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Mount St. Helens earthquake record during times of magma recharge....
Mount St. Helens earthquake record during times of magma recharge.
Mount St. Helens earthquake record during times of magma recharge.
Mount St. Helens earthquake record during times of magma recharge.

The top plot is the number of located earthquakes per week from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network's catalog. The bottom plot shows the earthquake depths with time. Earthquakes are plotted as circles with the size of the circle corresponding to the magnitude of the earthquake (see legend).

The top plot is the number of located earthquakes per week from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network's catalog. The bottom plot shows the earthquake depths with time. Earthquakes are plotted as circles with the size of the circle corresponding to the magnitude of the earthquake (see legend).

Right person at the right time for the right job—Mahalo nui loa, Da...
Mahalo nui loa, Darryl Oliveira
Mahalo nui loa, Darryl Oliveira
Mahalo nui loa, Darryl Oliveira

Darryl Oliveira, speaking with Puna residents about Kīlauea Volcano's June 27th flow during a community meeting at Pāhoa High School on September 25, 2014. This lava flow threatened lower Puna District communities only a few weeks after Hurricane Iselle made landfall in the same area of Hawai‘i Island.

Darryl Oliveira, speaking with Puna residents about Kīlauea Volcano's June 27th flow during a community meeting at Pāhoa High School on September 25, 2014. This lava flow threatened lower Puna District communities only a few weeks after Hurricane Iselle made landfall in the same area of Hawai‘i Island.

Standing Masonry Buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal
Standing Masonry Buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal
Standing Masonry Buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal
Standing Masonry Buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal

Standing masonry buildings in Kathmandu suggest that shaking was not amplified in the valley sediments surrounding Kathmandu

Damaged Monument Kathmandu, Nepal
Damaged Monument Kathmandu, Nepal
Damaged Monument Kathmandu, Nepal
Damaged Monument Kathmandu, Nepal

Major damage was more likely to monuments in Kathmandu, Nepal than more modern structures

Happy birthday to the Hawai'i Island geologic map!...
Happy birthday to Hawai'i Island geologic map!
Happy birthday to Hawai'i Island geologic map!
Happy birthday to Hawai'i Island geologic map!

A comparison of the 1946 Stearns and MacDonald map (left) and the 1996 BIMP map, digitized in 2005 (right), shows how the understanding of Hawai‘i Island's geology advanced over half a century. The Geologic Map of the Island of Hawaii is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/144/.

A comparison of the 1946 Stearns and MacDonald map (left) and the 1996 BIMP map, digitized in 2005 (right), shows how the understanding of Hawai‘i Island's geology advanced over half a century. The Geologic Map of the Island of Hawaii is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/144/.

Two men looking at equipment
Field Work - Scientists and Air-Quality Monitoring
Field Work - Scientists and Air-Quality Monitoring
Field Work - Scientists and Air-Quality Monitoring

Alaska Volcano Observatory scientist Mark Hansen working with Larsen Bay Mayor David Harmes on how the AVO-4 particulate monitor operates.

view of Salt Creek rock avalanche in Western Colorado from the top
Salt Creek Rock Avalanche in Western Colorado
Salt Creek Rock Avalanche in Western Colorado
Salt Creek Rock Avalanche in Western Colorado

Photograph taken from a Colorado National Guard helicopter looking north down the West Salt Creek rock avalanche deposit. On May 25, 2014, the central core of the rock avalanche deposit continued to move for 1-2 hours after the main rock avalanche deposit had stopped moving.

Photograph taken from a Colorado National Guard helicopter looking north down the West Salt Creek rock avalanche deposit. On May 25, 2014, the central core of the rock avalanche deposit continued to move for 1-2 hours after the main rock avalanche deposit had stopped moving.

Gentle reminders for all Hawaii residents to prepare for damaging e...
Preparing for damaging earthquakes
Preparing for damaging earthquakes
Preparing for damaging earthquakes

Red dots show updated locations and magnitudes of three earthquakes that occurred on or around the Islands of O‘ahu and Maui in late March and early April 2016, as revised by seismologists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Red dots show updated locations and magnitudes of three earthquakes that occurred on or around the Islands of O‘ahu and Maui in late March and early April 2016, as revised by seismologists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

View of Halema‘uma‘u plume from HVO ...
View of Halema‘uma‘u plume from HVO
View of Halema‘uma‘u plume from HVO
View of Halema‘uma‘u plume from HVO

One benefit of passing showers today at Kīlauea's summit was a double rainbow. Halema‘uma‘u Crater is at the right side of the photo, and the gas plume from the active lava lake can be seen drifting towards the southwest. At the far right edge of the image, visitors take in the view at Jaggar Overlook.

One benefit of passing showers today at Kīlauea's summit was a double rainbow. Halema‘uma‘u Crater is at the right side of the photo, and the gas plume from the active lava lake can be seen drifting towards the southwest. At the far right edge of the image, visitors take in the view at Jaggar Overlook.

Another check of summit cameras...
Another check of summit cameras
Another check of summit cameras
Another check of summit cameras

Mauna Loa's summit was cold and clear this morning while HVO scientists performed maintenance on the summit thermal camera and two seismic stations. A few faint steam sources were noted in the usual locations on the caldera floor.

Mauna Loa's summit was cold and clear this morning while HVO scientists performed maintenance on the summit thermal camera and two seismic stations. A few faint steam sources were noted in the usual locations on the caldera floor.

A scientist stands on a dune with scientific equipment with the ocean in the background.
Ground-Penetrating Radar acquisition at Fire Island, NY
Ground-Penetrating Radar acquisition at Fire Island, NY
Ground-Penetrating Radar acquisition at Fire Island, NY

Ground-Penetrating Radar instruments are towed across land. Data from this instrument show underlying sediment layers within the dune and barrier island, which may reveal patterns of growth and erosion.

Ground-Penetrating Radar instruments are towed across land. Data from this instrument show underlying sediment layers within the dune and barrier island, which may reveal patterns of growth and erosion.

A colony of the soft coral known as the "bent sea rod" stands bleached on a reef off of Islamorada, Florida.
Bent Sea Rod Bleaching
Bent Sea Rod Bleaching
Bent Sea Rod Bleaching

A colony of the soft coral known as the "bent sea rod" stands bleached on a reef off of Islamorada, Florida. Hard and soft corals are presently bleaching- losing their symbiotic algae – all over the coral reefs of the Florida Keys due to unusually warm ocean temperatures this summer.

A colony of the soft coral known as the "bent sea rod" stands bleached on a reef off of Islamorada, Florida. Hard and soft corals are presently bleaching- losing their symbiotic algae – all over the coral reefs of the Florida Keys due to unusually warm ocean temperatures this summer.

Scattered breakouts northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, no overall advancement...
Scattered breakouts NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, no overall advancement
Scattered breakouts NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, no overall advancement
Scattered breakouts NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, no overall advancement

Surface breakouts remain scattered northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, with a slight retreat in the reach of active breakouts since the last overflight on March 25. Today, the farthest active lava was 5.7 km (3.5 miles) from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Much of the activity was at the forest boundary, burning trees and creating numerous smoke plumes.

Surface breakouts remain scattered northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, with a slight retreat in the reach of active breakouts since the last overflight on March 25. Today, the farthest active lava was 5.7 km (3.5 miles) from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Much of the activity was at the forest boundary, burning trees and creating numerous smoke plumes.

One of the more vigorous breakouts on the flow field today, produci...
One of the more vigorous breakouts on the flow field today, produci...
One of the more vigorous breakouts on the flow field today, produci...
Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain pas...
Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain pas...
Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain pas...
Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain pas...

Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain passed, areas of active breakouts were evident by the larger steam plumes coming from the surface (for example, at the top center of the photograph).

Views were hampered today by sporadic downpours. Once the rain passed, areas of active breakouts were evident by the larger steam plumes coming from the surface (for example, at the top center of the photograph).

Scientists on a beach use sediment coring equipment (a tall aluminum barrel and motor to vibrate the barrel into the ground)
Collecting a sediment vibracore on the beach in Fire Island, NY
Collecting a sediment vibracore on the beach in Fire Island, NY
Collecting a sediment vibracore on the beach in Fire Island, NY

We collect terrestrial (barrier island) and marine (nearshore and estuarine) sediment cores to ground-truth geophysical observations. These cores are used to understand the history of barrier island formation and erosion.

a sandy coastline with heavily eroded dunes with two houses on stilts nearby
Erosion at Fire Island, New York
Erosion at Fire Island, New York
Erosion at Fire Island, New York

The impacts of extreme storms can be striking. Here, winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune at Fire Island, New York and moved them onto the beach and shoreface. Such erosion created a steep vertical face, or scarp. Erosion and overwash are expected to increase on Fire Island with rising sea levels. 

The impacts of extreme storms can be striking. Here, winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune at Fire Island, New York and moved them onto the beach and shoreface. Such erosion created a steep vertical face, or scarp. Erosion and overwash are expected to increase on Fire Island with rising sea levels. 

Winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune and moved them seaward to the beach and shoreface
Winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune
Winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune
Winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune

Though often less intense than hurricanes, extratropical storms (e.g., nor’easters) occur more frequently and their impacts can be striking. Here, several years after Hurricane Sandy, winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune at Fire Island, NY and moved them onto the beach and shoreface. Such erosion created a steep vertical face, or scarp.

Though often less intense than hurricanes, extratropical storms (e.g., nor’easters) occur more frequently and their impacts can be striking. Here, several years after Hurricane Sandy, winter nor’easters eroded sediments from an artificial dune at Fire Island, NY and moved them onto the beach and shoreface. Such erosion created a steep vertical face, or scarp.

Summit lava lake level drops...
Summit lava lake level drops
Summit lava lake level drops
Summit lava lake level drops

HVO geologist uses a laser rangefinder to measure the depth of the lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea in the Overlook crater. The lake level was about 58 m (190 ft) below the crater rim this afternoon. In recent days the lake level has dropped about 35 m (115 ft) as tiltmeters at the summit have recorded a larger than usual deflationary trend.

HVO geologist uses a laser rangefinder to measure the depth of the lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea in the Overlook crater. The lake level was about 58 m (190 ft) below the crater rim this afternoon. In recent days the lake level has dropped about 35 m (115 ft) as tiltmeters at the summit have recorded a larger than usual deflationary trend.

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