erosion and island overwash, furthering the erosion the island has seen during repeated storm events -- Ivan, Katrina, Gustav and Isaac -- that have led to the island's increased vulnerability to future storms.  

USGS researcher Craig Allen stands on the edge of Mesa Alta, amid diverse forest and woodland in the uplands of northern New Mexico; note some recently dead ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in the field of view. Forest drought stress is strongly correlated with tree mortality from poor growth, bark beetle outbreaks, and high-severity fire.

A screenshot from the USGS film "Living with Fire".

A fire tornado swirls near a home in southern California. USGS is investigating the factors that dictate home loss from wildfires as part of the USGS Southern California Wildfire Risk Scenario Project.

Image courtesy of Tim Walton, Photo One Productions, CALFIRE. Shared with permission.

Building damage inside Lushan station.

Damage to a village house. Longxingcun.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck the island of Anjouan in the Union of the Comoros on March 12, 2014.  Heavy rainfall trigger landslides and damages were incurred to buildings, roads, and water supplies. As a precaution, more than 3,000 citizens living below the landslides were moved to a refugee camp.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck the island of Anjouan in the Union of the Comoros on March 12, 2014.  Heavy rainfall trigger landslides and damages were incurred to buildings, roads, and water supplies. As a precaution, more than 3,000 citizens living below the landslides were moved to a refugee camp.