Images

[Page 6]

Did you feel that? The annual Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is coming on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at 10:17 a.m. (local time, wherever you are). We never know where or when an earthquake may happen, but preparing is easier than assembling a piece of Scandinavian furniture. 

U.S. Geological Survey landslide experts conduct an aerial reconnaissance flight October 3, 2024, over the southern Appalachian Mountains to get a better understanding of the extent and severity of landslide impacts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which brought widespread flooding and destruction. (USGS photo by Ben Mirus). 

A map of the United States including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico shows landslide susceptibility from yellow (low) to red (high), where the areas without shading represent negligible potential for landslides.

¿Dónde Ocurren los Deslizamientos de Tierra?

(Mapa Nacional de Susceptibilidad a Deslizamientos de Tierra, 2024)

This map, accessible to the public through the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal Change Hazards Portal, depicts areas along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi that are forecast to experience sand dune erosion, overwash and inundation when Hurricane Francine strikes the U.S. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (USGS image). 

Underwater footage of seafloor massive sulfides, taken from a remotely operated vehicle.

Underwater footage of marine phosphorites on seafloor, taken from a remotely operated vehicle.

Underwater footage of ferromanganese crust on seafloor, taken from a remotely operated vehicle.

Underwater footage of manganese nodules on seafloor, taken from a remotely operated vehicle.

Andrew Robinson, a USGS hydrological technician, is making a measurement at Ebenezer Creek at Springfield, GA. This site number is 02198690. (Photo by Andrew Robinson, USGS.)

Drew Robinson, a USGS hydrological technician, is putting a Rapid Deployment Gauge together for the Georgia Department of Transportation on Wednesday, August 7. He built the RDG and deployed it in Statesboro in the early evening. That RDG was used to help the local community experiencing bad floods on Lotts Creek.

Video Thumbnail for the video "USGS NEIC Earthquake Response". Showcases three USGS scientists working at the National Earthquakes Information Center.

Thumbnail image of submitted "Meet the USGS Interns: Earthquakes Edition" video. See submission for more details.

World map of expected annual disruption of copper refinery production, in metric tons, from potential seismic activity.

Earthquakes located at Mount St. Helens from 2008-2024, a non-eruptive period. This activity is consistent with normal, background levels. Top: Earthquake events located per week. The orange color at the far right denotes earthquakes from February to June 2024. Bottom: Earthquake depths below sea level (bsl) in kilometers.

Comparison of February-June 2024 seismicity to previous seismic swarms (1987-2004). Upper left: Map of Mount St. Helens with a grayscale representing a digital elevation model. Earthquakes interpreted as recharge between 1987 and 2004 are plotted as a heatmap of earthquake density.

From February 1 to June 17, 2024, approximately 350 earthquakes were located at Mount St. Helens by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Over 95% of the earthquakes were less than a magnitude 1.0 and too small to be felt at the surface. The number of earthquakes located per week appears to have reached a peak in early June, at 38 events per week. USGS graphic.

How hot do wildfires get? 

• 570 F degrees - TEMPERATURE AT WHICH WOOD WILL BURST INTO FLAMES
• 2,200 F degrees - TEMPERATURE WILDFIRES COULD REACH IN EXTREME CONDITIONS

USGS fire science informs land, water, and emergency management decisions. Each year tens of thousands of wildfires cause billions of dollars of damage. 

Fast-moving, highly destructive debris flows triggered by intense rainfall are one of the most dangerous post-fire hazards. The risk of floods and debris flows after fires increases due to vegetation loss and soil exposure. Cases of sudden and deadly debris flow are well documented along the western United States, particularly in Southern California.

USGS scientist Peter Kelly is recognized for his work to design, optimize, and commercialize Multi-GAS technology for monitoring of geothermal and volcanic gas emanations. Notably, he spent almost a decade designing, engineering, and perfecting a system of geochemical sensors for both portable and semi-permanent remote deployment.